You know the theory, if you fall off a bicycle, you just pick yourself up and try again. Well, I am picking myself and trying again.
Last May, I planned this really great trip to Texas to visit family, go to a couple of temples, and attend my friend's wedding. Sadly, that trip was altered when I fell and broke my ankle. While I did get to spend some time with one brother's family, I didn't get back to Houston to visit another brother. I have always REALLY wanted to go to the Houston Temple and that didn't happen either. Now, I did miss my friend's wedding and that isn't something I can try again, but I am going to Houston! Thanks to Southwest having some great deals at the moment, I have made reservations to fly there and get 4 days with my brother and his family.
Can you tell I'm just a little excited! Now, everyone pray that I don't trip coming out of the airport or something. :)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
So apparently you really can't choose your own church calling...
...huh, who woulda thought it?
Story:
I serve in a RS presidency. In my ward, there are 2 relief societies, or rather, there were 2. Due to the increase in sisters attending my ward, the decision was made to make a 3rd RS. So they worked over the boundaries and created a 3rd RS from the middle of the other two, which incidentally contained all the members of my presidency, except me. This past Sunday a new presidency was called for the new RS. Last night, we, all 3 presidencies were invited to attend Bishopric meeting to be able to sort out callings. (We can discuss the soundness of the idea to invite 12 girls to a meeting another time.) :)
So the meeting started and we ended up splitting up to take care of our respective areas. Since the RS that we, my presidency, is serving in will get a new presidency soon, we opted for making very few changes and only making callings to make sure it can function. (the rule with student wards is that someone is usually in their calling for a year and most of the presidency hit their year mark in Sept.) So we went through the list and learned that our RS is pretty much staffed for now, except a pianist (we pretty much had most of the callings from the other 2 RS's after the boundary changes. Nice!) We start pouring over the list to see who could be called as a pianist... sadly, we had no idea who played the piano. Except one. The 1st counselor in our presidency plays the piano. I mention this and the other presidency members' eyes get big because we realize how perfect this is. She mentions that although being able to play, she hasn't really ever been given a calling as pianist. We discuss how it would be fine for her to serve in 2 callings for a couple more weeks (we have it on good authority that we will be released 2 weeks from this coming Sunday) and write the calling down for submission to the bishop.
Then we get the brilliant idea about giving ALL of us presidency members a second calling, so that when we are released we will already have a calling that can prevent us from being called to oh-so avoidable callings, such as: Activities Committee Leader & FHE group leader (which in singles wards, is pretty much the same thing).
Now, a pause in my story.... for those that are concerned..... we didn't REALLY think we could get away with this. It was more the fact that we had finished the seriousness side of what we were doing and decided to have a little fun. :)
Back to last night: So we start discussing what callings would be "perfect" for us. For the president, we decide a librarian is needed (actually there isn't a need for one, but since we were having fun....) for me, well see, you need to understand another situation before I tell you what calling we decided would be good for me.
Story:
I serve in a RS presidency. In my ward, there are 2 relief societies, or rather, there were 2. Due to the increase in sisters attending my ward, the decision was made to make a 3rd RS. So they worked over the boundaries and created a 3rd RS from the middle of the other two, which incidentally contained all the members of my presidency, except me. This past Sunday a new presidency was called for the new RS. Last night, we, all 3 presidencies were invited to attend Bishopric meeting to be able to sort out callings. (We can discuss the soundness of the idea to invite 12 girls to a meeting another time.) :)
So the meeting started and we ended up splitting up to take care of our respective areas. Since the RS that we, my presidency, is serving in will get a new presidency soon, we opted for making very few changes and only making callings to make sure it can function. (the rule with student wards is that someone is usually in their calling for a year and most of the presidency hit their year mark in Sept.) So we went through the list and learned that our RS is pretty much staffed for now, except a pianist (we pretty much had most of the callings from the other 2 RS's after the boundary changes. Nice!) We start pouring over the list to see who could be called as a pianist... sadly, we had no idea who played the piano. Except one. The 1st counselor in our presidency plays the piano. I mention this and the other presidency members' eyes get big because we realize how perfect this is. She mentions that although being able to play, she hasn't really ever been given a calling as pianist. We discuss how it would be fine for her to serve in 2 callings for a couple more weeks (we have it on good authority that we will be released 2 weeks from this coming Sunday) and write the calling down for submission to the bishop.
Then we get the brilliant idea about giving ALL of us presidency members a second calling, so that when we are released we will already have a calling that can prevent us from being called to oh-so avoidable callings, such as: Activities Committee Leader & FHE group leader (which in singles wards, is pretty much the same thing).
