Decades Dance

Saturday night Morgan, Eliza, Emma, Tamsyn, Miquela and I all went to the Decades Dance that was held in the Wilkinson Center! We dressed up 80’s and I did almost everyone’s hair making it “Texas Big.” It was so much fun getting dressed up and we looked so cute! 

Through both the Sunday school lesson and the Relief Society lesson, I just heard some things today that I really needed to hear. Emma gave an incredible lesson in Sunday School about the Doctrine and Covenant’s teachings of repentance, forgiveness, and The Atonement. She had a kid in class read an excerpt from this book and it was a husband recounting an experience with his wife Janet. He talked about how proud he was of her in a year for being the Relief Society President, getting her master’s degree, taking care of the kids, and pretty much being a rock star. He then describes how one day the light just went out of her and she asked to be released from her calling and seemed as though she was giving up. After weeks of pestering her about what was wrong she finally opened up and “I can’t do it. I can’t do everything I’m supposed to do. I can’t get the kids ready for school, pack their lunches, read the scriptures, do my own homework, help the kids with their homework, serve my calling fully, pray, keep all of the commandments. I try not to yell at the kids, but then I lose my patience and I do. I’m not as kind and compassionate as Sister X or as spiritually minded and beautiful as Sister Y. I’ve just accepted that I can’t do it, and I’m not making it back to the celestial kingdom.” 

He talked about Janet still had a testimony and believed that Christ was a teacher, mentor, example, brother, etc, but she did not understand how Christ was a Savior. He talked about how she had lost sight of the true heart and meaning of the gospel. This story really hit me as I started to think about some of my own perfectionist ways of thinking and started to see some of the same patterns. This is something I want to work on because I don’t ever want to get that sideways in my thinking that I forget what the gospel really is and who the Savior really is to me. I know that His Atonement is real and that he loves more than I could ever imagine. I know that I can’t make it by myself and I’m understanding that I will make mistakes…that’s part of this life. However, with His help, I can do all these righteous things that I want to do, He will provide a way. 

In her Relief Society lesson, Miquela talked about education and how we are commanded to acquire all the knowledge that we can in this life. I started thinking about why I’m here at college and what the true meaning behind my studies is. I resolved to approach my classes not focused on grades but on the learning experience and trying to understand my Father in Heaven. Everything on this Earth testifies of Him and the more I study and truly seek to learn and understand, the closer I will grow to Him and be able to become more like Him.

This afternoon I got back into the habit of writing cheer notes for kids in my ward who participated in church or who I have been thinking of. I love doing this on Sundays because it helps me to really try to see the positive things about those around me.