I didn't blog last week. But there was a reason. I decided to take the social media fast for 7 days. And I kind of decided to just unplug from most things for a week because I recognized that I really needed it. It was eye opening to me how hard it was for me to delete my instagram app on my phone. I have deleted my facebook app multiple times before. And have always felt better after unplugging. But this was my first time giving up Instagram, and my blog, and all of the things that I felt was forcing me to look at my phone constantly. Or that I felt was putting pressure on me in any way.
And I feel renewed. And I feel like a solid bad habit was broken. Yes, I have since reinstalled instagram on my phone. But I feel like I have looked at it a lot less and haven't had that urge to scroll as much. Now of course I'm going to have to keep this in check because it will be *so* easy to fall right back into allowing Instagram to consume my life.
But I guess the main point here is this. We always have these things that consume our lives. And for some reason or another, we just can't seem to break away. And there's all of these reasons in our minds as to why we can't give it up. " But then I won't know when so and so had their baby." or "But then I won't know what happens next in the next season of that really inappropriate show I shouldn't be watching in the first place." or "but this is keeping me connected to my friends." But at what cost? At the cost of melting your brains cells from staring at a screen all day? At missing out on building relationships with the people right in front of you? Of telling your children that your phone/computer is more important to you than they are?
I took an inventory of my life and I realize that I need to unplug way more often. And I need to figure out a system that works. Because there is of course so much good that comes from social media. But it doesn't need to consume my life. And the weirdest part? Is that once I deleted my app- after the first initial day of shock, I didn't even miss all of the things that I was so worried about missing. Because I was filling my time with much more fulfilling things. It's funny how sometimes we think it's going to be so so hard to give something up and we are so afraid to do it. But then once we do, it somehow wasn't that bad. And the benefits far outweighs the downsides. And that lesson can definitely be applied in other areas of life.
Even with having children, for example. It can be really daunting to start a family. Because you are giving up your freedom. You are giving up your spontaneity, your sleep, your free time, your stain free clothing, your ability to give people rides in the back seat of your car without moving huge carseats, your money to spend on yourself freely, your clean toy free home, and so much more. But wow do the benefits outweigh all of that. Right? You gain unconditional love, a little person that loves you even when you just lost your cool with them 30 seconds ago, a little person that thinks you are the coolest person in the world that knows everything about everything, the magic of seeing someone go to the zoo for the first time, that feeling where they are inconsolable and yet you are that person that can calm them down, that feeling of just wanting a break and then as soon as they go to bed, you pull your phone out to look at pictures of them and miss them, the opportunity to watch your spouse become a parent, allowing you to appreciate them in an entirely new way, and so SO much more.
Sacrificing little conveniences in our lives can often lead to the great blessings. I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" a while back. (amazing read if you are looking for one) And the main character at one point says that it is the inconveniences in his life that have ended up bringing him the most joy. And that has really stuck with me. Doing convenient, easy things, doesn't bring you true happiness. Yes it brings you immediate pleasure sometimes, but it doesn't last. Unplugging from that little thing that you are maybe a little too addicted to is maybe the answer to that prayer you keep repeating over and over.
So here it is. What I pondered during my 7 day fast. And I'm glad I did it. And I want to figure out how to unplug more from things that aren't bringing joy into my life. And I want to plug in to things that make me truly happy.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Be One
I was able to watch the "Be One" celebration over the weekend for our church. It was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of allowing all worthy men to be ordained to the priesthood. And it was particularly celebrating the event of black men being able to receive the priesthood. I cannot begin to describe how inspiring this program was!
I am so grateful for how much the African American culture has brought to our church, and watching this program made me realize how much I truly have to learn from their stories. Black American pioneer stories as well as Black African pioneer stories. When I use the word pioneer, I mean new to the gospel, not necessarily people who walked the plains (although there were a few accounts of blacks who walked the plains as well.) It is truly amazing to me how much they have gone through with racism, prejudice and segregation and yet their stories tell of only strength, persistence, and faith in the one true God. The stories of the hardships that were shared during the program gave me renewed strength in facing my own hardships in life.
