New Year 2012

The best thing you can do for yourself at the start of this New Year is to read this 2009 BYU devotional address by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (my favorite;) titled:

Remember Lot's Wife.  

I have read it at the beginning of every New Year since then and continue to deeply touched by his words.  Too often I find myself "looking back"and longing for something I once had.

My past has been so good and so sweet that I often want what I used to have.

I miss my days dancing at The Dance Club.
I miss the good times I had with great friends.
I miss the ease and giddiness and fun of high school.
I miss the blissful days of not having responsibility.
I miss the time I had to spend every night before bed
reading my scriptures and the strength of youth,
writing in my journal,
and praying.

But, when I look at my present, I see that I have so much.

I am lucky to have such a wonderful husband.
I am so blessed to be near family.
I am grateful to be studying at BYU- an experience I'll never have again.
I have such a wonderful (and profitable, really, for what I do) job.
I get to study child development every day.
I am at the age where I can form wonderful lifelong friendships.
This is the time where I can GROW.

And as I look forward to my future, I find that I have so many greater things to look forward to.

I can't wait to have babies! I find joy and excitement in thinking about all the time that I'll be able to spend with my kids.
I look forward to working as a Child Life Specialist (hopefully) and working with and helping kids in hospitals!
I can't wait for the day I can say I am a cook
I long for the day that I can clean and my apartment won't always be a mess!
I'm excited to not work on weekend nights
I can't wait to know where we'll be going for medical school

But there is another one of my traps. I get caught up in what tomorrow will be like. I LOVE this talk because he captures all my weaknesses.  I need to live in the present and be thankful for what I have. And not longingly wait for the day that it will all be gone.  Cause like one of my favorite songs says,

You're gonna miss this. You're gonna want this back. 

You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.

(trace adkins)

so live it up people!!!

make 2012 a great one!

"To all such of every generation I call out, "Remember Lot's wife." Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ is the "high priest of good things to come."" 

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

ahhh, don't you just love him?!


.... so did you read it? His talk? Because that is a heck of a lot more worth your time than this post was! GO! Read it! Or you'll be sorry...