Time to Buckle Down, Times are Rough but the Future is Bright!

The past few weeks have been rough times. Times where all you want to do it just stop everything lay down and give up. My hips are coming along nice I am walking about a half a mile and am working my way up everyday. My goal is to walk 2-3 miles by the end of the year. Along with walking everyday I am riding a stationary bike that my Dad bought a while back for my rehab and I do that for about 20-40 minutes depending on the pain that I'm in each day. I pretty much have my schedule down to the T and am focussing 75% of my time on re-hab. The other 25% I'm busy with homework and online classes. My hips I would say are about 40% right now and they must at least be 80-90% for me to get back out on my mission so I have a long ways to go.

The house is hectic and my paps has takin up the role of "mom" for awhile cause my Mama just had a major knee replacement. It's realy funny actually I love my mom, we are crippled together and we keep each other company throughout the day. It's way funny how hectic it is without her, she really does hold everything up in the house and keeps everyone from going insane and I have proof of that now.

Just a little Spiritual note and what I have learned recently
This past couple of weeks I have been reading in the New Testament, I absolutely am stoked about the New Testament I've never read it all the way through before and it has completely re-energized my desire to serve God. It is so remarkable how Jesus performed so many marvelous Miracles, how He changed and blessed so many peoples lives while he was on the earth. His mortal ministry was absolutely spectacular. Faith is a huge topic in the New Testament, it has taught me alot about the faith I need to have in order to be healed and serve a mission again, because faith does preceed the miracle I always question what kind of faith I have and I come to the word "works" always. Christ's faith is unwaivering, His love is undeniable, and His Charity is unforgetable. He is our example in this life and He is the only way for happiness in the next through His Atonement.

Proposition 8- Lets preserve the sanctity of Marraige between a man and a woman!

http://www.youngadultsforprop8.blogspot.com
Heres a website I decided to start to try and inform as much as possible about the Upcoming election and most importantly proposition 8 to put in what has been takin from those in California. To keep marraige defined as between a man and a woman. Go check it out!

I know I look soooooo good!

I always knew I had African American ancestors, I just was never able to prove it! Now I can. Thanks to the one and only Stephanie Johnson.

Elder (G-Baby) Smith

Garrett Smith one of my best friend's on his mission in Pittsburg Pennsylvania has hit his 1 year mark and is burning his white missionary t-shirt for the initiation process for the second year, atta boy son. Looks like we wont be seeing eachother for a total of about 3-4 years because of my surgeries, all I know is that it's going to be a sick reunion. Garrett, if you didn't know(which you probably didn't) has taught me alot he helped me come out of my shell and to never ever accept boredom as an option.

2 hip surgeries.in 2 months. Post-op 1st surgery 5 weeks

Life seems like it stands still, I wake up and since I cant walk too well I dont want to do anything that will bother my legs so I usually just stay in my bed until I have to go to my one a day class. What I'm learning is when there is alot of physical pain in your life everything you do reflects that pain. Unfortunately this is so true and I hate it, this is not what I want to be for the rest of my life, some charity case that has a bunch of problems. I want to be the one helping others not the one being helped and I want to be strong in order to help others. There are so many aspects of life that have kind of jumped out and kicked me in the face that are so important that I have realized throughout this trial. The Lord is putting me through a crash course of life 101, it seems I haven't learned my lesson yet either or mabe I have and now its just an endure to the end type of thing?

I know and have learned through my trials that every little blessing is so important, and when we underestimate the power that out Heavenly Father has in our lives, then we miss out on those sometimes big but most imporantly the little blessings that God has in store for us, then that is when life seems so unbearable.

My leg feels like it had peeked already and hasn't really gotten better in the last week. There are so many variables to think about while recovering from a surgery, your mind plays games with you and you think your not going to recover correctly. This is some seriously business, these surgeries will play a huge role determining the outcome of the rest of my athletic, care-free, normal life that I once had...QUE? It is time to wake up and spell the pancakes, and realize that the purpose in life is not to just live a happy life, but to pass on tht happiness to as many people as possible.

Elder Morgan terrin it up!

Elder Morgan, aka one of my roomate up at college in 2006 is tearin it up over in Argentina. This kid is a stud. He's on the far right.

The first letter I got from E Morgan was one of not wanting to be there and way mad about not knowing the Language as well as he should. But now the kid is tearin it up and workin really hard so this is a shout out to him and all my homies out on missions.

Post-op 4 weeks

It has been 4 weeks since my operation and I am walking pretty good, really slow but good. The past 4 weeks have been rough and the pain makes school 10 times worse. It is really funny, the surgeon who did my surgery said I would be good after 3 months and then after the surgery he said about 6-24 months! haha jeeze that is kind of a big jump there. It seems like I will be here alot longer than I had expected unfortunately.

Lately I have had a bunch of time to think, mostly resulting from the lack of sleep I get every single night. I go through a stream of thinking sometimes negative and sometimes positive but mstly ballanced. At times I get really mad about what has happend in my life, how I have been held back from doing what I want to do. I get mad about how I will be going on a mission so late and how I may be getting behind in school, I don't know why but theese thoughts are just there. But then when I start thinking about getting better, and the Gospel I am automatically comforted. The simple things in life are made so complicated, are distorted in so many ways and Satan wants us to feel down in the dumps, he wants us to give up to back down and to raise the white flag. He tries so hard to make life seem so easy, and he does not care about you. Times that are hard are opportunities to rise up, opportunities that we need in order to grow spiritually, mentally and physically. Our lives are not based on how we act in times of comfort and convenience but how we react in times of challenge and controversy. It is amazing to me how many people just give up, they throw away their foundations to live an easy life which leads them no where. Thank you to those who rise up to the toughest challenges in life and who make the lives of others better, I have much to learn from you.

