A Christmas New Year Greeting

So many things have happened this last year; many blessings have come, friends, relationships, experiences and memories.

I can just say this: May the Lord Bless you this coming year!

There is much to be grateful for, and I hope that you have much to be grateful for!

Passion

I have been thinking a lot this month about passion. It is such a misunderstood word; in the society in which we live there is an immediate link of the word to something sexual; and yet, there is so much more in life that requires passion.

Passion seems to be the driving source to a lot of success. People who find themselves happy in what they do often came to where they are because of the passion they felt.

Passion leads us to find ways in which we spend our time, money, and energy.

Life without passion or a passion, that is what I think about. I found a quote about passion, it states, " When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible." Unknown.

What would the world be like if each person had a passion, was doing something they had developed a passion for and lived a life filled with passion? Do you know what you are passionate about? If you don't, are you willing to discover your passions? And lastly, are passions every changing and discovered? I hope so.

A Report

Dear Family and Friends:

It has been too long; I am starting to get the feeling that I will be posting information on this blog by semesters! Right now I am on summer break, and it has been a wonderful break; the weather in Rexburg is so mild; it is really a beautiful time to be here.

Living in a townhouse, I decided to experiment this year with container gardening; I am posting some pictures of the garden; unfortunately, it doesn't really capture it at its height; I will just say this.

I haven't bought lettuce in over a month, the raspberries were scrumptious, the strawberries delicious, and I can't wait for the tomatoes to ripen!

I recently returned from a three day backpacking trip; here are some of the photos; the trip covered about 27 miles; it was around 3,000 ft climbed, and the views were spectacular. The trek was from a place called Coal Creek; it took us through Grand Teton National Park and out to the Teton Trail Head; we crossed an area called Devil's Canyon Shelf and the Devil's Staircase.

There has been a lot of rain this summer and spring; the wildflowers were amazing!

When we crossed into the National Park boundary, we came upon a Cow and Yearling moose; it was one of the most amazing moments; we sat on a hillside and watched as mama and baby played in a small pond; it was really something to see.

The two frolicked in the water for quite awhile; after about a half an hour, my hiking partner and I decided we had better get a move on; when we stood to go, we began talking loudly in order to let the moose know we were approaching; they were gone as fast as they came, but what a gift the time we had with them was!

All in all things are going really well; the Lord has blessed my life living in Rexburg! I have wonderful people in my life who are wonderful friends; it has been a blessing to live so many different places because each place has brought a wonderful person to my life. It is so wonderful to live closer to family. The amount that I see them has tripled, and that has been great.

Have a happy summer, at least what is left of it!!!

Take care,

Janell

Too long!

Dear Family and Friends:

It has been too long, and I apologize; here is a quick recap of the events up here in Idaho!

February: The highlights were definitely learning how to backcountry ski; not that I am great at it, and quite frankly, powder still terrifies me, but I am grateful that some great friends were patient as I slowly slid/fell down the mountain! I also brushed up on cross country skiing which was a lot of fun! There are some beautiful places to go and see mother nature at her winter best.

The other highlight was getting together with a bunch of my girl friends and have a slumber party; oh wait, I am over sixteen years old which means we call them a "retreat". Lots of "girl food" aka vegetables and fruit, pedicures and chick flicks; I fell asleep on some one's shoulder at ten pm. A lot of fun I was!

March: I took one of my classes up to the Salmon Wilderness Area; it was absolutely beautiful; the weather was in the 60's for the weekend; it couldn't have been better for an early spring backpacking trip!

Here is a picture of two of my neices holding their brand new baby brother; he was 21.5 inches long and 10.2 lbs. His name is Dieter Don . . . is that cool or what!?!

Also in March, I completed my first Adventure Race; some friends and I drove down to Moab, UT and mountain biked 35 miles, paddled 10 miles, ran 5 and rappelled 300 feet; such a fun, exhilarating experience! Our goals were to finish the race (alive), to laugh through out the experience, and to end being friends; gratefully, all three of them were accomplished. (Yes, I know that spandex makes me look hot!)

April: Now that was a whirlwind! Finals for the winter term and the beginning of Spring term!

Lots of closure occurred in many different areas of my life, and I feel so incredibly blessed at how the Lord so generously gives experiences that help us to grow and to prepare. He is the weaver of the tapestry, and although not always understanding his design, I have faith that it is as it should be and that it is beautiful to the beholder!

Love you all!

Janell

Divine Nature: Who are we?

Do you ever feel like the Lord gives you lessons? Not just that, but that He will repeat the lesson in your life until you get it? I believe He does this for His children; I recently went through one of God's personal tutorials; I am hoping that I learned the lesson this time, but time will only tell.

