The Proposal - My Side

So I have had a lot of people ask me how Nathan proposed, so rather than making a long Facebook post, I figured I would just put it up on my blog. Nathan has also informed me that he would like to share his side of the story, so here is just my side of it. His side of the story will be coming soon! =)

Nathan took me to Julia Davis Park in downtown Boise. They have a beautiful rose garden that we walked through. He knows that roses are my favorite, so we just walked around pointing out our favorite ones.

 As we are walking back through the garden, we come upon a bench and Nathan points out a pair of shoes that were sitting underneath it saying, "Someone left some shoes there." I thought, that's weird. Why would someone do that? Those are cute! And then the realization came, Nathan had put them there, for me. He had me sit down and pulled off my flip flop and slipped on this beautiful slipper and told me, "You would make me the happiest man in the world, if you would be my wife." and then pulled out the most beautiful ring! I of course said yes.

He told me later that he had been searching to find slippers similar to the ones in the movie, Ever After. He knew that is my favorite movie and it just made the whole thing even more perfect.

It was a perfect experience. I am so grateful to Nathan's cousin for being sneaky and capturing this wonderful moment in our lives! I couldn't be happier. I have seriously been on cloud 9 ever since. I am so blessed to have Nathan in my life and I couldn't be more excited to be his wife!

There was a cute older couple standing behind Nathan's cousin and they started clapping when the proposal was done. It was pretty darn cute!

Change Brings the Blessings

The past month has been a complete whirlwind for me. There were moments where I felt that everything around me was crumbling and there were times where I felt so blessed that I could almost burst with joy! The best way to describe my last month is best described in Nephi's words in The Book of Mormon. 

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days." (1Nephi 1:1)

I have learned a lot about this scripture over the past month. I have learned that as we follow our Savior, he gives us blessings. He blesses us when we need those blessings. Often times, he gives us those blessing to help us to get through our trials.

About a month ago, I was laid off of a job that I absolutely loved. I had been with them for just over 2 years and I was being let go. I was hurt, confused, and completely heart broken about it. I didn't understand why it was happening. I had no idea what my future would hold. I didn't know if I would have to eventually move back home with my parents or if I would be able to find a job. It took so long last time I had to find a job and I didn't want to go through all of that again. I had no idea how I was going to get through it all. Well there was only one thing I knew to do. I went to the gym and got my head back on straight. I knew that the Lord had a plan for me. I knew that he had prepared me for this. He had inspired me back in the fall to update my resume and portfolio and to start applying for jobs. I had taken a break from applying for jobs around the holidays, but it was super easy to get back into applying mode. I had everything I needed.

It is amazing to me how the Lord blesses us with peace as we pass through different trials. When I went back to the office to clean out my desk, I was so worried that I would break down again and be super depressed. However, I felt the exact opposite. I didn't feel sad at all. I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted and I was now free to progress in my career and life in general.

Throughout the past month, I have seen blessings pour out to me. I have had interviews and have had experiences that helped raise my confidence in myself. I came to know that I am a good designer and I have a lot to offer. I put in a lot of hard work. My first week, I applied for 50 jobs. I continued to apply for as many jobs as possible each of the following weeks. I know that because of all the hard work I put in and all of my prayers pleading to Heavenly Father to help me find something, it payed off. I was able to accept a wonderful job offer this week with a company that I know is going to help me to grow in ways that I never thought possible. I know that as we do our part, the Lord will do his.

There are so many other blessings I have experienced over the past month that I wont share here because they are personal, but I know that without out those blessings I would have been a complete train wreck through all of this. Those blessings have helped me to find the happy times as I have gone through the hard. I believe that is why Nephi was able to focus on how the Lord blessed him in that verse rather than focusing on all the hard things he had to go through with his brothers. I truly believe that we can find happiness in every single situation. All we have to do is look for it and pray for it.

Climbing Mountains

I have had an experience the past week that has been on my mind a lot, and I feel the need to share it here.

On Wednesday, some guys from my ward invited me to go hike Table Rock here in Boise. I agreed to go. I have been working on becoming more fit, and I thought "hiking a mountain is a good substitute for going to the gym tonight." It definitely was.

We got there and as we were going up the trail, one of the guys I was with mentioned that it was probably an intermediate hike.  I immediately thought "INTERMEDIATE?!?!?! This girl needs a beginner's hike! haha" I wasn't about to show weakness, so I just pushed through the pain. There were definitely points where I wanted to tell the guys to finish the rest of the hike while I stayed where I was and just enjoyed the scenery instead of almost dying. I didn't though. I kept picturing Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels (they are fitness trainers on the Biggest Loser) there yelling at me to not stop and telling me that if I stopped, they would break my legs and beat me with them haha. I knew I just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I knew I just needed to push through the pain.

