My soul delights!

Sometimes, there are certain events in my life that make me feel like this...

 

...one of those events is whenever I get to talk to my very best friend, MamaSteph.  I love when the stars and planets align and we have the opportunity to talk...on the phone....and hear each others voices.  Oh I love her dearly.  I know I'm blessed by my Heavenly Father just because of certain people that he's placed in my life.  She is one of those tender mercies in my life.  I crave our phone calls because for a moment, the many miles between us disappear and it seems like no time at all has come between us.  In a couple months, it'll mark 8 years since we last saw each other, in person.  What I would give just to have an hour in person and laugh like we always do. 

I wish I could put my finger on the one thing that makes her friendship so beautiful and priceless.  She has a heart of gold and I never feel judged by the many things I have told her over the years.  She listens to me ramble and occasionally throw in a joke or two.  I know I am blessed to have her in my life.

If there's anything I could take away from our friendship, it is the hope that I can be a friend to others as she has been to me. 

A new adventure on the horizon!

The day after tomorrow, I start my new job! I'm way stoked!  Two weeks ago, my General Manager said that the CEO wanted him to make some cuts, and sadly, I was one of them.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with them, but knew that it wouldn't go on forever.  Luckily, the next morning I found a job posting on Craigslist (I have such good luck finding the greatest "finds" on there!) sent in my cover letter, along with my resume and heard from them that very afternoon!  I was surprised!! I had an interview that next afternoon, and was told I would maybe hear back from them by next Wednesday.  As I was out shopping with Levi, Monday afternoon, my phone rang and they were asking me back for a second interview!  The next day I showed up and met with the department head......oh man, I was way nervous!!  That was a Tuesday, and I was told that my background check would take about 3-5 days.  However, I received a copy of my background check the next afternoon, so I figured I'd probably hear back from them by Friday....or at least I was hoping to!  Friday came and still nothing.....the next day was Eidde's wedding and I wanted to be able to enjoy the weekend!  I was a lil worried and even expressed my hopelessness to Levi.  As I was cleaning out my closet at my parents', my phone rang and it was the HR from the law firm.  She didn't sound too cheery, so I thought I didn't get it....til I suddenly heard, "We would like to extend the offer of the position...." and I was in like Flynn!  I was so stoked!!  I just had to call Levi to share the good news!  I'm way stoked!  Work will be about 12 minutes away and I even got offered the higher pay!  I'm way stoked to have luxury of medical, vision, & dental benefits again, as well as 401K and PTO/Sick time, after one month!  With all the great things this job has to offer, I'm a lil nervous cause I'm definitely going to need to hit the ground running!  EEEKKK!!! But I can do it! I've got this!
I'm just so happy with all that this job will bring.  I'm so grateful for this awesome blessing!  I'm grateful to a Heavenly Father who is ALWAYS aware of my needs, wants & desires and blesses me accordingly.  I can't help but get choked up in the thought of the specific blessings I receive.  My heart is ever so grateful. ♥

Two days...

Two days of heart warming awesomeness!!  

I went to my ol' YSA ward's "CVYSA Has Talent" FHE, tonight.  Oh man it was nice to see so many dear friends again. It was at a family friend's house, where I had birthday party, last year. I had a great time! I forgot how much FUN FHE is!! So many great laughs and wonderful talents were shared tonight.  Sim and I were called up on the spot and we sang, Country Road by Paula Fuga & Jack Johnson. Man, I was nervous.

 There's so many new CVYSA members, which made me miss some of my ol' YSA friends who weren't there tonight.  A friend happened to be wearing the same cologne that Mr. Red wears, which brought back so many memories and made me miss my friend.  

My sweet friend Tui, who happens to work at the church bookstore, embossed my scriptures for me.  I've been wanting my name on them, and she thought it'd be cute & cool to emboss them like this --->
I love them!! "Ehu Girl" happens to be the name of a cute lil song from a Hawaiian band.  I love my mini-scriptures!  I scored them at the DI for $2.00 and they're practically new.  The funny thing is, the previous owner, Duncan McKenna had a Hawaii phone number because it's written inside the front cover.  Small world.

