P.S. Today Andrew and I celebrated our 100 day anniversary!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Fall Bucket List
Well, I realized that I'm afraid I'll miss the seasons again this year because school is so busy. To avoid this, I finally made a fall bucket list. What do you think? Anything I've missed?
P.S. Today Andrew and I celebrated our 100 day anniversary!
P.S. Today Andrew and I celebrated our 100 day anniversary!
General Conference October '12
I've missed posting on this blog and have felt unconnected with family. Maybe some of you are still interested in reading this, but if not, I think I'll still try to do it--if for no other reason than I need a journal. School has been so busy lately that I have had no time for posting. Somehow, I'm going to try to find time to continue.
To get my posting started again, it seems appropriate to list the things I've learned this general conference.
First, I learned some big things about myself when they announced the new age limit for missionaries. Now women can go on missions when they turn 19. Since I got married 100 days ago and two months after my 19th birthday, I have just missed the cut off. Many people who read this, will not understand what a loss this is to me. I have always grown up with a burning desire to go on a mission and marriage came very unexpectedly.
When I received the revelation that Andrew was indeed the person I should marry, I cried. I cried because I knew I would have to give up a mission. I was giving up the opportunity to dedicate my life solely to God for a while, to learn a language, to meet people different than me, to travel, and to live a strict schedule. All things I have wanted to do forever. I love Andrew so much and he is the best husband anyone could ask for. I thought I had moved past this huge decision. When they announced the age change, I cried so hard. Why in the world would Heavenly Father change the policy so close to my giving it up? It seemed like He was rubbing salt in a deep wound. Thanks to some kind words from a best friend, I pulled myself together and decided, "I don't have to make the choice now, so I might as well be happily married." Andrew promises we'll go on a senior couple mission, but somehow it's hard to convince me that it'll be the same. Later through conference, it felt like they were emphasizing trusting in God's will and timetable. I'll work on that for the next couple of months. Obviously, even if I thought I was okay with following God's will, I was not okay with His timetable.
I loved Sister Dibb's talk about this. Can we truly say this in our lives? Are we willing to be so bold about it in speech and action? Are we willing to show how happy the gospel makes us? Do we know the truths, do we live the truths, and does that make us happy?
I learned that guilt, anger, and self-pity are all debilitating from Elder Bowen. I can apply this to frustrations I'm having with some policies at BYU right now. I can't get anything done about them if I just spend my time being frustrated and angry about them. I will get nowhere in my personal pity-party.
Elder Nelson encompassed one of my personal beliefs when he talked about how whether truth comes from a laboratory or from the scriptures, members of the church seek after it. Thus my belief that science and religion can work together.
I love President Uchtdorf. As many will agree, he has a unique way of speaking that goes straight to the soul and offers many one liners that can be implemented and repeated. I'm going to have to go back over his talk and do a separate post on it.
Do we as children understand the saying from Elder Perry's talk that says, “I can’t turn from your teachings because I know my actions would reflect on your character.” Everything we do reflects on our parents character. I've never understood that more than during the time my mother worked as the president of WHEN. Many people I had never heard of knew who I was and what I was doing. Everything children do reflects on their parents.
Can we truly answer Elder Ballard's question, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?" It's almost always the small acts that add up to a busy life. Elder Hawke challenged us to read the Book of Mormon again and Elder Gay questioned what we would sell our soul for. Don't forget about sins of omission. Elder Whiting detailed how hard we work to make our temples perfect and reminded us that we are the temples of the Lord as well.
Elder Oaks came right out and stated that abortion is a form of abuse to children and that children should be center stage of marriages. President Eyring warned us not to put barriers between us and the Lord and then feel confused and hurt when we can't feel the Lord's love. Sister Burton urged us to observe and serve. Elder Gonzalas asked us to apply our heart to our scripture reading.
I loved Elder Holland's talk and can't wait to go back to study it. It struck right to my soul. In our mortal childish understanding of things can we at least live the first commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our might, mind and strength? I want to follow President Monson and take a personal inventory of all the blessings I have and have had in my life.
Elder Hales urged us again to do both temple work AND family history work. No matter what they say, I feel completely lost with family history. The tools they have for it are either so out dated I can't figure out how they work or tailored to advanced family historians in such a way that I have no idea where to start. I'm trying, but the most I can do is indexing. Someday, I'll understand how to do it.
