He is.

The Anointed One.

Lord Almighty.

The only Begotten.

The Chosen.

Comforter.

Healer.

Counselor.

Creator.

Deliverer.

The Good Shepherd.

The Light of the world.

Mediator.

Prince of Peace.

Savior.

Redeemer.

Teacher.

I love Christmas.

I am honored to be able to set aside one day a year to celebrate my Beloved Savior.

He is the reason I have every blessing, moment of happiness, and good thing in my life.

And He does so much for me.

There are many names in the scriptures used to describe Jesus Christ, and as I thought about all the different names of the Savior, I realized something...

All these names are not only who He is, but they are all what He does.

He comforts me.

He heals me.

He teaches me.

He guides me.

He counsels me.

He loves me.

He has redeemed me.

He saves me.

He is my everything.

What a wonderful thing to celebrate Him today.

My Savior, Brother, Redeemer, and Friend.

It is my privilege to celebrate You.

Sincerely,

Samantha Dru

I made it.

I made it.
I survived my first semester of college.
I would most definitely call that a success.

I moved in with five girls.
Clothes went missing.
I was constantly out of food.
There were tears.
And meltdowns.
And a lot of inside jokes created.

I bought and wore a BYU shirt.
I went to a BYU football game...
And I even cheered for the Cougars (not my proudest moment).

I made it to all my 7 am classes.
And only missed a couple others.
And I realized that unlike high school, college takes some work.

I screamed at a poor, innocent and very handsome jogger.
I also may have kissed an unknown (but adorable) boy on the side of the road.
And other than that had a completely nonexistent love-life.

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning far too many times.
And I was usually running on 3-4 hours of sleep.
But don't worry, somehow I managed to never fall asleep in class.

I learned a lot,
And it was hard,
Exhausting,
Unexpected,
And absolutely the best 5 months ever!

I made it.

Sincerely,

Samantha Dru

Speak.

20,000.
On average, that's how many words humans speak per day.
When I first heard this, that seemed like a lot of words,
But then I realized it doesn't take many words to lift someone up,
To help heal a wounded heart,
To make someone feel loved, appreciated,
To make someone feel worth it.
But just the same, it doesn't take many words to tear someone down,
To hurt another,
To wound or to destroy.

What words do I speak?
Do I speak words that spreads positivity and joy?
Do I speak words that make others feel loved, needed, and appreciated?
Do my words give comfort, healing, and strength?
Do I use words that share truth?

There may be a lot of things in life that are completely out of my control, but I choose every word that comes out of my mouth.
And if I get to choose the words I speak, I will choose to speak words that make the world a better place.

I will speak.
Speak love.
Speak comfort.
Speak strength.
Speak healing.
Speak goodness.
Speak truth.

Sincerely,

Samantha Dru

Happy Birthday Zack(:

Zackary Robert Murphy.

20 years old,

And the most amazing (2nd oldest) brother in the world!

I've never met a more determined (cough cough *stubborn) person,

Which is why he always accomplishes what he sets his mind to.

He's one of the funniest people I know, 

And wherever he goes joy and laughter follows.

He is brilliant beyond belief.

Not to mention he is amazingly talented at everything he does,

I don't know that he's ever tried something and not been fantastic at it.

He is the most loyal, 

Kind, 

Hard working, 

Obedient,

One-of-a-kind,

And genuine person you will ever meet.

And once you meet him, you'll understand exactly what I love him so very much!

Happy Birthday Zackary Dackery Dock!

I miss you(:

Enjoy being 20 years old!

Sincerely,

Samantha Dru