Day 31 - Way 31

Sometimes you have to look back to see miracles. This morning was awesome! I couldn't be more pleased with the way my presentation turned out. I really felt like I gave it my best and people responded well. I would have loved for my day to end after the workshop, because it seemed like the rest of the day just went down hill. I have been very discouraged the rest of the day. But as I said, miracles don't always come at the end of the day. Sometimes a morning miracle reminds you to be grateful for what blessings you have and to not selfishly expect them to come when you want them too!

Day 30 - Way 30

I got through a final I never thought I would get through on Tuesday. It wasn't due until Wednesday, but i knew that I wouldn't have time to finish it on Wednesday, so I just worked really late and got it done. I fel really good about it too. This week is tough, but I'll keep pushing through. I am grateful for my brother who supports me and encourages me. (DeLacy, I'm grateful for you too, Bud is just being especially helpful these days!)

Day 29 - Way 29

My Monday Miracle made me motivated! Ha, Ha, that was fun! My Dad was able to help me figure out what I could do to get the car taken care of so that I could get to work and my finals! I am so grateful for modern technology that can help me get through these first few months without my parents. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to start thinking and acting like an adult. I know I still have a lot of growing up to do, and a whole lot more tears I'm going to have to shed, but I appreciate this learning opportunity.

Day 28 -Way 28

The blessing or miracle on Sunday was that the lessons in all of the meetings in church on Sunday confirmed the things that I have been saying in the last few posts. We even discussed the scriptures that were mentioned in the posts and that I included with the video. I am grateful for that confirmation that I am choosing the right and making good decisions.
As a disclaimer, I just want to add that I am overly swamped with finals this week, so if I do not post right away, I apologize. I will try to stay on top of it, or add posts at the end of the week.

Day 27 - Way 27

There was a lot that I could write about today. But the most important thing I want to share is this. The light of Christ is in us all. When we choose to go against that light, the light gets dim and we falter and stumble on the things that we've put in our path. I know that when we give our best and trust in the one who will shine light in our dark places, we will get through. Don't ever feel lost, there is one who will always be there, just look up, look up and live in him. I have included a music video at the bottom of this blog. I love the part at the end of the video. Watch it and see when the smiling faces come and be reminded that when you are in the service of your fellow man, you are only in the service of your God.

Day 26 -Way 26

On Wednesday my Dad got a letter in the mail. I open all the mail so that I can tell my parents if there is anything urgent. The letter said that my dad would be receiving an award from the Salt Lake City Police Department. I was so excited to share the news with my parents. I scanned the letter so that I could email it to them. I was able to see them as they read the letter on their email. It was great to see them smile. I know that my dad gave a lot of himself to the department over the 30+ years that he served, so to see him receive recogntion for that, especially when he has decided to continue to give service after retirement is something any kid should be proud of. I am grateful that my parents taught us the importance of service to your fellow man over all else. I also want to say, congratulations DeLacy. I have always wanted to run a 5k, so to hear that you did it is even more motivation for me to get off my behind and at least run a mile!! : )

Day 25 - Way 25

I am grateful for the Earth in all of her majesty. Yesterday I went to bed thinking how it had been such a warm day and I thought I should pick out a fun sunny outfit for the morning. Something inside me said, "no just wait until morning to decide what to wear." This morning I woke up to the beautiful snow. The most beautiful part was the light that reflected off of the snow and made the blossoms on all of the trees sparkle. While my brother and I were outside getting the cars cleaned off to go to work, I remarked how amazing it all looked. I spent most of the rest of the day indoors, so I didn't get to enjoy the ever fluctuating weather, but I do know that there was some strange weather patterns especially after the heat wave that hit yesterday.

Day 24 - Way 24

Wednesday went surprisingly well for how terribly it actually went. I had car trouble all day. I had to go to school and a work meeting (that went long). I had to drive all over the valley. I had to make lists and get to appointments and stuff envelopes.....and I survived it all. I'm not saying i didn't complain and suffer through it all, but at the end of the day, I got in bed and went to sleep, and woke up the very next morning. Really how selfish could I get if I asked for anything more.

James E Faust wrote ("Gratitude As a Saving Principle," Ensign, Dec. 1996, 2), "One of the evils of our time is taking for granted so many of the
things we enjoy. This was spoken of by the Lord: 'For what doth it
profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the
gift?' (D&C 88:33). The Apostle Paul described our day to Timothy when
he wrote that in the last days 'men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy' (2 Tim. 3:2). These sins are fellow travelers, and
ingratitude makes one susceptible to all of them."

