College Life

Tonight I had the privilege of attending a celebration for the 20th anniversary of The Family: A Proclamation to the World that my major, The School of Family Life, hosted. 

It was wonderful. 

The entire program, my body was filled and overflowing with the Spirit. I know--most of you are wondering how in the world I get that from my major, right? I'm so lucky, because I get to study social sciences with the foundation of my major being truths of The Proclamation on the Family. 

As I was sitting, listening, and enjoying the feelings of peace and comfort, I was reminded of a similar feeling almost two years ago as I received an answer that The School of Family Life was supposed to be my major. During one of my classes, we talked about how this major focuses on how to help the family and how it's based on The Family Proclamation. In that class period and tonight, I felt the exact same, undeniable confirmation from the Spirit that this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to study the family to help my own family and to help others strengthen their families. 

While the world is drastically changing the definition of the family, the Proclamation is a constant standard for families to find happiness. During tonight's program, President Worthen (the President of BYU) and a professor shared the apostles' vision for The School of Family Life. Their vision is for us to use our knowledge to not only help strengthen our families, but to share what we can with others in all that we do. 

So--while I'm no expert--I've made a new goal for myself to share things I'm learning and my testimony of the traditional family on social media.

I'm grateful that Heavenly Father sends us confirmations as we follow His will for us. This was definitely a Divine Signature for me today!

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when
founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

4 Simple Steps for Seeing God's Hand This November

This past week, I have learned a lot about seeing God's hand in my life--noticing His Divine Signatures--which is fitting as it is now November, the month of Thanksgiving. 

You know what's amazing? The story of the brother of Jared. His faith was so strong that he literally could not be kept from seeing God's hand. I've never thought about this other than the literal interpretation, but today it clicked in my mind and I realized that we need faith to see His hand. And maybe, if our faith is strong enough, His hand will become unequivocally apparent to us. Can you imagine having so much faith, that you can't be kept from seeing all of the Divine Signatures in your life???

So here are my goals for this month to strengthen my faith and see more clearly God's hand in my life:

1. Pray every morning to notice His hand in my life.
2. When I do notice a Divine Signature throughout my day, stop and say thank you. 
3. At the end of the day, write in my journal the Divine Signatures I noticed.
4. In my  nightly prayers, thank Him again for all of the instances where I noticed His hand in my life, and pray for my faith to be strengthened. 

"And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?"

-Alma 26:2

HNPP

A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog post titled "Why I'm Not Going On a Mission." Within the past week, I've been thinking a lot about what has happened the past two years, and all of the Divine Signatures I've received confirming that I made the right decision for me. It's been amazing. I got married and sealed in the temple to Tay, and only have a year left in my degree in Human Development.

At one point I wanted to go on a mission. It lasted for about a month, until I had a health incidence where the muscles in my arms "gave out" and didn't work well. Good timing, huh?! Test after test, and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. This journey lasted two years, until just last week when I found out I have Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsy.

This HNPP basically means that my nerves can be damaged more easily--so for a healthy person, they might type for 100 hours and end up with carpel tunnel, whereas I might get it typing for 5 hours. I can't lift heavy things, cross my legs, or participate in some sports. But I feel so blessed to know what is going on with my body after a long time of waiting, and to not have something more serious. I also feel blessed to look back and see all that I've learned throughout the process.

I've learned patience and peace. I've been reminded that life isn't perfect, and that we are here to experience hard things which we can learn and grow from. I've learned that it's OK to let others serve you and to ask for help. I've been reminded that everyone is going through something you're unaware of, so you should always be on the lookout to serve, not judge. I've learned that everyone needs a support system. Most importantly, I've been reminded of the comfort from the Atonement, which covers not only our sins, but our pains, sorrows, and afflictions. 

I know God has an plan for each of us--an individual, personalized plan that can lead us home to Him. I'm so grateful He's always there, and always knows exactly how to comfort, guide, and bless me.

My dreams. (Literally)

I remember a few specific dreams I had in my childhood--most of which were scary or weird enough to linger in my mind. Other than those few times, I rarely woke up in the morning and could say "I had a dream last night." But for some reason, starting a month or so ago, the dreaming started up again. Only, they weren't really dreams...more like nightmares. They really started getting on my nerves. Why couldn't I sleep in piece anymore? 

This week, after waking up from a terrible dream, I told my husband how much I hated it. He replied, "Do you pray not to have bad dreams?" So simple, yet I hadn't thought of that. I was taught from birth to pray whenever I needed help. The words from the song "Did You Think To Pray" flooded my mind, and have stayed with me this past week. Every night since (after praying to not have bad dreams) I have been nightmare-free. 

I am grateful for prayer. 

I am grateful for my sweet husband who helps me to be better. 

I am grateful for a patient and loving Heavenly Father who cares about the little things. 

I am grateful for the Divine Signatures that help me to remember Him, and appreciate His love and power.  

Did You Think to Pray?