And wow was that music powerful! I still cannot get over it. (I watched it today actually). And that opening song by the choir brought me to tears immediately and I just cried throughout the rest of the program. Gospel music is so so powerful. Reverent music can bring the spirit as well, but I have to be honest. I feel it much more strongly when people are raising their voices in grand amens, praising the Lord with all that they have. That's what inspires me. And that's what the African American community has brought to our church. And I only hope to see more of it!
I just have to share the lyrics of the opening song they sang, "More than I Can Bear." Because those words were just so so beautiful and touched me so deeply.
I am so grateful for how much the African American culture has brought to our church, and watching this program made me realize how much I truly have to learn from their stories. Black American pioneer stories as well as Black African pioneer stories. When I use the word pioneer, I mean new to the gospel, not necessarily people who walked the plains (although there were a few accounts of blacks who walked the plains as well.) It is truly amazing to me how much they have gone through with racism, prejudice and segregation and yet their stories tell of only strength, persistence, and faith in the one true God. The stories of the hardships that were shared during the program gave me renewed strength in facing my own hardships in life.
And wow was that music powerful! I still cannot get over it. (I watched it today actually). And that opening song by the choir brought me to tears immediately and I just cried throughout the rest of the program. Gospel music is so so powerful. Reverent music can bring the spirit as well, but I have to be honest. I feel it much more strongly when people are raising their voices in grand amens, praising the Lord with all that they have. That's what inspires me. And that's what the African American community has brought to our church. And I only hope to see more of it!
I just have to share the lyrics of the opening song they sang, "More than I Can Bear." Because those words were just so so beautiful and touched me so deeply.
I've gone through the fire
And I've been through the flood
I've been broken into pieces
Seen lightning flashing from above
But through it all, I remember
That he loves me
And he cares
And he'll never put more on me
Than I can Bear
...
His Word said he won't
I Believe It
I received it
I claim it
It's mine
(my deliverance)
It's mine
(My healing)
It's mine
(my joy)
No He'll never put more on me
Than I can Bear
Powerful stuff. Now imagine listening to it with a huge choir of powerful voices, giving it all they've got. Mind. Blown. (Look it up on you tube, seriously). The African American community has gone through so so much in American history and the history of the world. And yet through it all, they have so much strength to offer and they are such an example of faith to me. And they still go through so much. Seeing the meshing of their culture with our church culture was so so cool. And I'm just happy this program was put on and that I got to be a part of it (in the viewing it from my couch sort of way.)
I'm so glad we have opportunities to learn from each other. And that through sharing our differences and our experiences with each other, we can truly work towards becoming one. We can all do better with our own prejudices and to do that we must be willing to learn from one another and "Be One," as the title of the program suggests. I know hearing different experiences of Black members of our church through this program has inspired me in so many ways. I want to be better and to do all that I can to become one with all of my brothers and sisters of the world.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Excuses
A quote that has stuck out to me for a while now is "she realized none of it was real and set herself free." Confession: I have no idea who said this. But it has still resonated with me. When I was in the depths of sorrow because of failing out of BYU, I just couldn't seem to get it together. I couldn't take control of my own life somehow. And I finally decided to read a book my grandma recommended to me called, Excuses Begone. I probably would have been super reluctant to read this book based on the title alone since it seemed really cheesy to me, but I'm really glad that I did.
The premise of the book is basically that we have these problems in our life and then we have a huge list of reasons why we solve them, or excuses if you will. Things like, "my family would think less of me," "I don't have the money," "I don't have the time," etc. And I just realized (over a process of time of course) that when I sat down and looked at reality, there wasn't anything real that was holding me back from succeeding and taking back control of my life. The only thing that was stopping me, was me.
