Something Nice

I came across this video because someone had posted it on facebook (Yep, my day was made better because of facebook. What have I come to?) and it was actually perfect timing.

This video was a little ray of sunshine when I was having a slightly rough morning. While there is much to love about my new life, I would be lying if I said all the changes have been easy to adjust to. I'm not worried- I think anyone would have a hard time graduating, getting married, and moving all at once. So a big part of my focus right now is just letting myself have a hard time and making adjustments instead of being angry for not being happy every second. Luckily I'm married to the greatest guy in the world, and he's very patient.

I liked this video because it reminded me how grateful I am for Christ, and goodness in general. There is so much good in the world, and there is so much good in my world. Thinking about Christ reminds me of that and helps me to be patient, trust in God, and be at peace. I get stressed out no matter what life hands me- good or bad, and so I'm glad that I can remember Christ in any situation as well.

On a Lighter Note...

I knew my last post would generate a lot of heated opinions. However, I didn't realize how much I wouldn't appreciate fueling the debate, and if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. So, I deleted the facebook link. Turns out almost no one reads my blog if I don't have it on Facebook. :) I left it on my blog, because that's still how I feel, but yeah- no more facebook.

But, on a lighter note, I was making my lunch, and was again, again again again, reminded that Nate and I do not have a microwave. Initially I didn't think it would matter much, and- to be fair- it takes mere minutes longer to use the stovetop or oven- but you would be amazed how hard of a habit it is to kick. I apparently used the microwave several times a day, considering how often I am reminded I don't have one.

A recipe calls for melted or softened butter. Nope, pull out the saucepan. Leftovers for lunch or dinner? Nope- do a quick analysis of what belongs in a pot and what requires a cookie sheet or casserole dish. Thaw some meat? Better get some warm water running.

It's probably better to not have our food zapped and then instantly available. It teaches patience and minimizes the need for instant gratification. However, it is one more thing to add to the list of "Why I'm Grateful I Wasn't a Pioneer"

That is a great list actually.

I'm grateful I wasn't a pioneer because...

-I like being warm
-I don't like being wet
-or cold
-or dirty
-I like to have a variety of foods on hand. Last night was Mexican, tonight will be Thai, and I'm planning Italian for tomorrow. Pioneers ate the same thing every day
-I like to do my hair and makeup
-I prefer to go to church inside a building
-I sleep with a night light
-I love our BeautyRest mattress
-Having carpet and a vacuum is nice
-I may not have a microwave, but I do have an oven. And sink.

First world problems.

The list goes on, but next time you are uncomfortable, just think, "At least I'm not a pioneer."

Strictly Opinion: Women and the Priesthood

In the recent past, there has been much discussion in my church about women receiving what is called the priesthood. For those who don't know, the priesthood is a spiritual gift, power, and/or authority given to men to act in the name of God, usually in the instance of performing ordinances such as baptisms or blessings.

The priesthood is an outward thing- meaning you can never use it to help yourself. The priesthood will always involve an act of service- one person helping another- when it is used. So for some one to seek after this, in my opinion, is contradictory. It is contradictory because wanting something for yourself is inward, not outward, but also because the priesthood is a gift.

For something to be a gift, it means that it is being given by someone who has chosen to bestow it. The distribution is in their power. The priesthood is a gift. God has chosen to give it to men, and I don't remember God being swayed by large groups or protests.

Now, this is not to say there is no gender inequality in the church or that women don't need a stronger voice. I am all about women being equally represented and having equal weight in decisions, and I support change (as long as it's sound with doctrine). Just ask my husband, or really anyone who knows me. However, this inequality/discrimination/oppression is not just found within my church. It is a world problem. Misogyny is a real thing. But- this is my main point. In my experience, misogyny comes from man, not God. And this is the Church of Jesus Christ, not man. 

