Week Two

As I continue this new path my emotions vary from one minute to the next. One moment I’m excited for new adventures, relationships, and knowledge.  Then I begin feeling anxious that I’m not prepared, smart, or experienced enough to accomplish my goals. I feel sad that it took a devastating divorce to open my mind to the possibility of returning to school. Of course temptation enters soon thereafter with the whispers that education is overrated, that I don’t need it to advance my career, and that it’s a waste of time and money.  I recognize the source and quickly dismiss the lies.  I pray for peace and as is always the case comfort arrives.  The assurance that with God all things are possible accompanies those feelings of peace and comfort.  Then comes the strength to do what otherwise would be impossible. For all things are possible through Christ. 

Of the many lessons learned through my divorce the most valuable by far is exactly that.  I know peace comes from Christ. Peace is most often the answer to our prayers but unfortunately is also most often overlooked. For Christ taught, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

So it’s with that peace, comfort, assurance and strength all provided through Christ that I press forward on this mortal journey. As I read the stars and stepping-stones lesson I couldn’t help but reflect upon my own journey thus far.  I recognized quickly that God had placed stepping-stones throughout my life that guided me to my current position.  My patriarchal blessing specifically states that I should choose my livelihood wisely, not only to provide for my family, but more importantly that I would have time to serve the Lord.  My current job, which I quit school to fulfill, has given me incredible freedom, flexibility, and time to both serve the Lord and my family. Due to these blessings, for well over the last decade the Lord called me to work with the youth of His church.  Through that service my testimony grew strong, firm and unshakable.  I saw countless youth fulfill missions, get married in the temple and enjoy their own children.  I know they looked to me as an example of faith in Christ.  So when my marriage came to an end I put to practice the very lessons I taught, testified and lived with the youth for so many years.  The Lord had prepared me through stepping-stones to fight through a hardship that claims so many. I knew where to look for peace, where to look for answers, and where to look for strength when it was nowhere else to be found.  


It’s easy to look back and recognize callings from the Lord. I know working with the youth has been one of mine.  I relate well to them. We build trust quickly. I show compassion and understanding that they recognize as genuine so they easily trust me.  It is with that trust that I can lead them to Christ and they follow.  It came as no surprise that my first calling in the ward that I just move into a month ago is to teach Sunday School to the sixteen and seventeen year olds.  I’m honored and blessed to continue sowing such seeds. I will use the gifts given to bless their lives until the Lord calls me another way.  

I also really enjoyed a few quotes from Randy Pausch that I want to retain in this record:

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.

If you’re going to do anything that is pioneering you will get those arrows in the back, and you just have to put up with it.


These resonate with me because they are all about pressing forward in the midst of the storm. Our most valuable lessons are taught through opposition.  "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad." (2 Nephi 2:11) With this perspective in mind and faith in Christ our trials actually become the very stepping-stones that lead to exaltation, which is the ultimate STAR. 

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