I am grateful for the little things like waking up each morning, knowing it's ok that I wasn't perfect yesterday, God will give me another chance today!What a blessing!

Day 23 - Way 23

Overwhelming and full. These are the two words I would use to describe Tuesday. I have too many commitments. I have too many things that get in the way of what really matters. I wish that I could see inside the mind of someone who prioritizes their life in an effective manner. I know that I certainly try, but somehow, I always get to the end of a semester or project and then it hits me just how much work I have left to do. I learned that sleep helps you get your priorities straight though, so I am grateful today for the miracle of a warm place to rest from the cares of the world.

Day 22 - Way 22

Today I was reminded of how quickly your mood can change. I've never been a "Moody Monday" kind of person, but I can see why sometimes people are. I am just grateful that I wasn't asked to do more. I know that I am given the struggles in my life that will challenge me and teach me. I am always blessed to see what I have gained from trying times in my life. It is my hope and prayer that the priorities that really matter most will out shine the lesser things.

Day 21 - Way 21

Sunday morning the house was filled with a lot of activity as everyone prepared for church and for the trip home. We filled half of the chapel with our family. Cindee and Blake spoke in sacrament meeting. Cindee spoke about prophets and apostles and how they can be compared to a GPS unit in your car. They provide the most direct path to home. They also are influenced by a higher power that is fixed and steady, so the directions that you receive are not just from them, but are from someone that can see the whole picture. Blake spoke about the restoration of the gospel and how we can relate the process Joseph Smith took to receive the gospel as the same process that we can use to find answers to our own struggles. He spoke about the importance of being aloof, when you are unsure of what you should do.

After church the family mat back at Rob and Cindees to have some dinner. Then each family left to begin the trip back home. Doug, Buddy and I said our goodbyes and talked with Rob and Cindee for a while before we finally left. Our trip was quite an adventure.

In Fernley, I started to feel really sick. We took a little break from our trip so that I could get some fresh air. The car started to give us some trouble and I began to get worried that we would run into more car trouble. After we left Fernley, we had a pretty pleasant drive, I took some medicine so that I would be able to continue the trip. There were many miracles along our way, with the car working, with the timing of everything, we were able to be blessed along our trip in many ways.

One miracle that really stands out was the timing of our travels. We happened upon a man who had just moments before we arrived on the scene, rolled his vehicle 2-3 times in the median. He was able to walk around, but his hands were bleeding because of all the glass that had flown into them as he rolled. We gave him some water to clean his wounds off. A police officer arrived about 10 minutes after us. We asked him if he had some bandages in his vehicle. He went back to his truck and searched all over, but he had no first aid kit. Our mother, the emergency preparedness queen, had a 72 hour kit in her car, so we were able to provide an alcohol wipe and bandages for his hands, at least until the paramedics could arrive. We stayed with the police officer for a while until his backup arrived. Then we were on the road again.
In Elko, we found a gas station selling gas for $3.49/gallon. The station right off the exit was $4.00/gallon. We saved $8. When we reached an intersection down the road, the engine stopped on the car. I was so worried that we would have more problems, but as we prayed together, we knew that we would be ok. The car started again, and we continued our trip. We didn’t get home until 1:30am, but we felt so blessed to have been able to make it home safely and to have been able to be there for people in need.

Day 20 - Way 20

This morning I woke up to people in the living room saying goodbye to my parents online. I ran into the room so that I could go talk to them, but it was too late, they had already disconnected. I spent the rest of the day with many of my cousins. We went to garage sales, had a barbeque, went bowling and went out to dinner. After the dinner we went back to Rob and Cindees home. Buddy and I then shared the video that he created to celebrate the great work our grandparents have done to share the gospel and share the importance of family. This video shows how important family and the gospel have been to our family. Which brings me to the blessing today of opportunities that we have been given to celebrate our family and the love we have for one another. Also, I got to see mom and dad on their webcam, before I went to bed and that helped to lift my spirits.

Day 19 - Way 19

I drove across the Nevada desert on Friday. Buddy, Doug and I went to Minden NV, to visit our cousins. One of our cousins is leaving for a mission in a week so we came to hear him speak in church. He is going to Brasilia Brazil, which is my favorite city in the world, even though I've never been there. The miracle today was the fact that I had little to no sleep last night and yet I was able to go to class and understand and learn from my lab instructor and then I was able to drive all afternoon and evening without trouble.

