What Happens When Life Gets One Degree Colder?

I was talking to my mom today, and she'd just listened to a devotional in KBYU 89.1 at 11:00, while she was working on some things in her office, and said it was amazing!  I looked it up, and read it, and I have to say, I was so touched!  You can find it here. 

I loved it!  There were so many great points!  There was a quote in there by Joseph Smith, Jr. that stuck out to me for a funny reason. 

"Hope and courage have always characterized the righteous. Ever the optimist, 
Joseph Smith was once quoted as saying:

I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties should surround me, if I was sunk 
in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith and 
keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap.^7"

 

Optimism, hope and courage are all characteristics I try to have, although, I admit I've not been the best at some of these.  There's always room to improve, right?!

 

So, one of the reasons I loved this is because it says Nova Scotia!  My dad loved to say Nova Scotia.  Whenever we'd ask him where we were going, he'd always say Nova Scotia.  So funny!  I don't know why he picked Nova Scotia, but it was a common name in our household.  Someday, I hope to be able to ask him!

 

Really, though, anyone struggling with anything should read that talk!

It's November! October is over! With that being said, I can say that I'm trying really hard to be better, have a better attitude, and to serve more. I received a priesthood blessing a week and a half ago, and am feeling better. I'm so grateful for the blessings that come through prayer, and the priesthood. I'm thankful for the righteous priesthood holders in my life that can give me blessings when I'm in need.

Interested in what priesthood blessings are? Watch this example.

I am very grateful for the many opportunities that I've been given, and the people that I've met. To think of the changes, opportunities, and things I've learned over the last year and a half, I'm amazed!

TMJ stinks! There are two things that cause it to flair. One of them is if I eat something I shouldn't, like toffee (learned that since Halloween) or chew gum. The second is stress. I can't believe how dumb it is! It's amazing for me to see how people affect me, how I LET people affect me.  From someone not treating me the way they usually do or getting hit by a ton of strange comments on event pages or timing of responses to texts, etc...  My face hurts!  I sit here, holding my face, needing my neck rubbed, telling myself that I'm so dumb for letting myself get all tight like that.  So, I know what I need to work on, I just need to know tricks for getting myself out of the stress... haha!

It's almost election day.  I'm glad it's going to be here, and be done (hopefully), because I'm so sick to death of all of the commercials and all of the signs all over the place.  I'm scared for the outcome of the election.  I see people's posts on Facebook, and I get nervous!  I've seen the events of fasting and prayer in behalf of the election.  Events like that, or reading the Book of Mormon in said amount of time, I don't rsvp to, because I think that those things are very personal.  However, seeing the negative comments on such events, makes me sad.  People say that Heavenly Father wouldn't take part in politics, and that praying for such is wrong.  I disagree whole heartedly!  Heavenly Father will answer a prayer to help me find my keys, and that is such a miniscule thing in whole realm of existence, what makes anyone think he won't answer prayers in behalf of a nation.  Reading the Bible or the Book of Mormon, you can see the Lord's hand in ALL civilizations.  He didn't just send us here, to be on our own, although a lot of people think that, he sent us here to learn and grow and overcome trials and temptations.  He sent us with help, and that's for all of us individually and as a whole.

Okay, I'm off my soap box now!  Hope everyone is doing well!

October... So Not my Favorite!!!

Often people are so excited for October. The fresh, crisp air, the cooler temperatures, the changing colors, etc... Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all of that! However, October is full of sadness for me! I try to not to dwell on things, and keep going, because there's nothing else to do, but it's still there. People that haven't lost a loved one won't understand what I'm talking about, but the empty feeling is overwhelming at times. You don't really talk about it to "outsiders," because you don't want to make them uncomfortable, and you don't know how they feel about the subject. Some friends say it's totally fine, but then act kind of nervous when you're talking about it. That's totally fine, and I understand that. One day I got a message from a guy friend of mine that said, "one day you'll have to tell me about your dad..." It was the first time any guy has said anything like that, and only really close friends have ever asked about him. I was so impressed, because my dad is part of who I am, and sometimes I feel that not talking about him is denying his existence. I know it's not, but there are so many parts of me, that are because of him, that I think it will help people know me better. So, that being said, I try to not let it affect me, but it does. I'm the type of person that never wants to hurt anyone, so instead of saying anything, I just hold my feelings inside, until they burst! Well, the same thing happens with this hurt I feel inside. I hold it in, and don't talk about it much. I don't want to make my family hurt, so it's a subject that we are very careful about. We talk about him a lot, but on those actual days, we struggle to. Anyways, so that hurt stays inside, but tends to make me very tense, at times, and sometimes a little more fiesty than normal. I tend to get my feelings hurt more easily. This time around, I cry, I cry easily! So things that aren't such a big deal, and then other things that really are a big deal to me, I just cry. Not the best way to win friends and influence people :S. I'm not going to say that I hurt anybody, because I don't know that I have, but I do know I've made someone(s) mad at me. I'm sorry for that! I was reading Neal L. Anderson's talk "Trial of Your Faith", and see that the challenges for me aren't as big as many that others are going through. It created a self awareness that I needed to see. I love general conference! Let's just say, I'm really glad that October is nearly over! I hope that I'll get back to being my normal, happy self. I hope that I still have friends when it's done :)

Update...

It's been a weird, rough month.  It's been extremely busy, extremely! 
We did get to participate in an amazing show!  We were part of Savior of the World.  I have to admit that the time commitment about killed me.  It kept getting bigger and longer daily.  I had a bad attitude for some of the rehearsals.  However, as the dress rehearsals and performances came, I loved it!  There was the greatest spirit there.  It was such a blessing to be touched by the spirit every time we sang the songs.  It was amazing to see how people in the audience were affected by it.
Grandma Mamie was kicked out of Apple Village, because she has become a two man transfer.  As we were looking for places to move her, we happened in at the new Legacy Village retirement center in Layton.  It was the same distance away as Apple Village.  It would be perfect!  We went in and talked to the director, after we explained the two man transfer thing, he said it sounded like it would work, and he'd send someone out to evaluate her.  This Tiffany, who is the marketing manager, came out and evaluated her.  After talking to Mom and the CNAs, she said there would be no problem.  She called the next day to say that she'd been approved by the directors of the facility.  So, we stopped looking.  Then they had their nurse, Kelly, come out and evaluate her and interview me and the CNAs.  She approved her.  That was on October 21st.  We moved her in on October 25th.  We got her there about 1:00 p.m., and by 7:00 p.m. they were saying "this is just not going to work.  we'll give it a few days, but she'll have to go."  Fan-freakin-tastic!  After Darlene spoke to her attorney, and then brought that up, they said they would give her a 30 day notice, which is the law.  They kept saying, "we're just concerned about what is best for Mamie."  Mom said, "No, you're not.  You were only concerned about having enough people here (they had to have 3 people before the health dept. will come out and evaluate them, before they can open.  Grandma was #2.)  This hasn't been about Mamie, it's been a business deal."  So, that's where we're at.  The one person there, that I actually can stand, but still don't know what part he had to play in this, has been "trying" to help us find somewhere to go.  All of his options were extremely pricey! 
Oh, Mom's car blew up while we were driving in it over UEA.  That was thrilling! 
Anyways, there's an update.  Busy and tramatic and annoying as it is!