Enjoying Distractions

Ever come home from work thinking, "I need a good time waster."? Because that is exactly what I came home thinking today. The funny thing is, I usually come home thinking, "How the heck am I going to get all this done?" or "Ok now I need to ... and then I'll... and then I'm off to ... and after that.... and so on." Most days I have no time for wasting time.

But today... today I wanted to waste time. I wanted to have time to waste. So, despite the pile of papers I have to grade right now, I found a wonderful, enjoyable time waster that I could not help sharing. It's simple really. All you need do if you ever find yourself in a  similar predicament is go to Youtube and type in Jerry Seinfeld. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. To save you some time though, so that you waste your wasted time wisely... here are a few gems I found today. Enjoy!

Bruised Heel?

I was bored. We were killing this team 13 to 0, and I found my self walking around the field waiting for something exciting to happen. Then suddenly I saw him break away from the very back. Kicking up black rubber beads from the turf, my feet swung swiftly in alternating rhythm as I approached him. There was no way he was going to score with only one minute remaining in this ridiculous game! I thought to myself. A final leap, I sliced the ball from his feet and hurled it out of bounds before he could chop it into the net. And in my elation and pride saving glory, I felt such pain in my foot that I immediately had to rip off my cleat. The last twenty seconds ticked away, and with them went the use of my left foot for the next month.

That was three weeks ago... my heel is still bruised. I have had to slow down quite a bit since then. No more 6 mile Saturday runs. Instead the following have ensued:. Crappy soccer playing. Daily heel icing rituals. Cold feet before bedtime. And through all of this, I have often thought of the scripture in Genesis 3:15 where the Lord tells Satan:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

I'm grateful it is just my heel that was injured in that game, but it sure has hurt me. I couldn't even walk on that foot the day after it happened. Furthermore, I've lost all the running momentum I had gained through the month of January. I was breezing up hills, and 6 miles was becoming incredibly comfortable. Though this week I finally felt that with a taped heel I could run a short distance. However on my 3 mile run this Wednesday, I found myself having to walk, especially up hills. I couldn't breathe. My legs were shaky. And I still felt pain in my foot.

Going through this experience, I feel like I have greater understanding of this scripture. Getting your heel bruised is like letting Satan into your life in some way. Some examples of this are:

• You stop reading your scriptures everyday.
• You stop praying on a consistent basis... at least three times day, at least
• You stop going to church.
• You stop serving others.
• You become a commandment/covenant breaker.

And as you do these things, you become debilitated in certain ways. You grow less and less close to the Spirit of the Lord. Your heart slowly gets harder and more closed. You become more defensive, more selfish, more offended by others, more angry and more lonely, and eventually you become depressed.

But if you have bruised your heel, the good news is that it doesn't have to stay that way. Now, if I hadn't iced my heel and stayed off of it, it would have gotten worse and never healed. But, I am soon to be completely recovered from this injury, which is exactly how the Atonement of Jesus Christ works in our lives.

Though sometimes, a slow and painful process, it is possible to overcome any spiritual injury we have afflicted upon ourselves. It is possible to regain the level of spirituality we once had before. I will have to train for another month again before I can glide up those hills and breathe easily on a six mile run, but I know I will be able to accomplish it. Through repentance and obedience to God's commandments, we can slowly rebuild our faith in Jesus Christ and our ability to follow his teachings. I know he loves us, and this is why he will heal us when we allow him to.

My Heart, My Soul. My Life.

I wake up.
My rested heart cries out. My tired body groans.
Hot soapy clean.
My perfumed lungs explode into water-muddled melody.
My soul sings.
A bright smile written in my eyes,
I look upon the waking day.
The sun rises.
My creaky, sore feet dance. My spirit rejoices.
Voices fill my classroom.
The choppy chorus pours into my ears.
The projector whirs wearily.
The laughter rises.

Even the walls speak.

And finally a favorite phrase recited:

¡Buenos días Señorita Aranda!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

My bestie, Aubree Hellen Ruth Johnson, got out of bed early this morning and ran a 5k with me... The Provo Monster Mile. But, what's better is that we ran this race as little minion people from Despicable Me. Enjoy! (Click on a picture to go to slideshow mode.)

One down!

Today, I am smiling:

Reasons why:

•  I did it! I survived my first quarter as a teacher! Yeah! 
• My sister moved back to the states today after living in England for 3 years!
• It's Halloween, a magical time of year, and I feel like watching Harry Potter. If I had time, I'd read it.
• I realized today how many amazing people I have in my life that love me.
• And the list goes on...

What do you believe?

So, about a year ago, I created this profile for mormon.org. As I was reading it today, I felt peace fill my soul. If you want to visit the actual site, click here; or you can click on the icon to the right that says: I believe.

Hi, I'm Charla

I'm a singer/songwriter, a college student, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I am finishing up my bachelor's degree in Spanish Teaching right now, and I'm currently working on recording my first EP. I love to sing, write music on the guitar and perform. It's therapeutic to express myself through music and to share my love of music with others. When I'm not doing homework, working or singing, I'm usually running a race or doing something active and fun. I love being outdoors and I love a challenge.

Why I am a Mormon

Both of my parents joined the LDS church right before I was born. Growing up as a member of the church, I always felt good about living the standards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was constantly encouraged to serve, love and help others in all that I do.

