Today has been such a great day. Kristen taught the lesson in Relief Society this morning and it was such a good one! The lesson was on Happiness, which I needed. We discussed ways to choose to be happy through adversity and the blessings that we have in our lives. One of the many amazing mottos of Kristen's life is "Come what may and love it." She had a friend leave on his mission this week and it has reminded me greatly about when my friend, Josh, left for his mission. I was so excited for him to go and serve the Lord for the next 2 years, but I knew that I would miss him dearly. Losa taught a great Sunday School lesson about personal revelation. While sitting there, I was thinking about my missionary friend (due home in 45 days) and I realized that the past 2 years have been 2 of the hardest years of my life. I can't count how many times I came home from school crying. So much happened during my junior and senior years of High School that made me want to strangle myself. That and starting college...it has been quite a ride on the emotional roller coaster. However, I have come to realize that the past 2 years have also been 2 of the best years of my life. Every time I came home from school crying, there was a glorious letter from my missionary waiting on the table for me. My mother even noticed this pattern. I was always strengthened by his letters and his words of wisdom to help me get through another couple of weeks until the next letter. Throughout these past 2 years, I have also learned so much about myself; discovering who I really am during my senior year and transitioning into the college life. All my life, I have been tested through physical ways...with my health. Crohn's has been...quite an experience. It has brought out the worst and best of me. I recently talked with a friend on the phone about trials and hardships we may have in life. I was able to share my testimony with him and discuss how I am able to recognize so many blessings from those long 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital. I also have made the decision to send a Book of Mormon to my friend, along with my written testimony. I'm nervous and anxious about what he's going to think, but I do know that I at least tried to share it. It should get easier the next time right? :) That is one HUGE thing that I have learned since coming to BYU. This Gospel is amazing and I'm a very selfish person if I don't share it with others. This Gospel makes me happy...I love it so much! I'm so grateful to my parents for raising me in this amazing Gospel. I'm grateful that my parents taught me (through example) to have a love for the Lord and about the power of the Priesthood. I'm grateful to have a wonderful and loving father who is worthy and able to use his Priesthood power. That has definitely given me the desire to have that in my future home. I want my children to have the opportunity to grow up having the Priesthood power in their home and readily available to them. I'm also grateful for my parents' patience with me. I know that I can count on my parents whenever I am in need of help or counsel. I'm grateful for my mom to have pushed me away from all boys in High School. I may have thought that I knew better, that I knew what I needed to be happy. Obviously, she knew better. She knew how awesome these boys would be out here. :) She knew, from Heavenly Father, what was best for me at that point in my life. She knew and still does know that things are always going to be better. My parents want what's best for me and they want me to be happy...in an eternal perspective.
So, like I have decided that the past 2 years have been both the most challenging and most rewarding years, I'm completely grateful for all my trials and more importantly, all of the wonderful people I have met and encountered that have made an impact on my life.
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