Faith in His Timing

"Faith in God includes faith in His timing."

On the 22nd of this beautiful November, Matt and I will have been married for 1 whole year. 

I can't believe how much has happened since then. 

I have so many stories to share from this past year and I wish I had been more on top of recording them, but for now, this is about our most recent miracles. 

We moved to Texas this past April and it was supposed to be a temporary stop before continuing our move to Virginia. However, that didn't happen and we decided to stay here. Problem: we only had summer employment. So, after the summer slipped away, we were hunting for solid jobs that would keep us here in the apartment community we already lived in and in Texas in general. 

                            That is a feat much easier dreamed than done. 

While we wanted to change career formats; Matt has always been great at sales, but he wanted management experience. Unfortunately, we kept getting turned away from training programs for that. We found a phenomenal job in sales though and he was actually excited about the opportunity. Everything seemed perfect about it (other than management training). The interview process was going amazing and everyone loved him and it seemed like a done deal. At this point, we were ready and EXCITED to accept a job offer. 

...But they wouldn't ever finish their own interview process. There were "a few" people they still needed to interview and that was a month ago. {They STILL haven't interviewed those same people.} 

Of course, we started to get stressed. So, just to cover our bases, Matt started applying for other jobs. To make a long story short, a job we weren't even considering turned out to be a better option than we had ever imagined. We found this job after almost a month of waiting to hear back from the sales job. At this point, Matt applied, interviewed, had a second interview, and was extended a {PHENOMENAL} job offer! 

I was so insistent for so long that we NEEDED that other job and we got so frustrated we weren't employed yet. How shortsighted!! We had no idea what was in store and it was far better than we even thought to ask for. 

I cannot express how grateful I am that God is watching out for us. That God knows what we need and how to help us get there. I was so frustrated with the first company for taking so long to give us an offer, I didn't realize it was God's way of keeping us occupied until we could find the path out there that was right for us. 

We had job offers along the way--we almost took a job in Missouri, just to have a job!--it was tempting to take them! Taking that leap of faith was scary. I can't tell you how much I wanted to just grab on to anything during my panic moments. Waiting though...It paid off! 

An FHE in China

"Only one who has fought against these ominous waves is justified in telling us--as well as the sea--to "be still." Only one who has taken the full brunt of such adversity could ever be justified in telling us in such times to "be of good cheer." Such council is not a jaunty pep talk about positive thinking though positive thinking is much needed in the world. No, Christ knows better than all others that the trails of life can be very deep and we are not shallow people if we struggle in them. But even as the Lord avoids sugary rhetoric, he rebukes faithlessness and he deplores pessimism. He expects us to believe."

--Jeffery R. Holland

Faith can move mountains...but don't be         surprised if God hands you a  shovel.       

--Jeffery R. Holland

"Yeah, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yeah behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land for which we will praise his name forever...Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel. Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?...yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light , my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo."

--Alma 26: 12, 16-17, 35-36

Well, these quotes, though separate, are all connected for me. It only makes sense to me, that my loving Father in Heaven, would expect me believe. He would expect me to believe, and seize that shovel to move my mountains. And in doing so, find joy in the work, because I'm on the path He wants me to be on. The path of happiness. The path where I will struggle until my brains fry out but be so much stronger because of it. The path where I can smile through the pain because I know there is always hope for me and for the future. For the people I love and for all those I don't even know. There is hope for us all. Because Christ has saved us from our "awful, sinful, polluted state." Which is a beautiful thing. He has it all under control. And that is why I want to praise Him. That is why I could never say too much of how wonderful my God and Savior are. There aren't enough words in any language to properly convey the miraculous nature and phenomenality of this truth. Even when I make up words like phenomenality it's not enough. It's never enough. He has done too much and I am grateful. I have been reduced to tears of pure gratitude because of his merciful hand. 

So if we cannot say even the smallest part of what we feel toward Him--if we cannot speak too much of His glory--why waste our breath on those words with unkind nature. The words expressed without love, in vengeance, anger, or jealousy. The words that uplift no one and hinder all involved. Would we not be better off to abandon those conversations for ones that would make our Father up above proud of us?  

