Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013

2013 has been so good to us.

But a little back story before I go into 2013, May 2012 we finally got into TVA while Joshua was attending BYU-H. We were planning on being there about a year until he finished his Bachelors. Surprise, surprise, Joshua decided in August that he was going to change his major and graduate in December 2012, 6 months sooner than we were expecting. So what was next?

Looking at the various Master's programs, he tried to find everything possible for us to stay in Hawaii. There really was no option. But nothing felt right. Nothing fit. Then when he finally considered moving back to Utah... *ding*ding*ding*! We have a winner! So in October 2012, we decided we would be moving back to Utah after Joshua graduated in December.

We seriously had no idea what we were doing. There was no school, no job, no big opportunity waiting for us that helped us made our decision. We just knew we needed to come back to Utah. 2 days after graduation we were on our way to California to spend some family time at Disneyland. And 2 days later, we were on our way home. When we finally got to Utah, that's when we really had to ask ourselves: WHAT NOW?

We moved on the simple impression that Utah was where we needed to be. Things just started falling into place and blessing after blessing after blessing came our way. Within the next month Joshua found a job. We got to be here to spend time with Joshua's uncle, his dads only living sibling, before he passed away in February. Don't get me wrong, we had our trials. I got into a crazy accident in March. That was a struggle for me, and was when the snow came. (I crossed the freeway, hit the barrier and rolled because of ice/snow.) We joined ROC and got to go with them to California. I started school and will be finishing this summer. We moved into a beautiful home with amazing neighbors and ward. We've had our needs taken care of and half the year I have felt like I seriously had no idea what was going on.

In Elder Bednar's Patterns of Light video series of receiving revelation and light, he talks about just having a little bit of the path illuminated. More wouldn't be illuminated until we walked a few steps into the cloudiness. That is the lesson we have learned in 2012. We felt something was right and we talked about it as a couple and made our decision. We had no idea what it was going to lead to, what we were getting ourselves into, but we felt it was right and we did it. Each time we have, we have been blessed in ways I never thought possible.

But we were tried. Things were done not without great faith, stress and a series of "are you sure this is what you feel, that this is right?????" We struggled a lot. But we struggled together and we kept our faith. We did our best in keeping the commandments and did all that we could before we turned to the Lord. I struggle with asking. Not just the Lord, but my parents, friends, even my husband. I've learned that it's ok to ask. I haven't been selfish in asking for things that I need, but I have been prideful in not asking when I know I should. The Lord is so generous and giving and we seriously just need to ask.

I am so excited for 2014. Our trials have changed over the past 5 years of our marriage. Changed in a good way. And they are continuing to change as our weaknesses become strengths and as we find our talents and gifts and work on them. I know that 2014 will not be without trials. But as I've learned, "for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6) I pray that we will continue to walk forward as the Lord continues to illuminate our path. Happy New Year!

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