The book is really good because it goes through all of the excuses and basically debunks them and shows you that most of the time, it is really just all in your head of why you can or can't do something. And that if you are truly passionate about something, you find a way to do it no matter what. And that is something that I wanted in my life. I didn't want to be held back. I wanted to face the world, full of passion, and not let anything stop me from doing so.
The main one that I think a lot of us deal with is worrying about what other people are going to think if we make a change in our lives. And this can be anything from a small change to a big change. But why are we letting that stop us? Why are we letting other people control our lives when we should be the one in charge? And most of the time, the people aren't really thinking what we are so afraid they will think.
The other one is being afraid of hard work. I limit myself on so many things in life because "Oh that would just be too hard." But why do we do this to ourselves? Aren't we all capable of doing hard things? We tell ourselves that we can't do things. But guess what? We can! I have learned this over and over and over. I'm faced with a situation where I just don't think I can do it. But then I'm forced to do it anyway and somehow pull through. We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. I never thought I'd be doing a lot of the stuff that I'm doing now, but somehow it has worked out. And I need to remember that as I go into the future. Hard work always pays off. Especially if it's something worth working for.
Becoming self aware and aware of reality is a hard, but important thing to do. It will help you get rid of those excuses in your head. It will help you take control of your life, and most importantly it will set you free!
The premise of the book is basically that we have these problems in our life and then we have a huge list of reasons why we solve them, or excuses if you will. Things like, "my family would think less of me," "I don't have the money," "I don't have the time," etc. And I just realized (over a process of time of course) that when I sat down and looked at reality, there wasn't anything real that was holding me back from succeeding and taking back control of my life. The only thing that was stopping me, was me.
The book is really good because it goes through all of the excuses and basically debunks them and shows you that most of the time, it is really just all in your head of why you can or can't do something. And that if you are truly passionate about something, you find a way to do it no matter what. And that is something that I wanted in my life. I didn't want to be held back. I wanted to face the world, full of passion, and not let anything stop me from doing so.
The main one that I think a lot of us deal with is worrying about what other people are going to think if we make a change in our lives. And this can be anything from a small change to a big change. But why are we letting that stop us? Why are we letting other people control our lives when we should be the one in charge? And most of the time, the people aren't really thinking what we are so afraid they will think.
The other one is being afraid of hard work. I limit myself on so many things in life because "Oh that would just be too hard." But why do we do this to ourselves? Aren't we all capable of doing hard things? We tell ourselves that we can't do things. But guess what? We can! I have learned this over and over and over. I'm faced with a situation where I just don't think I can do it. But then I'm forced to do it anyway and somehow pull through. We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. I never thought I'd be doing a lot of the stuff that I'm doing now, but somehow it has worked out. And I need to remember that as I go into the future. Hard work always pays off. Especially if it's something worth working for.
Becoming self aware and aware of reality is a hard, but important thing to do. It will help you get rid of those excuses in your head. It will help you take control of your life, and most importantly it will set you free!
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Lessons from Rahab
You'll have to excuse my constant blog posts about the Old Testament. As I've said before, I teach gospel doctrine at church every Sunday, so needless to say, it's on my mind. Plus the Old Testament is so rich and full of good, amazing stuff! Going through it this time around has been such an amazing experience. Especially since I have been to so many of the places it talks about in there. Truly amazing.
My lesson today was on the book of Joshua and wow there is a lot of good stuff in there! One particular point, that stuck out to me this time around, is in the story of Rahab. Joshua needed to defeat the city of Jericho, which was walled up, so he sent over two spies to check everything out. They were sought after by the people of Jericho and Rahab, a harlot, helped them by hiding them in her home. In exchange for helping them, she asked that when Jericho was destroyed, the Israelites would save her and her family. The two spies complied and swore an oath to her. Jericho was destroyed and her family was saved.
There's a lot more to the story of Joshua and Jericho, but I particularly wanted to focus on Rahab and what we can learn from her since a) she's a woman in the Bible with a story (those are hard to come by) and b) there's a great lesson to be learned from her.
