Signs

Life is so weird. Well, at least my life, but I am betting you have those weird days too. I just feel like I have a frequent amount of those really weird days. Sometimes things go how you want and other times, they are the furthest away possible. Well lately, I have had quite the mixture of this. One day is totally awesome and I feel like I am queen of the world and the next is the worst day of my life. I think one reason behind this is, well we have to stay humble somehow. So throwing in a curveball every once in awhile isn't a bad thing. Cause in reality we aren't better than anyone, ever, no matter what. So maybe those curve balls are to calm our ego down. Which makes sense to me. Or else we would all be walking around like bobble-heads cause they'd be so big! In addition to my weird days, I have noticed a lot of signs...

 

I have had a few experiences in my life where I have clearly realized that the outcome of things is rarely in my hands. I mean, yes I am the person that makes the decisions and has the agency to choose how things go, but when it comes down to it all, it's all in Gods hands. Which is SO cliché, but guys it is completely true. And it is weird but awesome all at the same time. Because even if something doesn't go the way you want, you can look back on it and 99% of the time you realize dang, imagine if it would have turned out the other way. But then there is that 1% and maybe sometimes you still are bitter because it didn't turn out the way you wanted. Well, all that means is there is still hope, there is still the possibility of it turning out exactly how you want and it'll be better than you ever imagined, and if it doesn't.. Well all that means is something 10 times better is coming your way! So back to my signs..

 

In my life, I have noticed more often than not there is always signs that are leading you down the right path. You can look at this however you want. Coincidences. Awkward moments. Breakdowns.

Answers to prayers. The options are endless. And I have experienced them all! And lately I have been having a ton of all of these, which have made me endlessly confused, but at the same time happy. They make me excited to actually see what happens in the future. So I guess all I am trying to say is, watch for your signs. Rather they be the simplest things as a song on the radio, to someone calling you on the phone and telling you exactly what you want to hear. Keep those eyes and ears open. The hand of The Lord is constantly in our lives, and maybe he is just waiting for you to ask for a sign. Happy Friday!! I hope everyone has a great weekend and goes and sees Catching Fire :) Thanks for reading!

Love, Nessa

Untouchable

Sometimes I really wonder where I will be in the next 2 in a half to 3 years. I have always thought ya I want to be married and be working and have my own house and yadda, yadda, yadda. The normal future that young girls see. Well now days, since I am mostly submerged into the real world after high school, things can flip in the blink of an eye. And it is exciting and upsetting all at the same time! You don't see things going exactly the way you always have, and I being one who is not a fan of change, I am not the biggest fan of all this growing up business. But one major thing I want to reflect on, that I think is going to be beneficial to not just myself but a lot of young girls who are in this "waiting" stage.

Being a sophomore in college is not all it's cracked up to be, college in general is not all it's cracked up to be. But we go because we have dreams, and we want to be something and ya that is life! But what about the dating aspect of college. Well I am not the girl that loves dating, like I don't like going on dates with different guys all the time, I don't like being set up on dates, I like dating. Just not the dating phase. When you're in a relationship- that is when dating becomes fun, but when you're just one of those wandering fish in the sea. Ya, I am not the biggest fan. Well I have been "single" for going on two years. And in those two years, how many guys have actually like asked me on a date..lets just say I could count them on one hand. Because apparently that just isn't the thing to do anymore, which I'm not complaining. Then I see some of my friends who literally have boys like dropping at their feet. Like I don't have any boys flocking to me?? Then the questions start coming, well what's wrong with me? I'm not bad looking, like I have nice teeth.. I like being outside more than inside.. and I don't understand. And then people always ask me "why are you single, you're the cutest girl" Like what am I suppose to say to that?? Most days I feel completely invisible to guys, and I go to the University of Utah! I go to institute! I live in Utah!! Girls my age should be close to marriage and I feel like I am the farthest away possible, like what is going on!

