Just Can't Contain It
All right, so I have lots of studying and other assignments I should probably be doing. It's been hard to justify writing blogs and spending time that way when I have too much else I should be doing. But I am just in such a good mood today (in spite of the fact that I look like a complete mess). I have a lot to be thankful for, and I can't wait until Sunday to tell everyone about it at the pulpit. So I figured I'd do it here.
Funny that my Aunt April emailed me today that she wanted another update. I had intended to write one today. Good timing, Aunt April! Speaking of... That baby is going to be here in 6 days!
Anyway, so I'd just like you all to know how grateful I am for my Father in Heaven and for how mindful I know He is of me, especially lately.
I haven't been slacking too, too much. I've been doing my normal things, praying regularly, you know. But there have been some things I've left out of my prayers, and my lack of asking has resulted in some trouble for me (and my relationship).
But I know from so many, many experiences, that He is waiting for us to ask. And when we knock, He opens the door for us. There are some things I need to continue asking for help with in order for my relationship to succeed. But relationship aside, I'd like to share some recent experiences that may seem silly to you, but they are important to me.
On Saturday night, I got back from vacation in California. I realized that I had forgotten where in the huge economy parking lot I had parked. I figured I should have written it down, but then I thought, "No, I'll remember." Well, folks, I forgot. I knew the numbers, between 10 and 12. So I got off the shuttle before I thought it was getting too far from where I parked. I wandered over to where I thought I had parked. Keep in mind it was around 9:30 at night, really dark, and pretty cold Utah fall weather. I knew the direction I had walked to get to the shuttle stop from my car, so I just went in that direction. I was wandering aimlessly, and I started to panic. This is a huge lot, guys. So before I got too out of control and emotional, I said a prayer. "Please, please just help me find my car. Help me to stay calm. Help me to find my car, please." So I'm wandering around, trying to call Tanner so that he can keep me from panicking... And out walks a young girl from the shuttle stop. She's the only one around, the only one who got off at that shuttle stop at that moment, a minute after I prayed. She went straight to her car and then called out to me, "Hey! Did you forget where you parked?" I went over to her and confirmed her suspicion that I had, indeed, forgotten where I parked. She said, "Well if you want, you can just put your stuff in my car, and we can drive around till we find it!"
What an angel.
Seriously, what a simple act of kindness she did for me. I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. She said she had done that once before, and she didn't want me wandering around by myself in the dark parking lot when she could just drive me around. Turns out she was a 20 year old student at BYU, coming home from a Thanksgiving break in Texas. I had her drive to the numbers I knew I was parked in, and to a different shuttle. We found Edna in all her blue old person glory, waiting for me. I was so grateful for Krysta for having compassion toward me and driving me around annoyingly. What an immediate, simple, and amazing answer to my prayer! Thank you, Heavenly Father.
I bought some things for my dad for Christmas several months ago--as in, early summer. Good price, good presents, I couldn't resist. When I moved some stuff out of my room and into Tanner's basement, I knew I had moved those presents. For the past several days, I have been so bothered by not knowing WHERE these presents were. I had searched all the same places in my room three times. I looked on the shelf of my closet twice, and I had Tanner check. I looked under my bed, in my suitcases, in the corner of my room, in my bookcase, in the bookcase in the living room, in my bag of wrapping paper--EVERYWHERE--more than once! I searched the boxes at Tanner's house on my own. I had Tanner help me search! I looked again!
I don't know how well you all know me, but I'm a pretty organized person. I can get cluttery, but I know where everything is that I need. So when something is out of place, when something is lost, I freak out. It weighs on my mind like no other. I asked Rachel and Tanner if it'd be a silly thing to pray about. They said no!
So I did. And I prayed that I might be able to listen and hear where to go. I thought yesterday that maybe I should check Tanner's upstairs bedroom (we are never in there, I don't know why I thought of it), so we looked last night. Couldn't find them. Then I thought, "Go look in the boxes..." "Again? No!" "Go look in the boxes again, you haven't looked hard enough." "Ugh yes I have."
I ran back downstairs. In my searching of boxes I had convinced myself of one small box, "They cannot be in there. That's just my CD box. They're stacks of CDs, that's all that would fit in there. Besides, why would I have put THOSE in the bottom of a box of CDs? I'm not retarded." Nevertheless, I went straight for my little box where I had put my CDs.
