Urban Poly Princess

I have about 20 people on record say they're planning on attending. Several will be going out of town. Walmart does have the best cake price at $15 but I'm even wondering if it's worth it to me to actually do. Gabriela made a beautiful sign. I can get a few balloons instead of cake. Cheaper AND she'll take them home. She won't even eat the cake. Tonight I am going to complete her memory-book thing and print it and Gabriela's sign on our cool MAC printer.

Helaman 4
24 And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples—

How easy it is to forget the great blessings we have received. It is easy not to pay attention, not to focus on that which brings not just joy in this life but eternal happiness. Why wouldn't this be the object and the design of our existence?

What Are You Thinking? W. Craig Zwick
Children sometimes speak to beloved parents with tongues as sharp as blades. Spouses, who have shared some of life’s richest and most tender experiences, lose vision and patience with each other and raise their voices. All of us, though covenant children of a loving Heavenly Father, have regretted jumping headlong from the high seat of self-righteous judgment and have spoken with abrasive words before we understood a situation from another’s perspective. We have all had the opportunity to learn how destructive words can take a situation from hazardous to fatal.

There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate respect for each other across wide distances of belief and behavior and across deep canyons of conflicting agendas. It is impossible to know all that informs our minds and hearts or even to fully understand the context for the trials and choices we each face.
The willingness to see through each other’s eyes will transform “corrupt communication” into “minister[ing] grace.” The Apostle Paul understood this, and on some level each of us can experience it too. It may not change or solve the problem, but the more important possibility may be whether ministering grace could change us.

Communication, learning to ALWAYS do this politely and respectfully ESPECIALLY when this isn't easy is something we constantly have to do. ANY job in customer service teaches how to diffuse these type of heated discussions. It is unfortunate that we forget to do this with the people we love the most. They can also hurt us the most which is why we are often lax with our family and tell them things we wouldn't dream of saying to other people who we don't really care about. Instead we should be treating best the people we love the most. I love my friend Leialoha's example of working hard on her marriage and continuing to date weekly in addition to attending the temple weekly. I want to follow her example in my own life. Her husband isn't attractive to me OR intelligent OR particularly spiritual. He can't make the money to support their family the way I'd want him to BUUUUT they work hard on what matters most. 

I can't do that. I don't think I should have to do that but when I look at her example I am envious of what they have. It is beautiful. I still want more. I want someone I'm physically attracted to AND is a spiritual giant. I don't mind working on my marriage. I intend to work very hard on it BUUUT it is still very important to me to have someone who is brilliant too. I don't think I can be happy if I settle. There are many statements about being unequally yoked. I don't like this either. This has to be important too. STILL I look at her family and how awesome they are. Her twin daughters are missionaries in South Korea. She has 5 children, 3 with her first husband she lost to cancer. There is so much that is good and noble about her beautiful family and example. I would never marry either of the men she did but she is happy and is doing what he father in heaven wants.

I don't think my Father in Heaven is displeased with any of my decisions thus far. I am glad I never married anyone I dated so far or was even interested in. I have faith in my father-in-heaven and his plan for me. I trust in Him implicitly.