Conference

Today I began to realize just how important it is to journal personally. I have so many things I want to write down, but I want to have it on record before I forget, so I decided that I would record it first! I want to write a book that details the first two years of my life in the church! There is so much change and learning going on, that I think it could be helpful to share...and entertaining!!! The day was great! I drove downtown, not so great, but definately made me look forward to wilderness :) I took my first steps to professional scouting! I went to lunch with my dad, shopping with my sister, and bowling with friends! Tomorrow through saturday, I am attending a professional development conference with work friends! I'm really excited to learn more about camp and hang out with friends! Conferences are always fun! and I get to hang out with the Smith family and make home made carmel. I am so blessed!!

My life has so much change, but it has been so exciting! I am looking forward to my patriarichal blessing, and moving, and the many wonderful expeirences that are to come! I know that there will be struggles and I am struggling to learn how to be truly thankful for my struggles in the midst of them. Trials allow me to become more CHrist-like, understand others better, more fully understand the atonement, and learn and grow...I guess what more could you want? Pretty awesome blessings come out of trials...but my life is kind of awesome right now, and I feel those blessings as well! One day I will be able to be fully thankful in the midst of both!

Ooo and I found out that I get to attend a mormon wedding in Idaho over the summer! I'm soooo excited! Congratulations to her! And I am officially starting my Kayaking class! I'm really starting to get excited! And Brittni comes on saturday! My room is not clean:( well it is, but my clean laundry still needs to be hung lolololol

ABC's Of Dating

As promised, these are the dating notes from Sister and Bishop Clements Talk!

Topics:

1. Obstacles to dating---focusing on our weaknesses, lack of confidence, resources, the first date to the temple mentality, feelings of inadequacy, and fears
a. Our fears included: being alone, unrequited love, rejection, not being asked out, that it would work out, that we could grow sick of the person, and the fear of abandonment.

But in 2 Timothy 1:7 it says that " For God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2. Pet peeves---Cold sholder, talking about other people on the date, rebound catches, anything with your phone, clinging, don't feign interest, social skills, territorial, bad mouthing, being late, changing plans, leave at the end of the date, and expecting perfection.

3. Values and compatablity---the two most important things to look for...do you hold a temple reccommend? Do you go to church often? look for people with values similar to your own...But you can be, and often will be, very different people!!!

4. Asking questions: I will post the questions later i'm sure! They are awesome! But you first ask questions of yourself, then your date, and then heavenly father.

5. Inexpensive date ideas---nature walks, museums, geocashing, ice cream, CREATIVE, canoes, games, town activities, cooking, driving, riverwalk, concerts, plays.

Inexpensive dates are wonderful because they can be frequent and casual.

6. How to act A-H by Sister clements

A-Attitude, approachable
B-Body, clean hygeine, body language
C-Cloths, dress for the occassion
D-Date, don't hang out
E-Encouraging, talk and listen
F-Friends, make a date
G=Gospel, talk about it
H-Happy, be happy, be yourself, and have a good time

ABC dating method by Bishop Clements.

You take girl A to a movie, girl B to a concert, and girl C to a sporting event. Now rotate. A to the concer, C to the movie and B to the sporting event. Move them out as they disappoint you until you have a girl you want to take to all kinds of evnets. It is ok to go on dates with multiple people at a time!

7. Graceful Breakups by Leann

a. Prayerful contemplation
b. Place yourself in their shoes
c. Communicate with openess, yet tactfulness
d. Do so with consideration and correct communication
e. Help them understand your reasoning
f. Avoid accusing and express your feelings
g. Give encouragement and what you liked about them
h. Handle with care and respect and they will appreciate it in time

Tips:

a. Be careful of what you tell others
b. Set your friend up with the guy who it doesn't work out with
c. pray for comfort and confirmation
d. see things in an eternal perspective
e. See it as a learnign experience
f. Apply the lessons to improve
g. Strive to find forgiveness

Always try to find something positive in your date!!! And be thinking of who you can set them up with for later!!

Too many people over value what they are not and under value what they are. They accentuate their flaws and forget about their strengths. The adversary's goal is to attack the family and the best way to do that is to prevent it from happening.

8. Next steps:

We were asked to put the principles we learned into practice. All forty of us, who were single...which was almost all of us...were asked to go on a random date arranged by the Bishop. No one refused and it gave him such joy...how could you?

