This week has been a good one :) We started rehearsals for "Missa Brevis" that we will be performing in May, and so far it's been a lot of fun. This is one of Jose Limon's signature pieces, and each year the freshman class works with Laura Glenn (our Limon technique teacher) to put it together. The upperclassmen have all had very positive experiences when they were freshmen, which makes me excited to keep learning more and working with my class. 

Over the last two weeks I've had the opportunity to sit in on two lessons with the missionaries in my singles ward as they've taught a new investigator of the church whose name is Hyla. She is 18 years old, and dances at the Joffrey Ballet School here in NY. I adore her! The first time I went to a lesson, I was so nervous (knowing the missionaries would be asking me to share a few thoughts), and I didn't want to say anything to offend, confuse, or mislead Hyla in any way. As soon as I got there, we said an opening prayer, and I continued to pray that I could be calm and share what was in my heart when the time came. Sure enough, the missionaries turned to me and asked me how I have come to know that Christ is my Savior. My thoughts were racing a million miles an hour trying to quickly formulate the best answer, and finally I just had to take a breath and simply be honest. I shared a few things with her, and I don't even know if she thought twice about what I said... but I learned in that moment that the best thing to do when sharing my testimony with a non-member is to just be honest! To first, strive to have the Spirit with me, and then trust my testimony and speak with confidence. The next lesson I went to, I felt much more comfortable, and as I got to know Hyla a little better I felt like I was able to share my thoughts without hesitation. There is something so exciting and exhilarating about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and though my missionary efforts are very small, I have loved every experience I have had! It is a constant reminder of the many blessings and purpose the Gospel brings to my life, and I love sharing that with others. 

If there is one thing I'm passionate about, it is the Gospel! 

... and dance, of course. (combine the two, and I will be happy forever... okay, eventually add a hubby and little family to that as well, then I am set)

Valentines Day was full of love, but mostly sugar. It was great despite my singleness ;)

Here are a few photos from the last week or so... 

Daisy and I put on face masks, ran around the grungy dorm halls and both ended the night laughing until we legitimately peed our pants... (Am I embarrassed to say that? Yes, actually, I am a little embarrassed, but oh well.)

My Brookie Baby came to visit for a day! It was so fun to see her! She's a trainee with Joffrey Chicago and came out for an audition. Miss and love this beautiful girl!

Oh, also, this cute red heart shirt was a gift from my sweet mamma! She sent me a little valentine package. I am so blessed to have such a sweetheart of a mother.

So, the last week and a half has been great. I made it through without Instagram or Facebook on my phone! I did give myself 10 minutes at some point each evening to check them on my computer... I set my timer and literally scrolled through faster than I ever have. It was almost like a race against the time to see how far I could get down the newsfeed. Often times I'd be done and bored before the 10 minutes were up... which was pretty surprising to be honest haha... I will also confess that I played candy crush a LOT. (crap) When I would go to check my phone, and realized I couldn't, candy crush became the go to. I'm so mad at myself! I will say, though, that each time I pulled out my phone habitually, I remembered why I deleted those apps and I was able to reflect more each time on how it has affected me. For the first 5 or 6 days I realized how often I had the desire to check them, and I was not very impressed with myself... I want my desires to be more uplifting, more selfless, and more righteous all the time. I'm still trying to figure out how to replace those distractions with something better worth my time... 

I think the point of all of this for me is just to recognize that, though the media can be used in positive ways, (lately) it has become a major distraction and prevented progress in each aspect of my life. I will still watch Downton Abbey and The Bachelor each week, and I will still keep my Facebook and Instagram accounts, they are not bad! I just need to have more power over how much time I spend using them... and I think I am headed in the right direction of figuring that out. yay!

I have noticed more recently how much less I think about Facebook and Instagram just from taking a break away, and that has been extremely refreshing. 

If you're a social media fiend like me, I highly recommend trying this yourself :)

That's all I've got today...

Eliza Jane