July 24, 2016

Stephen-

This week I learned something cool.  It is that when things aren’t going well, you just have to forget about yourself and pray and remind yourself that God is on your side.  I was doing not as well as I would have liked in 2 of my classes, and this week I had 2 big midterms that I was worried about.  So I sat around biting my nails and being frustrated until I decided that I just had to convince myself that I was going to be happy and successful in those classes and that God can do so much more with my abilities than I can.  

So I started studying and started praying, that God would help me be confident and happy with my lack of abilities or abilities in Chemistry and spanish.  Not exactly that I would ace my tests, but that I would be calm and know that God has a plan and that he will bless me.  And when I started praying for that . . . That I could be happy with just trying, happy with the success I had as well as the success I didn’t have, and that I could be humble enough to see the hand of God in my life.  I guess I was paying for gratitude.  And then this past couple days, everything started going really well.  I did well on my tests, I got to have fun with friends, and Katie and Trent one night stopped by just to give me some zucchini bread with zucchinis  from their garden.  And I realized that your happiness is not at all proportioned to your success, but rather proportioned to your gratitude.  This was a lesson that I had learned so many times on the mission, but I hadn’t always applied it as well after the mission.  Something I recommend is in your journal write down the things you are learning.  In the back or something.  Just little catch phrases of how you want to live your life after you get home.  So then you can remember then when you get home and don't have to learn them all over again in the real world.  Its like a list of "Truths I promise to never forget."

Anyway, you are the best.  I love you so much, and I am happy you are learning so much.  And you sound very grateful, which means I think, that you are happy.

Love,

Liza