Todd and I will have been married for
SIX YEARS!!!!
That's crazy talk, y'all!
.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thank goodness for the gospel!
Here is a picture from our Kansas City temple events page. Our celebration will look fairly similar!
I've been pondering a lot recently about how life just isn't fair. Maybe it's a blessing that I've gotten to age 28, and never really realized how unfair it really can be, especially when it's happening to ME, but recently there have been a lot of reasons to reflect on why things that I want that are GOOD and RIGHTEOUS are not happening in MY timetable.
I'm so grateful to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. The right path for us is not necessarily the one we thought we would have, the one we grew up wanting, or especially the easiest one. I have said a lot of prayers for righteous things, and sometimes being PATIENT is not my strong suit. It's sometimes hard to see other people with things that you so desire and still feel happy with what you have been given.
If I allowed myself to think this way all the time, I probably wouldn't be a very fun person to be around. No one wants to spend time with someone wishing they had things other people had, without recognizing the blessings in their lives! That's where I realize how lucky I am to have so many blessings! I have a wonderful marriage, to a good husband who loves the gospel and tries his hardest to keep the commandments. The other night as we were leaving the temple, I thought about how I just wanted to badly to be a GOOD person in the Lord's eyes. It helps to marry someone who really is GOOD and genuine and humble. Todd is the perfect person to have around when I need someone who will listen and make me feel better. He doesn't have to remind me how lucky I am, he IS the reminder.
I've been lamenting the demands of my job recently, but I really have felt grateful for it many times. For one, it keeps me busy, which helps me think less and less of what I DON'T have. I'm surrounded by wonderful women (and a few men!) who work really, really hard and are GREAT at what they do. At this point in my life, if I didn't have a job I felt was worthwhile, I don't know if I would feel as...needed? Necessary? I don't know. I'm also grateful for a decently paying job that covers our bills because Todd has been studying full-time, and now is looking for the best job. We don't have to worry about how we are going to pay our bills while we look because I have a job.
We are also grateful for our wonderful families. It seems like they check in with us at the best times. We love their support, we love our families, we are SO BLESSED to come from wonderful parents and have faithful siblings. We are SO BLESSED.
There are a lot of changes happening in our lives right now. It's one of those times in my life where I can't sleep because my mind is swirling with the what ifs, and the big decisions, and the where do we go from heres? I think maybe I am learning the hard way that answers to prayers do NOT always come in time and way that we would like them to.
That's when I again am reminded that Heavenly Father knows better than me. He loves me, and I have to have faith that whatever it is I'm waiting for may be not what I need at this time in my life. Of course I want to question why, and feel frustrated sometimes, just like everyone does, but I know that I won't be given a trial that Heavenly Father doesn't think I can stand and face. I know that faith requires a few steps into the dark before further light is given (okay, sometimes it is LOTS of steps in the dark!)
I'm so grateful for the faith that I have, for this gospel I have been given, for the Holy Ghost to guide me. I would be lost without all of those things. All of these trials wouldn't seem worth it if I didn't know there was something more wonderful after this life to work for!
I've been pondering a lot recently about how life just isn't fair. Maybe it's a blessing that I've gotten to age 28, and never really realized how unfair it really can be, especially when it's happening to ME, but recently there have been a lot of reasons to reflect on why things that I want that are GOOD and RIGHTEOUS are not happening in MY timetable.
I'm so grateful to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. The right path for us is not necessarily the one we thought we would have, the one we grew up wanting, or especially the easiest one. I have said a lot of prayers for righteous things, and sometimes being PATIENT is not my strong suit. It's sometimes hard to see other people with things that you so desire and still feel happy with what you have been given.
If I allowed myself to think this way all the time, I probably wouldn't be a very fun person to be around. No one wants to spend time with someone wishing they had things other people had, without recognizing the blessings in their lives! That's where I realize how lucky I am to have so many blessings! I have a wonderful marriage, to a good husband who loves the gospel and tries his hardest to keep the commandments. The other night as we were leaving the temple, I thought about how I just wanted to badly to be a GOOD person in the Lord's eyes. It helps to marry someone who really is GOOD and genuine and humble. Todd is the perfect person to have around when I need someone who will listen and make me feel better. He doesn't have to remind me how lucky I am, he IS the reminder.
I've been lamenting the demands of my job recently, but I really have felt grateful for it many times. For one, it keeps me busy, which helps me think less and less of what I DON'T have. I'm surrounded by wonderful women (and a few men!) who work really, really hard and are GREAT at what they do. At this point in my life, if I didn't have a job I felt was worthwhile, I don't know if I would feel as...needed? Necessary? I don't know. I'm also grateful for a decently paying job that covers our bills because Todd has been studying full-time, and now is looking for the best job. We don't have to worry about how we are going to pay our bills while we look because I have a job.
We are also grateful for our wonderful families. It seems like they check in with us at the best times. We love their support, we love our families, we are SO BLESSED to come from wonderful parents and have faithful siblings. We are SO BLESSED.
There are a lot of changes happening in our lives right now. It's one of those times in my life where I can't sleep because my mind is swirling with the what ifs, and the big decisions, and the where do we go from heres? I think maybe I am learning the hard way that answers to prayers do NOT always come in time and way that we would like them to.