Now, a pause in my story.... for those that are concerned..... we didn't REALLY think we could get away with this. It was more the fact that we had finished the seriousness side of what we were doing and decided to have a little fun. :)
Back to last night: So we start discussing what callings would be "perfect" for us. For the president, we decide a librarian is needed (actually there isn't a need for one, but since we were having fun....) for me, well see, you need to understand another situation before I tell you what calling we decided would be good for me.
My ward meets at an Institute of Religion building. We share the building with 2 other wards. We are the biggest ward, by a HUGE margin. The parking at the institute isn't sufficient for the amount of people in my ward let alone the other wards. So members park in the streets surrounding the building. Problem: homeowners are SICK of having their streets lined with cars. Understandable. Anyways, that is the problem our ward is faced with at the moment.
1st counselor offers the calling of "parking lot monitor" for me. We laugh. I explain that I actually like attending classes at church and so that wouldn't work for me, but we decide to go with it anyways, AS LONG as I get to wear an orange vest. As a backup plan (AS IF our plan would be rejected by the bishop!) we decided that I could serve as Assistant Librarian. :)
For the 4th member of our presidency (the 2nd counselor - I'm the secretary) who wasn't actually at the meeting last night, we decide on a calling that would allow her to serve with her boyfriend.
So we wrote down the following:
- 1st Couns - RS Pianist (seriously)
- Pres - Ward Librarian
- Secretary (Me) - Parking Lot Monitor OR Assistant Ward Librarian
- 2nd Couns - ..... Committee member
Done. Oh we were pretty proud of ourselves.
So it comes time to reconvene and submit our names for callings. We allow the other 2 RS's to go first (mostly because we didn't want to disrupt the seriousness of such a meeting....well, until the end). When our turn comes, we explain about not needing very many callings and then say but we do have one for sure need. 1st counselor then says that we need a pianist and then submits her own name. It took a second and then the bishopric/exec sec/clerks all bust up laughing. We laughed too, but said that we really were serious about it. They discussed it and decided it was a good idea. ......Well then, we have a few more callings to submit... :)
The reaction of my calling as parking lot monitor: "Emily, do you carry a concealed weapons permit?" :)
Me: "No, I've never even shot a gun."
Them: "Well then, that one is out!"
LOL.... we laughed through the rest of the callings submitted and they said.... "I don't think so!"
Oh, well, we tried.
Clarification: For those predicting that I get called as RS president....let me tell you that the Bishop said that he has already chosen who will be the next one AND I haven't been called. So there. Also, with all the changes, I am actually in a different RS.....so its no use pretending to be fortune tellers! :)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Long live the Irish!
Tonight I had the joy of being among those I consider my family, my mission family. When you go through hard things with people, it creates a bond. A bond, in my mind, that is as strong as those I experience with the various members of my family.
You see, there are moments in life that significantly alter your course in life. Some moments we control and some we don't, but it is our choice to allow the change to help us grow. Sparing the details that lead me to it, I will just say this, serving a mission in Ireland has significantly altered my course in life. Or at least, how I deal with it.
I believe that I have been blessed with the gift of faith. I've always known, deep within me, that I was of divine birth. I've always known that my Heavenly Father was real and that he knew me, specifically. I was a a good kid and teenager. I loved gospel study and felt that I had a solid testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. But that was nothing compared to what I learned in Ireland as a missionary. The knowledge I had before was merely the surface and was deepened through the struggles I faced as a missionary. There was a very special moment in the mission when everything became clear. All the struggling, all the questions, all of it, made sense. I saw myself through His eyes. I felt true joy. I was really happy, for I finally felt true happiness.
Others noticed the change in me. One of my favorite moments was sitting down in front of my mission president for an interview and having him tell me of the light he saw in my eyes. The joy that radiated from me. That was my favorite interview with him, because he understood what had happened to me and we celebrated it together.
The problem was, I had to go home. I REALLY didn't want to. When one experiences true happiness, who would want that to change? Honestly though, I was tired... exhausted would be a better word. And I really missed my family... and well, I didn't really have a choice in the matter. No matter how hard I tried, and I did try, there wasn't a way to extend my mission. I had to come home. And I'm glad I did. It was time, time to take what I had experienced and apply it in "the real world." But a part of my heart remained in Ireland. A part that will always be there.
