Junior Year Motto!

Hey all! I apologize for being so terrible at posting recently. School started, I moved out and life has just been a little busy. We are in the second week of school and things are moving right along. I have been pondering lately as to what I want to make happen this year and what some of my goals are. My goals are pretty much the same every year: eat healthy, make new friends, etc. 

This year I decided to find a motto that I wanted to live by for the duration of this year. This year is going to be a little different. Most of my friends will be coming home from missions before the school year is over and that brings a little bit of pressure for me. Don't get me wrong, I am so ecstatic to have them all come home. I have waited 18-24 months to see all of them. But I am nervous that my decision to not serve will come to haunt me as I see and hear all of their experiences. I read a talk that was recommended to me by a friend. It is a BYU devotional by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland titled "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidences." So my new motto is this,

"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don't give up when pressure mounts. Certainly don't give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. master your fears. 'Cast not away therefore your confidence.' Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

I decided not to serve a mission because that was the answer I received at that time. Coming to school the last few years has been such a blessing and I would not trade my time here for anything else. I have grown in ways that I cannot describe and really found out my strengths and weaknesses. It has been a blessing for me to stay in school and continue my education. So while pressure may build up about not serving a mission, I am going to take the counsel that Elder Holland has given and see the beauty of my life unfold. 

I can't wait to see what this year has in store for me. I know that there will be difficult times, but those will not deter me from making the most out of my last few semesters here at BYU. Hopefully, I will take a lot of pictures and not be a terrible blogger. So, here's to a new school year filled with many great opportunities!!

For photos here is what you get. Camille and I (Camchel) are now into our program and ready for these new adventures. I hope to be blogging more, sorry for the absence. 

Love,

Rach