 

Well my dear friends, if you are feeling this way. If you are feeling almost like you have a repellent on that guys just wont even look at you, if you feel untouchable--like you are just on this pedestal waiting around. That is OK! Why is this ok? Because, let me tell ya. Heavenly Father is preparing us, as well as our prince charming, where ever he may be, a mission, school, living down the street from ya. It is just a matter of time. Oh time, we hate time. This waiting period can get lost, right? Wrong, this is the time we need to be worrying about ourselves, doing good in school or work or preparing for missions, whatever it is you're doing just get lost in it. Because I know that if we lose ourselves in positive aspects of life, the unexpected will happen and you'll look back on this time and laugh because you were worrying over something so silly. It is ok to feel untouchable. Untouchable means you have standards, it means you will love when you're ready and not lonely, and it means you are a daughter of Heavenly Father who is willing to shower us with blessings as soon as we are ready for them. So chin up buttercup. It'll all be ok :) Happy Friday, friends!! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love, Nessa

Preston's Post

As many of you have probably heard by now about the massive typhoon that went through the Philippines. It was recorded as a 5 and the worst typhoon the world has ever seen. Leaving massive devastation throughout but one city especially wiped out. The city of Tacloban. Well here's a fun fact my cousin, Elder Preston Hughes, was serving his mission in the Tacloban mission. Now when I say cousin people don't think much of that.. Well this cousin, was more like the brother I never had but always wanted. All growing up he and his older brother were the only boys in the family. And Preston was always surrounded by the "younger girls" (even though I am older than him by a year!) Myself, my little sis, and our cousin Shelby. We were all extremely close growing up. Preston however went to the same high school as me and my little sister and it just happens to be the school my mom works at as well. I know tight weaved family. But it could not have been more fun. Preston's senior year he was the SBO president of the school, he is a very talented and hilarious kiddo. Always making us laugh. Preston is the first to ever serve a mission on that side of the family, only because like I said majority girls.. haha. Any who. The day he opened his call and said he was serving in the Philippines many many tears were shed. His mother is a native Filippino and we believed that is the reason why he got called there. My grandma actually guessed that is where he was going to serve and of course she was spot on cause grandma is always right. July 17 he reported to the MTC and The "Best Two Years" began!

 So there's a little background on this cool cuz of mine. So the typhoon right, ya well all the missionaries were to evacuate once they got a call from their mission president. For Preston, and his companion Elder Baker, that call never came. However the week before they were given 72 hour kits. Preston and his companion hunkered down in their apartment until the storm got so bad that they knew they could no longer stay there, they relocated to the church that was across the street and waited for the storm to pass. After it did, they set off on foot and walked forty miles to the next closest city. FORTY MILES!! That's like from here to the ranch and back! As soon as they were found they were taken to Cebu and are now going to Manilla to be transferred. But ya see here's the catch.

All of that is happening in the Philippines, but us back home, ya we know nothing besides what the news is saying. On Friday they announced all LDS Missionaries were safe and accounted for, hours later they said that of the 21 missions in the Philippines all were accounted for except one. The Tacloban mission. Preston's mission. Preston was missing. We were all lost in emotion for the next 48 hours. Flipping through every news station, looking online, posting to pray for the Philippines and spread the word. I sent out emails to a lot of my friends serving missions and asked them to pray as well. We fasted and prayed. I had never prayed so hard in my entire life. Begging and pleading with the Lord to keep Preston safe and have him found. We went and saw my aunt and uncle and a General Authority called telling us he was still missing. I hung out with the best-girl-friend, who is actually one of my best friends too so that has worked out nicely :) We did everything we possibly could think of. But the wait drug on. Saturday night was pretty much sleepless, as well as Sunday. I just could not believe this was really happening. Seeing all the pictures of devastation I just thought he is over there in that. Has he lost everything? Is he hurt? Does he have food and water? We were all worried absolutely sick. Sunday night around midnight I decided to stop watching the news and head to bed, even though I knew I would just be staring at the ceiling for the majority of the night. I got ready for bed, then got down on my knees and said one of the most heartfelt prayers of my life. I then climbed into bed and was looking at some blogs, when my phone lit up, I looked at it and it was my uncle saying. "They found Preston and his companion! The two of them were walking on the road from Merida to Ormoc. More news tomorrow." This was around 12:30 and I immediately broke down in tears. In that moment I felt Heavenly Fathers arms around me and I knew even more than I thought I knew about how much he loves us and how much he loves his missionaries. I sent out a bunch of texts telling my friends they had found them, I ran into my parents room and told them and then to my sister. It was as if a giant weight off my shoulders had been lifted. No I didn't know much about Prest at that moment, but I knew he was safe. As of now all missionaries have officially been accounted for and are safe.

