Homeless?

Alright everyone - I want to get your opinions. Today I was approached (while in my car, in a parking lot) by a homeless man who wanted to "clean my rims in exchange for food". Long story short, I felt really scared/uncomfortable at first, and he could tell. I told him I didn't have any food or money on me, and he apologized and told me he didn't mean to scare me. He wished me a good day and walked away.

As he walked away, it got me thinking. Each time I see someone begging for help on the streets, I wonder what their story is. Sure, sometimes they probably are just wanting money for drugs, but what if they really do have starving kids? What if they are trying to do all they can to take care of a family, but because of people who are judgmental and only adhere to stereotypes, they can never receive the help they need? Now, I'm not saying we should be vulnerable and willing to help everyone we meet. Obviously we need to be careful (cuz strangers could be dangerous) but at the same time, I think we need to be less judgmental. I can't help but think of Christ. If Christ were here, he wouldn't ask a homeless man for proof that he was going to use his money/food for his family rather than drugs. I truly believe Christ will help in whatever way he could, even if it was just to give him hope.

I saw an idea on Pinterest (go ahead...roll your eyes), and I think it's a great idea. Someone put together baggies of snacks, toothbrushes, spare change, etc. to leave in the backseat of their car. That way, if they ever see a homeless person/beggar, they can hand them one of those. It's an easy way to give service to those in need. To add to that, I think it would be neat to put a Book of Mormon in each of these bags, or at least some quotes that would give hope/encouragement. Maybe a list of resources? (Food and Care Coalition, missionaries, etc?) Just some thoughts running through my head....

I guess my main point is that the majority of us are extremely blessed. We don't know what it would be like to not have shelter, or to not know when our next meal will be. We can't "save the world" or prevent homelessness, but there's definitely more we can do. We need to be smart and careful about it...but we also should always strive to be more Christ-like and serve our brothers and sisters in need! It's not our place to judge, it's our place to love.

Happy Valentine's Day to Me! :)

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day last week! Classes went well, I found out I was hired to be an EFY counselor this summer (sooo excited!), my daddy brought me flowers, my mom brought me some really nice gifts, my best friend had a surprise for me, and....I GOT TO GO TO A LADY ANTEBELLUM CONCERT! :) I went with my roomie Brynn, our friend Jaden, as well as some of Brynn's sister & her friends. For those of you who are unfortunate enough to not be country fans, trust me...you would become one if you had seen this concert. It was amazing. :) Possibly the best concert I've been to yet (& considering I've been to 3 of Brad Paisleys....that's saying something!) Here are a few pictures from the night - Long live country music! :) :)

I love my roomie :) Soo glad we understand each other's love of country music.

They had a little girl from the audience introduce their song "American Honey".

It was adorable.

A bus that had their picture on the side. We had to hurry and take a picture before it drove off!

Us girls, celebrating Valentine's Day the best way possible. :)

We love you Lady A!

A quick summary...

Most of you probably already know all ofthis...but I'll summarize my life really quick anyways. I am the youngest of five kids, and the proud aunt of 10 (almost 11) wonderful nieces and nephews. I grew up in Aurora Colorado, and moved to Payson Utah when I was 15. I am currently a junior at Brigham Young University, studying Psychology with the plan to go on and get a Masters Degree in Social Work, which is what I really have a passion for. I lived in Virginia Beach two summers ago, which I absolutely LOVED (and some days really miss like crazy), I volunteered in Peru for about a month last summer, and had the chance to visit my good friend Meg in Hawaii for a week as well. From those experiences, I have kinda gotten the "travel bug" and want to see so many more places! Currently, I am crossing my fingers that I'll be accepted to go to the BYU Jerusalem Center in Israel during the Fall 2012 semester - I really hope it works out!! I also have been hired to be an EFY counselor for a few weeks thissummer which I am really looking forward to. My philosophy in life is that if you want to do something...find a way to make it work, and do it! I love to be busy, and to always have things planned that I can look forward to.

Some things that I absolutely love:

-Ice cream. For those of you who know me, you'll understand the abnormal quantities of this deliciousness that I consume (often on a daily) basis. :) Sub-zero is my favorite.

-Turquoise. Best color ever.

-Friends. My favorite thing to do is just spend time with close friends, whether it's hanging out and talking, or doing something fun and spontaneous.

-Money. Not only do I love "money" (who doesn't?) I actually love learning about (and applying knowledge of) finances. I find it fascinating, and am kind of a nerd when it comes to budgeting and stuff.

-My family. I really have been blessed to have an amazing family who supports me and loves

me. My siblings are some of my best friends.

-Traveling. As mentioned above, I love it.

-The gospel of Jesus Christ. I am LDS and my religion is a huge part of who I am. I've been blessed to grow up in the church, and I am constantly recognizing how much I appreciate the stability and hope it gives in my life. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and I love sharing the things I know with people around me, because I want them to find the happiness I have found in the gospel.

-Summer. I can't even tell you how much I love the sun. I. Hate. The. Cold. With a passion. Nothing sounds better (on any day of the year) than lying by a pool or at the beach under the blazing sun. Sigh...only a few more months, right? :/

-Reading. I have always loved to read, and even though I don't have as much time (as a busy college student) to read for fun, I enjoy it when I get the chance. Lately I've been really loving gospel related books (probably because of my job at Deseret Book). If you need any recommendations...let me know. :)

-Psych, White Collar, Once Upon a Time, and yes...the Bachelor. I enjoy a lot of shows, but these are the four I am currently watching. :) Love them!

-Country music. Don't test me on this one. I LOVE country. And I pity those (and there are many) in the world who are lying to themselves and missing out on it's beauty. I could listen to Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum all day (and many many other country artists as well). That being said, there are many non-country songs/groups that I love as well. I'm not exclusive to other genres.

That's all for now! Sorry I didn't have time to find pictures for everything. I gotta figure out an easier way to post pictures on blogs - it's kinda a pain! Any tips?

Here goes!

Here goes another time-waster. Here goes another means of procrastinating doing homework and other productive things. :) But at the same time...I'm excited to start a blog. I figured that at this time in my life, I have a lot of exciting things up ahead, and this is a great way to record it and share it with the people I love! I'm definitely not witty or funny like some of my fellow blogger friends, but hopefully friends and family can at least see what I'm up to in my life. I'll post a "catch-you-up-to-speed-on-the-life-of-Kassie" entry later tonight, once I finish this assignment that's due by midnight....sigh....

Such is the life of a college student!