Rahab was a harlot, and therefore was probably not living the most faithful life. The Lord, however, still saw fit to use her. He took an imperfect person and he used her in his plan for the Israelites to conquer Jericho. She was able to be an instrument in his hands, despite her "life of sin." And the spies could have looked at her and said, "Yeah she's not someone we want to interact with." But they didn't. They accepted her help and were able to conquer Jericho because of it.
So sometimes we may feel inadequate because we are imperfect. We may feel that we are not worthy of being an instrument in the Lord's hands. But that simply isn't true. And Rahab teaches us that. The Lord knows our true potential. He knows that we are imperfect and have flaws. And yet he still needs us. He still wants us to come unto Him and be perfected through Him. And what a blessing right? If he only used perfect people, he wouldn't have anyone to use! Anyone, and I mean anyone can be an instrument in the Lord's hands. If we seek him and submit to His will, we can do all things through Christ.
Rahab was imperfect. Pretty much everyone in the Bible was imperfect (except Christ of course!). I am imperfect and you are imperfect. And sometimes we really mess up. And get to a point where it feels impossible to come back. But it's never too late to come back. And there's no such thing as being too deep in to resurface. The Lord can and will use you, if you just let him. And he can perfect you and make you whole. Through the power of the atonement, we can become stronger and be used by the Lord for good.
Thank goodness for the Lord and his infinite mercy. And thank goodness for Rahab and her story. She plays a seemingly small part in the Old Testament, but yet there are big lessons to learn from her.
My lesson today was on the book of Joshua and wow there is a lot of good stuff in there! One particular point, that stuck out to me this time around, is in the story of Rahab. Joshua needed to defeat the city of Jericho, which was walled up, so he sent over two spies to check everything out. They were sought after by the people of Jericho and Rahab, a harlot, helped them by hiding them in her home. In exchange for helping them, she asked that when Jericho was destroyed, the Israelites would save her and her family. The two spies complied and swore an oath to her. Jericho was destroyed and her family was saved.
There's a lot more to the story of Joshua and Jericho, but I particularly wanted to focus on Rahab and what we can learn from her since a) she's a woman in the Bible with a story (those are hard to come by) and b) there's a great lesson to be learned from her.
Rahab was a harlot, and therefore was probably not living the most faithful life. The Lord, however, still saw fit to use her. He took an imperfect person and he used her in his plan for the Israelites to conquer Jericho. She was able to be an instrument in his hands, despite her "life of sin." And the spies could have looked at her and said, "Yeah she's not someone we want to interact with." But they didn't. They accepted her help and were able to conquer Jericho because of it.
So sometimes we may feel inadequate because we are imperfect. We may feel that we are not worthy of being an instrument in the Lord's hands. But that simply isn't true. And Rahab teaches us that. The Lord knows our true potential. He knows that we are imperfect and have flaws. And yet he still needs us. He still wants us to come unto Him and be perfected through Him. And what a blessing right? If he only used perfect people, he wouldn't have anyone to use! Anyone, and I mean anyone can be an instrument in the Lord's hands. If we seek him and submit to His will, we can do all things through Christ.
Rahab was imperfect. Pretty much everyone in the Bible was imperfect (except Christ of course!). I am imperfect and you are imperfect. And sometimes we really mess up. And get to a point where it feels impossible to come back. But it's never too late to come back. And there's no such thing as being too deep in to resurface. The Lord can and will use you, if you just let him. And he can perfect you and make you whole. Through the power of the atonement, we can become stronger and be used by the Lord for good.
Thank goodness for the Lord and his infinite mercy. And thank goodness for Rahab and her story. She plays a seemingly small part in the Old Testament, but yet there are big lessons to learn from her.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Imperfection
I'm a perfectionist. And I'm sure you can relate. I make a goal, let's say to eat healthy, for a week. And then I do really well for a few days. And then Wednesday comes and opportunities for something delicious like cookies comes my way. So I indulge and then basically say to myself, "welp, I guess the week is shot" and then eat lots of cookies the rest of the week. Flawed thinking, right?
