Church Recap

Robert comes home from Louisville in a couple of hours and I thought because he missed church today that I would post a recap for him and anyone else who reads my blog. We had a young man from Terre Haute who leaves for his mission on Wednesday speak about missionary work. It was a great talk and he will make a fine missionary. During the sacrament meeting as a congregation we sang "Called to Serve". As I was standing up singing this hymn I found myself taken back in time. It felt like the summer of 2002 all over again and I was in the MTC surrounded by thousands of missionaries singing this same hymn. Whenever I hear or sing this hymn my mind seems to wonder back to that time period. I think it's because I remember the feeling that overcame me as a missionary singing this hymn in the MTC. I don't know the right word to describe the feeling, it was like the spirit touched you as you sang this hymn and you knew there was no better work you could be doing. I love how I get that feeling everytime I hear or sing "Called to Serve". I went to Relief Society today ( I go to Young Women's twice a month to visit usually....if I go more than that I think I make the YW's president nervous by having a member of the Stake YW's presidency there) and heard a great lesson on trials. It's lesson 19 out of the manual. The teacher asked us "why does God give us trials"? I love the quote in the manual for this answer..."God gives us trials so that we may go to the Mount of Zion and be exalted". I know in the moments when I have my trials I don't think about being exulted but how grateful that I am for my trials when I actually stop and think about them. I owe most of who I am to my trials...they have shaped who I am for the better. I love being a member of the church!

Companionship

I am missing my husband right now, so I thought I would blog about him and the great companionship I have in my life because of him. Robert is in Louisville, KY right now at a conference for the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. He is presenting some research that he and one of his professor are currently working on. He left yesterday and will be back Sunday. I know it's only been 24 hours since he has been gone, but it feels more like weeks if you ask me. It's still amazing to me how I have been married for almost one year and I already know that my life will never be the same because of this man. I was single for a long time and it some ways became very accustomed to that lifestyle. I never thought I would be so addicted and so attached to the companionship in such a short amount of time. Life is so much better with companionship...it's like peanut butter....it's just better with the jam! I am so glad that Robert is my "jam". I love him so much and my life has become greatly enriched from the moment he stepped into it. Thank you Robert for the loving companionship that you give me daily...my life has forever changed for the better because of it!

Make New Friends But Keep the Old

Let me start this off by saying that I have met some great people since moving here to Terre Haute . Though every once in awhile (okay, I'll be honest, it's more like daily) I yearn to talk to my old friends that I either left behind in Utah or knew from some other place in life. Tonight I had the chance to talk to a great friend who when I got off the phone with her, I found myself with tears in my eyes wishing there wasn't 1400+ miles difference between us. This friend is the type friend that by her mere presence around you somehow makes you a better person. I consider myself lucky....these types of friends are rare and precious and I have a few in my life. How blessed am I! I I think at times in my life I took for granted my great friendships. Now, for those of you who have heard me complain about moving (just typing that makes me cringe!) know that I would rather have a root canal performed than move, but when I think about this last move I have realized that I have learned some valuable lessons from moving...one of such is you make new friends, but you ALWAYS keep the old ones! I can remember my mom telling me this as a kid when we would move towns, and I don't think I realized then how true that statement is! There is just something about that old friend........

OLD FRIENDS ARE LIKE:
*Old friends are like that favorite song that you know every word to and everytime it comes on the radio you get a smile on your face and you start singing and it somehow enegizes you!
*Old friends are like that favorite sweatshirt-everytime you pull it on...the comfort and warmth is there.
*Old friends are like your pillow, you can lay head on it and rest your eyes and your body istantly relaxes.
*Old friends are like your journal...they know the thoughts of your heart.

So life may get busy, overwhelming at times, and location of residence may change, which might bring along some new friends, but I have never nor will I ever forget my old friends. It is you my old friends who have helped me be in some way who I am today. " It has been said that some people come and go out of our lives, but some leave foot prints on our hearts and we will never be the same!" Thank you my old friends for all of the foot prints that you have left and continue to leave on my heart.

More Updates

So life is plugging along. Lauren and I are both overwhelmed at times. I am still working on my thesis, I am going to defend it at the end of the month. I am also working on applications, which involves studying for the GRE. I am also working on another research project, which is slowly moving along. Teaching takes up a lot of time too, preparing lectures is what takes most of the time. I am also taking two classes, which I ignore most of the time.
Lauren on the other hand is working hard at her job which keeps her super busy. She gets to clean up messes that other people make. She is also working hard preparing a young women's conference, it is something that our stake does. She has some really great plans for it. They are doing this really cool service project where they are making receiving blankets for the maternal health clinic here in Terre Haute. They are going to be given to mothers with some information from LDS family services on adoption. It is such a needed thing in this area. The youth talk in church about friends that they have who are pregnant. We heard a story of a 12 year old who is a friend of one of the young women in our ward who is pregnant.
So busy is the story of our lives right now. We are getting excited to find out where we are going for my PhD and hopefully for Lauren's MPA. Keep watching and we will give you updates on that.