Making Decisions based on Correct Principles

So these last few weeks have been crazy. Lots of exams, stress and generally getting things done. I'm currently writing from my parents place. I've been able to have lots of fun with Wendy despite the hectic schedule. Last week Wendy's mom came up to pick up Wendy and to get to know me better. Getting to know part of Wendy's family was really nice and helped me understand my Wendy a bit better.

A few weeks ago I found a website that sells t-shirts with special designs from different movies and TV shows. I know that my sister Catherine, is really good at making cool designs for shirts. So I talked to her and in the next few weeks, hopefully she'll be able to teach me how to make cool shirt designs in the next few weeks. If I make any cool shirts, I will be sure to show you, my dear readers. My other sister Megan is getting married in a week. It makes me anxious for December so that it'll be my turn. My sister Catherine cut my hair recently which is nice because it is warm out and then I'm going to California for Megan's wedding soon. I currently reading the fourth book of the Fablehaven series, which Wendy recommended to me.

I will say that the last four days have been rather long for me. Why, you may ask? Because for the last four days I have been missing the company of my darling Wendy. This is the longest that I have been absent from my darling Wendy since we first met. Honestly, I don't remember missing this much since I was little and emotions were overpowering, or like being Tinkerbell who can only have one emotion at a time. Being without her has made me realized how truly blessed I am to have her in my life. Recently, I've thought about the decisions that lead to me meeting my darling Wendy. Looking back I realized that I have not explained this story on my blog.

It started with a decision that I that I made in back in the spring of 2010. I knew that for a break between semesters that I would be working. Just working and being a single guy. I heard about a service opportunity on campus to be a director for freshman orientation. I decided to volunteer for it because I hated the idea of being selfish for seven weeks doing nothing for anyone else. For that seven week break, my apartment complex needed to move me to another complex for the break. When I was filling out the paper, I asked the guy advising me which address I should put down and explained my situation. He told me the address that I was at for the break. In hindsight, I realize NORMALLY I should have put my regular address. The break was fun and I ended up having a girlfriend for a week while I helped with freshmen orientation. The guy's mistake just meant that I would do more walking while helping the freshmen but not much more.

So time went by and I kept in contact with some of my group and went to get-together parties when I could. In March, I was invited to party by a the girl on the far left in the purple. She happened to be roommates with a girl named Michelle who was a former sister missionary (for my church) where Wendy lived. I mentioned Michelle in this post as the girl I helped by giving advice. Michelle had tried to set up Wendy with another guy at the party. I helped Michelle and even asked if it'd be okay if we could go on a date sometime. I remember talking with Michelle when Wendy came by and interrupting making a (in my opinion) rude comment about how she was still going on about her last break even after three weeks. Well after the party, I was walking home when Wendy got my attention and asking if she could walk with me. I agree and we talked until we got to the entrance of her place and then we talked for about an hour more. It was good conversation, if not a bit awkward at the time. Wendy asked me on a date and even offered me her number so that I could "help [her] with French homework". Before I left, Wendy asked me if I'd give her a hug. I said that I would stating that I like hugs but that I know that not everyone does. Well, I gave her a hug and she commented that I knew how to really hug unlike other people she knew. Well I left thinking that I had a date with her but nothing would probably come of it, like so many of my dates. How wrong I was! Well we went on a date and Wendy made sure that Michelle knew that she was interested in the redheaded guy (i.e me) and so I never got a date with Michelle but got a second date with Wendy instead. :) And as they say, the rest is history folks!

The moral of my story is make decisions based on correct principles and the Lord will guide your life. At the time, I didn't think I was being guided by His hand but I was. You may not see it. It may be frustrating and aggravating but trust me, He has a plan. Just make sure that you're doing your best to obey correct principles and God will bless you for it. It may not be immediate and it may be years from then, BUT He will bless you. I promise you this. I love the Lord and He has blessed my life beyond my wildest imagination. I hope that y'all have a good week!

P.S. Never write about your fiancée when she's out of the country. You end up spending half your time looking at photos of her and missing her more. 5 more months!

The Blessing of Serving Others

So this week has been less productive then I wanted it to be. I will be honest and say that for most of the week, I've been moping or trying to avoid thinking about the ache. I have got somethings done but not as much as I'd like. It's been a while since I've been in a serious breakup so I had forgotten what I needed to do to properly handle it. This week I have again really felt the love of our Heavenly Father. Earlier this week I started preparing a lesson for Sunday school that I didn't need to and ended up learning something that I really needed to know. For me, it was tender mercy of the Lord.

This week I got to talk to my Bishop because I asked him for advice about something. It was really nice because I got to express my appreciation for him and he got tell me how much he's appreciated what I've done. It was really nice.

So I'm hoping to take a few pictures this week. I'm sorry, I've been slacking in that area too. I will say that I do like collecting inspirational posters and inspirational quotes. The poster above is one of my favorites. I feel like that's definitely been true in my life. Today was a good day. I directed my ward choir and it was really good. My choir didn't really mess up and the Spirit was definitely present after they had sung. That really made me happy because it was an answer to my prayer.

Yesterday I went to a party held by one of my friends. While I was there, I talked to a girl who had recently gone through a hard breakup. I told her that I'd been through a pretty bad breakup myself. She then asked me lots of questions about breakups. It was one of the few times that I will say that I was happy to have all my experience with breakups! I was so glad to be able to help her. This helped me to know that I was where the Lord wanted me to be. After talking to her, I realized that I knew what I needed to do recover my breakup; I just hadn't been doing that. For me this was another clear reminder of the truth which King Benjamin testified of, that as soon as you keep one of the Lord's commandments "he doth immediately bless you." (Mosisah 2:24) I've learned that in my life. I have also learned that in giving service to others that we are blessed.

I hope that y'all have a good week! I hope that you find some ways to serve others this week.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord Are Over All Those

So this week has been interesting. It's been fun but hard at the same time. I've had a lot of homework, work, and other issues. The good news is that I have a date later this week. I'm happy about that I think it'll be really good.

On Saturday I was able to go back to the temple. I haven't been in over three weeks which was waaaay to long. The good news is that even though I had to wait for an hour in the temple, I was able to feel the Spirit and I even felt a pang of grief at having to leave the temple and go home.

Saturday afternoon, I got to see my sister because we both worked the same shift at work and then we decided to have lunch together. I also got to walk home with her on Sunday. It was good to be around family and get to talk again. We've both have been busy and so we haven't see each other a lot.

On Sunday, church was really good. Every single speaker touched on something that I needed to here. Also we had a special music number and a sister performed the most beautiful rendition of "Come Thou Fount" that I have every heard. I will be honest, I cried because the Spirit was that strong.

This week, I was in the middle of writing a missionary when I realized a tender mercy of the Lord. Before my mission, my sister Megan (pictured above) were really close. When I came after my mission, I was more mature and my sister was a young women and no longer the little girl I remember. So needless to say we found that our relation would need to change and we tried making it work with some success. Then my sister applied to and got into BYU-Idaho. Eventually she decided to live in the apartment complex next to mine. Because she lives "next door" we've been blessed to be able to rebuild our relationship to as good, if not better, than it was before. I realized that this was a tender mercy of the Lord. After that I started to see many others in my life.

I ask you, my readers, to look for the tender mercies of the Lord. As I learned in church on Sunday, "the Lord doesn't have a cell phone" but that doesn't mean that He isn't trying to sending us the equivalent of little love texts or tender mercies just as often as we receive texts. I hope that you stop and review you days and look for the tender mercies that our Father in Heaven has given you.