He Was a Boy, She was a Girl

Can I make it any more obvious? <------ True words from my girl, Avril.

Once upon a time I ended up going to college at BYU. And pretty much, you can fill in the story from there. :)
Just kidding, you totally can't. Ha!
But here some photos that are just...just great. :)

These are definitely not my most attractive photos, but even I can't deny how happy I am in them. 

His smile is my favorite thing.

JUST LOOK AT IT.

He's just so attractive. Goodness. 

Those are my feelings. So have that.

Cry

Tell me what's wrong,
            Tell me why you're broken.
Come here for a moment, 
                       I'll wrap you up in my arms.

So talk. I'll only listen. 
            And should you lose control of that lump in your throat...
Just go on and cry. 
    Let it all out. 
                      Hold on to me tight,
Surrender your pride,
               Go on and cry. 

Pain, 

the hurt is taking over...

So bring on those teardrops, 

And I'll be the shoulder. 

Strength comes only after the storm's gone, 

There's no use in hiding the thunder and lightning.

                 Oh, go on and cry. 
Let it all out. 
                 Hold on to me tight,
      Surrender your pride. 

It's funny how you realize after it's over the one thing you needed was to lose your composure...

hold on real tight, go on and cry. 

Sometimes you just need to cry. And sometimes, you just need someone to let you.

There are times when I don't want advice.

I don't always want to talk about it.

I don't even want someone to tell me it's all going to be okay.

I just need someone to hold me while I cry.

Jacks are Wild

Let the bough break, let it come down crashing.
Let the sun fade out to a dark sky.
Can't say I'd even notice it was absent,
'Cause I could live by the light in your eyes
Unfold before you what I've strung together:
the very first words of a lifelong love letter


Tell the world that we finally got it all right. I choose you. 
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose...you.
I choose you. 

There was a time when I would have believed them if they told me you could not come true-just loves illusion
But then you found me and everything changed
And I believe in something again

My whole heart will be yours forever
This is a beautiful start to lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right: I choose you. (I do)
I will become yours and you will become mine.
I choose you. (I do)

We are not perfect we learn from our mistakes and as long as it takes I will prove my love to you. I am not scared of the elements--I am under prepared, but I am willing...

And even better, I get to be the other half of you.

Tell the world that we finally got it all right. I choose you.
I will become yours and you will become mine.
I choose you. 

Wise men say, "Only fools rush in."

But, I can't help falling in love with you...

Shall I stay?  Would it be a sin?

Oh, but I can't help falling in love with you. 

Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes--some things are meant to be.

So, take my hand.

Take my whole life, too. 

'Cause I can't help falling in love with you. 

Like a river flows so surely to the sea,

Oh, my darling, so it goes--Some things are meant to be. 

So won't you please just take my hand? and take my whole life, too. 

'Cause I can't helping falling in love with you. I can't help falling in love with you. 

You told me to play my cards right, and I'm trying...Jacks are wild. 

This is How I Feel.

Excuse the language...but these are essentially my feelings. So that's fine.

Pathetic Complaints

I have some issues. And I know they're completely ridiculous. But I need them out of my system.

There's this thing called 2nd place. My brother calls it the first loser. I agree with him.

Can I just say...I'm so sick...of coming in 2nd.
It's my place though, apparently. I can't seem to shake it off. But.. that's okay. Because it doesn't matter.
Except, I'm a believer in accepting your feelings and then letting them go. So for five seconds, I'm going to admit once again how much it kills me to feel like I'm ALWAYS one step behind the rest; just barely off the mark...not quite there yet. It makes me sick inside to hear how close I was--but I didn't make it. Better luck next time...here, let me pat you on the back. "A"for effort. I don't want that. I want success. I want to know what real success feels like. And I fear I never will. I'll never make it. I want it so much I could start crying right now. But I won't. I'm stronger than that. I'm only stronger than that because I know my feelings aren't true. They're misconceptions and I am as good as I need to be. There's no real placements in the world. I'm enough. I will always be enough. I just need to stop comparing myself to other people.

"God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Let me add: He is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not. And yet we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others--usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Now, for you musical education...have some Daughter.