Well, I finally picked up my car last week! Woo hoo! I was able to attend all my karate classes which was fantastic, and managed to make a rag quilt for my friend, Brooks. I am very pleased with the result! Especially, since I had to fit sewing into an already busy schedule.
Monday night, I went to FHE (a.k.a. Family Home Evening) and played kickball inside the cultural hall (gymnasium). I must admit, it was a good time and a very successful activity. Carrie and John are great organizers of kickball!!! :) Tuesdays and Thursdays were karate days, but Thursday was difficult, as I was functioning on very little sleep.
Wednesday was a long, yet highly productive day! Between work, sewing, laundry, and...yup, you guessed it, the midnight-thirty showing of "Star Wars: Episode III." It was a good time, however, the lack of sleep made my Thursday a bit of a challenge. Scott was in my head the whole time, and the next day! He always says, "What you do today, shouldn't affect what you do tomorrow." The meaning, you are in control of your actions, and you shouldn't do things today, that will prevent you from being responsible and keeping comittments tomorrow.
Words to live by, let me tell you! Do you know how many times those words have gone through my head and helped me to make a good decision? Yeah, you bet it keeps me out of trouble! It really helps to see a bigger picture, and work to gain a greater perspective on life and its many situations. It's the small day to day decisions we make that help get us where we need to be.
erika j
22 May 2005
15 May 2005
Still Waiting
Still waiting........all week long my car has been with my mechanic, Mike. I am trying not to be too concerned about how much money it is going to cost to get my car. He ended up doing a lot more work on my car than he had anticipated, and that has got me worried. He said he is being very generous with his time, and promised not to leave me broke, and didn't want to leave me stranded. He is a great guy and I believe him to be an honest person. My concern, however, is that I will be living a life of indentured servitude for quite some time. I don't have any extra money lying around, so I had to ask for an advance for work to be performed. I have done it before and it has worked to everyone's advantage, however, it is difficult for me to be in this position.
One of the more difficult challenges with which I am currently presented with, is the inability to travel at will. I was hoping to be able to go down to Visalia to visit with Mi Abuelita, but since I didn't have my car, nor means to rent a vehicle, I was bound to the vicinity of San Jose. I love San Jose, but my desire to travel and visit with family was also very great.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not complaining, or asking for sympathy. I am simply expressing the emotional aspects of the current challenges ocurring in my life. My life is absolutely blessed one hundred times over, and I have great faith in my Heavenly Father. I worry a little, but with the knowledge and faith that all will be cared for in some way, minimizes my fear. I am human and do err, so I worry.
There has not been a time in my life (within the last six years) that I have worried so extensively for my well-being that I fell into a pit of despair of self-pity or sorrow. My strong conviction in the plan of salvation and of my Heavenly Father's love for me and all of His children, keeps me pushing forward. I once told Rene (a.k.a. NeNe), when she asked me why things always seemed to work out for me, even when we had very little money for food, and my reply was simple:
"I know, that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know, that as long as I am doing my best to live righteously, and to live the commandments, not just on Sunday, but every day, he will bless me. Having faith in God and His son Jesus Christ, and actively living the gospel by doing as Christ would do, and what God wants us to do is a powerful thing. He will bless me and even though we have difficult times, it's what we take away from the experiences that bring forth the greatest lessons in life."
Faith! Blind faith, even, is all it takes. Even when I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I know, I have faith, that there will be an end and that I will get there if I keep pushing forward. My old Bishop used to quote a scripture all the time. It was one of his favorites, it reads:
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
Which means, when you pray and receive an answer and act with faith, by following the promptings of the Spirit, you will be blessed. Whenever you make and keep a covenant with God, He is bound to bless you. It's an amazing, beautiful thing! :) I am so grateful to have a family I love, and good friends in my life that I may not be lonely away from family. Life is an amazing opportunity to learn how to be happy, to educate our minds and souls, to increase our capacity to have compassion and love. I am so blessed to have a wonderful family.
erika j
05 May 2005
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