Forgiveness

This is from the musical Jane Eyre. Here are the lyrics:

You mustn't be revengeful
You have to be strong
To offer good for evil
Return right for wrong
We must not hold a grudge
And we must learn to endure
Then as God is your judge
At least your heart will be pure
Forgiveness
Is the mightiest sword
Forgiveness of those you hate
Will be your highest reward
When they bruise you with words
When they make you feel small
When it's hardest to bear
You must do nothing at all
Forgiveness
Is the simplest vow
Forgiveness
Of all their crimes
Is your deliverance now
Bless those souls
Who would curse your name
When the last bell tolls
You'll be free of blame
You can continue to grieve
But know the Gospel is true
You must forgive those who lie
And bless them that curse you
Forgiveness
Is the mightiest sword
Forgiveness of those you hate
Will be your highest reward
The time will come when we will leave this world,
and then the injustice and the pain and the sin will fall away from us,
and only the spark of the spirit will remain - returning to God who created it
You must never lose faith
You must never lose heart
God will restore your trust
And I know you're afraid
I'm as scared as you are
But willing to be brave
Brave enough for love

On Sunday, my sister asked me to go to a farewell with her. I didn't know the kid very well, but I felt like I should go. I went, and for a few minutes this young man spoke about forgiving others. As he was speaking, I felt the Spirit very strongly and burst into tears. At that moment, Heavenly Father was specifically telling me to forgive someone who I have held a grudge against for a long time. And it has probably not affected them in anyway, but the bitterness I feel is keeping me from progressing. So now, I have spent four days working on forgiving this person whole-heartedly. And guess what? It's tough. Really tough. It's not going to happen overnight. But I know that through this process I will become more like Jesus Christ, because He is willing to forgive all of us, even for the most horrible sins. So how can I not be willing to forgive others? There is no excuse.

How to Get Your Picture in the Paper

Step 1. Go with some friends to an event where hundreds of people are going to gather.

Step 2. When you see the newspaper photographer taking a picture of a sign above your head, pose for the camera and act like you think they are taking a picture of you.

Step 3. The photographer will notice, and (hopefully) will think you're funny. Then she really will take your picture.



Step 4. Talk to the photographer after she takes your picture. This way, she'll remember you.

And TADA!!! You are famous! Sort of.

Want to read the article? Go here.

My New Obsession...

BABIES!!!!

Addison, daughter of my cousin, Amanda
(5 days old in picture)

Michael, son of my cousin, DeeDee
(2 months old in picture)

I met them both for the first time on October 3rd.
I love them.

Baby Shower

I threw a baby shower (well, more like a family party) for my cousin Amanda a few weeks ago. We are super close! (I was her maid of honor, remember?) I wanted to make the shower way amazing, but stupid school and work got in the way. But it was still so much fun! The highlight was probably the present my Uncle Bryan made: a cradle! He makes one for each of his kids when they are expecting their first baby. We didn't expect him to make a cradle for his niece, too! It is a beautiful cradle! (It's not finished in the picture!)

Another Openin', Another Show!

I am happy to announce that I have the privilege of being in Rodgers' Memorial Theatre's final performance. I will play the part of "Sally" in The Madison Square Garden version of A Christmas Carol. It is, in my opinion, the best version of this story because, unlike Scrooge, the music is awesome and most of the audience sheds a few tears. Sally doesn't do too much, but I sing a few little snippets and have a few lines. I'm just so thrilled to be in this show. Our first rehearsal was yesterday, and it was unlike any rehearsal ever. The directors talked about how it was the final show, and we needed to do an awesome job. Many people cried. I, obviously, was one of them.

I will be in the show Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays November 26-December 23. Get your tickets soon because it's going to sell out! You know you want to see the last show on this stage!

Lion King

Ok, my blog is driving me crazy! I'm sick of everything I post. It's so boring. Some fun things have happened, but I never write about them. And then, I write about stupid stuff instead. I'm sorry to everyone who has read my blog in the last few months.

So....Here is something better to post! In August, I went to Capitol Theatre to see the Touring Company of Lion King with my sister Bri. It was FANTASTIC! My favorite part of the movie is the first couple of minutes: "NAAAAAAA..." That whole chant at the beginning is amazing. When that chant started, I cried. Yep. It was awesome.


And...I have a picture! Shocking, I know! I used to take tons of pictures all of the time, but my camera broke. That is why you are not seeing many pictures.

Bretleigh's Top 10 Favorite Musicals of All Time

The other day at an institute activity, I was asked what was my top 10 favorite musicals were. I did not have an definite list. And so, for the last five days I have been pondering. I have thought about every musical I have ever seen, which is a lot, and I came up with a list. Here it is:

*My All time FAVORITE musical is: Les Miserables
Not a suprise, I know! Why do I love this show? The music, the message of the show, pretty much everything about it! There is absolutely nothing I dislike about this show. It is perfection!

*My 2nd favorite musical of all time is: The Scarlet Pimpernel
I feel the same way about this musical. The only reason this is my second favorite and not the first is because I feel the message is not quite as powerful as Les Mis.

The rest, I could not put in an order:
*Wicked
All right, I have not actually seen this show, but I have listened to the music for six years without getting sick of it. That has to mean I'm in love with it.

*Little Women
FANTASTIC music! Great emotion, wonderful dialogue. Love it!

*Jekyll and Hyde
THE MUSIC!!!! Oh my heck!!!!! And the Plot!!! Wow!

*Legally Blonde
This show is different from the other shows I like. But the girl power in this show is tangible! The dialogue is very witty. The music makes you want to stand up and dance.

*Fiddler on the Roof
My Jewish Heritage is probably what draws me to this musical! It is timeless. I laugh, I cry...it is awesome.

*Thoroughly Modern Millie
TAP DANCING! Hilarious plot! Wonderful music! I have been in it two times and am still in love with it!

*1776
Most people dislike this show. It bores them. But the history in it is incredible! AND, it is so freakin FUNNY!!! I about pee my pants every time! No, the music is not incredible, but it is still good, and so hysterical!

*Lion King
Two Words: African Harmonies. I cried within the first 20 seconds.

And, here is the runner up. I love it too much to not mention it:
*Light in the Piazza

This plot is so sweet. And the music is amazing.

And that is my list. Someday, it will probably change. New Musicals are being written all the time.