The whole Church is celebrating my 2 year anniversary of being home from my mission! Oh, wait, no – that’s General Conference. Oops! J Watch it here.
For any readers who are not LDS, General Conference is a twice-a-year event in which all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather to listen to the leadership of our Church. We believe that, just like in New Testament times, Christ’s Church is led by ordained Prophets and Apostles. This is our chance to hear what the Spirit has revealed to them that we need to hear to help us in these times, with our own personal trials. It’s amazing! The Spirit is so strong during Conference. Check it out! Or for more info on what I believe, click here!
Today marks two years since I came home from spending the best 18-months of my life serving the Lord in the best mission in the world (Florida Jacksonville!). I learned so much, felt the guidance of the Spirit every day, met some of the best people in the world, and strengthened my testimony of Jesus Christ more than I could have in any other way. I still miss it every single day.
I can’t believe it has been two years that I’ve been home. It certainly doesn’t feel like it. I can’t help but look over the past two years and think about what my life has been like since serving Christ as one of His missionaries.
In the past two years, I:
Went back to Florida to visit my mission twice. Once about a month after getting home and again this past Christmas to see the baptisms of a wonderful friend and her son who I taught while serving in Lake Butler.
Fell in love with my best friend’s daughter, Allie. She was due the day I came home from the mission, but was 11 days early – I can’t believe she’s two already! Love her SO much!
Went on a cruise with my awesome sister, Sarah, to Key West Florida and the Bahamas.
Went to San Diego to see a dear friend get married.
Saw Wicked – a dream come true.
Received training to work on a huge research project at BYU, the Flourishing Families Project. I had previously helped out by doing data collection in Seattle before my mission. This time I did behavioral and relational coding for some of the taped interviews. With this, I also made some amazing friends who I now miss dearly.
Started my senior year at BYU.
Also worked at the Dean’s Office in the School of Education. Made some great friends here too, and got used to wearing business casual to work. Good thing, since I’ll be doing that forever.
Studied and took the GRE. EWW! I’m SO glad that’s over. I did about averagely on the verbal and quantitative sections, but did pretty darn well on the writing section.
Applied for graduate school at BYU and University of Houston – Clear Lake.
Got invited for interviews at both schools and went to both.
Got accepted into both programs!
Decided to go to UHCL. Oh man, that was a hard decision!
Went to the Houston Rodeo twice – saw Rascal Flatts the first time, and Blake Shelton this year. (Oh yeah, and I finally bought my first pair of cowboy boots for the rodeo this year!!)
Learned how to belly dance with my roommates!! It was a blast and I miss it a lot! But let me tell ya, these hips don’t lie! J
Spend some time at my parent’s cabin in Island Park, including a little vacation with some of my friends from the coding lab. So much fun!!
GRADUATED from BYU in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. Oh yeah, and I graduated Magna Cum Laude!! All that hard work paid off!
Started graduate school to get a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Got hired as a TA for one of my Professors, still doing that til May.
Made lots of new friends, both at school and at church, who I love.
Got called as a Relief Society teacher.
Got officially diagnosed with a chronic illness and started treatment (more posts on that specifically to follow).
Had 5 weeks off for Christmas (compared to the usual 2 at BYU) and my first Spring Break since graduating high school in 2005.
Started seeing clients in Practicum, and have already terminated with one couple!
WHOO! That’s all I can think of right now, though I am sure there are a lot more. Though the past two years have been really hard in many ways, they’ve also been great. Life hasn’t given me what I expected, or wanted, but I know that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing. He has a bigger plan for me than I have for myself and all of these little things, expected or not, are shaping me into the person He wants me to be. I am truly blessed!
And now, I’m goin’ to Shipleys before the next session of Conference starts. Again, you can watch it HERE!!
Happy Saturday, all!
2 comments:
All that in two years! It has be thinking about what I've done in the past two years, and a lot of it was the same as yours, minus the cruise and mission bits. An exciting two years that will lead to many more! And next year we can go to the rodeo together! I'm going to start praying for it to be Josh Turner.
YES! It's so cool to see everything you have done over the past couple years. You have done a lot!! You are so smart, and you're such a hard worker. That's what I love about you is you have ambition and you're going places!
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