Hope this helps.

Learning

Today I went teaching with the sisters today. Before our appointment, we went tracting yet again and I finally got to feel what it felt like to have people close the door in your face. No one was mean. After a whole block, we walked up to a house and I said to the sisters, this is hard. It was disheartening but they are quite used to it already. So we knocked on the door and a girl opened. She listened and said that she had never heard of the book of mormon but that she would be interested in knowing more. However, she was a nanny and did not live in the area. She lived in woodridge. At that I exploded into excitment and invited her to institute. She took my phone number and as it turns out her dear friend passed away this sunday and the funeral is tomorrow. I pray that she comes. It was helpful for me because in that moment, when i said, this is hard, I'm discouraged...the Lord took over and brightened my spirits yet again!

As we taught with A afterwards, we had many opportunities to share our testimonies and it was great. I officially put the twilight moves on sister brown...and I'm her favorite person! It was a great day. Sister N told me that she knew who I was going to marry the first time she met me...that was interesting. I absolutely adore them!! One of the sisters commented that my optimism and positive attitude about marriage was encouraging to her and that she truly felt the spirit when I told her about my experiences at stake conference. It's interesting that when you join the church, some of the experiences that you have are not really discussed. I love that God teaches me in my peace. Sitting there with that five year old on my lap and the others fighting over me...i heard some thing, remember my things, wrote nothing, and learned everything important!

Tonight was also the relief society meeting. Only a few people showed up but Erica read us The missing piece and the big O by Shel Silverstein. It talks about a missing piece that is consistently trying to find the exact opposite to make it whole. The big O comes along and tells the piece to roll...that its edges will soften. its hard and it takes time, but after a while, Its rolling and it doesn't know where and it doesn't care. We talked about how its important to complete yourself. To be happy and be able to bless another person's life by rolling alongside them. It was a perfect metaphor for relationships. We need to make ourselves whole, happy, and healthy...and the rest will roll into place! Overall, it was a wonderful day! But then again, when the spirit is with you and you are teachign the gospel...can you really go wrong?

OOOOO and my best friend Brittni is coming in on saturday! So everyone say Hi!

My AMAZING Week

So this is my first in my blog series entitled Not-So Molly Mormon, a blog to share the positive musings from my day, as well as break down stereotypes. Last week was Fantastic! I found out that I got a job in Idaho to be a river guide on the salmon river...in the middle of no where Idaho, five hours north of Idaho Falls. It was amazing! I'm terrified but super excited. Twenty-seven male river guides and three girls...its going to be an interesting summer. We sleep in Platform tents and then saturday night, we go camp out on the church lawn! I'm so excited!

Tuesday, I went teaching with the sister missionaries! It was such a good experience. I found so much joy in it! One of the sisters actually made me promise that I would call her brother to help him find a job in the western wilderness. She actually said, "who are you? Here you are in heels and you wrangle wolves and run rivers? You can marry my brother!" We are planning triple ice cream dates with unknown suitors after their mission! So they asked me to go again on thursday to meet an investigator with cancer. And then I went out to my sister's prom fashion show and out to Francesca's! It was a great day!

Wednesday, i went to the temple with 18 missionaries! Jonesy was really the only one I cared about seeing but I had an amazing time. It was the first time I saw temple workers stress! Afterwards, we went to the bookstore, and the mission office, and Cici's Pizza. I realized that I have changed so much since first joining but I still find such joy in missionaries. They asked me so many questions and it was such a fun trip! I really began bonding with McKay. I had one experience in which I felt the spirit leave because of cruelty and I actually commented and was able to correct because of love. I've never really done that before to a missionary.It was a good experience for both of us! Jones was very happy to see me. He missed me :) Barker was unable to come unfortunately but I spoke to his mom yesterday and I will talk to him soon. He goes home a week from thursday!