After making about 20 different stops, I finally made it to the top. The top was so worth the pain! It was absolutely beautiful! They had a cement bench to sit on and enjoy the view.

When we went back down, it was a breeze. Downhill is always better than uphill! Granted, I still had to use a lot of muscle in my calves going downhill, and it still hurt, but it was nothing compared to how hard it was to get uphill.

This experience really taught me a lot of lessons. The first lesson would be that my body is a lot more capable to do hard things than I think it is. All I need to do is push myself! I can do hard things! Doing hard things actually feels good! My body felt good. My legs were jello, but it was a good jello =)

The second and main lesson I want to focus on is that hiking up that mountain is a lot like life. There are going to be ups and downs in our life. We will feel pain. There will be points where we want to quit, but that is when you push yourself harder. Climbing up that mountain is like life because life is an uphill battle. If we choose to quit because it is too hard, we miss out on the view at the top.

I am reminded of something my brother told me before I left on my mission. He told me, "You are going to have good times and bad times. The bad times WILL out number the good. BUT the good times will ALWAYS outweigh the bad." As we focus on the good things in our lives, they have the power to lift us up. They have the power to push us to be the best we can be. We have to focus on the good. Just like on that hike, I had to focus on how good it was going to feel to make it to the top. I had to focus on how good it was going to feel to take in that beautiful scenery that God created. Similarly, in life, if you stick to what is easy, you could miss out on blessings that God created for you. You could miss out on the opportunities to progress. You could miss out on reaching your true potential.

When you feel that you can't do it, say a little prayer, and push yourself. The Atonement has the power to push you. Christ is on our side. You may still feel pain, but that pain will be swallowed up in Christ as we press forward. As we keep walking.

A SPECIAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE!

Ethne Stone

My Granddad: Cyril O. Burt

I don't really post much on here because I'm not that great at writing interesting things. My sisters are the writers, not me. Today, however, I felt the need to share some things that make today special.

Today marks 2 special events. First, it's veteran's day. The great day that we get to really show our thanks to those who fight for our freedom. For me, I always think of my Granddad. He served in WWII. I think he is one of the most patriotic people I have ever known.  The second event is my niece, Ethne's birthday. She would have been 5 years old today. 

Both events are very bittersweet to me. I miss my Granddad and my sweet niece Ethne terribly. However, I've been thinking a lot about the reactions I get when I tell people about Ethne and when I tell people about my Granddad passing away while on my mission. I get the usual "I'm so sorry to hear that." or "That is really sad." etc.... It is sad, but it's not. I want to share with you why.

For those of you who are unaware of the story of how Ethne died, I'm not going to go into details about it. All I will tell you is that it was the biggest trial in my life up to this point. You can go to my brother and sister's blog and read all about it from the beginning here: http://prayersforthefamily.blogspot.com/2012/02/beginning.html. It's a really great blog and they share all their experiences with coping with the challenges that come to them. 

When Ethne and my Granddad died the only thing that could help me through was the gospel. Prayer, scriptures, family, blessings... the whole works went in to it. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he was able to overcome death. Because he overcame death, we can be with our families again.  It was the Atonement that helped me through it.

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." - Alma 7:11-12, The Book of Mormon

I know that I will see my Granddad and Ethne again. I know that through the blessings of the Temple, my family is sealed together for time and all eternity as we do our best to keep the commandments of God. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us individually. I know that the Atonement isn't just there for when we sin, but it is also there for us when we are struggling. He knows what we feel, because he has suffered it just for us, so that we wouldn't have to be alone. 

So, although it's not easy, this is not a day of sadness, but rather, a day of happiness and remembrance. I am grateful to have the gospel in my life, because it is what brings me this happiness. 

If you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like know more about what we believe, go to mormon.org 

My Spiritual Feast – Matthew 13

I have found that it's super easy to fall out of the habit of reading your scriptures. I haven't done it a lot lately and I've needed to get better. Well I started reading again today and it always amazes me how much I get out of reading. I'm always learning something new. It wasn't necessarily that way before my mission. I think the difference is that I'm looking to learn more than I was before. My mind is more open and I am willing to learn. It's amazing how much of a difference that can make.

This morning I read Matthew 13. In this chapter, Jesus teaches in parables. As he is teaching the parable of the sower, he says something that hit me differently than it has in the past and I feel the need to share it with you. Jesus is explaining the different types of ground where the seeds have fallen and comparing them to us. In verse 23 it says, "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth (TG Teachable) the word, and understandeth [and endureth (JST)]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." As I read this and pondered it, I realized that there are three things that must happen for us to have strong enough root to endure the temptations and trials of this world. When we are taught the gospel, to make our testimonies become strong enough to rely on, there are 3 steps we must go through:

1. HEAR - We must be willing to hear. Like I had said earlier, I wasn't getting as much out of the scriptures before my mission because I wasn't as open as I am now. We must be willing to listen and willing to get something out of it. "Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind..." (D&C 64:34)
2. UNDERSTAND - We must search ponder and pray about the subject. We must put forth effort so that we may understand those certain principles. We can just expect to listen to a principle and automatically expect to have a strong testimony of it. It doesn't always work out that way. At the end of The Book of Mormon, Moroni even exhorts us to do this, "I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts....ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true.....And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
3. ENDURE - When I think of enduring, I think of application. We must apply what we have heard and come to understand. I think of Nephi when he said "...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them..." We need to have that. We must say to ourselves, I go, I do, because I know. It is our testimonies that can help us have that. 