I have never felt that God loved me less than men, or that He revealed truth to me less often. If we look back to when Christ was on the earth, He was basically a huge liberal giving women credence in a time when they had none. His best friend was Mary Magdalene- she was the first person who knew He'd been resurrected. Christ had 12 (or 11, since Judas had died by then) male apostles in charge of running the church, but Christ went to her first (John 20:11-18). Women may be treated unfairly, but it's not because of anything Christ did. It's because people make mistakes.

Also, women have been given gifts from God as well. Women have made covenants with God as well. And I can't think of a higher form of service than motherhood- giving up your body for 9 months, and then all your time and energy ever after. I wonder if the attention should shift from what we don't have to magnifying and understanding what we do.

So, back to the issue at hand, the women who want the priesthood are planning a protest at a worldwide meeting the church is having. I wish they wouldn't. It's a huge disrespect to a gathering many people revere as sacred. Do it another day, and do it somewhere else. Also, if someone does have issue with not having the priesthood, the person they should go to is God, because He's the one that makes things happen and He's the one who decided who to give the priesthood to back at the beginning of the world. 

I talk a lot. Since I'm home alone, I'll blog a lot.

I like to read those silly articles people post on facebook. You know- the ones that have titles like, "What is ACTUALLY wrong with Miley Cyrus" or "The Best 10 Ways to Wear Pants". It's like dessert for my mind- useless, no real nutritional value, but still enjoyable.

Anyway, today I saw one that was called "5 Relationship Myths" or something like that. They always have numbers. However, unlike most of these mental dessert articles, this one had a little quote I found rather profound-

As a rule, notice how many times the word should enters your thinking process when it comes to your relationship and try to let it go. There are no shoulds or molds that you have to squeeze yourself into; there's only what works for the two of you.*

I love it because I feel like my mind is filled to the brim of "shoulds". Not just in a relationship, but in everything. I think there are so many external expectations for what we wear, listen to, eat, think, handle social situations... the list goes on. It'd be hard to break it, but I'd like it if I could always do things just because I wanted to, and not because I felt like something else was telling me I should. And, I'd like to practice not being disappointed or frustrated when things don't go the way they "should".

***Because I read enough syllabus in college to know that plagiarism is wrong,  here is the article-
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10294/5-damaging-myths-we-believe-about-relationships.html

The Road Less Traveled... At Least By Me

First off, I absolutely love this song by John Legend. I have always appreciated the realness and sincerity of his love songs (haha especially PDA) and this is no exception.

This song talks about how he loves this woman with all of himself, and loves all her as well- whatever mood she's in. I felt it rather fitting as that is definitely Nate- loving me no matter what. And- let's get real- I'm a moody kid.

It got me thinking about why I married Nate in the first place. I married him for many reasons, but one of those reasons was that Nate is different than I am. Our strengths and weaknesses have almost a direct inverse relationship, but I actually wanted that. I dated a lot of guys because we had things in common- because they thought like I did, they liked the music I did, or they agreed with a lot of my opinions. Eventually I decided I already had more than enough personality, and certainly didn't need to be reinforced. And so there is Nate- my other half. He is not my other half in the sense that we are a continuation of each other, but in the sense that we both provide what the other needs- the half that was missing before.

Is it difficult to be different? Yes. But I am so grateful for a husband that excels when I lack, and allows me to show him things as well. So those are my thoughts. Being with someone like Nate was not my normal course, but it has proved to be so much better.

All of the Above... One Month Later

I realized that I posted exactly one month ago- woohoo time for a recap!

Somewhere around the end of July/ beginning of August, I started feeling like my life was going to change come fall. I wasn't sure what it meant- a new job? A new living situation? A new... cross my fingers... relationship? Little did I know it was all of the above. Six months ago, I was single, working at the MTC, ready for another year at BYU, and pretty sure I was destined to be in Utah till at least 2015. Well, we all know I was about to be pleasantly surprised. Graduated, married, my last day at the MTC was yesterday, and we're moving to Seattle. Like tomorrow. Best believe I have thoughts on all of those.

Graduation- I already wrote a post about. I gained a lot from BYU, and I'm ready to put it to use. There will always be a place in my heart for my time here though- the fun, the spontaneous, the difficult classes, the painful times, the friendships, the frustrations of dating, the loneliness, the learning, and basically just the life changing.

