Progress

(I took this picture on a beautiful evening in Rexburg.)

I was able to register for fall classes last night. It was kind of cool to realize where I'm at. Registration just started a couple of days ago (The students with the most credits get to register first, then it works its way down to the students with the least amount of credits). This means I am getting closer to graduation! It has also been interesting to look at my grad report and see what classes I need. Every semester, little by little, there are fewer and fewer classes I need. I still have a ways to go, but I am getting there. I'm on my way to graduating in 2012. It is almost time for me to find and complete an internship, which is exciting.

Yesterday was also my 18-month mark of being home. I've had mixed feelings. I feel like I've moved on and have a grip of things, but my mission is still such a part of me. Mostly, I think the problem is that I sometimes feel like my life has less meaning and purpose after the mission. But, I was talking to a friend about the fact that I've been home for 18-months and they replied, "Wow. You've served a mission at home." That struck me. Yes, I really have served a mission at home. We are always on a mission. Our life is one big mission. I then got to thinking about everything that has happened in my life over the past year-and-half, everything I've accomplished, and ways I've grown. It was such a good thing to do. Like I mentioned, after having served a full-time mission, I have sometimes feel that I am making little progress in my life. I mean, really, how can you top something like that? I've come to realize that was a pivotal life experience. I probably won't "top" that until I get married and raise children. But, that doesn't mean I'm not progressing now in life. I realized that since I've been home I have been "anxiously engaged" in many good causes, including: serving in the R.S. presidency twice, serving as a ward missionary, serving as a R.S. teacher twice, increasing my temple attendance, and completing 3 semesters at BYU-Idaho. I have also created many new friendships. One of which is with my friend Morgan, whom I met in one of my classes on my first day at BYU-Idaho. Morgan and I often comment about how grateful we are that we were in that class together. When I walked in that class I never would have dreamed that a year later I'd be roommates with one of my classmates and also roommates with her sister. It's amazing how the Lord works. Life never really goes as we plan. I never really planned on going to BYU-Idaho, and I surely didn't plan on still being in school at 24. But, when I look back at where my life has gone, I can definitely see the Lord's hand in it. Who knows what the next 18-months of my life have in store. I guess we'll just see how it all unfolds.