But don't we all do this all of the time? Where we are confronted with failure, hardship, etc and then just give up? Learning to overcome those failures and keep trying is what is going to get us to where we want to be.
Something I always think of watching Flint learn how to walk. He could take a few steps for such a long time. He would take a few steps and then fall over. And once he fell over, he would just crawl to wherever he was trying to get. We kept trying to teach him to no fall back on crawling, but it still took him a few months to get it. The true breakthrough, however, came when he learned to get up. When he learned how to stand back up after falling down. And I realized that I need to do this too. Or else I will never learn to "walk."
There are all of those cheesy quotes out there like "You don't really fail until you give up trying" but dang it, it's true!
So I guess what I'm saying is that I missed writing in my blog last week. And I have been tempted all day to just not write anymore and be done with this. But I'm not going to! I made a goal to write every week this year. And maybe I missed a week by one day, but that's ok. Gotta keep going.
But don't we all do this all of the time? Where we are confronted with failure, hardship, etc and then just give up? Learning to overcome those failures and keep trying is what is going to get us to where we want to be.
Something I always think of watching Flint learn how to walk. He could take a few steps for such a long time. He would take a few steps and then fall over. And once he fell over, he would just crawl to wherever he was trying to get. We kept trying to teach him to no fall back on crawling, but it still took him a few months to get it. The true breakthrough, however, came when he learned to get up. When he learned how to stand back up after falling down. And I realized that I need to do this too. Or else I will never learn to "walk."
There are all of those cheesy quotes out there like "You don't really fail until you give up trying" but dang it, it's true!
So I guess what I'm saying is that I missed writing in my blog last week. And I have been tempted all day to just not write anymore and be done with this. But I'm not going to! I made a goal to write every week this year. And maybe I missed a week by one day, but that's ok. Gotta keep going.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
Be Still My Soul
Life is good. I've just been overwhelmed today with love and gratitude for a Heavenly Father that has blessed me in abundance. It just kind of all hit me at once this weekend. I have an amazing husband with a solid surgeon job (which was his dream) for the next 5 years. A husband that stayed awake for 36 hours straight to install our new dishwasher. And then stayed up again until 1 am last night putting the kitchen back together again while I slept. I have a new home that is slowly but surely coming together that I just absolutely love. Being here just makes me happy. Going out into our peaceful yard and watching Flint jump on the trampoline or play in the sand just makes my day. The weather has finally decided to warm up and I've got the sunburn to prove it. But I'm grateful for that sunburn because I'm grateful for the sun. I have a beautiful baby girl who brings me joy and is loved by her family fiercely. Basically, I really do feel like I have it all.
And it's crazy to think that all of that frustration and anxiety I felt over the last 3 years has just melted away. God really did have it all planned out from the beginning and here I am, experiencing the blessings that he had in store for me all along. His hand was in the minute details of my life. Of my family's life. I know other hard times will come, they always do. But for now, I just want to thank God for everything. The lows, the highs, and the in-betweens. I want to remember what this feels like- which is why I'm writing it down. God has always had my back and He always will.
I remember when I first felt "converted" to God. I was 14, attending my grandmama's funeral. For the first time in my life, I really needed to know if this whole claim that I would see my grandmama again was legit. I prayed like I had never prayed before. During the service, a missionary sang "Be Still My Soul." His voice wasn't spectacular, but the spirit that was brought into that room was undeniable. Those lyrics burned within me. And I knew it was all true. I knew.
I feel like that day was a keystone to my faith. I look back on that day, and rehearse those lyrics in my mind constantly. They bring me peace like nothing else can. And the more time that passes, the more significant that day has become to me. I will forever be grateful for that song. And different lyrics bring me peace at different times in my life. During the last 3 years, the lyrics, "to guide the future as he has the past" have been particularly significant. God has always guided my past. And time and hindsight have allowed me to see that. So I must have faith that he will always, always guide my future. And now that I'm sitting on the other side of the "match day trial," I see once again that that promise has held true.