Thursday, I went teaching with the sisters but both of our appointments cancelled, so we went tracting. I believe that true empathy is only capable but walking in other's shoes. So I wanted to know what it was like to have the door slammed in my face. Well, that didn't happen because both of the two houses we tracted let us in. Gertrude was the first door. She was a nice german lutheran 88 year old lady. The second house belonged to Vincenzo and Josephina...a beautiful italian couple married 51 years. They had us in and fed us home made bread! She said something that day, "when i walk out, I say 'Jesus, you go first'" and that as she passes her crucifix, if she walks past it, she has to go back to pray! Her commitment to her faith was inspiring! I hope the sisters were able to find her a ride to the dentist! She told us how beautiful we were over and over again! Their life was inspiring. She and her husband grew up with 10 and 11 siblings in rural italy. They were never able to go to school. So they cannot read. They are both losing their eyesight but they didn't really read before that! It broke my heart that we couldn't leave the Book of Mormon for them to find the joy I have known...because they couldn't read it! It occurred to me how illiteracy is such a sad thing for so many reasons, this is just one more!

Friday was my day to sleep, work, and do laundry!

Saturday, I went to evening session for stake conference! I left to go to conference at 6pm. I decided to stop at a local gas station and for food near my house...instead of normally on the way. Then I got stuck behind people going 30 mph in a 55mph zone....for 7 miles. When I finally got around them the traffic got worse. There was a three car pile up on the bridge with ambulances and a fire truck. Past that, the road was closed for another accident after the next light. I got diverted and finally found my way back to the right road and there were four more accidents. I got off at some exit but was lost and couldn't find the address for the stake center. At this point it was 7pm...when it started. I called several people but no one answered. Only a former chicago missionary in Utah. He let me complain slightly about how disappointed I was, express gratitude for the protection Heavenly Father had provided me, and stayed on the phone, guiding me to the stake center for 45 minutes! I sat next to a new guy in our area and we talked a bit. President Peterson read a talk that said something to the effect of, "How many accidents have I avoided by the Lord guiding me a different way? how many infectious diseases have I contacted and not contracted? How many blessings have I received without ever knowing it? How many times have I been blessed by the protecting and guiding hand of our Father in heaven?" and It occurred to me just how blessed I had been. Heavenly father had protected me! I would not have made it to the gas station...the road was closed and I probably would have been crossing the bridge at the time of the accident....and i would have been more than lost without my missionary! There was another sister who gave a talk about a positive blog she has been doing for three years! I was truly inspired by her and by using technology to spread the gospel and our testimony! I'm striving to find something in my day worth blogging about, and if I can't find it, I'll create it!
Then I was fortunate enough to see Luke open his mission call! It was such an honor to watch! Playing charades with Eden...I shall be better than him one day...It was such a fun night...and I was able to express my fears about moving to Kyle. Good night!


Sunday was stake conference and I sat with six kids and their parents, 8-Hannah, 7-Hyrum, 5-????, 4-Maddie, 2-???, and 9 months-????...The five year old little boy sat on my lap for the two hours of conference and the 4, 8, and 7 year old drew in my journal and vied for spots to sit next to me. The presence of the baby on my lap put me in a state of utter peace and bliss. It was as if someone put a warm blanket all around me. I felt the spirit and it told me several things. I listened to the talk but heard things not said! And don't remember much else because of my state of complete peace...most who know me, know that is not usually the case! I remember everything!!! I wrote down nothing! Also never the case. After wards, I spoke with Elder Brian McDonell who was joyously happy to see me because it's always good to see people some time later. He was at my baptism, and that joy comes from the opposite...most people who they baptize do not make it their first year in the church. It's just too much. Too much temptation, sadness, trials...the adversary proves too strong. It made me happy to provide that joy, but sad to know where that joy came from. The CES broad cast was awesome and renewed my ferver for missionary work. I realized, that I share my testimony everywhere. My love for the church is amazing...but everyone at work wants to know aobut my church...and they all want to come! Its living by example, letting the holy ghost shine through, and truly...God is sending them to me! I cannot believe how many people at work ask me aobut church.

Today at work, one person asked me aobut church, another asked about the organizational system of church and how she could attend, and two others want to attend institute! It was awesome! My friend came in to cover me and i attended the Family Home Evening with the Bishop and Sister Clements. They Taught us about dating...I'll post that soon...and then at the end, they used my idea...much more effectively than I would have ever been able...and they set us all up on blind dates! I am excited about mine, and it actually led to another date as well! I have a feeling this is going to be amazing!

Tomorrow is sure to be another amazing day! I have work, then teaching with the sister missionaries, shopping with my sister, and finally a wonderful Relief Society meeting...and maybe soccer! Life truly is amazing!