1. Ere you left your room this morning,
   Did you think to pray?
   In the name of Christ, our Savior,
   Did you sue for loving favor
   As a shield today?
2. Oh, how praying rests the weary!
   Prayer will change the night to day.
   So, when life gets dark and dreary,
   Don't forget to pray.
3. When your heart was filled with anger,
   Did you think to pray?
   Did you plead for grace, my brother,
   That you might forgive another
   Who had crossed your way?
4. When sore trials came upon you,
   Did you think to pray?
   When your soul was full of sorrow,
   Balm of Gilead did you borrow
   At the gates of day?

Trip to Payson

Today I had the opportunity to go to the Payson Temple Open House. It was so beautiful and so fun to admire with my sweet husband. The reminder that we are sealed together for eternity was my Divine Signature today and made me feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings temples bring.  

It's amazing that you can walk through the temple before it is dedicated and still feel such a remarkable Spirit. Temples truly are places of learning, peace, love, and holiness. 

"Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort." 

-President Thomas S. Monson, "The Holy Temple--a Beacon to the World"

Sprinklers

I was walking to the parking lot after classes and thinking about my day, the things on my to-do list, and what I was going to make for dinner, when all of the sudden something caught my attention and made me smile. I looked around, trying to figure out what it was...then I saw the sprinklers. That was it---the sprinklers! They smelled like my childhood. Images flashed in my mind of running through the sprinklers in my yard with siblings and friends, blades of grass stuck to our feet, surrounded by that sweet scent of summer, finishing on our towels warmed by the sun on our driveway. Maybe eating a popsicle or two :)

Funny how even sprinklers can be a Divine Signature, making me grateful for my family, my life, my memories, and moments that matter most. 

It's through the small and simple things that our Heavenly Father shows His love!

I Saw That!

Today I witnessed a random act of kindness. While standing in line in the vending machine/break room waiting to use the microwave before my next class, I heard a bang behind me. When I turned around, I saw a student hitting the vending machine. He was trying to help a professor get his stuck sandwich. But to no avail, the sandwich wouldn't budge! The professor decided to swipe his card again, buying two sandwiches. He handed one to the student helping and said, smiling, "Would you like a sandwich?" This immediately put a smile to my face. The professor took advantage of an opportunity to serve (can you think of a greater act of kindness for a poor, starving college student?!). I stood there thinking, "I saw that!" I wanted the professor to know that his service hadn't gone unnoticed--it never does. Someone is always watching, even if that someone is our Father in Heaven. What a Divine Signature I saw today. 

It made me wonder, have I served today? 

Wedding Pictures

Just because today I feel super grateful. And I may have gotten my beautiful wedding pictures back (PC @ Mikki Platt Photography). So many Divine Signatures that come from the gospel, especially the blessing of eternal families. 

"Marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God...The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Conquerors

Yesterday, my Divine Signature was a talk from April 2011 General Conference titled, "More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loved Us."

Romans 8:37

 "We are more than conquerors through Him that love(s) us."

How can we be more than conquerors, through Christ? 

Because of the Atonement, we can be perfected. We can have hope, peace, comfort, strength, and happiness. Through Christ, we can endure. 

Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges and to develop strength without any struggle. We must be careful that we don't resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature... Not one of the trials and tribulations we face is beyond our limits, because we have access to help from the Lord. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us."

-Elder Paul V. Johnson

PS Married life is the bomb.com 

This is our hipster wanna-be picture. 

PC: Mikki Platt Photography

Love

Let's talk about love. The pure love of Christ. Charity. 

Moroni 7: 47-48

45  And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

46  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47  But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

From one of my all-time favorite talks: 

"[God's love] is a love that transcends all of our mortal experience. It is a love that lifts and builds and strengthens, that calms and comforts us. The only way for us to increase our capacity to love in this way is to feel the love our Father in Heaven and His Son have for us. The more we feel Their love for us, the more we will increase our capacity to share that love with others.

The Savior is our example in everything—not only in what we should do but why we should do it. His life on earth was a life of invitation to us—to raise our sights a little higher, to forget our own problems and reach out to others."

-Elder Osguthorpe, "What If Love Were Our Only Motive?"

For more spiritual enlightenment, check out Elder Holland's, "How Do I Love Thee?" 

Marriage

***Disclaimer*** Sorry for the slightly mushy post--can't help it. 

On December 27th, 2014, I was sealed to the love of my life for all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. 

What bigger Divine Signature can you receive than kneeling at the alter in the temple, staring into the eyes of the one you love, and knowing that you've reached happily ever after? 

And then having it continue day by day, forever? 

I can't help but thank my Father in Heaven daily for this blessing, to be married to my best friend. I feel my Heavenly Father's love for me each day through my husband's love.

Tay and I had our Couple's Story and Wedding Day filmed, check them out!

PC: Mikki Platt Photography (who is THE best)

"The noblest yearning of the human heart is for a marriage that can endure beyond death. Fidelity to a temple marriage does that. It allows families to be together forever."
-Elder Russel M. Nelson

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a man and woman is essential to God's eternal plan."
-The Family: A Proclamation to the World