the protecting friend

My dear friends Chloe and Kara invited me to go to the temple with them early yesterday morning.
It was absolutely perfect.

The sunrise was beautiful. The mountains seem to be on fire as fall comes sweeping in. The flowers up by the temple entrance are vibrant and cheerful. The morning was chilly which meant I finally got to wear one of my cozy sweaters. I love spending time in the temple. I love listening to the organ, reading a few scriptures, and pondering on those things that are on my mind. The quiet peace was exactly what I needed.

Later that day, I met up with Brooke to visit the Beauty and Belief exhibit in the Museum of Art here at BYU. this exhibit is absolutely incredible. it leaves next week so if you're in the area, just take an hour or so to go explore.

Islamic language attributes ninety-nine names to their God, or Allah. In my favorite part of the exhibit, there is a wall with screens flashing the various names and the beautiful calligraphy of the language.
Some of the names that caught my eye: Inspirer of Faith, Source of Peace, Preventer of Harm, Rewarder of Thankfulness, Guide to Repentance, Responder to Prayer

my personal favorite: The Protecting Friend

how beautifully perfect is that?

"Be Not Afraid" by Greg Olsen

I cannot count the times when I have literally felt as though my Savior had taken my hand and hugged me tight in times of trials. In the past year or so since coming out to college, I have developed some of the closest friendships I have ever had. I truly love these people; I cannot even begin to fathom just how great love our Heavenly Father feels for each of them. With all the turmoil in the world right now, and even just in our immediate lives, I find such great comfort in the knowledge of Christ's love for me. I know that He knows exactly what I have been, and will, go through. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me personally and He will take care of me. And that is all that really matters.

Those are my thoughts for now. Among others. There's just something about taking the time to ponder, to look around at the world around you, to discover new appreciations for other people and cultures, to spend time with great friends that just seems to lift the huge pressures away for a short while. Despite everything that seemed to go wrong yesterday, life was just beautiful and nothing could wipe that smile off my face.

My heart is full of gratitude on this lovely day. To close, here's a short Arabic saying that I just love.

God is beautiful and loves beauty.