Day 18 - Way 18

I struggled a little today to make time work in my favor. I had a lot to do at work, but my head just wasn't clear. It was really frustrating to know how and what to do at work and not be able to do it because my brain wouldn't make my body do the work. After work, I had a pretty good evening. I baked cookies for a ward activity, but by the time Buddy got out of class the activity was over, so we took the cookies to a friends house. When we got home, I found that the contents of my purse had been scattered all over the floor. Abbie had eaten all of the gum in my purse. Hopefully the most expensive pack of gum I will ever have. I had to take her to the vet because she was acting really sick and the vets that I called said that she could get worse if they didn't get the gum out of her system. So, I spent a few hours at the Pet ER while Abbie was forced to throw up all of the gum. She seems to be doing much better now, but the doctor told me to keep my eye on her for at least the next 8 hours to make sure that the xylitol(sugar substitute) didn't hurt her liver. I guess the miracle today is that my Doggy is ok and I knew what to do to take care of her. I know we couldn't really afford to take her, but I would've hated to see her die if I hadn't taken her in.

Day 17 - Way 17

Wednesday went really well for me. I somehow got everything I needed to do done and had some time left over to spend with my brother. I apologize that I haven't been writing at a consistent time. I will try harder to be better at that.

Day 16 - Way 16

I was able to finish a ton of work at my job today as well as finishing a paper that was due today. I really feel blessed that I could have the strength to accomplish all of these things. I also feel blessed by the creativity that has been flowing to me today. It has inspired some great work!

Day 15 - Way 15

On Monday I didn't die from the headache that made me feel like I was dead. That's my blessing. Although I'm sure my readers are wishing for something more, I feel like that was the greatest blessing.

Day 14 - Way 14

Today my blessing has been my brother. I basically spent the entire day with him today. We went to church together, we went to my grandmas house and had dinner together, and we spent the evening taking care of the house together. He is a great brother and I am blessed to have the chance to get to know him better. I know that we have a lot of time to make up for, because I was not the best sister while we were growing up. I hope he can see how grateful I am for this time we get to spend together.

Day 13 - Way 13

I was reminded today to be grateful for the little things: A baby that smiles at you, a friend who will tell you what's up, a relationship that doesn't die with time apart(no I'm not talking about a guy, I'm talking about a friend from years back that is still sincere after 4 years of not seeing each other), a sister that will drop her needs to help me with mine, a good decision made months in the past that serves as a reward in the present. I could go on and on. Basically, I know that I am blessed. I know I need to work harder for my blessings and show more humility and gratitude for them.

Day 12 - Way 12

Without a doubt, the blessing that was brought to my attention on Friday is the fact that I am surrounded by amazing friends who are always there for me. They give me so much strength and courage to just keep on trying every day.

My friends help me, not only in obvious ways, but in little things, simple encouragement or a kind word. They never cease to amaze me.

I was also reminded about how important it is to be there for your family. I am grateful that I have family who will forgive me when I let them down, and who are there for me when I need help up.

Day 11 - Way 11

My parents put me in charge of a few things while they are gone. One of the responsibilities that they gave me was to deposit their income tax refund. When you aren't sure what you are going to eat everyday, it makes it difficult to deposit a huge check that could provide food and other necessities. It's not my money though, so I deposited it.

At work today I got so much work done, I was really grateful that I had the time and the brainpower to make it happen. I also went to my Lions Club meeting in the evening. I feel like we got a few things done that will move forward the club and help us to be more sustainable.

I think that the biggest blessing today was the opportunity I had to really see priorities line up more than they have in the last few days. I didn't accomplish everything I would have hoped for, and I certainly am not caught up in any respect, but I'm moving forward.

Day 10 - Way 10

Today I have two short and simple blessings to share.

First, I finally got an email from my parents. It was very brief, but basically they are in Japan now and they are safe. I am grateful that the Lord watched out for them and their pilots and planes.