Doubting the whole time, I used my key chain flashlight to look in the sides toward the bottom of the box. I lifted up one stack--nothing. Just CDs, like I thought.
"Keep looking." "Ugh, fine."
I lifted up another stack. Couldn't see anything.
Then I reached my hand down the side of this box, and I felt a bag.
I wriggled my fingers around to make sure it was the right texture of the bag.
I grabbed the bag, moved the stack of CDs, and pulled out the bag with the presents in it!
YES!!!! I found them!
You guys. Why would I have been dumb enough to put these presents at the bottom of a box of CDs? Probably because I thought I'd have unpacked it by Christmas time because we were already supposed to have been married. But whatever, that's where I put them. And in my last search, I listened to those promptings. I found them!
I feel so much better now, knowing where they are, that these presents are not lost.
These are two instances that sound so simple, but they are so powerful to me. They're so important especially right now, when I need so much help from the Lord. I needed these reminders to let me know that in prayer comes power and blessings. I know I can do what I need to do, and I know He is listening and will help me do what I need to do!
I am so grateful for the fall that has lasted so long this year! It's December 3rd, and still no snow! I'm grateful for the fall colors and the pretty leaves on the ground.
I am grateful for the Berry Topper from Jamba Juice because it's so healthy and delicious. I think I am addicted, actually. It may be a problem.
I am grateful for the beautiful sunset I saw the other night when I came out of my Spanish class at 5:20 PM. It was a wonderful thing to see after a long, hard, and emotional day of work and school and other problems. It was just a tender mercy for me to look at after that day.
I am grateful for Christmas music and pretty lights! I love looking at decorations. I put up stockings and lights at my apartment, in the living room and in my bedroom.
Note the cute "Believe" accessory on the TV. My grandma gave it to me.
Something about Christmas just brings out warm and happy feelings all the time. There is a house on Tanner's street that is decorated so simply and beautifully. It is my favorite. Driving is so much more enjoyable when there are decorated houses to look at! I love Christmas.
I am grateful for prayer. And I'm going to need a lot of help in the home stretch of the semester. I've got a test on Friday and a bunch of assignments left to do, plus one major project and a major paper to fine-tune.
I don't think I could have gotten through this semester of 5 classes and 30-32 hours of work per week without the Lord's help. I have been so blessed, and I needed to take time in my blog to express thanks for that.
If I don't update again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Funny that my Aunt April emailed me today that she wanted another update. I had intended to write one today. Good timing, Aunt April! Speaking of... That baby is going to be here in 6 days!
Anyway, so I'd just like you all to know how grateful I am for my Father in Heaven and for how mindful I know He is of me, especially lately.
I haven't been slacking too, too much. I've been doing my normal things, praying regularly, you know. But there have been some things I've left out of my prayers, and my lack of asking has resulted in some trouble for me (and my relationship).
But I know from so many, many experiences, that He is waiting for us to ask. And when we knock, He opens the door for us. There are some things I need to continue asking for help with in order for my relationship to succeed. But relationship aside, I'd like to share some recent experiences that may seem silly to you, but they are important to me.
On Saturday night, I got back from vacation in California. I realized that I had forgotten where in the huge economy parking lot I had parked. I figured I should have written it down, but then I thought, "No, I'll remember." Well, folks, I forgot. I knew the numbers, between 10 and 12. So I got off the shuttle before I thought it was getting too far from where I parked. I wandered over to where I thought I had parked. Keep in mind it was around 9:30 at night, really dark, and pretty cold Utah fall weather. I knew the direction I had walked to get to the shuttle stop from my car, so I just went in that direction. I was wandering aimlessly, and I started to panic. This is a huge lot, guys. So before I got too out of control and emotional, I said a prayer. "Please, please just help me find my car. Help me to stay calm. Help me to find my car, please." So I'm wandering around, trying to call Tanner so that he can keep me from panicking... And out walks a young girl from the shuttle stop. She's the only one around, the only one who got off at that shuttle stop at that moment, a minute after I prayed. She went straight to her car and then called out to me, "Hey! Did you forget where you parked?" I went over to her and confirmed her suspicion that I had, indeed, forgotten where I parked. She said, "Well if you want, you can just put your stuff in my car, and we can drive around till we find it!"
What an angel.
