Simply Kenzie M

I was studying my scriptures this morning and came across the following verse in the Book of Mormon: "Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of King Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster , even as Moses' did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord."  Mosiah 13:5 (italics added). What do we do, or how do we live, to ensure that others can see the Light of Christ in us? I know I want others to look at me and see Christ through me. I want my face to "shine with exceeding luster". I want others to see that "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me". How do I do that? As I was pondering these questions I thought about how we must be as Christ is in order for people to see His countenance in ours. In 1 John 2:6 it says "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked". How do we t

Anxiety presents itself in a multitude of ways and is so different from person to person. My anxiety starts in my gut with those typical butterfly feelings. From there it goes into my chest and then finally my throat. It feels like someone is squeezing my throat together, which makes it hard to talk and breathe comfortably. In the past I've even given myself sore throats because my throat is so tight. For me, anxiety makes it extremely difficult to sit still for long periods of time. To combat those feelings of restlessness, I usually content myself with taking notes, doodling, or fiddling with my hands (in other words, popping every knuckle I can over and over). None of these things actually take away the anxiety, but they help me get through periods of prolonged sitting. Growing up I had always been taught that the temple was a place of peace and stillness, and I yearned for that in my life. I needed that calmness desperately. My first time going through the temple I was so exc

Howdy! I've never really been a huge spaghetti fan. It's fine and all, but definitely not something I would choose to have, at least when I was younger. One of my sisters always chose it for her birthday dinner and I remember thinking...really?! People always say spaghetti is kind of the go to college meal. Well, if I remember correctly the first time I made spaghetti for myself in college wasn't until my second year. And then I fell in love with making homemade sauces! Lately, I have found that there is something so comforting in homemade spaghetti sauce. Other things I love about this recipe: it's nice and cheap for us college folk (or anyone really!), it's simple and fast, and it's very versatile. It's a great way to use vegetables that are nearing their end and you don't know what to do with them. Check the notes for a tip about how to sneak more veggies into your kids' diets! Seeing as it's the middle of the day and I have lots of home

I am not one to talk about politics or really be bold in that department, but I've been feeling like I need to write about this for a little bit now, especially with everything that's been happening in the world lately. I think the time for being timid and quiet when it comes to right versus wrong is gone. It seems like in today's world all we ever hear about is disaster: natural disasters, terrorism, shootings, rebellion...etc. Is there any end to the misery, crime, and entitlement? You know, I see the news about sports players refusing to respect our country's flag, and it breaks my heart. Do they truly understand what went into that flag? Do they realize that millions have died protecting that flag, and making sure it can wave strong and free everyday? Do they understand that someone is risking their life everyday in order to protect their rights to disrespect both of their country's flag? We live in an age of entitlement. Our world is run by  i phones, 

I haven't posted a recipe for so long and I'm SO excited! I've been keeping my meals really simple lately. I typically have eggs and veggies/smoothie/oatmeal (occasionally)/yogurt and nuts for breakfast, chicken or fish and veggies for lunch, and the same for dinner. I'll be honest, it gets pretty boring sometimes. It's funny though because I'll be with family and I'll make one of my meals and my family thinks it looks so good, and I'm just like, really? I've had requests to actually document some of the recipes I make. Everything I make is usually under 10 minutes and requires zero cooking skills. It's simple, easy, and quick. I'm sure there will come a time when my meals get more complex, but right now I'm just trying to keep it simple! This zoodles recipe legitamately took me UNDER 10 minutes . Yup! The actual cooking time was like 4 minutes. *It will take longer if you make the zucchini noodles yourself. I bought mine pre-made.

So I recently had the opportunity to go skydiving and it was absolutely amazing! It's been on my bucket list for quite some time, and I figured, why not? My mom and I drove down to Moab early on a Monday morning and by noon it was done! It was kind of sad how quickly it went. But still definitely worth every penny! I, of course, did it tandem so I was with a professional. There was about 55 seconds of free fall and let me tell you, at 13,000 ft, it gets very cold. But it was amazing to feel the air rushing past at 120mph. It completely takes your breath away. After that the parachute is pulled and for just a few seconds, it's totally calm. No air rushing by, no cars zooming by, no humming of air filters, no ambulances or police sirens. For those few seconds, it's completely and totally quiet and pure. No pollution, no pipe exhaust, no smoke. Just you and a 360 degree view of the world. It's like nothing I've ever experienced. That was by far my favorite thing a

You Are Enough September 6, 2015 | Kenzie M This is pretty difficult for me to write about as it's something I always have and do struggle with. It's easy in this world of perfectionism to feel that you are never enough. We are constantly bombarded with pictures and news feeds of girls with the perfect fashion, the perfect bodies, the perfect relationship, the perfect life. And we start to look at ourselves and realize that we are so far from that "perfect" person. And yes, we are so far from being that "perfect" person, because she doesn't exist! No one is perfect, nor will anyone be perfect in this world. We get so caught up in wanting to be "enough" that we forget about the filters and photoshops of this world. What's real and what's fake? It's hard to tell anymore. But one thing is for sure: no is perfect. Not even your seemingly "perfect" friend. Because deep down, everyone is hurting. Deep down every