Marriage! I am married. It's funny- living with and being with Nate all the time isn't weird. But whenever I say, "I'm married." it's a novelty. It's only been three weeks, though.

The wedding was its own kind of crazy. Anyone who was there knows that the man who married us was a straight up loon. Like- his very own special brand of crazy. During the ceremony, people were shocked as he spoke about everything from spousal abuse to run-ins with chainsaws. Yeah- crazy.
But, at the end of day, Nate and I are still married, before God, our shocked guests, and our special friend Mr. Looney Bin. I guess it really is a testament to the power of God though. I still feel that our marriage is sacred, God is a part of it, and we will be together forever, regardless of whatever weird people do.

The honey moon was awesome, though. We spent a wonderful relaxing week on the Big Island- driving a convertible, eating fresh fruit, enjoying hikes and the beach, and going to National Parks.

The MTC. I had my exit interview yesterday with my boss, and it was hard to believe that my time there had come to an end. I have never had a job so demanding, rewarding, exhausting, and just thorough. My boss and I talked about how much I had changed since I was hired, and I talked about how much refinement I felt I'd experience since working there. In a lot of ways it was like another dose of the mission in that I was so aware of my weaknesses, but was also given the regular opportunity to look outside myself and help someone else. I've taught about 800 missionaries, and now it's someone else's turn.

I will definitely miss the insights and the learning the missionaries experience, and that I experienced too. I will also miss having a spiritually focused job. At the same time though, I could definitely feel that it was time for me to move on. Everything has a time and a season- someone will take my place, and I will go elsewhere.

...Elsewhere meaning SEATTLE!!! When Nate came home and told me he had the job, I started crying because I was so happy. I LOVE Seattle. I loved it when I lived there, I've loved it when I visited, and I'm going to love it as Nate and I begin our lives there. So awesome.

I'm excited for the adventure, and I also think it will be good for Nate and I to start over somewhere together. Utah has a lot of memories for us, but they are mostly of our single lives. So- let's get this marriage thing started. :)

The Best Idea

I should go out running errands, buying last minute things, thinking about my little budget, and trying to make our funky apartment more of a home. But instead I'm going to write a blog, because... I want to. :)

The week before the wedding is stressful, I've decided. I'm not especially surprised by this- life tends to get crazy right before you do anything big to it, especially when other people are involved. Weddings, I have found, tend to illicit a lot of advice and also opinions, and you simply cannot make everyone happy. Oh well- at least I'm only having one!

The good part is this. I've decided it was the best idea ever to meet Nate in the temple because now we can go on temple trips together all the time, and the really fun thing- we can sit in the room where we are going to be sealed whenever we want. In the midst of all the stress, this proved to be one of the best calming, peaceful cures. Last week we were sitting there, all alone in this big, beautiful room, imagining who would be sitting there and talking about how it would go. I felt so happy and so excited, and definitely felt the Spirit confirm to me that marrying him was the best thing I could be doing.

I also felt grateful to be able to sit there together weeks before we got married. What a neat opportunity to be so close to our temple, and to have access to that room where we will be sealed.

Sealing rooms always remind me of a woman I met on my mission- I was showing her pictures of the inside of the temple and explaining that pretty much everything we do there is making some sort of promise with God. When we got to the sealing room, and I explained that the promise we make there allows our families to be together not just in this life, but also in the life to come.

She started crying and said, "You know, I always hoped that it would be that way."

Her saying that always stuck with me because I think I had gotten so used to telling people, "Yeah yeah yeah, temple is really cool, and by the way your family will be together. And now on to the Book of Mormon..." Her hoping made me realize that it is really special, and it is really cool.

And so now, next week, I'm marrying Nate and we don't ever have to worry about losing each other.  While I have questions about a lot of things regarding religion, the temple is so beautiful to me, and I love that we get to make a promise of marriage to each other and God that transcends life itself.

For more info about temples, go here.