Here is the lesson that I was recently given the opportunity to experience:

No matter how much you love someone, no matter how much you want them to be happy, no matter how much you believe in who they are; your love and desire for their happiness will not be enough.

Under this circumstance, the love that one gives to someone who does not believe he is lovable or believe in his own divine nature, will be greeted with a cool rebuff. It will be as though hundreds of arrows were shot, not one piercing the warmth of the soul, but rather each meeting an impenetratable wall; a wall that both protects and imprisons.

Knowledge of one's own divine nature is not imparted to an individual by any mortal being; it cannot be encouraged, convinced, lectured, or even loved into existence.

It is the personal quest and responsibility of each person who lives on this earth; it is through Christ, His atonement, and acceptance on the part of the seeker that one can realize that he/she is a prince/princess who will be blessed to become a King/Queen and receive the blessings and gifts associated with such a title.

It has got to be one of the most difficult and vulnerable quests that one embarks on while living on this earth. Why? Because once one receives a pure knowledge of who he is, where he came from, and what happiness the Lord wants for him excuses become obsolete, desires become obtainable, and light, like no other light, fills the soul.

One of my favorite quotes captures this:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within is. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

From Marianne Williamson's book A Return to Love. It was quoted by Nobel Prize–winner Nelson Mandela in his inaugural address.

Sadly, there are many who would rather live in their own personal hell, than break free of the bondage they are in and experience the joy of the love of God.

A friend of mine once told me that when somone is critical, filled with anger, apathetic, etc. towards you or me, that it has nothing to do with you or me. It is the same when someone is loving, gracious, complimentary, etc. towards your or me. That individual's ability to give of themself has nothing to do with you or me.

The person who gives the negative is in a place where they lack an abundance of love, joy, hope, faith, etc. Likewise, the person who can give the positive is in a place where in their lives have an abundance of love, joy, hope, faith, etc.

So you see, it's not about you or me when one gives, it is about the abundance in their life; an abundance that comes from a Knowledge of one's own Divine Nature and Christ and His atonement.

On my desktop, I have a picture of my sisters and me. The picture was taken when I was six or seven. My oldest sister, Debbie and I have our hands placed protectively on my youngest sister, Leigh's shoulders. Here stand three girls bright eyed, hopeful, and believing. I put that picture on my desktop as a reminder to myself of how the Lord see me.

Each time I look at it, I am reminded of the wishes that I have for my nieces and nephews. The belief that each of them will at some point be a Queen or a King; that each of them deserves to be loved and to give love; that each of them deserves to live happily; that each of them deserves to live their dreams; that the Lord knows each one of them by their beautiful, individual, unique names, personalities, and faces.

Now, to believe this about the ones that I so dearly love, implies, that you and I deserve the same.

Take care,

Janell

Ode To The New Year

Ode to the New Year,

When hope shines, and
New beginnings are had.

When resolves are set,
and often forgotten!

When one decides to be a size smaller,
to save money, or to learn something new.

I resolve this year to laugh more,
for a life seriously taken is no fun at all.

I resolve this year to love more,
for a life lived in protection becomes a prison.

I resolve this year to give more,
for a life given is a life discovered.

Ode to the New Year,
for what we decide now for our year to be
will truly be prophetic.

Love you guys!

Janell

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear Family Friend(s)

Another year has gone by, and I just wanted to give you an update! In honor of my new found profession, you get to take a Christmas quiz!

I am still

• short.
• stubborn.
• happy.

This year has provided some adventures including

• surviving two weeks with my nieces in Europe and rekindling friendship with my friends in Germany.
• moving to Rexburg, ID, the first week of a snowy June.
• dodging the crazy drivers as I walk the two blocks to work each day!

Some of the new things that have happened this year are

• on a canoeing trip in Grand Teton National Park, I met a blond grizzly bear!
• I now teach university students who are majoring in Recreation Management.
• adopting a stray cat which found me the first day I arrived to Rexburg.

There have been some lessons [re] learned along the way, including

• wear solid shoes on the icy sidewalks of Rexburg and adopt the shuffle walk!
• stray cats sometimes bite.
• never trust the paint cards they hand out at the store! It always comes out a different color.

New hobbies developed have been

• blogging and playing on Facebook.
• writing a book (only two more drafts to go!)
• attempting to ski and snowboard (those of you who have seen me actually do this, know what a stretch that is!)

My plans for 2009 include

• live to tell the tale of my first year of teaching.
• survive the ski and snowboarding hobbies (see the above for clarification).
• travel to some really exotic place; if any one is up for a trip, let me know!

Looking ahead to 2009, I wish you a

• Christ filled Merry Christmas.
• a healthy and prosperous New Year.
  

All my love,
Janell Bettinger

All of the above multiple choice answers are true. Love you all!

Lessons in Idaho!

