Patience

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I get to be home in exactly 2 weeks and words can't even express how excited I am! It's been almost a year since coming out here to california and can I just say its been amazing how much things have changed?

I had a big temptation to move back home a couple weeks ago. Cut backs at my current job, plus a job offer from my old boss back home, plus a bit of homesickness made the time before thanksgiving real contemplative and reminiscent. That time the year before I had been making what ended up being the decision to come out to california.

Long story short, a conversation with the owners of my company led to me getting a promotion, with an additional promotion in mind in the next year. Roomies and I are looking for a house to rent to make things a bit more permanent now that I'm staying. And best friend got baptized. Life is superb and wonderful and I know I am where I am supposed to be right now.

But I'm still oh so excited to ship off to Boston for the holidays to see my family and some of my favorite souls of all time. Christmas presents in the works and holiday cheer in the air. Love this Jesus and family centered time of year, especially knowing I get to go see them in 2 weeks!!! God is great. California is good. Life is wonderful :)

The Brad Pitt Rule

Boys.  Take note:

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/02/05/the-brad-pitt-rule/

Check it out :)

God

God is so aware. My best friend got baptized yesterday. Before that I had been doing a lot of reminiscing and thinking back on my life and how it's changed, particularly in the last year. And then today, during relief society, miss Lindsay taught a splendid lesson from elder holland's talk.

So as part of the lesson, Lindsay did what a lot of teachers do and handed out quotes from the talk for girls to read. And here's where my life changed. Quote read by my dear coach Auna about halfway through the lesson:

"I testify from the bottom of my heart, with the intensity of my soul, to all who can hear my voice that those apostolic keys have been restored to the earth, and they are found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To those who have not yet joined with us in this great final cause of Christ, we say, 'please come.' To those who were once with us but have retreated, preferring to pick and choose a few cultural hors d'oeuvres from the smorgasbord of the Restoration and leave the rest of the feast, I say that I fear you face a lot of long nights and empty nets. The call is to come back, to stay true, to love God, and to lend a hand. I include in that call to fixed faithfulness every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal font and with arm to the square said, 'Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.' That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as well. To the youth of the church rising up to missions and temples and marriage, we say: 'love God and remain clean from the blood and sins of this generation. You have a monumental work to do, underscored by that marvelous announcement President Thomas S. Monson made yesterday morning. Your Father in Heaven expects your loyalty and your love at every stage of your life.'"

Amen.

I like to try and see the best in people.  It's something that does not come easy, and that I have worked on continually in my life.  I don't like watching people make bad/hard decisions in their life.  To bring it back to my last post on Holy Envy, I had an Elder on my mission who I had Holy Envy for, in the way that he viewed people.  He taught me a valuable lesson in the MTC and I have tried to be more like him since that moment. My companion and I had been joking about what one of the other sisters was wearing and we were something something along the lines that we didn't think it was appropriate for her to wear being a missionary.  

And then here comes the reality check.  This Elder heard us, and said something along the lines of "well maybe she has to wear it because of.....or maybe she needs it because of....or maybe she grew up in a place where....etc."  My companion and I then made the goal to be more like that.  And we worked at it.  And I've continued working at it.  

Really it doesn't matter what another person chooses to do.  I dunno.  It's a balance I guess.  Cause obviously you want to help other people and one of the ways we do that is through teaching and serving and helping, but one thing that I've tried to wrap my mind around is that idea.  Finding that balance.  Between doing what you know is right, and letting other people make their own decisions.  But still trying to help them make the right decision?  I don't even know if that makes sense outside my head.  But tis my ponderings of recent days.  

Life is grand.  Family is great.  Thankfully MA and VA weren't hit hard by the storm.  Super grateful for friends and family members who care.  Super grateful for the gratitude holiday coming up.  Super grateful for an adoptive family who is taking me in for thanksgiving.  Super grateful for a God who knows me inside and out.  Super grateful for best friends.  Super grateful for great roommates.  Super grateful for the scriptures.  Super grateful for my calling and the opportunity to love and serve.  Super grateful for my job.  Super grateful for my students and my coworkers and the crazy things we do.  Super grateful for the beautiful california weather.  Super grateful for the temple :)

Source: mrmn.org via Annie on Pinterest

Holy Envy

So I have been thinking a lot recently about relationships.  Things have been a little crazy at work.  Plus turning 25.  All these cause for a bit of reflection.

Also, a little while ago I taught a lesson in relief society where I talked about Holy Envy.  There's a bishop in the church in sweden who coined that term and was referring to religion when he used it.  "By this Stendahl meant that you should be willing to recognize elements in the other religious tradition or faith that you admire and wish could, in some way, be reflected in your own religious tradition or faith."  

