Love and Gratitude

 It snows in Utah. A lot. And it is cold.

I miss Arizona. And it's warmth, and its NOT dangerous sidewalks/roads, and its trees that don't dump snow on you.

Today was our last FHE before Thanksgiving, so we did a "thankful" activity.

I made one of these for everyone, and then started the chain with why I was thankful for each of them.  Then they all wrote why they were thankful for eachother and created the chains.  It was a fun activity, and it helped  me to look deeper into some of those "kids" I go to school with! 

 

 

And I have two real quick stories if you choose to continue reading.

 

Story #1 takes place yesterday, Sunday 11/11/12:

 It was cold. And snowy. And I woke up on the wrong side of the bed--I'm not really sure why, but I just wasn't feeling very happy.  So, I went to church, and saved two seats for Hanna and Sarah--but they didn't get my text, so they came in and sat in the back.  Well, everyone else filed in to the building (we meet in an auditorium in the JKB) and I ended up sitting in the 3rd row, basically alone. 5 empty seats on either side of me.  And at first it made me kinda sad, but then it was like. Whatever, I'm a big girl.  So I just paid attention to the talks.  And then after the first 2 talks, we had a congregational hymn (which I may add, are definitely my LEAST favorite things. Ever.) And all of a sudden, this awesome boy in my ward got up from his seat a few rows back, walked in front of the ward, and came and sat down right next to me.  Lemme tell ya--I got really choked up.  Because at that moment I felt Heavenly Father's love overwhelm me, and a feeling of belonging came over me.  At BYU it is SO easy to feel lost, and forgotten, and like no one cares about you because you are away from home, and your family, and everyone is looking out for themselves.  But in that moment I was reminded that I am never alone!

 

Story #2 takes place tonight, Monday 11/12/12:

FHE mom is a hard calling.  It feels like you can't please everyone, and it is a little {okay. a lot} stressful for me, because let's face it, I'm a people pleaser.  Anyway, today as I posted earlier, we did our gratitude chains, and some of the guys felt a little "jipped" on what I wrote on their papers--let me explain.  Writing to girls is easy, and it is okay to say how much you love them and appreciate them because, well, they are girls.  Writing to boys CAN be easy, if you know them well, or if you like them as more than a friend.  Well, these guys in my group are all outstanding and they all make me laugh, and they all have insanely awesome personalities, and they all have really positive attitudes, even when our activities are lame.  They come and make it fun.  And I really love that about all of them.  SO that's what I was thinking when I wrote on most of their papers--but I guess when they read it that it came off as a "cop-out" for having nothing else to say.   When in all reality, it was just the truth!  But I could tell they were a little upset, and that made me feel like I had ruined our whole FHE, and I was just feeling a little down, because I had spent a lot of time trying to make the papers cute--and I am just not crafty, and it was frustrating me, and I have been feeling super homesick, because I only have 8 days til I get to go home, and I just want to be there already!  Anyway, at the end of FHE I was cleaning up, and one of the boys in my group came up and said "Thanks mom for the awesome activity" and then gave me a hug.  He then called everyone over, and we ended up in this huge group hug.  {funny side-note, the quote "Get in tighter! I want her to throw up! It'll show how much we love her!" or something to that effect might have been used} Anyway, none of them would know that that was a nightly occurance at the Bradshaw home, and it again made me feel of the untainted, constant, and overwhelming love of my Heavenly Father.

 

The church is true. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.  They hear our prayers, and they answer them.  They love us with a perfect love that is incomprehensible to us, but I love being able to have little glimpses of it in my life.  I am so thankful for the trials in my life that help me draw closer to my Savior, and I am thankful for the reminders that I am not alone, and that I am loved!

 

Happy November!