Dating in Utah!

Ladies and Gentlemen... I went on a real date! hahaha... I know that sounds silly, but for the first time since I moved to Utah (almost two years) I went on a for reals live actual date!



I was complaining only yesterday to one of my really good friends that I was angry about the whole dating scene in Utah County. Lets see if I can explain this better... I have an ex who has continually fought to get me back, it's a never ending battle with him, and while he's an excellent guy we don't have a future together. This is super sad to both of us, but still remains the simple facts of the matter. This past week he once again brought up the subject of "getting back together". This caused a few events to happen... 1. I got supper depressed because lets face it, I feel like a total jerk every time I tell him no. 2. I got angry! I am a super cool girl, and I feel that a lot of men are missing out on a great opportunity to be with THIS supper cool chick! I also happen to think that I am a really good girlfriend. It stands to reason that because said man above for the last three years has been tirelessly trying to get me back shows that he misses something! 3. I decided that I'm not going to sit around and wait on guys to ask me out! I WANT TO DATE!!!! and lets face it guys, your not getting the job done!



Last nights date didn't happen to be an effort from me, it was a last minute blind date that turned into a super fun evening! I had a whole 5 minutes to get ready for this event to which my date picked me up, a 20 minute car ride to get to know him a little bit and then introduce him to 4 other couples. He's Jacob, or Jake for short a BYU boy who's studding accounting. He served a mission in Peru etc... We ate pizza, played group putt-putt and then ice cream sandwiches as we were serenaded! We then built and decorated awesome paper airplanes and had a contest to see how far they could fly! Jake was a perfect gentlemen!!! He opened my door, payed for everything, escorted me home and was charming and funny the whole night! It was a great date!

But fair warning boys... I'm not sitting around waiting anymore, get ready for some fun!

My God Hath Been My Support

A few events in the past week have led me to this point...

The first was a Sunday escape from the normal "marriage and family" class to attend Temple Prep. Let's be honest, marriage isn't my favorite subject... there is a past for the discomfort in that topic that we aren't getting into it here. I chose the class because 1. the teacher is HOTT! 2. A few of my friends were in it and 3. I remembered really liking it when I took it right before my mission. I wasn't prepared for how the lesson would hit my heart and compel me to be stronger and better about my temple attendance.

The second event was a priesthood blessing I received tonight to help with the excruciating pain in my back. Let's just say the blessing had a lot more to say then just a normal "get well soon" blessing.

The third was a desire to also read the Psalm of Nephi tonight, which, if I'm being honest, I was also not prepared for the way it would hit my heart tonight. I love the way Nephi pores out his heart in this chapter of the Book of Mormon. I was especially hit with his cry to his own soul when he exclaims "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul." and then continues on "O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!"
It's hard for my to imagine Nephi with some great sin after reading all of the amazing experiences he had as a servant of the Lord. It's hard for me to imagine his soul "drooping in sin!" However, I know my own weaknesses, and while I know Nephis great enemies were is own siblings, I imagine my weaknesses being my enemies. My cry tonight, my psalm... "Rejoice O my heart and give place no more for the weaknesses of my soul! My God hath been my support, and I will trust in Him!"

"Sometimes he said to himself: "When I was still a man, strong and free, commanding other men, I have seen the heavens open, the sea rage and foam, the storm rise in a patch of sky and like a gigantic eagle beat the two horizons with it's wings. Then I felt that my ship was but a weak refuge from the tempest, for did it not shiver and shake like a feather in the hands of a giant? Soon the sight of the sharp rocks, coupled with the frightful noise of the waves announced to me that death was near, and death terrified me. I exerted all my efforts to escape it, and I combined all my man's strength with all my sailor's skill in that terrible fight against God! For to me life was happy then, and to escape from the jaws of death was to return to happiness. I had no use for death; I loathed the thought of sleeping my last sleep on a bed of hard rocks and seaweed, of of serving after my death as food for gulls and cultures, I who was made in the image of God! Now, however, it is quite a different matter. I have lost all that bound me to life; now death smiles on me as a nurse smiles on the child she is about to rock to sleep; now welcome death!" - Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo

Madea - let folks go

Gods Window

There is a saying that goes "when God closes a door, he opens a window". I honestly feel like this is the pattern my life is going in right now! It's hard to see doors close, it's hard to watch people leave your life, YET I am so excited for the windows that are being opened and the new people entering it!!!

WAIT..... Why are people climbing in my window?!?!? That's a little creeperish.... ;0)

The pattern my life has taken this past year is this... I hate to see people go, so I try my hardest to hold on to them and work through things. I recently had a life lesson on friends being like trees and how some people are only meant to be in our lives for a season. "when someone wants out of your life, you let them go." I have been trying to practice this method of just letting people go, and I have found that the Lord is opening the window to better options :0)
THANK YOU for the lessons learned by the exiting leafs, and WELCOME to the new buds on my tree!