Down time?

So the surgery is on tuesday and I'm actually a bit nervous. time flies and the Elders that I was with in the MTC have been out for about 6 months now. I got a letter from my companion and he seemed so excited about the work and is already fluent. I'm glad he is doing good, we always talked at night laying in our beds about how amazing Mexico City will be I always told him he was going to be amazing. I think I liked our relationship cause we complimented each other alot. We taught amazing together and we were glad that we could bring the Spirit in our lessons. So I'm very ecstatic about the Elders that I was with and the work they ae doing.


So the rest of the year from next tuesday on will be prettymuch the hardest four and a half-six months of my life. I am taking 14 units of school, and having two surgeries one on tuesday and the other on october 1st. I think this is going to be interesting, its going to be painful and I often wonder why I'm putting myself through school while doing it. But I am doing becuase I'd rather not get behind, and who knows maybe the professors will have mercy on me because I'll be on crutches all year haha. Until next time! I think I'm going to start a blog for my recovery to help other people who have the same sydrome know what it will be like and how I did after the surgeries.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Well heres the deal those that are reading this and know me, know that I have already gone on a mission. Unfortunately I only went for 2 months and unfortunately had to come home for discomfort in my hips and knee. And yes it is a very long story, a neverending story of unfortunate luck and bad health. Therefore because of theese mind stirring circumstances I have been stripped of my opportunity to serve a mission for this wonderful church.

This week has been good though, because this week I finally had my doctor appointment with Doctor Dean Kaoru Matsuda in Los Angeles. The reason I had to go to L.A is because there is only one surgion in the whole state of California who knows and has experience with the proper procedure that is needed for the problem that there is speculation of having. I saw him and he stated that I do in fact have Femoral Acetabular Inpingement Syndrome in my right hip, but get this he looked at my other hip and the MRI results I have the same disorder in that hip also!!! So I have to have two surgeries! yes count em two and the unfortunate thing is that is the only option I have to feel better.

If you're wondering what the heck Femoral Acetabular Impingement is(FAI) then heres the link to learn more!
http://www.hipfai.com/

Theres alot going on in my head. There are alot of questions unanswered and honestly I don't know what is going to happen. I am having a surgery on the 12th of August and it is in L.A. I do not know the outcome and I do not know how long it will take to be walking normal without pain again. But I do know that right there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I am glad that I was able to schedule an appointment and a surgery date, it has been 3 months since I have been home and I feel like I have made ZERO progress towards going back on my mission, and to be completely and utterly honest it has been very frustrating and even nausiating at times, yes I even feel sick because of how much time it is taking to get this done.

But..

it's good to know that I have seen some light at the end of the tunnel lately and I hope that light becomes brighter with time. I know it will and I also know that this trial right now is a huge test of patience, and it really is honestly the most difficult time in my life by far. I know I'll be thatnkful for it in the future and I really hope that I look back and can say that I handled it the best way I could and have no regrets.

Quote of the Week.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in comfort and convenience, but where he stands at moments of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the wellfare of others in dangerous alleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beated brother to a higher and more noble life"- Martin Luther King Jr.

What an amazing quote this is and one that has become my favorite, I'd like to add that I know that in this life the only way that we can grow is through trials that we face. We can become more like our Heavenly Father only through the difficult lessons of life, and I know that how we deal with those trials determines the outcome of our happiness. I think I'm going to do a qoute of the week every week. I think it'll be good. Untill next time!

Last night...a Reunion?

OK well I really want to post up some pictures but I dont have a camera. So unfortunately my site will be boring for the next couple of weeks, months, or even years until I get a life and buy a camera for that life. Just kidding I have a life and it's a great one but I honestly dont have a camera. Anyways last night I went to the Riverside dance and it was my first dance since I have been home from the MTC. It was good because Audrey and Bernie Sanders came with us, along with my cousins Erica and Aaron from Indio and Cecilia and Henry. So it was way chill. The dance was cool and we went to In N Out afterwards. It was actually funny cause when we were leaving the church parking lot I was going to drive to In n Out with my cuz Erica but then Audrey called me over to drive with her, Yah, and Henry, we told Bernie to go with Erica and I yelled at my cousin Jake(who also came but is younger) to get in the back so Bernie could get in the front with my cuz. Yeah I'm a good matchmaker I guess we'll see where that goes. Overall a good night and way funny too, I wish I could tell more about the craziness but I'm just too lazy.

I am finally a blogger.

So I have decided to join the ban wagon and have my own blog site. I need this becuase I am too lazy to send out e-mails about whats going on in my life and about some of the things that are on my mind. So to get started WHATS UP! I think I am going to enjoy this, and I hope that you actually do too. I am not too educationally upbeat as you can probably tell but I am going to try my best to write about things that are going on in my life and the World that are interesting and fun to talk about. I was also thinking that it is important to keep track of the good times in life because it seems like at times we can become blinded by all the dissappointments and trials that we face, and look over or miss all of the fun times that we spend with our family, friends and just ourselves. So I guess that right there is the reason I would like to begin this blog, because I feel I have fallen into that trap. I have not done a good job with keeping track of the AMAZING times and moments that I have experienced, I have not cherished them as much as I should and it is time to change that. But don't let this Inroduction of my blog fool you, I also would love to talk about current events and put my two cents in about some of the political and social problems we face, I think its fun.