As I grew into my teenage years, I began to feel more and more alone in my decisions to stay sexually abstinent, to refrain from using drugs, tobacco and alcohol as I watched many of my close friends do the opposite. One day I came home from high school saddened by the news that yet another good friend of mine had become pregnant. I went straight to my bedroom and began crying at my bedside. Then as I began to pray to Heavenly Father, I explained to Him how alone I felt and how sad I was. While I knelt there weeping and praying, I felt a warm, calming sensation come over me, and my loneliness subsided. I had felt the Spirit comforting me. In that moment I felt Heavenly Father's great love for me, and I knew that He had indeed heard my prayer. I felt courage to continue living obedient to His commandments, and I knew that If I ever felt alone again, all I needed to do was pray.

Throughout my life, I've continued to receive comfort during times of trial as I have remembered to pray. I know that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and that He hears and answers prayers. I have asked Heavenly Father to know for myself if the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith were true, and on several occasions I have felt a strong confirmation from the Spirit that it is. I know that living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has brought more peace, joy and assurance into my life than I could ever hope for. It has been and continues to be a constant source of comfort and inspiration in my life.

Personal Stories

How has attending Church services helped you?

Every Sunday, we have two hours of sunday school wherein we study the Bible, the Book of Mormon and other materials containing the words of the prophets of God. And the third hour of church is called sacrament meeting, in the which we partake of the Sacrament, the bread and the water symbolic of the Savior's sacrifice for us when he atoned for our sins and suffered for our pains, weaknesses and sorrows. Also during Sacrament meeting different members of the congregation are given the opportunity to prepare and deliver 8-10 minute talks. Once a month we open the time we normally use for talks during Sacrament meeting for anyone present to come up and share his/her personal testimony of Jesus Christ.

Attending church every week has helped me strengthen my relationship with Heavenly Father and with my Savior, Jesus Christ. It helps remind me of what is most important in this life, returning to live with God again one day. And it helps me refocus myself at the beginning of every week as I renew promises I have made with God to keep His commandments. Also, I have received great strength simply from interacting with and surrounding myself with other people who are also striving to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is the Book of Mormon?

Charla answered...

The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. The … Show more

The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. The Book of Mormon was written by prophets of God who lived in the Americas before, during, and after the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. It contains a record of Christ's visit to the America's after His Resurrection. In John 10:16 Jesus tells His apostles, " And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." During Christ's visit to the Americas he says to them, "And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (3 Nephi 15:21, Book Of Mormon). As I have read the Book of Mormon, I have felt that the book is true, that it is indeed another testament of Jesus Christ. As Latter Day Saints, we read the Book of Mormon alongside the Bible. I know that anyone who will read the Book of Mormon, ponder on its message, and pray with real intent to know if the book is true, they will receive an answer from God. Because I have personally done this, I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. As I continue to read from its pages, I am filled with joy, peace and hope, and I am given strength to continue living the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I learn from the example of the prophets who lived in the Americas many years ago. The Book of Mormon can provide us with many answers to the most important questions of life such as, "Where did we come from? Why are we here on earth? What is the purpose of this life? and Where do we go after we die?" If you've ever had any of these questions, I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about its message.

How I live my faith

It's all about love. The Savior, Jesus Christ, set the perfect example of love during His earthly ministry. As I begin and end each day with sincere prayer, I make time to think about how I interact with those around me. I often ask myself questions such as, "Was I kind? Was I thoughtful? Is there someone that I need to treat better? Is there someone I can serve or help?" As I pray, I often am inspired to change something that I am doing in order to show more love to my fellow beings. As I engage in this activity everyday, I rememebr to see everyone around me as Heavenly Father's precious children. I am reminded to love them, to help them, and to serve them as the Savior would if He were standing in my place. Additionally, as I strive to show more love to those around me, in turn I feel more frequently the great love that Heavenly has for me as well.

My Classroom

So, I've put a ton of thought into making my classroom an inviting atmosphere for learning Spanish. Here are a few pics:

Welcome to my classroom! That's my desk!

There's a pinata hanging over my desk that my students made of my head last year when I student taught. They told me they were making a pinata of Dora la Exploradora... and the next moment I turn around, and it's hanging over my desk.

Notice the Promethean Board! I love technology... but not as much as... Well, actually...

So, hopefully you can tell from the pictures I took, but my classroom is HUGE! I love it! There's tons of space for moving around during conversation activities and learning centers. I feel very blessed.

So, this is "Spain". If my students are being amazing and get their work done quicker than the other students, I give them a ticket to Spain. So, they get to go sit on the cool chairs and play games in Spanish or read Dr. Seuss books in Spanish. They love the chairs especially.

I have a window! (Very few of the rooms in our school do)

I have 3 rules, and I'm very serious about them. They encompass A LOT.

My co-worker Melody helped me come up with this. We make sure the kids know that making mistakes is essential for becoming fluent in a foreign language. I think it has made them feel much more comfortable with speaking Spanish in class.

I teach the students a new phrase in Spanish every week. We practice it during the "Bienvenida" everyday, and I use it to get their attention by saying the first half of the phrase and having them recite the second half. Works super well.

So, "Puntos de Fiesta" are rewarded when my classes demonstrate good behavior in the classroom, like staying on-task, speaking in Spanish, being polite and kind, quieting down quickly, etc. When each class reaches 100 points, they get a "fiesta" for an entire class period. I'm amazed how motivating this is.

This is the class calendar. The kids write on it only in Spanish, and we go over the events of the week they have written on it everyday at the beginning of class during the "bienvenida", the welcome.

This is my word wall. It's a work in progress. As the kids learn new vocabulary, I try get it up on the wall for them to reference during class. The more exposure, the better.

So, apparently maps are expensive. I still need one of Central America, oh... and apparently Spanish is spoken in one small country in Africa: Equatorial Guinea. Who knew?!

And the traditional teacher posters. Gotta have 'em.