Still not really getting into the big posts I have planned...but in the meantime, I have some happiness to share.
First of all, I got my first job offer! Big whoop. And free cereal!
Second, I'm learning and growing so much. I mess up occasionally and I am becoming so grateful for the promise that if we ask Father to show us our weaknesses, he will show them to us and help turn them into strengths. I never realized how awesome that promise was until now. If there's an area that's not going right, I can ask Him to help me identify what it is, and also how to fix it. Like how I've realized lately that I'm not that great of a listener- at least not as good as I'd like to be. And, after praying for help, I've quickly been given more opportunities to practice and improve. Steady progress upward is difficult, but it's also possible. AND it's important to remember that we don't need to be perfect now, and we don't have to (and can't) do it alone. All we need to do is take one step forward every day.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I love where I live. I love living with people who help me be better, give me opportunities to serve, and who shower me with love. There is so much peace in coming home to a safe place.
I'm improving in my Spanish class! Woo Hoo!
Epiphany: Living after the manner of happiness doesn't mean that you'll always be happy. It just means you're giving happiness the best shot.
Massive wonderful realization from Celeste's blog: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn't perfect, but the gospel is. There are many problems with specific people and the way mortals carry out their responsibilities. But you know what? That's sort of the way it's supposed to be. The Church isn't run by perfect people who do everything perfectly- as Celeste put it, that would be Satan's plan. The idea on earth is to all muddle together and try to do the best we can living the gospel. Our testimony should be based off the gospel and the living reality of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, not how we were treated by people who are on their own spiritual journey just as we are.
I had an incredibly emotional moment today when I stumbled across the Voices of Hope project. The website isn't officially launched yet, but their first video is. It's an incredible project, and one of my friends was the first to share his story. His name is Blake, and I really respect him for his courage and kindness. See him share part of his story here.
And finally- sometimes it's okay just to be. It's okay to not to freak out about moving forward and over-analyzing everything. Sometimes you just have to live for a while. It's important to have days where you're not thinking about what everything means, and afterward you can look back and think, "Wow, today was nice. Yeah, there are things that didn't go perfectly. Yeah, I made mistakes. But overall I did my best, worked hard, loved those around me, and laughed." Sometimes I think we look for too much in life- for dramatic romantic-comedy moments, action-filled car chases, and grand intellectual epiphanies. But really, life is meant for us to work hard, love others, laugh some, cry some, and make the world a little better for our being in it. Little steps every day. That's manageable, right?
Are you going to take said job? What are you doing? Does it involve marketing cereal boxes?
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