Anyways, yesterday and tonight have been tender mercies!  I couldn't be more blessed to have such wonderful, heaven sent friends.  

In about 34 hours my wonderful friend, Hermanita, will be home from her mission!! Oh I cannot wait!! I've missed her so!!  

Just the day I needed!

Today was just the Sunday I needed. 

I decided to go to my ol' YSA ward today because I didn't feel like driving 20 miles to church.  Sometimes that gets a little old.  Besides, I just wanted to feel the goodness of having dear friends nearby.  I got to see and hold BabyChleo, who's no longer a baby anymore :( She's so big and sadly, she's kinda forgotten me.  Major bummer! Yet another reason I miss going to CVYSA ward!  
I'm just so glad I was able to come across so many old friends that I love dearly.  They all mean so much to me and just seeing them all, and receiving so many smiles, hugs and warm greetings were tender mercies sent from above.  
The talks in Sacrament meeting were exactly what I needed to hear.  They were uplifting and made me ponder a lot about what I need to change in my life.  From one of the talks, I liked what he had to share...

*You can do whatever you want, as long as:

1. You have a plan.

2. You show your work.

3. You take responsibility.  

It's simple and I LOVE simplicity, but he applied that to all things in life.  Phenomenal! I love it!  I need to start living that way.  
Being amongst the Relief Society sisters was a joy! Oh how I miss serving in Relief Society!  I think I loved serving in that calling just as much as I loved being a missionary. My friend taught the lesson and gave a fantastic analogy for sharing the gospel.  
Afterwards, I hung out with some friends and it was just so good to be amongst friends....people who know me, who just get me and just all around like me.  Man, it was great!  I also received great news about going back to school in September. Oh man, it was out of the blue and I'm stoked for the opportunity!!!  
On the way home, I stopped in to visit with the Buzz family.  They're some of my favorite people and favorite kids!! Oh how I love them so!!  Just being around their kids, I feel GOOD.  Their home is filled with goodness and love.  I love spending time with them! They are truly heaven sent friends, to me and my family.  We sure love them, a lot. 
After my VERY crazy day yesterday, today couldn't have been better.  In the afternoon, I got to spend some alone time down at the Coronado Ferry Landing....so blissfully sweet.  Today was definitely filled with tender mercy moments, and I couldn't be more grateful. 

Just the Sunday I needed!

Today was a pretty splendid day!  I was able to attend church with one of my favorite people. He always makes any situation a thousand times better. I LOVE just talking with him, he’s so intellectually stimulating. I was SO HAPPY at church! I haven’t felt that way since I was attending my YSA ward. I felt real again! I wasn't just going through the motions of church. I actually laughed in church--more than a nice little “church chuckle” to be courteous.  I had a comfortable friend by my side, again. I couldn’t have been more grateful. I just couldn’t go through another Sunday like last week. Today was a million times better!!     God knows how thankful I am for Mr. Red!  I hope to be a better friend to others because of his selfless and giving heart. 

I was blessed to spend time with my sister and the kids. I miss having noise in the house. I miss hearing their voices and all their musical noises. I miss hugging them every time I’d see them around the house. I also got to take a nap on our old comfy couch. I forgot how much I loved that couch. It felt like home again. I’ve tried not to think much about my old house and how much I’ve missed it. In all honesty, I’ve tried to forget it because it hurts too much to think about it. I nodded off while my nephew Sim was saving the world through some Xbox game. When I woke up, I felt like I was back in my old childhood home again. I felt that comfort of home and family once more.

