The Sun is Shining- and it is going to be a beautiful day!

So, I have been thinking the last couple days about my life here in Olympia. I was taking a walk yesterday around the lake, and I started listing in my mind how I have grown and what I have learned. I know more than anything that the choice to leave school and come work here before my mission was one of the most difficult choices, but I know I made the right one. I guess I've had tender mercies every single day that have helped me realize I am "exactly where [I] am supposed to be" as my recent fortune says. I have met so many people and have been able to converse with a variety of individuals, mostly all not LDS. I feel more confident in who I am, I feel more comfortable talking to strangers, and I feel a love for people in general. I love that all people are so unique and individual. I love Democrats, Republicans, Non-Partisan, etc, etc. I know the Lord meant for me to live in Olympia these last four months, and I think it has probably been a more important experience to me than I even realize. I know that as an individual I have changed, maybe grown up just a little more, and I have come to know myself better than I think I ever have. The Lord truly knows the right path for us, even if it seems difficult for us to get on that path, it all works out in the end, and sometimes the beginning and the middle too!

The Lord's Law of Finance

This year has been an unusually good year for subbing. Some years I've hardly had any work, but not this year. I was grateful to work as a substitute para-educator for a new position at Grant School until the position was filled, which was over a month. Even though I didn't get that job, I've still worked a lot for other people since it was filled. We could always use the money, but I didn't know the Lord had a specific reason for giving me all that work. And He kept blessing me, even when I forgot to pay tithing and had to empty savings to do it once I discovered it.

As the holidays approached, I became filled with a desire to have all my girls home for Christmas, which hadn't happened for three years. Each of them was struggling with troubles and trials, and I knew I needed to get them home for a recharge. None of them had the funds to get themselves home, so it was up to me to find a way. But I knew that this would be the last time they could all be together here at Christmas for a couple of years, and maybe for a very long time, since Rachel would be leaving on a mission this summer and Sara and Joseph would probably be starting their own family before too long. When I figured out how much it might cost to bring them all home, it was very close to my paycheck at the end of November, which was for the month of October (when I was subbing for the new position). Thad had the insight to tell Emily that the Lord knew how much it would cost to bring her sisters home, and that's why He gave Mommy the extra work to pay for it.

Well, we got them all home--Sara and Joseph actually moved in with us--and we had a very wonderful Christmas together. Now Annie's doing better as she explores options for her future; Sara has found a good job, and Rachel is loving her job. And I've still been working a lot since the start of the new year. I've been subbing for a lady who is very ill and has been out for months. I've got steady work until at least March 18th. So, I'm wondering what expenses this is going to be for. Maybe it's just the help that Sara and Joseph need to get on their feet. Maybe there's something else ahead of us. And as much as I love being home, I am grateful for the blessing of work.

Mom

In the midst of Adversity, light will show

So, money is just wonderful isn't it? haha, well, not so much in my neck of the woods. I've been blessed with a job and that provides for the necessities and I am very grateful. However, this month has been extra tight with money, and last week I had $10 to my name. I was really stressing out, thinking how many groceries I could get for that amount, on top of paying utilities and paying my friend for gas when we drove home. I also had wanted to get gifts for friends, visiting teachees, etc. because that really helps bring the holiday spirit into my life. So I had some books from last winter semester to sell back, and I had not idea how much money I would get. As I waited in line, I began thinking that perhaps I would not get any money at all for this books. I prayed and prayed while standing in line, that if I could just get $50 for these books, I could make that work. I got to the cashier, and she started scanning the books, she took all of them and told me the total. "That will be $176.50 for the books. Does that sound good?" I almost cried right then and there. I of course said yes, and she handed me the cash. In my mind I was praising the Lord over and over again for this miraculous experience. This is no small tender mercy. This was a giant miracle. When I got home, I knelt by my bed and poured out the gratitude I felt in my heart. Life can be hard, Life can be crazy, but the Lord is always there and I will never forget this experience.

When you are willing to sacrifice, the Lord will bless you

For the last month and a half, I have been looking for a job, in order to survive while living at college. I have turned in more than seven applications, usually receiving no response. It has been overwhelming, but I realized that as long as I keep trying, that is all I can do. Finally, I got an interview with a receptionist job in the Church History department that I was really interested in. The interview went well, not super amazing, but not horrible either. I did not know what to expect, but I was grateful for the opportunity to have an interview. A couple of days later I received the rejection call. The Supervisor said I had been in the top three, but, well, I basically just did not make the cut. It was hard to be rejected, but I just went back to the drawing board. I knew the Lord would provide a way. There have been some jobs available that were in the middle of the night, or early in the morning that I had previously refused to even apply for. I realized that perhaps I needed to be more willing to sacrifice in order to pay for college. There was a custodial job everyday from 4:30AM-7:30AM. As painful as that sounded, I decided I needed to suck it up, so I called and left a message that I was interested in an interview. A few hours later, when I got home from school, I got a call from the Church History Secretary saying that a girl was quiting, and they would like to hire me on. I couldn't believe it. She said, "Hopefully this makes your day." and I replied, "It most definitely has!" I was ecstatic and felt overwhelmed with God's love. Why did I possibly deserve this? I realized that because I was willing to make a sacrifice, the Lord then blessed me. I had faith all along that everything would work out the way the Lord would have it, and I know it has. My job is perfect for me and I love it. I am so incredibly blessed, I am at a loss of words that truly express my gratitude.