As we follow this cycle, I know that our testimonies will run deep. Our testimonies will be strong enough to rely on when those trials come along. We will be able to have the strength and knowledge we need to have that eternal perspective. Nothing will be able to sway us.

In Honor of Ethne

Today marks two years since the passing of a sweet angel, my niece, Mary Ethne Stone. I know to most people this anniversary would be a sad day, but because of the gospel, I know where she is. I know that as I follow the Savior's example, keep my covenants, and endure, I can be with her again. I will always miss her. Elder Shayne M. Bowen said, "The truth is, you will never completely get over it until you are together once again with your departed loved ones... I have learned that the bitter, almost unbearable pain can become sweet as you turn to your Father in Heaven and plead for His comfort that comes through His plan; His Son, Jesus Christ; and His Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost." Rather than make this a sad day, I make it a day of renewal. I make it a day where I start something new to honor her.

I knew that this was coming up for a few days and I've been doing a lot of thinking about ways I can honor her. As I thought of ways I could do this, I began to reminisce about her life and my special experiences with her. I thought about her personality. She has one of the most loving spirits. I thought about how she has shown me love. She gave me the special gift of hearing her say my name for her first time. She would always give hugs and kisses to everyone. She truly has a gift of love. I also thought about the many times she helped me through my mission. I could feel her presence at times comforting me when I missed family. She has shown me love in so many ways, I can't even count them. As I thought about these experiences, the words from the song, "As I Have Loved You" popped into my head. As I have loved you, love one another... By this shall men know ye are my disciples. As I thought of that, I knew exactly what I need to do.

In honor of Ethne's life, I am going to start today to do 100 acts of love in the form of service. I don't know who will be the recipients. It could be one of you, but I know through the help of the spirit, I will be guided to those who need it the most. I felt that this would be the perfect way to honor Ethne. She was always showing her love to everyone around her. I need to be more loving like her. I know that service is the best way to do this. As it says in Mosiah 2:17 "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." What a better way to honor someone you love, than to
serve our Heavenly Father who made the plan that will unite us all together again.

I know that the Plan of Salvation is real. I know that I can be with Ethne again because of what our Savior, Jesus Christ did for us. He truly loves us and wants all of us to return to him. He has given us the way, all we must do is follow him.

"May we understand and live in thanksgiving for the priceless gifts that come to us as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and for the promise of that bright day when we shall all rise triumphant from the grave." - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

The Adjustment

I have been home from my mission exactly one month. It is insane how time flies. I feel like I got home yesterday. I still can't believe that my mission is over. I look through pictures and it seems like it was yesterday I had taken those particular pictures.

Since I've been home, I have been trying to adjust. The adjustment has probably been one of the hardest things ever. I have come to appreciate the mantel I had when I was a missionary so much more, now that I don't have it. I realize now, what kind of protection you have as a missionary. It is hard having that taken away. 

Now that I am home, I have had the task of finding my purpose. When you are a missionary, you have your purpose written in Preach My Gospel for you. You have your task set before you. You have a specific schedule set for you in a little white handbook. Now I'm not saying that missionary work was easy because of this, what I'm saying is I knew what my goal was. Now that I am home, my purpose is similar but not as focused. I have to find the other part of my purpose. I need to figure out where the Lord wants me. It is time for me to figure out what I want to do with my life. It is a whole lot harder than I anticipated.

As of now, my goal is to find a job. I have also been looking into going back to school to get my masters, but I'm not sure what to get it in. There are just so many different decisions to make. For now, I am just taking it one step at a time. That is all I can do. One of my favorite quotes is by President Hinckley. He said: "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." 

I know that whatever crossroad we may come in our lives, the Lord is right along side us helping us. I know that I have felt his help with trying to find my purpose a lot. I know that I will find my purpose. I know that He will not forsake me through this trial. I know that this trail will turn out to be my biggest blessing. It's just like it says in the song "What I Need" from Forgotten Carols, "All I ever wanted, all I ever dreamed of, everything I've hoped, and all the things I prayed for couldn't hold a candle to what I've been given. I've been given what I need." I know that whatever happens, it will be what I need, not necessarily what I want. I am grateful for this!