My Thoughts About The Last Three Months

If you would have told me in January that I would be staying in Rexburg for the summer, there's no way I would have believed you!  At the start of every new semester, I get pretty homesick and it just takes me awhile to get used to being in Rexburg again so for me to voluntarily stay here is a pretty big deal.  At the end of March and the beginning of April, I felt like I really needed to stay in Rexburg.  I was dating someone, and while that wasn't the only reason I stayed, it was the reason I initially started to think about staying.  Well, the last week of the semester, after I had already made all of the arrangements to stay, we broke up.  I started to question my decision to stay, but I still felt VERY strongly that I needed to stay in Rexburg.  I got a job after only looking for one week, I was able to get a contract for the apartment right next door to the apartment I was living in, and I was going to be roommates with two of my best friends.  The day I was leaving Rexburg to go home for the break between winter and spring semester, I found out that my mom had hurt her hand really bad, would have to have surgery, and really wouldn't be able to use her hand for at least a month.  Once again, I questioned my decision to stay in Rexburg.  I'd already paid my rent for the entire semester and I'd just been offered a job that morning.  When I got home, I talked to my parents about what I should do.  They both encouraged me to come back to Rexburg, even though I really felt like they needed me at home to help out on the ranch.  My mom told me several times that there must be some reason that I needed to stay in Rexburg since I'd gotten an apartment and a job with very little effort.  I felt really guilty leaving to come back to Rexburg at the end of the week that I was home.  My mom had her surgery two days before I left to repair the nerves and the tendons that had been cut when a calf kicked her hand along a barb while fence.  The only thing that made me leave was the overwhelming feeling that I needed to be in Rexburg, so I left.  When I look back on the past three months, there aren't any really huge reasons that I can pinpoint as to why I needed to stay here, but there are a lot of really little things.
      First, I have never had a real job working for anyone other than my parents, and while I was just working at a restaurant, It has been one of the biggest learning experiences I've had in my life.  I feel like I'm a fairly responsible person, but I feel like having this job has taught me a newer level of responsibility.  I had to learn to work with people that I really didn't get along with.  And the thing that has been most valuable about having this job is it has given me a different perspective about work in general.  I've had to work all of my life, but I always looked at the things that we had to do on the ranch as a check list that needed to be completed as quickly as possible so that I could do other things.  I've had a lot of time to be by myself to think this summer and my thought process regarding this has changed.  Living on a ranch is really a full time job that doesn't end.  There are always things that need done, and just as I was always looking for things that needed to be done at my job at New York Burrito, I should be doing that when I'm at home.  There are soooo many things that always need to be done that I just never even considered doing.  I'm thankful for all that this job has taught me, even though most days I dreaded going to work.  It has made me appreciate the upbringing that I had.  When I started my job, I never thought I would learn all that I did!
     Second, I had the privilege of being a Relief Society teacher in my ward.  This is my fourth semester with the same calling!  I have learned A LOT because of this opportunity.  I have grown closer to my savior and my understanding of the gospel has increased.  In my patriarchal blessing, I was told that I would be called many times to be a teacher.  I have seen that promise come to pass and I have also seen a bunch of the other promises I received regarding teaching come to pass as well.  It has been an incredible experience and has really strengthened my testimony of the power of Patriarchal Blessings.  I know that they are TRULY from God!
      On a less serious note, I had the incredible opportunity to go to an amazing concert here in Rexburg.  Josh Turner did a concert on campus and my roommate and I went to it.  If you know me, you know that I LOVE country music!  Josh Turner is one of my favorite country artists so to be able to go to his concert was awesome!  I had a blast!

The aftermath of the concert!

       I also got to go to Utah for a week at the end of June to spend time with Clay, Emily and Keith.  I most likely wouldn't have been able to go if I was at home and it was sooo fun to spend so much time with my precious nephew.

         Lastly, I've met some pretty amazing people this semester who have had a lasting influence on my life.  While I did miss the home comings for my cousin and best friend who had both been serving LDS missions, the friendships and relationships I've made this semester made it a little bit easier to miss them.  I truly believe that god puts people in our lives, precisely when and how we need them.  He is intimately involved in the details of our lives and this semester, I have really been able to witness that.

I'm grateful that God knows exactly what we need in our lives and I'm thankful that he guides us to do what we need to do if we will but seek his guidance.  He knows what we can become if we do the things that he would have us do.  He knows exactly what circumstances we need to be placed in in order to grow the most that we can.  This semester has been a huge learning experience for me that I wouldn't trade for anything!