A Whole Lot of Stuff

So much has happened these last two weeks. It has been rather overwhelming, but it's been a fabulous overwhelm. Having been out of work for even just a few months has been stressful not only on me, but on my little family as well. I'm not preferential to meatless spaghetti, so I am feeling so much gratitude, happiness, and satisfaction that soon I will be able to add the sausage back to my spaghetti.

I am actually happy about a lot of things right now, so I think I will just conglomerate them all. I have been writing this post for two days, and it hasn't been coming together how I want. It's been a couple of weeks full of frustrations, yes, but also of some incredible spiritual experiences. I feel I just need to share it all. I will try to keep it as brief as possible to accommodate my thought process.

So back to bunching all my happies today into one post. Happy number one is my brand new job as a receptionist. So incredibly happy that it isn't retail, and I had a strange satisfaction that I was able to turn down two retail job offers on my first day. God is definitely blessing us, and is answering our prayers. I have new opportunities, so much to learn, and I am excited to see what this job will unfold. I am also excited about earning a paycheck again and not feeling like a financial burden. We will soon again be able to pay off some bills easier. Always a blessing. A country song just popped into my head by Chris Janson, "I know everybody says money can't buy happiness, but it can buy me a boat, it can buy me a truck to pull it[...]" Go ahead and sing it. You know you want to. I don't want a boat, nor a truck, but you know what I mean. It buys sausage for spaghetti. I am super excited about this new job. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." CS Lewis

Happiness number two is temples. I love living so close to so many temples within a really short distance. I was really needing some spiritual pampering (kind of like how some women needing a mani/pedi). I was feeling frustrated over everything under the sun. I was stressed and needed peace. The temple gave me exactly that. Some of the feelings and the overall experience I had in the temple that day was truly amazing. I felt at peace. Feelings that I know stem from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My favorite temple. Oquirrh Mountain

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Christ truly is the Prince of Peace. Without Him we would not be able to return to our Heavenly Father's rest (see the book of Hebrews. I just gave a lesson on it). I have felt His peace through the Holy Ghost. My favorite scripture John 14:18 "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Answers to prayers came that day in the temple.

Happiness number three. Being able to directly communicate to our Heavenly Father through prayer. This is such a blessing, and makes me happy. Here is a semi-quick version of why. I am a person who needs to vent. I bottle things up so much, I occasionally need to explode. To whom can I unload my woes? Who is the perfect confidant? Heavenly Father of course! Heavenly Father wants us to come to Him with our troubles, our happies, our whatevers. He wants us to ask for things, to show gratitude for the blessings He deems fit to give us. If it is important to us, it is important to Him. People gossip. They spill the beans, and soon many people that you have never even talked to know about your life. Guess what? Heavenly Father doesn't do that. He won't gossip and spill the beans. He may give someone inspiration to come to your aid if you have need, but He won't betray trust. God always answers prayers. It is up to us to have faith, to be patient for (sometimes answers don't come until years later) listen for, recognize, and accept the answers that we get. Silly example, when I was young, I put my name in a drawing for a huge stuffed lion. I wanted it so bad. I prayed to win. Guess what I didn't win the lion. I was disappointed in God. He did not answer my prayer the way I wanted. I didn't understand. I prayed for it, and I "knew" that God would get it for me. Now years later in retrospect, me not winning was the answer. I did not need the lion. It would have never fit in my room, so what was I to do with it? I probably would have hated it the first day. I know I would hate it now. God knew those things, so His answer was "No." God knows best, and it is His will, His plan. Well, that will and that plan said I did not need that gargantuan stuffed lion, and I survived. Reminds me of another country song by Garth Brooks, "Sometimes God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers." I know you sang it in your head. Don't lie!! LOL.

Happiness number four. Just a funny from taking a word in the scriptures in the wrong sense. Hebrews 11:33-34. It says that faith will save us from alien invasion. War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Signs, those movies got nothing on how to survive alien doomsday. Just saying :). I am sure God has a sense of humor.

So a whole lot of stuff for which to be both grateful and happy: new job, temples, prayer, and safety from aliens. It really was a lot of emotion to handle all at once. I sign off with a quote from President Ezra Taft Benson, "We will never be alone if we live as we should, because our Father will always be with us to bless us. He wants us to be successful. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to achieve the good goals we set. He will do His part if we do our part."