5-sec-butyl-3-ethyl-2,7-dimethyldecane

You are probably thinking, what on earth does this have to do with everyday miracles? Yes, I am ultimately a science geek, and I always will be. So this week I had my first organic chemistry test, known to be one of the hardest classes offered at BYU. Most people make it out barely alive. Needless to say, I was kind of freaking out about it. Every night it was O-chem for at least 4 hours. I was doing problem after problem that eventually added up to over 250 O-chem problems in one week. O-chem was completely taking over my life. In my Church History class, I dozed off for a moment, and when I woke up there were Newman Projections (a certain way to draw a molecule) drawn on my History notes while I had dozed off. By Thursday night, I was absolutely sick of O-chem, I just couldn't take anymore. I had done so many practice problems, and I understood most of them, but when I went to do the practice test at 11 on Saturday night, I just could not handle it. I needed sleep. My brain was absolutely fried. I went to bed feeling miserable. I can't handle this, I told myself, I'm not good enough for BYU, what am I doing here? I felt completely inadequate and truly sobbed myself to sleep, knowing that I would fail my test the next day. The next morning, I felt better, I felt refreshed and ready to begin the day, even with my O-chem test looming over my head. I went to work, and it was a wonderful day. I was retyping The Juvenile Instructor and everything I typed pertained to me. It spoke of how if we do all we can up until we are completely spent, the Lord will do the rest. So many have gone to battle, completely overwhelmed and outnumbered, but if the Lord was with them, they succeeded. My eyes filled with tears as I typed this article. It gave me complete confidence in myself. I know that I can do this. Right after work I headed to the testing center, ready and excited to take my test. I sat at my desk, prayed, and felt overwhelmingly calm and comforted. The test was not nearly as horrible an experience as I expected. I answered every question to the best of my ability. Who knows, maybe I will still only barely pass, but what matters is that I know the Lord was right next to me as I took the test. Faith is so pivotal to every action and ever thought we have.

Jesus Loves me this I know!

So, overall today has been a good day. I loved being involved with New Student Orientation and recruiting freshman to be a part of my service program. I hungout with several of my good friends today and that made me really happy. Underneath it all though I am stressing about getting a good job in order to have money to live on. I came home around 9:00 and none of my roomates were home. It felt kind of lonely, but I didn't really have anyone I could go talk to yet because a lot of people aren't here yet, and I also haven't met my ward yet. So anyway, there I was sitting on my bed in my room, playing my guitar, reading, and feeling pretty lonely. My roommate came home with her boyfriend around ten and invited me to watch a movie with them. I seem to always hangout with her and her boyfriend and I feel like they have to have pity on me because I have no one else to hangout with. I didn't want to bother their cuddle session so I stayed in my room to feel sorry for myself. I prayed that I could feel loved and not as lonely and then I started reading my scriptures. Then my phone rang unexpectedly and one of my best friends Christina, from home called. We talked for a while and she said she missed me a lot. It was amazing how quickly my prayer was answered. It took like 10 minutes for someone to call and make me feel loved. I know I don't deserve what happens to me, yet I continue to be blessed. I know that the Lord truly answers all of our prayers!

Who's the Best Weatherman?

We have learned now which Weatherman to listen to. I invited my parents to come over for Easter weekend and to watch General Conference with us. The weather over the mountain passes had been fine for a long time. But, wouldn't you know it, a big storm came in when they were supposed to come over, on the Friday before Easter. I really wanted them to come--they are such a lift to me--but I also wanted them to be safe, so I told them to watch the pass conditions and play it by ear. They had heard about the incoming storm on Thursday and wondered if they should cancel their Thursday night blessing appointment and head over right away. They prayed about it and each of them independently got the impression to wait and come over on Friday afternoon (instead of Friday morning as planned). Friday morning, the forecasters implied things would get worse throughout the day (two feet of snow was forecast), so Mom and Dad threw their things together and decided to leave in the morning to try to get through before the worst of it. As they were driving, they called the 511 and found out the pass had been closed to clear out too many wrecks. They called me, and I told them to go home and monitor the situation. In the afternoon, I went online and looked at the webcams for the passes, and they didn't look too bad. The passes were open and had no restrictions. I called Mom and Dad to tell them it looked good, and they were already on the way. They got here in time for dinner. I guess the Lord knew what He was talking about in the first place!

We had a wonderful visit, exchanging Easter baskets, watching the terrific conference, and eating great food. I'm so glad they listened to the Lord and He helped them come and return in safety!

Mom