So I started thinking about Holy Envy in terms of the relationships that I've had.  And some of these are like BF/GF relationships, and some are like bff relationships, but these are some of the things that I have Holy Envy for.  I have Holy Envy for:

• W and the way that he is so so so giving.
• J and the way she is bubbly and oh so nice all the days.
• D and how he is such a peacemaker.
• S and the adventures we would always go on.
• B and the way he was my best friend and we could talk about anything.
• A and how grateful she always is.
• M and how she is such a great cook.
• S and how he treated me like a princess
• G and how funny he is.
• R and how accepting he is of everything and everyone.
• D and how ambitious he is.
• K and how she makes everyone feel at ease in any situation.
• S and how focused and self controlled she is.
• M and how he respects my values and the way I live my life, and helps me set them higher.
• D and how passionate he is about the gospel.
• A and how he is so obedient in his life.
• S and the fashion sense that she has.
• A and how she loves learning.
• S and how witty she is.
• V and how goal oriented and organized she is.
• P and how he is always there for me.
• C and how she's my cuddle buddy when i need a good cry.
• C and how close he is with his family.

I could probably go on and on and on and on but can I tell you how good it's been to look back and look at all the good things that I've learned from all the amazing people in my life?  How blessed am I!  Love it :)

Blessings.

                     

Story of my life.  haha.  But really.  I boycott.  No, not really.  Life is funny.  God can be funny.  Plays funny jokes.  No.  That's not really true either.  My life....

I got sick this last week.  Throw up sick.  Haven't done that in a while.  Actually last time I did that was because I had a panic attack.  That was grand.  But not the case this time in case you were wondering.  Just a bug.  And my life is real wonderful.

It's gotten real busy.  Which is good.  Good to get involved in good things.  Conference was this weekend and I loved it!  Learned a lot.  About life.  About myself.  About my calling.  Oh ps. i got the calling to be relief society president again.  Which I finally came to terms with again this weekend.

Big news for the LDS church this weekend is that our missionaries (which in the past have consisted of typically 19 year old boys and some 21 year old girls) can now begin at ages 18 and 19 for boys and girls respectively.  I was at work when the announcement was made, and got out of work to a text from one of my best friends saying "Annie!!! I AM GOING ON A MISSION ASAP! I already have a meeting with my bishop.  Oh ho ho I am so happy."  To which I immediately started crying.

I have been home from my mission for about 2.5 years.  Weird.  I just turned 25.  Weird.  I have this extremely overwhelming calling.  Again.  Which is weird.  But I have a Heavenly Father who knows what's up and I am blessed in oh so many ways.  And so, as part of President Monson's counsel, here is a list of just a few of my recent blessings:

1)  I have an incredibly talented and amazing presidency.  They are phenomenal.  Really.

2)  Best parents on the planet.  Enough said.

3)  Roommates who are super chill and easy to get along with.

4)  I get to work with kids every day.  And they are angels.  And I love them.  Even the crazies.  Actually, especially the crazies.

5)  I have a job that keeps me active and having fun.

6)  I have friends I can count on to take care of me when I'm sick.

7)  I am provided for.  I have a job, apartment, food, etc.

8)  I got to step on crunchy fall like leaves this weekend.

9)  I have friends in distant lands who love me and know the perfect times to send messages/packages/texts/call, etc.

10)  I have learned how to say no.  At least a little bit.  Not my strongest suit.  But I am getting better at it.  and I consider that a blessing.

and many many many more.  i'm continuing the list elsewhere, but you just get the taste of it.  It was funny cause Pres. Monson gave this counsel and all I could think about was how I already do it thanks to the dear Sister Walker and her example on my mission.  It has made all the difference in my life.  5 blessings/tender mercies written down at the end of each day.  I highly recommend it.  It'll change your life :)

Perfect Words

So I've had so much on my mind in the past two weeks.  Plus just being busy.  Just can't find the words to adequately describe how great my life is.  One of my bestest friends/favorite souls and I drove up to the temple this last week and I came to some realizations.  But to put it into words on my blog, I couldn't think of how to do it.  And then I read one of my other best friends/favorite soul's blog and he used many of the words that I have been lacking.  Click here to see the post.  Step by step life goes and we grow.  Gotta love it :)

God Knows What's Up

So let me just say.  This weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind of emotions.  I have been on my knees just a little bit praying to figure out some stuff in my life.  Becoming an adult can be hard.  Grand.  But hard.  Responsibility is hard.  And a bit overwhelming at times.  But like I said, God knows what's up.  He really does.  And for some reason it still surprises me sometimes how He knows EVERYTHING.  I mean, obviously we know that.  But how often do we really understand that?

He has this grand plan for each and every one of us, and I find myself getting constantly reminded that He is in control.  He is so so so involved in our lives and wants to help us all the days.  How blessed are we?