Third of a Century

I've been thinking this month of another individual and what He accomplished in His third of a century on this earth. I haven't done anything near as impactful, but I wanted to somehow quantify. What have I done with my third of a century?

• got baptized
• earned a Young Woman Recognition Award
• graduated from Seminary
• graduated from Institute
• graduated from High School
• graduated from College
• worked as a nurse in pediatrics, postpartum, recovery room, surgical center, community clinic, emergent care clinic
  
• worked as a telemarketer, florist, pizza maker, phone operator
• made tons of friends
  
• went on a cruise
• went on mission
• received my endowment in the Ogden temple
  
• sealed in the Salt Lake temple
• returned to the temple often
  
• helped create three daughters
• bought two houses
• sold one house
• bought four cars
• sold three cars
• learned Spanish
• learned toddlerese
• returned to Ecuador
• survived business school (ie single motherhood)
• (one month shy of) survived law school (ie poverty, single motherhood, pseudo-widowhood, unemployment)
• traveled a little around the country
• shared my testimony a few times
• created a few things of beauty
• practiced being a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother
• lost some sleep
• shed some tears
• laughed a lot
• loved a lot
• missed some people
  

I still have so much to do. It may not be as significant a list as someone whose life ended during this year, but it's my list nonetheless. I still have a lot to do! But I feel so blessed for all that I've done and enjoyed and experienced. My Father in Heaven has shown me great love and honor by giving me the life I have. With this perspective, I hope to make the next part of my life significant in His service.

Today I went to the Temple

I can say that I regularly go to the temple, but sometimes I really wish I could go more often. Perhaps it's not having a good night's sleep in, well, maybe years. Perhaps it's the aches that start to become constant in the last trimester of carrying a baby inside. Perhaps it's stress, fatigue, loneliness, worries, impatience. Who knows. But, it seems to culminate at times into something more than just "little things." Last night I came home from a week of being Mommy shuttle in the rain, (when I wish I was taking a last baby-cation in St. George enjoying some great theater) taking care of everyone else's needs and wants, cooking food that always smells yucky to me, trying to "keep up" with life.......and crashed. I spent most of the evening in my bed escaping in an Austen type book. Thanks to my sweet husband who completely didn't understand but tried, who finished dinner, bathed the kids and tried to keep them quiet for me. It was nice and all, but I don't think I really felt better until about half way through the temple session. Nothing of note really happened, except I think I finally was immersed in the spirit enough to feel buoyed up. I felt like I had so much more help than before, so much more courage than before, so much more power than before. It's amazing how little time it takes for us to feel weary or beaten down in this world. I am just grateful that my Heavenly Father poured out His spirit on me today to remind me that it's not all about the world or preschool or cruddy weather or stress or vacations. It's about a Father in Heaven who is very concerned about me and my family. He loves me and wants me to succeed. As a mother. As a wife. As his daughter. I write this because I hope to remember this feeling and make the courage l a s t until next time. I know I can't be in the temple everyday, and really I should be more self reliant and not need to be, but thanks be to my Father in Heaven for a spouse that takes me there often, a kind neighbor who puts my mind at ease about the care of my children, and a Father in Heaven who reached down today to lift me up.


"Stress in life comes from making things more important than they really are. Failure comes from making things less important than they are." ~ Tony Robbins