This experience has been one of the most terrifying times of my life. But it has strengthened my testimony immensely. I know that The Lord protects his missionaries, I know that he listens to every single one of our prayers and that he feels what we feel. I believe that there is strength in numbers and without all the people praying and thinking about Preston as well as my family, it would have been a lot harder to get through this difficult time. And I will never be able to thank you all enough. I can not be more grateful this November. This church is truly amazing and I know that they are taking care of the missionaries in the Philippines. I can not be more proud of my cousin, for all he has been through in just a few short months that he has been serving it has proved that he has a true faith and testimony of this church. He is strong mentally, physically and spiritually. He has only been serving for almost 4 months and if this is what the first months of his mission life are like we can't even wait for what the next 597 days will be like for him!! All I know is I cant wait for Christmas to hear this kids voice!! I love ya prest!! And so do a whole lot of other people!! Please pray for the people of the Philippines during this difficult time. I hope everyone is having a good week!! Thanks for reading!

Love, Nessa

To watch Preston's 2 minutes of fame click the link below :)

http://fox13now.com/2013/11/11/utah-lds-missionaries-found-safe-after-typhoon-haiyan/

 

 

Fear

Fear; what a deceiving word. Fear is something that you feel during so many aspects of life. Rather it be a fear or something so small like spiders, or something so silly like going on your first date, or something so big like not knowing if you are going to see tomorrow. Well let me tell you a little something about fear. Fear has four sides. On one side of fear there is hope, on another side there is love, on the third side there is freedom, and on the final side there is faith.

 

I feel like the last little while I have been living in fear. Fear of losing friends, fear of loving, fear of failing, fear of being hurt. And I really have shy'd away from so many things because of it. I get really down on myself a lot more than one should. I have always been a person with very high goals, expectations and standards and this past year I feel like I have failed myself for not doing as well as I wanted in that class, or letting something really good slip away. But then I would get scared, and I would have fear. I wouldn't want to take hard classes or try and figure things out between people, all because I was scared. Which in my opinion is normal. But I let myself be consumed with fear. I became really sad, I was lonely-even though I really wasn't and I just felt sorry for myself all the time. I had the attitude of, I will never find that again, I will never amount to anything, why should I even try anymore. But then one day I was in relief society and a beautiful sister stood up and talked about her trials with The Lord. This sister certainly has not had it easy, she has had multiple serious health problems and for awhile she thought she was not going to make it. But then she said something that just made me really think. She talked about how if she lived in fear of not knowing if she was going to be able to wake up tomorrow and not knowing if she would be able to continue to see her family grow, then she really probably wouldn't. But she looked at the four sides of fear. She knew if she loved, had faith, and hope, then she could have the freedom from fear.

This has really been on my mind a lot lately. Because of an event that has happened in my past, but certain events that have simultaneously kept occurring I have lived in fear. Fear of being hurt by a person that I care for more that I ever thought I would. Because it has happened before. Multiple times. And even after all that pain, I still care and love this person. Maybe not to the extent that I had in the past, and that is because of fear. But I can't keep letting this fear get in the way. It is very difficult to talk to people and tell them your emotions about certain things, about anything, but I know that if we do it with the four things that surround fear we will be much happier. We will be free of something that has been holding us back and we will be able to continue living our lives how we are supposed too. I don't know what I would do with out this gospel in my life, it just keeps leading me in more and more good directions and I am forever grateful. I am so grateful for my friends that I talk to everyday and keep me going, giving me encouragement, and making me laugh, and I am especially thankful for my family. This is the time of year for us to be thankful so I am sure there will be some more of those posts coming up soon!! I hope everyone is having a great week! Tomorrow is Friday!! Hallelujah! Thanks for reading!

-Nessa