10 days and COUNTING!!!!

it's coming.....

 and it's coming SOON!!! 

i met with my stake president today and he said that my call will most likely come next wednesday!! that is SOOOO crazy!!! im getting so anxious/nervous/excited/butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. my mom put a map of the world in the family room. i find myself plopping down indian style in front of the map, looking at all of the different countries, finding new places each time i glance over the world. am i going to be eating rice with chopsticks or lots of meat and beans or fresh fish caught in the ocean that morning (that's for you dad, seeing as my life "revolves" around food)?

 people keep asking me where i want to go. i usually say wherever, not giving them any idea of where i want to go. so now, the truth comes out. i would love to go to asia, or somewhere latin america/south america-ish or someplace poor with humble people and circumstances. my chances of getting any of these three is relatively large. yep. i am happy.

 but guess what? it doesn't matter where i want to go. it is where Heavenly Father wants me to go. people have said, in my opinion, the most random places: from Chicago to Guatemala to Mongolia to Maine to France to Nevada to Spain. 

the coolest thing about the whole mission call process is that i will go where i am needed. it is not a luck of the draw deal. i will go where i personally can touch lives, inspire them to come unto Jesus and follow Him, teach them principles that will increase their happiness 100 fold. and whether that be in Wyoming or Germany or Japan, i will know that Heavenly Father wants ME there. so cool.

on a lighter note, my official marathon training starts tomorrow. am i nuts? yes yes, i think this every time i run. how i will ever be able to run 26.2 miles is beyond me. but, i like challenges. i love the idea of completing something that i don't think is possible. i love stretching myself, my brain and ideas of what i can do, pushing myself to the limit. the more i think/plan my runs, the more parallels i find within the gospel. some may think this is bizarre. not at all. what are we all supposed to do? endure to the end. life is not a sprint; rather, it is a day-by-day process. in order for me to run 26.2 miles, i must start with the short runs (3 miles) and master that in order to build up to the anticipated marathon. same goes for the church. specifically entering the temple (this is my focus right now). 

let me share this with you. i used to find it so hard to find time to read the scriptures everyday. i know the stories. i have read the book of mormon at least ten times. so why would it matter if i missed a day? well a day would turn into a week, then several weeks. and i felt something was missing. so i started reading a few verses a day. this turned into a chapter to 3 chapters to at least 30 minutes a day. i found new things each time i read that i did not know before. my days went SOOO much better. i was happier. i was able to recognize promptings from the Holy Ghost. i was better at warding off Satan. i was kinder to my family. i was slower to anger. i was more willing to offer assistance. i went out of my way to find other people to serve. and all of this because i decided to nourish my soul with the book of mormon. it truly is the most powerful life-changing book. 

back to my analogy. in order to be prepared to enter the temple, i must do the little things every day. i need to read my scriptures, pray to Heavenly Father (truly conversing with Him), serve those around me, repent of my wrong-doings and bad thoughts, and go to church every sunday to strengthen my testimony and strengthen those around me. doing these seemingly mundane things have shaped my person, my character, who i am. i didn't realize this at the time, but i am so grateful that i have developed these habits. 

i cannot wait to go to the temple. so many things to look forward to in these next few weeks. and the anticipated post will arrive in 10 short days....where in the WORLD am i gunna go?!?!