God is good and he wants to bless us with more than we can fathom. I have learned this lesson so many times and yet it still astonishes me how much the Lord is truly on my side. Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side. With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change, He faithful will remain. Be Still, my soul. They best, thy heavenly friend. Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.
And it's crazy to think that all of that frustration and anxiety I felt over the last 3 years has just melted away. God really did have it all planned out from the beginning and here I am, experiencing the blessings that he had in store for me all along. His hand was in the minute details of my life. Of my family's life. I know other hard times will come, they always do. But for now, I just want to thank God for everything. The lows, the highs, and the in-betweens. I want to remember what this feels like- which is why I'm writing it down. God has always had my back and He always will.
I remember when I first felt "converted" to God. I was 14, attending my grandmama's funeral. For the first time in my life, I really needed to know if this whole claim that I would see my grandmama again was legit. I prayed like I had never prayed before. During the service, a missionary sang "Be Still My Soul." His voice wasn't spectacular, but the spirit that was brought into that room was undeniable. Those lyrics burned within me. And I knew it was all true. I knew.
I feel like that day was a keystone to my faith. I look back on that day, and rehearse those lyrics in my mind constantly. They bring me peace like nothing else can. And the more time that passes, the more significant that day has become to me. I will forever be grateful for that song. And different lyrics bring me peace at different times in my life. During the last 3 years, the lyrics, "to guide the future as he has the past" have been particularly significant. God has always guided my past. And time and hindsight have allowed me to see that. So I must have faith that he will always, always guide my future. And now that I'm sitting on the other side of the "match day trial," I see once again that that promise has held true.
God is good and he wants to bless us with more than we can fathom. I have learned this lesson so many times and yet it still astonishes me how much the Lord is truly on my side. Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side. With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change, He faithful will remain. Be Still, my soul. They best, thy heavenly friend. Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
The Red Couch
I have this red couch. Dark red. We bought it off of a 4th year medical student when we first got married because our brown leather couch had a huge tear right in the middle of it. It was cheap and we needed a couch. I have hated it since the minute we got it. Red just isn't my color.
Well we just bought a new house, and as I've been trying to style it and come up with how I want things decorated, I just became more and more annoyed that we have a red couch. So I started looking into buying other couches. Prettier (way more expensive) couches that would fit into my decor style better. And I only came out even more frustrated because we just simply couldn't afford it. Or I could blow all of our new house money on a couch and then be left with nothing else to spend on other stuff. Sigh. (I know, I know, first world problems...)
And I finally came to a simple decision. A decision that I've made many times before in other aspects of my life and yet once again had forgotten the value of embracing. I needed to embrace the red couch. Embrace it for exactly what it is and stop wishing that it would be different. So I started researching how to style dark red couches, and what do you know! A lot of what I found fit into my design aesthetic. All of the sudden I stopped wishing for a different couch and have even become grateful that our couch is this color because it just fits so perfectly into our living room that I have laid out. Hey, I'm even sitting on this red couch right now. And loving it! :)
And I was just reminded once again of the importance of embracing. I really, truly feel that it is the secret to life. Embrace change as it comes, because you can't escape it. Embrace people as they are, because you can't change them. And embrace the circumstances that you are in, because so many things are often out of our control. It is so easy to get frustrated with well... pretty much anything right? People offend you, they aren't socially aware, they do stupid things, they don't parent their children how you think they should, they are flaky, they disappoint, and the list goes on. But everyone has good in them. Everyone. When you embrace someone for who they are, you are accepting that they have faults and you are giving them the benefit of the doubt. You are trusting that they are trying their best and need forgiveness, just like you do. You are also seeing the good in them and recognize the amazing qualities that God gave to them. You appreciate the positives they add to your life. When you embrace, you honestly live a happier, less frustrating life. Trust me!