Over the years that have passed since then, many friends, especially mission friends have teased me for hanging on to mission memories or habits from the mission. (especially being criticized for dressing like one, but I worked at the MTC! Hello?! I wasn't about to spend a bunch of money to have different wardrobes for work and church). I've been thanked for keeping in contact with various mission friends and praised for having a great memory for the details of the experiences had there.
The last day in Ireland, my mission president counseled us to not forget the things that we had learned. He asked us to place our name tag some place where we would see it often and remind us the things we had learned and that the mission shouldn't be the spiritual highlight of our lives. (I still have my name tag displayed on my wall). He said we should continue to have spiritual experiences throughout the rest of our lives. I have done this and continue to have experiences that have only deepened the knowledge I gained as a missionary. And yet, my heart, or a part of it, still remains in Ireland. And I wouldn't have it any other way. For it reminds me what life is all about. That experience of feeling true joy, that is what helps me to be patient in the Lord's timing. That is what strengthens my faith when the evidence isn't seen. It's what I long for.
So, I will continue to hang on. Moving forward, yes. Not living in the past, but learning to see it through His eyes to move me forward now. Moments of joy can still be had, and they are, for that is the purpose. To be reminded of who we are and where we came from and then to choose to return back to him, gaining wisdom through the experience.
Thank you, dear Father, for allowing me this wonderful opportunity to struggle and succeed. To experience the bitter moments in life and for helping me to not allow them to make me bitter. (It's a challenge to be sure).To be away, so that the longing to return can be felt. Thank you, for getting me to Ireland. I will never be the same.
~ Emily
You see, there are moments in life that significantly alter your course in life. Some moments we control and some we don't, but it is our choice to allow the change to help us grow. Sparing the details that lead me to it, I will just say this, serving a mission in Ireland has significantly altered my course in life. Or at least, how I deal with it.
I believe that I have been blessed with the gift of faith. I've always known, deep within me, that I was of divine birth. I've always known that my Heavenly Father was real and that he knew me, specifically. I was a a good kid and teenager. I loved gospel study and felt that I had a solid testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. But that was nothing compared to what I learned in Ireland as a missionary. The knowledge I had before was merely the surface and was deepened through the struggles I faced as a missionary. There was a very special moment in the mission when everything became clear. All the struggling, all the questions, all of it, made sense. I saw myself through His eyes. I felt true joy. I was really happy, for I finally felt true happiness.
Others noticed the change in me. One of my favorite moments was sitting down in front of my mission president for an interview and having him tell me of the light he saw in my eyes. The joy that radiated from me. That was my favorite interview with him, because he understood what had happened to me and we celebrated it together.
The problem was, I had to go home. I REALLY didn't want to. When one experiences true happiness, who would want that to change? Honestly though, I was tired... exhausted would be a better word. And I really missed my family... and well, I didn't really have a choice in the matter. No matter how hard I tried, and I did try, there wasn't a way to extend my mission. I had to come home. And I'm glad I did. It was time, time to take what I had experienced and apply it in "the real world." But a part of my heart remained in Ireland. A part that will always be there.
Over the years that have passed since then, many friends, especially mission friends have teased me for hanging on to mission memories or habits from the mission. (especially being criticized for dressing like one, but I worked at the MTC! Hello?! I wasn't about to spend a bunch of money to have different wardrobes for work and church). I've been thanked for keeping in contact with various mission friends and praised for having a great memory for the details of the experiences had there.
The last day in Ireland, my mission president counseled us to not forget the things that we had learned. He asked us to place our name tag some place where we would see it often and remind us the things we had learned and that the mission shouldn't be the spiritual highlight of our lives. (I still have my name tag displayed on my wall). He said we should continue to have spiritual experiences throughout the rest of our lives. I have done this and continue to have experiences that have only deepened the knowledge I gained as a missionary. And yet, my heart, or a part of it, still remains in Ireland. And I wouldn't have it any other way. For it reminds me what life is all about. That experience of feeling true joy, that is what helps me to be patient in the Lord's timing. That is what strengthens my faith when the evidence isn't seen. It's what I long for.
So, I will continue to hang on. Moving forward, yes. Not living in the past, but learning to see it through His eyes to move me forward now. Moments of joy can still be had, and they are, for that is the purpose. To be reminded of who we are and where we came from and then to choose to return back to him, gaining wisdom through the experience.
Thank you, dear Father, for allowing me this wonderful opportunity to struggle and succeed. To experience the bitter moments in life and for helping me to not allow them to make me bitter. (It's a challenge to be sure).To be away, so that the longing to return can be felt. Thank you, for getting me to Ireland. I will never be the same.
~ Emily
"I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.
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