Answered prayers are wonderful. Even when they catch you off guard or are answered in a way slightly different then what you expect.

I have to start by saying that I am beyond blessed. I will get to certain people who I couldn't be without, but I am blessed in general by the people in my life. I am blessed because of temple covenants. I am blessed because of my faith and I am blessed because of my desire and attempt to be better. I often fall short-but I am blessed because I have the atonement to make up for where I fall short.

I started this past weekend spending time with Chantal and my 3 little princesses. It doesn't matter how I feel when I get to her house, by the time I leave I am overwhelmed by the number of sticky kisses and tight hugs I get, by the good food I eat, and by the instant uplift in my spirit. Chantal, Pam, and I re-decorated Chantal's bedroom in this peaceful, serene setting and just to feel a paint-roller in my hand rejuvenated me some!

Then on Sunday, I offered my heart and prayers to my Father in Heaven. This morning, the answer came with such a whirlwind that it caught me off balance. I am ready for this new change in life. It won't be easy-but I am ready and like most of the important things in my life, things are just falling into place so easily.

I love how the gospel works in my life like that. Its how I know that I am doing the right thing. Its how my stubborn brain relinquishes control and puts my complete faith in God's hands. Despite the amount of pushing and stomping that occurs within myself, I will always be blessed by the knowledge that I am a daughter of God and that he, in his infinite wisdom, will work out my life in his own time.

And just when I think I am about to break, the Lord sends the sweetest and most tender mercies. This time it involved a two phone calls from home. The first from my Bestest, the girl who sees me in all my states and loves me regardless. The second from a very special Papa-Bear who kindly informed me that he thinks his Baby-Bear is in fact a 'softy, softy' like the Pilsbury Dough Boy and that he wants to poke me so I will laugh (because apparently my laugh brings him joy). This of course made my day, because my Papa-Bear means the world to me.

To close, I love this quote and I think I need to embrace it a little more-

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma-which is living the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs

I love this quote if you make it more doctrinal...follow your heart and intuition (follow the pure love of christ and the holy ghost and you will become as the Lord would have you become)