Since Mr. Red picked me up for church and dropped me off at my sister’s, I had my nephew Sim take me home. On the way, we picked up his youngest brother, “Kalanster" [sidenote: on the radio, I heard Christina Perri’s song, A Thousand Years--LOVE this song!! It's my new favorite song!!] I was telling them both about a new and VERY delicious taco stand that was way better than our usual taco shop that we go to. We just happened to be driving down the very street that the taco stand was on, and I asked that we stop. I’m so glad we did and even more excited that they both enjoyed it a lot! But more than that, I had a blast just spending time with them. I seriously think I’m beyond blessed with the AWESOME nephews and niece that I have. The boys were making me laugh soooooooooooooooo much!!! As we walked up, I told Sim to place our order. I don’t know why he did it, but he started to order in Spanish. I was going to dare him to do it, but he totally did it anyways. Which was hilarious to hear anyways!! Oh man, TOO DANG FUNNY!!! And Kalanster, he’s just a funny kid anyways!! It was so hard to eat and laugh at the same time!! Makes me wish Bubba was around. Seriously, I don’t know how I lucked out to be so spoiled with such great nephews!! 
Today was just the type of day that I needed!  I couldn’t be anymore grateful to a loving Heavenly Father that knows exactly what we need and blesses us accordingly. Was today a "tender mercy" type of day? Indeed, it was!  My heart is so full and my cup runneth over.

Tithing.

Tender Mercy #6

Malachi 3: 8-10:

8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Where in have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9. Ye are a cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

For the last couple months, I haven't been exactly faithful in paying my tithing. It's not something I'm proud of or have ever done before. I've been raised by good parents who taught me by example, the lesson of paying tithing. I am eternally grateful for their example. I think I just overlooked paying tithing, saying to myself that I'll pay double next time. I never took care of it 'next time'. I started to feel the blessings slip away and I knew that I desperately needed those blessings....but I also needed the money. I never had to learn to pay tithing the 'hard way', til recently. I knew that paying tithing took faith, but maybe I always just paid it out of obligation. This past Sunday I finally paid one of my "next time" tithes. I was worried because I still had two other big bills to tend to, but I knew this is where I needed to exercise faith.

It paid off this morning....

Normally I never open my paycheck at work, but thought I'd open it up to see how little this paycheck would be (mandatory furlough days at work have cut into work hours---NOT fun). I was SHOCKED when I noticed that my paycheck was LARGER than normal!! Even though I had furlough hours docked from my paycheck, there was a surprise bonus!! (Crazy right?!) I talked to a supervisor about it because I was so confused! He explained the bonus and my heart swelled joy and gratitude. I couldn't hold back the tears as Malachi's words came to mind. My co-workers started to worry that I was crying for something sad or tragic. That couldn't be further from the truth. I reassured them that they were 'happy tears'.

My heart is full of love and gratitude to a gracious Heavenly Father who knew exactly what I needed--both trials and blessings. I think I now fully understand the lesson of tithing. It's one thing to study and witness it from others, but it truly is something spectacular to experience it for yourself. Thank you Heavenly Father.

No 'Plain Janes' here!

Tender Mercy #2

I'd like to thank my friend Jane for this great idea of "Tender Mercies" blogs. They've been such a joy to read and has really made me think about my own 'tender mercies'. So to start of the series of 'Tender Mercies' blogs, I'd like to dedicate the first one to my friend Jane.

I've known her for several years. I've ALWAYS admired her on so many levels. She's brilliant, kind, optimistic, funny, spiritual & sings really well! I've always wondered how she's still on the market when she's quite the catch!

I've looked (and still look) up to her because she was a temple ordinance worker. I never knew how a YSA could be an ordinance worker, I figured they must have to be PERFECT to be in such a position, to live worthy of a temple recommend EVERY day was a lil mind blowing. Really, it blew my mind to know a non-elderly temple worker. Plus she was the Gospel Essentials teacher for our YSA ward. Jane's a phenomenal teacher! Every class she's ever taught makes me want to be a better person--just being around her has the same effect.

After getting my temple recommend renewed last year, I was soon called to be a temple ordinance worker as well as a Gospel Essentials teacher. "ARE YOU KIDDIN' ME?? YOU WANT ME?!?". "Becoming Jane" was soon more than just a film title. I was beyond myself! I couldn't believe it. I looked up to Jane in those positions and couldn't understand how I was to handle those responsibilities. She would help me out whenever I taught, she gave me the feedback I would need to better my teaching skills. Singing with her in ward choir was always a delight. She was positive and uplifting while learning such difficult songs.

I am truly grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with a friend like Jane. Although we no longer attend the same ward or live in the same state, I miss her dearly and still look up to her.

Thank you Jane for living your life in such a way that would inspire others to become better people, for being my friend and a magnificent example to me to follow.