Second, my personal blessing is that I have the will to keep trying. Life is tough right now, school is overwhelming, managing a house (that is not my own and is full of things that are not my own) is harder than I ever imagined, my job is stressing me out (not that I have too much to do, but I can't seem to get my priorities straight), my family commitments are very emotionally straining and I haven't made time for my personal commitments to volunteer organizations and church, which frustrates me. I feel like I could use a genie right now. My wish would be that I could prioritize my time in such a way that I don't let anyone down and I fulfill all of my obligations. I'm not worried about where I'll be a year from now, or even a month from now, my strength comes in knowing that I can take this........... a day at a time.

Day 9 - Way 9

Needing your dad the day after he left for a foreign country would seem to some as a curse, but to me it was a blessing. I drove my moms car today because I had to go to work and the dentist and school. When I got to school I was an hour early for my class. I had some dinner in the car and so I left the radio on to entertain me while I ate. Before I went into class I tried to turn the car back on. It would not start. The battery was shot.

Rather than panic, I sent my best friend Beezer a text message asking her if she would be able to stop by the University some time tonight to jump start the car. She said yes, so I went to class. When class was over, Beezer met me at the car. We tried to jump start it, but it would not go. As I pondered in my head the many times my dad had rescued me in this situation and the fact that for the next two years he wouldn't be rescuing me, Beezer had another thought. She prayed. What exactly she said in her prayer, I don't know, but she went back over to my car, turned the key, and the car started.

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father who knows me as an individual daughter, and will rescue me when my dad is away serving Him. I am especially grateful that He has given me an inspired friend who will not ever let me down. She has stood by me through so much and I am eternally grateful for her friendship.

Day 8 - Way 8

I took my parents to the airport this morning and said goodbye for two years. For those who know me well, I do not handle things like this at all. However, during the prayer we had in the airport parking lot, I prayed that I would be able to travel home in safety without emotions getting in the way of my driving. Even with the pouring rain and falling snow, I was able to stay perfectly calm the entire drive home, a miracle by my standards.

Day 7 - Way 7

Today the miracle was simple. My brother Doug came home to say goodbye to my mom and dad.

They have been authorized to be home for the weekend and today was the last chance for Doug to see them before they leave early in the morning tomorrow. I know how much my mom is going to miss my brother and how much my brother is going to miss my mom, so it was so important that they say goodbye today. My mom normally doesn't cry but she did today.

I know that as my parents faithfully serve the Lord, he will bless them for their service. And if we, as their children are obedient and faithful to the commandments, the Lord will also bless us because we are willing to have our parents serve the people of Japan. I am grateful for this trial of my faith.

Day 6 - Way 6

I saw first hand on Saturday what unconditional love is all about. My oldest younger brother made a promise to finish a hardwood floor. Although his shoulder is still not fully functional, he knew that it couldn't wait any longer. So, I got a few of our friends together to work on the floor and try to finish it. From 10am until 1:30pm we had friends over working hard to get the floor finished. After our friends left, we kept pushing forward trying to finish the project he had started.

By 6pm, we had finished cutting all of the pieces, but we could not finish placing them because the drills that we had to use did not have enough torque to drill into the cement. I could see his energy had been completely drained. Even with all of the work he had done and the hours he had put into finishing, he felt so terrible that he had not finished the job that he had set out to complete. He wanted so badly to keep his word and provide for someone he loves. I am so grateful that I could witness that love. He knows that unconditional love means that you care enough to keep your word and to provide for those you love even when that love may not ever be reciprocated. He is such a great example to me of faith and charity, even the pure love of Christ.

Day 5 - Way 5

Friday.....what a great, but long day. I had to make a few decisions today about my priorities, but I feel like I am still on the right track. I've been doing a ton of research lately about "new media" which basically means all of the recent applications mobile or online that allow people and businesses more opportunities to connect with the right audience to find or to provide products and services. This has allowed me to come across two interesting publications that both discussed the same topic in a round about way. The first was a book about marketing with new media. There is a section that describes online videos and how they can become viral(i.e. ok go! "treadmill song). They spread like wildfire without promotion or force from the source. The other book talked about a little pig that decided it wanted to be a happy pig, and it began spreading happiness everywhere it went. Then one day the pig had too much happiness in him and it began to seep out of him and leak to all the other pigs until the love that all the pigs felt was too much for all the pigs and it spread to all the lambs and the chickens. The reason these two stories meant so much to me today was not known until my parents arrived home from the MTC and my mother said that she thought my blog posts seemed so optimistic. The reason behind that I believe, is my understanding of how our choices influence our consequences. When you choose happiness over sadness or bitterness, your consequence or your reward will be further happiness, until there is no more room inside you and it must spread to others. The blessing for today is that. That if you choose to find joy even when it seems there is nothing to be joyful about, the one thing you will end up with is.......joy.