Seriously, what a simple act of kindness she did for me. I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. She said she had done that once before, and she didn't want me wandering around by myself in the dark parking lot when she could just drive me around. Turns out she was a 20 year old student at BYU, coming home from a Thanksgiving break in Texas. I had her drive to the numbers I knew I was parked in, and to a different shuttle. We found Edna in all her blue old person glory, waiting for me. I was so grateful for Krysta for having compassion toward me and driving me around annoyingly. What an immediate, simple, and amazing answer to my prayer! Thank you, Heavenly Father.
I bought some things for my dad for Christmas several months ago--as in, early summer. Good price, good presents, I couldn't resist. When I moved some stuff out of my room and into Tanner's basement, I knew I had moved those presents. For the past several days, I have been so bothered by not knowing WHERE these presents were. I had searched all the same places in my room three times. I looked on the shelf of my closet twice, and I had Tanner check. I looked under my bed, in my suitcases, in the corner of my room, in my bookcase, in the bookcase in the living room, in my bag of wrapping paper--EVERYWHERE--more than once! I searched the boxes at Tanner's house on my own. I had Tanner help me search! I looked again!
I don't know how well you all know me, but I'm a pretty organized person. I can get cluttery, but I know where everything is that I need. So when something is out of place, when something is lost, I freak out. It weighs on my mind like no other. I asked Rachel and Tanner if it'd be a silly thing to pray about. They said no!
So I did. And I prayed that I might be able to listen and hear where to go. I thought yesterday that maybe I should check Tanner's upstairs bedroom (we are never in there, I don't know why I thought of it), so we looked last night. Couldn't find them. Then I thought, "Go look in the boxes..." "Again? No!" "Go look in the boxes again, you haven't looked hard enough." "Ugh yes I have."
I ran back downstairs. In my searching of boxes I had convinced myself of one small box, "They cannot be in there. That's just my CD box. They're stacks of CDs, that's all that would fit in there. Besides, why would I have put THOSE in the bottom of a box of CDs? I'm not retarded." Nevertheless, I went straight for my little box where I had put my CDs.
Doubting the whole time, I used my key chain flashlight to look in the sides toward the bottom of the box. I lifted up one stack--nothing. Just CDs, like I thought.
"Keep looking." "Ugh, fine."
I lifted up another stack. Couldn't see anything.
Then I reached my hand down the side of this box, and I felt a bag.
I wriggled my fingers around to make sure it was the right texture of the bag.
I grabbed the bag, moved the stack of CDs, and pulled out the bag with the presents in it!
YES!!!! I found them!
You guys. Why would I have been dumb enough to put these presents at the bottom of a box of CDs? Probably because I thought I'd have unpacked it by Christmas time because we were already supposed to have been married. But whatever, that's where I put them. And in my last search, I listened to those promptings. I found them!
I feel so much better now, knowing where they are, that these presents are not lost.
These are two instances that sound so simple, but they are so powerful to me. They're so important especially right now, when I need so much help from the Lord. I needed these reminders to let me know that in prayer comes power and blessings. I know I can do what I need to do, and I know He is listening and will help me do what I need to do!
I am so grateful for the fall that has lasted so long this year! It's December 3rd, and still no snow! I'm grateful for the fall colors and the pretty leaves on the ground.
I am grateful for the Berry Topper from Jamba Juice because it's so healthy and delicious. I think I am addicted, actually. It may be a problem.
I am grateful for the beautiful sunset I saw the other night when I came out of my Spanish class at 5:20 PM. It was a wonderful thing to see after a long, hard, and emotional day of work and school and other problems. It was just a tender mercy for me to look at after that day.
I am grateful for Christmas music and pretty lights! I love looking at decorations. I put up stockings and lights at my apartment, in the living room and in my bedroom.
Note the cute "Believe" accessory on the TV. My grandma gave it to me.
Something about Christmas just brings out warm and happy feelings all the time. There is a house on Tanner's street that is decorated so simply and beautifully. It is my favorite. Driving is so much more enjoyable when there are decorated houses to look at! I love Christmas.
I am grateful for prayer. And I'm going to need a lot of help in the home stretch of the semester. I've got a test on Friday and a bunch of assignments left to do, plus one major project and a major paper to fine-tune.
I don't think I could have gotten through this semester of 5 classes and 30-32 hours of work per week without the Lord's help. I have been so blessed, and I needed to take time in my blog to express thanks for that.
If I don't update again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Comments
I love you! I hope the week only gets better and better!