Finding Hope: My Story

  1  To every  thing there is  a  a season , and a  b time  to every purpose under the heaven:   2  A  a time  to be born, and a time to  b die ; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up  that which is  planted;   3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;   4  A time to weep, and a time to  a laugh ; a time to  b mourn , and a time to dance; This is Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 .   But this is how it reads in my life.   eh-hem (or hem hem if you are Prof. Umbridge...right? :)  ) 1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven (even when you don't understand it, so quit being a whiner and just ask your Father in Heaven what you can learn from it you ding-dong.) 2. A time to be born, (check!), and a time to die, (not check, although sometimes I feel so sick it feels like I am dying......

Okay, it's been a while.  But today I wax philosophical. Last week I decided to do something very...dumb.  No, don't patronize me.  This was dumb.  I decided that I was going to try to stop taking my stomach medication because I thought that I didn't need it anymore.  I figured that since I had been doing well for such a looong time that I would be great.  Good to go.  Fantabulous. Wrong-o. I remembered what it was like to be that oh-so-innocent missionary version of myself who had to get up and get going every single day even though I felt like gremlins were having a party in my intestines.  No, that is not right.  When I get sick it feels like midget babies have decided to have a dance party and use my abdomen as the dance floor as well as the storage space for all of their party snackage.  Maybe.  Maybe that is a good description for the amount of pain that I was in. Needless to say I began to take my medicine as soon as ...

If you have had a conversation with me lately you will know...the art of studying and I are not getting along.  Our friendship has been on the rocks for a while.  I am thinking a separation is in order...and I will be pursuing this starting mid June. However, until that day comes, I have discovered some clever ways to survive the study boredom   torture  experience that I am having.  They are as follows: Take awkward dance party breaks .  I have decided this summer to perfect the art of awkward dancing.  And so, in order to do this, I simply must practice...especially when studying gets lame tiring. Read something else .  Really...no words to describe how much I love to read things OTHER than my textbook. Eat otter pops .  I may have to join a support group as a result of this one.  So many popsicles have been consumed in the last...oh...week? Go somewhere other than my apartment .  You'd be surprised at how easy it is to n...

You know how everyone and their dog has a "Marriage Board" on Pinterest? I never did. Until yesterday. Here is the tale... I was perfectly happy not pretending a wedding that I have no groom for and that I have no idea when it will occur.  (To be fair, I'm still having a hard time with this.  It's just weird to me, you know?  Alas, I digress)  But I was at work.  On a sleepy Thursday afternoon.  And what are three college age girls to do when all the responsible adults have gone off to meetings and we are left alone in the office?  Google chat with one another of course!  Rebecca and I started talking about what she wanted her wedding to be like one day (no, I do not remember how we got to that point in our conversation, just that we got there...) at which point she kindly asked me what I wanted my wedding to be like. I had no answer. No, seriously.  No answer. She was shocked.  And immediately started planning my wedding. ...

So, today I was pondering.  Okay, no, it was yesterday, I'm giving up the whole pretense that I am deep and insightful in the morning.  Heavens, I can barely stumble from my apartment to work and I have already been up for an HOUR by then.  Morning person I am not. BUT, I digress.  Yesterday I received a package in the mail.  A package, you say?  Who receives unexpected packages these days?  Not I, usually.  My parents live less than an hour away from me, so if they want to give me something, they just give it to me when I go home.  So, I was thrilled when I opened my door and found a package with my name on it.  And a return address from... Burke, Virginia. That's right folks.  My dear, darling mission companion Sister Abigail L. Holt sent me a package full of love!  I was shipped right back to all the times that we spent together opening packages that she had gotten from her family and oh what joy and love came flooding...