Blessed

Several times this week, as I was ending my scripture study, I would close my scriptures and just keep them close to me for a few minutes. For some reason this week, I felt unusually grateful for the scriptures. As I thought about them, while holding them close to my heart, I realized how much I love them, how much I love the truth that fills the pages, how much I love the opportunity to be guided by an incomprehensibly compassionate Father. This week I have been grateful for the gift of scripture.

I've also been reminded how grateful I am for sacred friendships. Both Hillary and Ashley got back this week after being out of the country for about a month and I treasured finally talking with them. I am buoyed up by them and a better woman because of their examples. I also went out to dinner with Annie Henrie on Wednesday and Aubri Root on Thursday. I love these women; I revere them and am inspired by them. Their friendship brings a deep joy to my life.

Then, last night, I went bowling with Allie Schneider, Liz Moffit, and Sarah Crowther. Sarah was my first counselor and I love to see how bonded we are now. We had truly missed each other this past week and it felt rejuvenating to be together again, just having fun.

Another special moment was that Erik, a new friend, took flowers to my high school friend Mahvish, whom I have been friends with for over twelve years. We are members of different religions but so close. I got to talk to her Monday night, after she got home from meeting up with Erik, and it was such a beautiful conversation. We strengthen each other; we help each other see the positive in life and stay optimistic.

One woman who has been a true angel in my life is Lisa Michelle Schader. I can't even begin to list all the selfless ways she has helped me over the years but this week it was one text conversation and two phone calls. She can readily joke with me about my dating life in humorous supportive ways. We've planned my wedding; now I just need to inform the 'lucky man.' It's all a joke but she helps bring a levity to an otherwise depressing topic. Then, she called last night and left me the most inspiring message. I am grateful that she sees more good in me than there really is because it inspires me to be better. She is truly Christ-like and an angel in my life. She is evidence to me that God is aware of me and gives us tender mercies.

The temple is another special gift. Yesterday I was going crazy from studying all this week and realized that I needed to get to the temple. My prayers are not instantly answered when I leave, but I come out with newfound peace and love. I love that House of God and I love that He is there. I love the celestial room, the ability to be close to God with our family and friends.

Heavenly Father blesses us with countless evidences of His love for me and this week I am grateful to Him for the scriptures, the temple and friends, all of which I will treasure for eternity. Sometimes I easily get discouraged, but then on days like today, I think about all I am grateful for and realize that I have every reason to rejoice.

We Are Different

2014 -  

There are endless reasons I love the 21st century: acne medicine, make-up, blow dryers, air conditioning, voting rights. The list could go on for the next five hours. Although I used to fantasize about being a pioneer when I was seven, I now would pick all the modern conveniences over traveling across the plains.

One thing I absolutely would have struggled with in the 1800s would have been female roles. My heroines today are empowered women. Yet, the 21st century still seems to have gone astray. It has gone from one polar opposite to the other. Now society preaches that women should be completely equal to men. This eclipses the beauty of our divine role that is equal in value to that of a man but definitely is different. Mother's Day has helped me reflect on why I love being a woman and why I love the women in our lives.

Carole M. Stephens, the first counselor in the Relief Society Presidency said, "Mother, motherhood, and mothering are defined in many ways in today’s world, but in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the word mother encompasses a woman’s eternal roles, her divine identity, and it describes her nature as a nurturer. With this perspective, women mother not only by giving physical life to a child but also by nurturing those around them. To nurture is to provide love and influence, to care for, support, educate, encourage, to protect, and to teach. To nurture is to help someone to grow and develop."

...We remember with love and gratitude the righteous women who have influenced our lives. We remember first the love of our own mothers, those who bore us. We remember the righteous influence of grandmothers, aunts, sisters, Primary teachers, and Young Women leaders. All of these women of God bore with us. They cared for us and about us. They taught us, encouraged us, guided us, and protected us. They influenced our lives for good. They understood that “whenever a woman strengthens the faith of a child, she contributes to the strength of a family—now and in the future” 

“Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the hands of God” 

As disciples of Jesus Christ, every covenant daughter of God has the responsibility to understand, live, and defend the divine roles of women, which include that of wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, and to establish, nurture, defend, and strengthen families and homes.

“You are now placed in a situation where you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your [hearts]. … If you live up to your privilege, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates."

“The errand of angels is given to women;

And this is a gift that, as sisters, we claim: 

To do whatsoever is gentle and human,

To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name.

How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission,

If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed.

Oh, naught but the Spirit’s divinest tuition

Can give us the wisdom to truly succeed.”

(“As Sisters in Zion,” Hymns, no. 309)

My mother, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and friends have left a legacy for me of sacrificing self to love and nurture. My goal is to honor them by being a more gentle, compassionate, virtuous defender of the family. 