I feel like I have been able to truly love where I live because I have embraced Danville, PA for what it is. Of course I have my times where I miss my "big city living," but there are so SO many wonderful things about living in a rural small town in central PA. The people here are amazing, community driven people. The scenery around here is absolutely gorgeous and it is so fun to get out and explore it all. And going to all of the small town festivals and parades has truly been a blast for me and my family. This little town (and surrounding areas) has so much to offer. I am blessed to be here. But I wouldn't feel blessed if I hadn't learned to embrace it all.
I have written about this before, but the best piece of advice I have ever received was when I was in Jerusalem, getting ready to fly home. It was my last day there and I was going home to graduate from BYU the next day and move on into the adult world. I asked my director's wife for her best piece of life advice and she said "unpack your bags." Whenever you face change, and a new place, unpack your bags. It doesn't matter if you are going to be somewhere for a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. Throw yourself into your ward, community, job, etc and act like you are never leaving. Love everyone around you, explore everywhere around you, and embrace the circumstances that face you. That is what will make you happy. And I have to say, I couldn't agree with her more. Especially after all of the changes I have gone through since that last day in Jerusalem.
So embrace that red couch in your life. Seriously- it will change you for the better!
Well we just bought a new house, and as I've been trying to style it and come up with how I want things decorated, I just became more and more annoyed that we have a red couch. So I started looking into buying other couches. Prettier (way more expensive) couches that would fit into my decor style better. And I only came out even more frustrated because we just simply couldn't afford it. Or I could blow all of our new house money on a couch and then be left with nothing else to spend on other stuff. Sigh. (I know, I know, first world problems...)
And I finally came to a simple decision. A decision that I've made many times before in other aspects of my life and yet once again had forgotten the value of embracing. I needed to embrace the red couch. Embrace it for exactly what it is and stop wishing that it would be different. So I started researching how to style dark red couches, and what do you know! A lot of what I found fit into my design aesthetic. All of the sudden I stopped wishing for a different couch and have even become grateful that our couch is this color because it just fits so perfectly into our living room that I have laid out. Hey, I'm even sitting on this red couch right now. And loving it! :)
And I was just reminded once again of the importance of embracing. I really, truly feel that it is the secret to life. Embrace change as it comes, because you can't escape it. Embrace people as they are, because you can't change them. And embrace the circumstances that you are in, because so many things are often out of our control. It is so easy to get frustrated with well... pretty much anything right? People offend you, they aren't socially aware, they do stupid things, they don't parent their children how you think they should, they are flaky, they disappoint, and the list goes on. But everyone has good in them. Everyone. When you embrace someone for who they are, you are accepting that they have faults and you are giving them the benefit of the doubt. You are trusting that they are trying their best and need forgiveness, just like you do. You are also seeing the good in them and recognize the amazing qualities that God gave to them. You appreciate the positives they add to your life. When you embrace, you honestly live a happier, less frustrating life. Trust me!
I feel like I have been able to truly love where I live because I have embraced Danville, PA for what it is. Of course I have my times where I miss my "big city living," but there are so SO many wonderful things about living in a rural small town in central PA. The people here are amazing, community driven people. The scenery around here is absolutely gorgeous and it is so fun to get out and explore it all. And going to all of the small town festivals and parades has truly been a blast for me and my family. This little town (and surrounding areas) has so much to offer. I am blessed to be here. But I wouldn't feel blessed if I hadn't learned to embrace it all.
I have written about this before, but the best piece of advice I have ever received was when I was in Jerusalem, getting ready to fly home. It was my last day there and I was going home to graduate from BYU the next day and move on into the adult world. I asked my director's wife for her best piece of life advice and she said "unpack your bags." Whenever you face change, and a new place, unpack your bags. It doesn't matter if you are going to be somewhere for a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. Throw yourself into your ward, community, job, etc and act like you are never leaving. Love everyone around you, explore everywhere around you, and embrace the circumstances that face you. That is what will make you happy. And I have to say, I couldn't agree with her more. Especially after all of the changes I have gone through since that last day in Jerusalem.
So embrace that red couch in your life. Seriously- it will change you for the better!
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