Day 4 - Way 4

Thursday was an amazing day. After two years of working with military veterans in the same office, I started to get stories from them today. I have always felt nervous to ask about their war days because I've heard so much from movies and media that made me believe that veterans get traumatized when they have to think about what happened to them. One of my co-workers/friends told me about his time in Afghanistan and his duties as a medic. He also told me about some of the guys he worked with. One thing that stood out to me was his reference to one of his buddies as "scary looking". Then he showed me a few pictures. This guy is a big, tall, strong guy which makes him seem intimidating. Then he told me that his buddy has a heart of gold. You could tell from the pictures. He really looked like a decent guy.

Then I got to hear stories from another coworker/friend, he served in Vietnam. He was 20 years old when he went to war. In one raid, he was up ahead of the rest of his company when "the enemy" threw a hand grenade at him. He had a fist full of metal lodged in the back of his leg. He also lost his right eye. He laid in the ground for 6-8 hours until a medic could arrive. The medic took the metal out of his leg and then 5-6 guys carried him out on a stretcher made from branches and large leaves. He showed me a picture of the men carrying him out on a stretcher. I felt so honored to be looking at this picture. It really looks like the kinds of pictures you would see in a text book or in a history book.

Both of these men (who I've been working side by side with for 2 years) also told me today that they each have a Purple Heart. I knew I was in the company of fine men, but I had no idea of the sacrifices they had made for me.

I also spoke with a Marine veteran at work. She is new to our office and much more open about her service. She told us about the days when "the enemy" would be attacking and they would still go out and gather the bodies and the medics would do the best they could to save them. It was her job to stand over the bodies with her weapon as the medics worked and guard them from trying anything stupid.

After work I talked with my brother-in-law over the phone for an hour and a half about his military service. We also talked about how important it is to recognize the military and show gratitude toward our veterans.

It's important to remember that veterans are not dirty men that stand on corners asking for spare change. Veterans are men and women who offered up their lives as sacrifices for me, so that I could live the way I choose to live. Many have sacrificed and died in the process, but many more have sacrificed their lives forever after their military service because returning home to a forgetful and ungrateful nation, in my mind would be so much harder a sacrifice than dying.


Now, for my faithful readers, what does this all have to do with my parents missionary service......Well, when I returned home in the evening and went to read the Book of Mormon I came across a passage that I had not noticed before. Alma 43:17 This scripture talks about Moroni and it even states that he was only 25 years old(younger than I am now, but about the same age as my co-wroker was). It goes on to say in vs. 46 that they fought because they felt that it was their duty to God to preserve their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.

I am grateful for these scriptures that remind me how important it is to KNOW your DUTY TO GOD. I know that my parents know theirs and they are attempting to fulfill a portion of that duty as they serve their mission. I am grateful to the men and women who choose to stand up and say, "here am I send me, I will defend our families, and our lands, our country, and our rights, and our religion." The miracle today was that these men and women opened up to me today and shared what is sacred to them. I owe them so much more than earthly gratitude can proclaim.

Day 3 - Way 3

Today I woke up remembering that I had neglected an assignment that was due at 11am. I had no clue how to do it and it was already 9am. I knew that it was important to get it done though; so I sat down and went to work. I was not only able to do the assignment, but it actually made sense to me. I had lunch with a great friend and one of my amazing cousins. After school, I came home and did some gardening. I had no idea how much fun gardening could be! I was really proud of myself! Today I think the most profound blessing I enjoyed was the knowledge that I can take care of myself and my home. It won't be easy, and it won't always be fun, but it is possible. I know that if I trust my Heavenly Father to help me, and I seek the assistance of kind neighbors and family when I need it, these next 697 days will fly by successfully!

Day 2- Way 2

Today was a normal day, with seemingly no great miracles. However, today I accomplished a lot at work, I got a free lunch, I caught the right train to get to class on time, that train just happened to be the one my younger brother Doug got on, I turned in a huge paper that was due today, I had dinner with my best friends family and their neighbors, I reunited with an old friend at the U, another old friend invited me to his home for a little party, my brother got to come hang out with us, and I did all of this without breaking a sweat! I think sometimes the greatest blessing is to just have your day go so smooth that you can't even remember what a difficult day must be like!