Endings...

Today I was released from being the Parley's YSA Relief Society President. As I drove away from church with silent tears streaming down my cheeks, my whole body was filled with gratitude. I am inexpressibly grateful to Heavenly Father for this calling the past year.

I am grateful that I learned about prioritizing Christ and bold, courageous leadership from Sarah Crowther, that I learned about how friendships facilitate genuine love and testimony from Audrey Blake, that I learned about diligence, selfless service, and sacrifice from Jenna Hansen, and that I learned about pure, noble desires and patience from Allison Wilford. And that on top of this, I developed a deep, binding love for these women. We forever will have a sincere interest in each other's lives. For a year, we cried, laughed, and served together. We are sisters in heart now.

I am grateful to learn from Sister Thornton, our Stake Relief Society President, about the value of warm hugs and what it looks like to discern individual's needs and respond as directed by the Spirit, always acting on promptings. I have felt so known and loved by her. She took time for me personally, despite her busy schedule. I also love how much she was in the scriptures; I felt truth and guidance from her because she was a "sister scriptorian."

I am grateful I was coached by Bishop Goates about being led by the Spirit, about how to model and teach and inspire. I am grateful for his example of acting as Christ would act and applying business principles to help us improve our leadership.

I am grateful for the soul-stretching experience of learning to love all sisters and devote my time to them. I am grateful that each Sunday, and most days throughout the week, I had to go talk to someone new. I got outside my comfort zone and focused on others first. I am grateful for the prayers I uttered for the sisters that bound me to Christ even more.

I am grateful for the increased spirit of discernment that was always with me.

I am grateful Heavenly Father loved me enough to grow me in this calling and that He aided me every step of the way. It has grown my testimony. I know Him. I know my Savior and I know He has an intimate interest in our lives. I know now how compassionate He is and that He is invested and involved.

I thank Him for this beautiful experience that has changed me for good.

Happiness In a Video

What can a sister 1,700 miles away do to help you when you are having a rough day?

The answer is simply...send me these videos, which I watch on repeat of course.

The budding basketball star...

The daring dancer (or soon to be daring once she gets the walk step down)...

My Life's Been Hijacked

When you decide one month before a deadline (that has been extended just for you) to take a graduate program entrance test, specifically the GMAT, and apply for an MBA, your life consists of nothing but sleeping, working quickly, and then coming home and studying. It is a solitary, sedentary life right now.

Here is the evidence.

My Saturdays for the past month from 8:00am to 8:00 pm have looked like this:

Even when I do other tasks, like laundry, I study:

Thankfully Lisa came to the rescue and taught me how to set my phone to "do not disturb" so I actually stay dedicated to studying and avoid the alluring distraction of talking with humans! Her study kit has saved me - fruit snacks as incentives for doing homework along with ear plugs.

GMAT - I've got my eye on you. You are going down.

I Need Bling

Recently, Allie Dilts and I have been sneaking out to buy lunch at work. What started off as a once-a-month routine has morphed into a weekly ritual. Our bodies must be craving Vitamin-D after winter because we sacrifice our budgets so that we can get out of the dark building.

The other day we were at Subway and while I was physically in the process of purchasing food, a boy approached me and said, "Excuse me, but if I gave you my number, would you text me?" I responded with a nervous laugh, followed by a "No." Nervous, because he was clearly a high school student. Who else eats at Subway at 10:30am? Only Cottonwood High School students and faculty, whose bodies have adapted to eating lunch when the rest of the world is eating breakfast.

Shockingly, my curt response did not deter him. He persisted, even pointing to my ring finger and saying "But I notice you aren't wearing a ring. You aren't married are you?" Again, my answer was "No," not only am I not married but still emphatically "No" I will not contact you, you seventeen-year-old male who acts on dares and is raging with hormones. Eventually, I just had to walk away to fill up my water cup and the conversation ended.

Several days later I was walking down the hall at CHS during my prep period and who was sitting on the table in the hallway but the same, audacious, clearly-a-high-school-student boy. He tried to initiate a conversation, but I focused on getting down to the office.

Then, because Allie and I can't stop going out to lunch, although we have tried, we went to Yoshi's a few days later, and as I was waiting on my sushi, said bold boy showed up and brought up the fact that I hadn't taken him up on his offer yet and extended it again. I decided this had gotten too out of control so I had to just walk out of the restaurant without acknowledging him and wait for Allie to meet me outside.

This is why I've decided that I need a diamond ring on my finger, or actually, since I'm buying it for myself I think I'll go for cubic zarconia. All awkward, illegal situations would then be solved.