Off My Rocker...

So I got my calling today. Ward Choir Director. And Assistant Humanitarian Service Leader in Relief Society. But this post totally has to do with the choir. I went to the stake training this evening. While there, Sisters Webster and Mendenhall introduced the song that the stake choir is going to sing in Stake Conference in like 3 weeks. It's a beautiful arrangement of "I Believe in Christ." We sang through it, and it's pretty easy. I was totally ready to participate in the choir. My arm, however, obviously thinks that I'm more ready than I really am. You see, after we sang it, Sister Webster asked the girl who sight-read the accompaniment if she could play the organ. She can't. So Sister Webster turned to the rest of us and asked if there was anyone who would be willing to play the organ. My hand shot into the air. Me? WHY??? I haven't TOUCHED an organ since the Christmas Zone Conference...9 months ago. And playing anything with the foot pedals? YEARS! I can handle the first 8 pages (on the piano anyway, without the foot pedals) no problem. Then 2 extra sharps and lots of notes are thrown into the mix. That's where it starts getting complicated. BUT. I'm going to practice...and practice and practice and practice and practice and practice some more...and I'm going to get this down! I'll get blessings for helping out. And it will do me good to get back on the piano again. You see...I say that I can't really play the piano anymore, outside of hymns anyway. But I sat down and sight-read the song, and, while it wasn't perfect, for sight-reading a song that difficult I didn't do half bad. Obviously, I proved myself wrong...but I still have a long way to go. The organ isn't exactly the piano...and I have to use the foot pedals with this song. Yeah...haven't touched those since, oh, HIGH SCHOOL. Oh well. I'm going to grin and go forth with faith and conquer. And let the entire Rexburg YSA 7th Stake know that I play the organ...something that not even my roommates knew about me until, oh, 5 hours ago? Let's just say that this is one of those talents that I have kind of kept hidden under a bushel...But not for long. Wish me luck!

Missing it...

I don't know why it hit me all of a sudden tonight. But as I was sitting in the General Relief Society Meeting tonight, I all of a sudden missed the mission a ton. We sang "Hark, All Ye Nations," and I started crying as I was taken back to the best 18 months of my life. I thought about the experiences I had sharing the message of the Gospel. I thought about the companions I had, and how much I love each one of them. I thought about Sisters Jardine and Batchkoff, both of whom I trained and are now serving together, and how they would be getting transfer calls tonight...the last time for Jardine before she comes home. My heart ached for the mission and to be able to have that Spirit with me all the time again. Like I said, I don't know why I missed it today, but I did. I am really enjoying where I am right now in my life, but if I could I would go back in a heartbeat.

Third Grade

When I got home from my mission (8 months ago yesterday), I never thought I'd get to this point. I never thought that I'd finally be able to leave college and go to THIRD GRADE! Yahoo! Okay...so I knew that I'd eventually leave college, but I don't think I realized that it would hit this soon. And okay...so it's not even that soon. I feel like I've been home forever!

Anyway, today was the first day of my Senior Practicum...in other words, the LAST step I have to take before student teaching. I was scared out of my mind, but after experiencing my first day, I realize that it's going to be pretty chill. I'm in a third grade class of 24 students. I don't remember many of their names, but I already love them! They are all so sweet! And Mrs. Ashmore (my cooperating teacher) is bomb!

I was able to start teaching today. Just a mini-lesson on multiplication by 10, but I did it off-the-cuff. That was pretty cool. Thursday I get to teach a lesson with some sort of activity about Photosynthesis. Thanks to Google, I don't think that will be too hard either. I'm so excited, and can't wait to get into a classroom full-time, rather than just 3 days a week!

9-11

Today is 9-11. Up until ten years ago, September 11 was just another day. But for the past 10 years, it has become something so much more. Ten years ago today, the life of every American changed. I remember exactly what I was doing. I was in the first few weeks of my 8^th grade year. That morning, I was getting ready for school. As usual, I had the radio on. That’s when I heard the news. At the time, I didn’t know what the World Trade Center was. I went into the other room, and turned on the TV. I watched the second plane hit. At school they had the news on, and I watched the towers fall. I remember the emotions I felt: the great sadness, the horror, the gratitude that I had for my life and that of my family.

Yes, I was scared. I was terrified. What was going to happen? Was this going to start a third world war? What was happening? Why would anyone do this? Many questions ran through my 13 year-old mind. And I still don’t have all of the answers. But one thing I know for certain is that my Heavenly Father loves me.

Today I have paused to reflect on that day. I have watched news clips on youtube. I have watched documentaries on TV. And my heart has been full. That day changed my life. There were some people whose testimonies wavered that day. Mine was strengthened. To me, this was just another of the signs of the times in which we live, a sign that the second coming of our Savior is ever growing closer.

That day is one that I never want to relive. Just seeing the news from that day is hard enough for me. Those images are forever burned into my mind as I think of the thousands of people who were injured or killed that day.

Today, my prayers are with the families and friends of those who were killed on that terrible day. May they feel the love of their Father in Heaven in their hearts and be able to come to the knowledge of the great Plan of our Heavenly Father.

And Should We DIe Before Our Journey's Through...

I heard something at work today that absolutely broke my heart. Of course, it always makes me sad when a missionary dies for whatever reason, but this one hit me even more. I don't know why, but it did. A sister missionary who had been out for 13 months was killed in a car accident on Tuesday, as reported on Deseret News.

I think this one hit me because it reminded me of my interview with President Stewart before he sent in my mission papers, now almost 2 1/2 years ago. I don't remember much from that interview. Okay, I don't remember anything about that interview--except for one thing. He asked me what I would say if I was called Home while I was on my mission. I remember tears filling my eyes, but saying that if that was my Father's will, I would accept that. No, it wouldn't be easy. But I have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that brought me great strength.

I was blessed to be able to return home to my family 8 months ago, and continue my life as I planned. And I am so grateful for that. My thoughts and prayers go out to Sister Bentley and her family, as well as her companion and all of the missionaries in her mission. She will be a great blessing to those in the Spirit World as she goes and shares the beautiful message of the Gospel until the Second Coming of our Savior.