That's when I again am reminded that Heavenly Father knows better than me. He loves me, and I have to have faith that whatever it is I'm waiting for may be not what I need at this time in my life. Of course I want to question why, and feel frustrated sometimes, just like everyone does, but I know that I won't be given a trial that Heavenly Father doesn't think I can stand and face. I know that faith requires a few steps into the dark before further light is given (okay, sometimes it is LOTS of steps in the dark!)
I'm so grateful for the faith that I have, for this gospel I have been given, for the Holy Ghost to guide me. I would be lost without all of those things. All of these trials wouldn't seem worth it if I didn't know there was something more wonderful after this life to work for!
April Update
Where do I even begin??
First off, after a fretful five weeks, we got some amazing news. Todd had passed the bar! He worked so hard, it was such a relief to finally KNOW and be able to move on. There were lots of tears and hugging and jumping and yelling (I was doing the jumping). Great job honey!
The school year is nearly at an end. It's been a stressful year. State test results were not good, the behaviors were a challenge day in and out, the students struggled and flourished and struggled again. After testing, it was time to do some fun stuff :)
We made states out of graham crackers and frosting....
Read Grandfather Tang and created some animals out of tangrams....
They wrote about their own angry birds and then created them...they turned out really cute!
Also in the month of April, I helped throw a baby shower for a friend of mine here. It was fun to work with the other two girls. Thanks to some inspiration from Pinterest, I think it turned really cute!
To say that I have been driving myself to exhaustion with this busy schedule would be the UNDERSTATEMENT of the year. My body just can't seem to keep up with the demands of work and my calling, and it seems like every single weekend, my body gives out! But the weekends have been so busy too! It's all for a worthy cause though, because our temple cultural celebration is in two weeks. We, as leaders and youth, have been spending SO MUCH time and effort helping our youth get ready.
I will be going up May 4th and 5th overnight with the girls and youth from our stake, as we travel to Kansas City to put on the celebration for our prophet (Elder Holland is coming too). I'll be backstage and won't see much of it, but I'm so excited for the kids. Like I said, it's a lot of work and we have put in a lot of extra time, but I know it will be worth it.
These are some of our cute girls presenting the camp theme (GLOW=God Lights Our Way). I'm pretty sure our stake YW president and her camp directors are glad they chose a camp this year where NO meals have to be cooked and NO DIRTY DUTIES! We'll need it after the marathon we've been running mentally these last few months with the temple cultural celebration!
We also were tour guides for the temple open house last night. Todd led two groups, and I led one. When one partner is leading, the other one is sweeping and making sure no one gets lost at the back of line. We were grateful to be tour guides, because we got to keep moving our entire shift, and of course, walk through the temple three times! It was so fun to see the reactions of all ages. Of course I got the group with all the hard questions...but it worked out okay. I did get teary-eyed in the sealing room where we bear our testimonies about the temple. It is such a special place! The coordinator said that about 7000 people came through on our day. It really was fun, although I was really nervous at first. It's hard to believe that this experience will probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity!
First off, after a fretful five weeks, we got some amazing news. Todd had passed the bar! He worked so hard, it was such a relief to finally KNOW and be able to move on. There were lots of tears and hugging and jumping and yelling (I was doing the jumping). Great job honey!
The school year is nearly at an end. It's been a stressful year. State test results were not good, the behaviors were a challenge day in and out, the students struggled and flourished and struggled again. After testing, it was time to do some fun stuff :)
We made states out of graham crackers and frosting....
Read Grandfather Tang and created some animals out of tangrams....
They wrote about their own angry birds and then created them...they turned out really cute!
Also in the month of April, I helped throw a baby shower for a friend of mine here. It was fun to work with the other two girls. Thanks to some inspiration from Pinterest, I think it turned really cute!
To say that I have been driving myself to exhaustion with this busy schedule would be the UNDERSTATEMENT of the year. My body just can't seem to keep up with the demands of work and my calling, and it seems like every single weekend, my body gives out! But the weekends have been so busy too! It's all for a worthy cause though, because our temple cultural celebration is in two weeks. We, as leaders and youth, have been spending SO MUCH time and effort helping our youth get ready.
I will be going up May 4th and 5th overnight with the girls and youth from our stake, as we travel to Kansas City to put on the celebration for our prophet (Elder Holland is coming too). I'll be backstage and won't see much of it, but I'm so excited for the kids. Like I said, it's a lot of work and we have put in a lot of extra time, but I know it will be worth it.
These are some of our cute girls presenting the camp theme (GLOW=God Lights Our Way). I'm pretty sure our stake YW president and her camp directors are glad they chose a camp this year where NO meals have to be cooked and NO DIRTY DUTIES! We'll need it after the marathon we've been running mentally these last few months with the temple cultural celebration!
We also were tour guides for the temple open house last night. Todd led two groups, and I led one. When one partner is leading, the other one is sweeping and making sure no one gets lost at the back of line. We were grateful to be tour guides, because we got to keep moving our entire shift, and of course, walk through the temple three times! It was so fun to see the reactions of all ages. Of course I got the group with all the hard questions...but it worked out okay. I did get teary-eyed in the sealing room where we bear our testimonies about the temple. It is such a special place! The coordinator said that about 7000 people came through on our day. It really was fun, although I was really nervous at first. It's hard to believe that this experience will probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity!
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