Dear Family and Friends:

The semester has just ended, and I would have to say that if this semester of teaching is indicative of what lies ahead, this is the profession to be in! What a blessing to work with the students and faculty; they lift and edify the heart, and there is continual growth on all sides. It is a marvel to be a part of.

Here are some lessons learned over the last month!

Over Thanksgiving I went down to Southern Utah with some coworkers and friends; we were doing a preview trip for the summer. The trip was filled with adventures, including over 500 feet of rappels and over 40 miles hiked.

Study your map:

One day we underestimated our miles; as we hiked from 8:30 in the morning until 11 pm at night; we navigated with a map, compass and when darkness hit, we utilized the stars. Hiking over the canyon lands was an adventure that day; there were mental walls that were hit, worked through and then returned; I would like to say that I was strong on that day, but in reality I was physically and mentally exhausted; being a lifter of people that day did not come easily.

Pray:

That night, when we made it to camp, we piled into a truck and blasted the heater; we were cold, hungry and a little crazy. One of my friends on the trip was an inspiration. As we hiked throughout the evening, we grew more weary; at times, we lost the trail or hit cliffs which were tough to negotiate in the dark. When we would sit and try to problem solve, he would hike ahead; there were many times throughout that night that we heard his voice yell to us that he had found the way; he was steady, solid and inspiring. Later, when I asked him how he had kep his wits about him under the circumstances, he responded that there had been a lot of prayer involved. What a lesson!

Fear is not wrong; it is how it is handled:

Each day the rappels got longer; the longest rappel that we did was 180 ft. As I watched different members of my party go over the cliff, a friend of mine asked me if I was excited; I answered quite honestly; I told her that I was scared. I'm sorry, but I feel fear when I know that I am going to go down a 180 ft. It is something that is not the most comfortable reality!

However, when the fear is felt, it does not mean that one must be a prisoner to it; sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and go.

Do and say that which is good:

Have you ever wanted to express your love to someone through actions or words and didn't? I don't mean this in a sense where it was inappropriate, rather where it was completely appropriate and acceptable. I have learned of late that denial of these actions is detrimental to the soul; it not only harms the receiver, but it also harms the would be giver. This referred to as "Self Betrayal".

It is a denial of the spirit of the God which is within us, and it is harmful to the respect and esteem that we have for ourselves. The Arbinger Institute wrote a book called Leadership and Self Deception; the author wrote,

"Self-betrayal"

1. An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called an act of "self-betrayal."

2. When I betray myself, I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal.

Of late, I have had the experience where I have both denied doing that which is good for another and acted on doing that which is good for another; the effects have been polarized; in denial of the good, I have walked away feeling sad and filled with self-doubt. When I have acted on the good, I have walked away feeling joy and self respect.

Which would you rather!?!

Endeavoring to live a life imagined. . .

Dear Family and Friends:

Just a quick update; things here in Rexburg are wonderful; the students are so much fun, and I think that I learn more from them than they do from me!

I recently took them on to a ropes course; for those of you who are unfamiliar with a ropes course, it is a large structure that has many obstacles on it; the participants are climb it and challenge themselves.

Several of my students had come to me prior to the activity expressing the trepidation they felt. Many of them had anxiety because of the fear they had of heights, the unknown, and the idea of being in front of their peers while confronting such personal emotions. All quite valid concerns.

As the day progressed on the course, many of the very students who expressed their concerns to me, ended up surpassing what their original goals on the course were. It was absolutely beautiful to be a witness of!

This quote from Thoreau very much captures that day, "I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Love you guys!

Life Where You Stand

This week I studied a talk that was given by Dieter Uchtdorf entitled Lift Where You Stand; the premise of the speech is about a group of men who were trying to move a grand piano. The group struggled; each time they would lift, the piano would dangerously tilt.

As time progressed and frustrations increased, one man suggested to the group that each person choose a spot, stand in it, and lift where he stood. As the group did this, they were able to move the piano.

I have reflected on this a great deal this week and have tried to put it into practice where I can. This week has been so great! It is one thing to see a need, to want to extend a hand, or to have a desire to change something, but it is an entirely different experience to make a decision to stand where you are and do.

Some of the things that I did this week that I knew could make a difference were write to friends and loved ones telling them of the love and admiration that I have for them; so often I think about them, but rarely do I actually tell them what my thoughts are of them.

Another opportunity that came was a friend of mine had a project that needed to be worked on; I offered my help and was blessed to be able to assist in a small way.

Praying for my students has been amazing; sometimes when I pray for them, an impression comes to my mind of something that I need to say to them, ask them, etc. It has been amazing to see how listening to those impressions has made a difference in being able to life where I stand.

I prayed for opportunities to lift where I stood this week, and it was amazing how the Lord placed different people and situations in my path. Do you understand why I said it was a good week!?!