Elder Osgethorpe announced a new teaching program that is designed so teachers can tailor their lessons to their students. Elder Clarke gave us 5 suggestions for sacrament:
1) Have a feeling of gratitude for the sacrifice of HF’s son
2) Memorize sacrament prayers
3) Feel forgive on our sins, by repenting before sacrament meeting
4) Receive inspiration for our daily problems
5) Partake of the sacrament worthily to feel the HG
Elder Bednar defined the differences between conversion and testimony and how they work together and President Monson closed the conference with a reminder to always be tolerant of others.
Love you all! I'll try and post more.
To get my posting started again, it seems appropriate to list the things I've learned this general conference.
When I received the revelation that Andrew was indeed the person I should marry, I cried. I cried because I knew I would have to give up a mission. I was giving up the opportunity to dedicate my life solely to God for a while, to learn a language, to meet people different than me, to travel, and to live a strict schedule. All things I have wanted to do forever. I love Andrew so much and he is the best husband anyone could ask for. I thought I had moved past this huge decision. When they announced the age change, I cried so hard. Why in the world would Heavenly Father change the policy so close to my giving it up? It seemed like He was rubbing salt in a deep wound. Thanks to some kind words from a best friend, I pulled myself together and decided, "I don't have to make the choice now, so I might as well be happily married." Andrew promises we'll go on a senior couple mission, but somehow it's hard to convince me that it'll be the same. Later through conference, it felt like they were emphasizing trusting in God's will and timetable. I'll work on that for the next couple of months. Obviously, even if I thought I was okay with following God's will, I was not okay with His timetable.
I learned that guilt, anger, and self-pity are all debilitating from Elder Bowen. I can apply this to frustrations I'm having with some policies at BYU right now. I can't get anything done about them if I just spend my time being frustrated and angry about them. I will get nowhere in my personal pity-party.
Elder Nelson encompassed one of my personal beliefs when he talked about how whether truth comes from a laboratory or from the scriptures, members of the church seek after it. Thus my belief that science and religion can work together.
I love President Uchtdorf. As many will agree, he has a unique way of speaking that goes straight to the soul and offers many one liners that can be implemented and repeated. I'm going to have to go back over his talk and do a separate post on it.
Do we as children understand the saying from Elder Perry's talk that says, “I can’t turn from your teachings because I know my actions would reflect on your character.” Everything we do reflects on our parents character. I've never understood that more than during the time my mother worked as the president of WHEN. Many people I had never heard of knew who I was and what I was doing. Everything children do reflects on their parents.
Can we truly answer Elder Ballard's question, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?" It's almost always the small acts that add up to a busy life. Elder Hawke challenged us to read the Book of Mormon again and Elder Gay questioned what we would sell our soul for. Don't forget about sins of omission. Elder Whiting detailed how hard we work to make our temples perfect and reminded us that we are the temples of the Lord as well.
Elder Oaks came right out and stated that abortion is a form of abuse to children and that children should be center stage of marriages. President Eyring warned us not to put barriers between us and the Lord and then feel confused and hurt when we can't feel the Lord's love. Sister Burton urged us to observe and serve. Elder Gonzalas asked us to apply our heart to our scripture reading.
I loved Elder Holland's talk and can't wait to go back to study it. It struck right to my soul. In our mortal childish understanding of things can we at least live the first commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our might, mind and strength? I want to follow President Monson and take a personal inventory of all the blessings I have and have had in my life.
Elder Hales urged us again to do both temple work AND family history work. No matter what they say, I feel completely lost with family history. The tools they have for it are either so out dated I can't figure out how they work or tailored to advanced family historians in such a way that I have no idea where to start. I'm trying, but the most I can do is indexing. Someday, I'll understand how to do it.
Elder Osgethorpe announced a new teaching program that is designed so teachers can tailor their lessons to their students. Elder Clarke gave us 5 suggestions for sacrament:
1) Have a feeling of gratitude for the sacrifice of HF’s son
2) Memorize sacrament prayers
3) Feel forgive on our sins, by repenting before sacrament meeting
4) Receive inspiration for our daily problems
5) Partake of the sacrament worthily to feel the HG
Elder Bednar defined the differences between conversion and testimony and how they work together and President Monson closed the conference with a reminder to always be tolerant of others.
Love you all! I'll try and post more.
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