Lucifer, you're a slime ball.

I have just had a wonderful day.

It was snowing when I woke up, and I looked quite adorable, if I do say so myself. As I was driving to my Grandparent's house to take my Grandma to breakfast, I was thinking about the numbers that they just released for mission papers being filled out. The Spirit filled my car in such a way that I began to leak happiness out of my eyes in the form of tears. Just thinking of the difference that's going to make in so many people's lives fills me with joy! It's happening, guys! Every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and People! It's happening!

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” - Joseph Smith

My Grandma and I went to breakfast and our conversations drifted between subjects. At one point, we talked about my mom. I'm not gonna lie, guys. My mom is cooler than yours. She's my best friend. We laugh, joke, sing, and fight like sisters, but we've really just got this awesome mother-daughter connection that's kind of had some strain lately due to that whole growing up thing that I seem to be doing.

I like lists, and I like my mom, so I decided to make a little list about the things I love about my mom. 

1 - She knows how to Love. She's got that unconditional Christ-like love that I just can't seem to comprehend. She loves when she's happy, and she loves when she's mad. She'll even love you don't deserve it.
2 - She can't sing. She just can't. But she does it anyway because she loves to do it. I'm always going to have fond memories of the sounds of shower water and Dumbo's "baby mine" echoing out of the bathroom when she washes her hair. 
3 - She's always prepared. Whether it's a trip to Disneyland, or a trip to the grocery store, she's always prepared. Disneyland? She set up cute little snack packs for each of us, and then kept a supply in her fanny pack (I even love that about her) just in case. Grocery store? She's always got a list. And band-aids.
4 - She pays attention. I'm quite certain that when I move out, I'll still be able to call her and she'll be able to tell me exactly where a certain pair of shoes are. She has lost shoe radar. 
5 - She dances in the kitchen. Don't tell anyone. 
6 - She still thinks she's 16. I can't even name the amount of times that I've walked in from spending time with a boy that I might like, and she's pounced with a million questions like, "Did you kiss him?!" And when I reply with an exasperated "No." She's usually just as frustrated as I am.
7 - She makes me sandwiches. I'm 20 years old, guys. My mom still makes me a brown paper sack lunch to take to school with me. That probably shouldn't happen, but I love her for it. 
8 - That stupid jug. If you've met my mom, you know what jug I'm talking about. She carries a water jug around with her everywhere so that she can stay hydrated, and makes me go to the gas station and fill it up with ice for her. I probably would have died of thirst if it weren't for that. 
9 -  Babies. She's fantastic with babies. She covers them in kisses and will just give them all the love in the world. She reminds me on a daily basis that I need to get married and start popping out grandbabies for her so she can kiss them and hug them and smother them in attention and love. I have a feeling that I'm not going to get to see much of my own children. 
10 - She's my mom and she's always there for me.  I remember a time not too long ago that I was really just going through a rough patch in life. She walked into my room and found me crying my eyes out on my bed, and that wonderful woman just held me while I cried it out. Just like old times. 

I just love her. 

Then my Grandma and I started talking about the missionaries and about how I could go on a mission now. 

This is where it comes down to it guys. I want to go. Like REALLY want to go. Like every time the word "missionary" comes up, I start crying want to go. But, I don't know how I could afford it.

So here's what i'm going to do. I'm going to pray and read my scriptures and keep paying my tithing and pray that I can figure out a way to pay for that thing. 

So, I went to class, and it was all fine and good until someone mentioned something about The Church. He was pretty upset about something that he had his facts wrong about, so I tried to correct him. I'm not sure I got him to understand what I was saying, but I feel like everyone else in the class at least has a better understanding of it now.

After school, I came home and found a package on my front porch! It was my new video editing software! I settled down immediately to start installing it. 

Things were just going my way. Secondhand Lions was on TV, and I even got a text that made me rather happy. 

Then I realized that 7:30 was approaching rapidly, and my program wasn't finished installing yet. It pains me to admit the internal battle that I had with myself about staying to play with my new software or going to institute. Staying home won out. I changed into a comfy t-shirt with full intentions of spending the rest of the night on my laptop. I was headed towards what I thought was the couch when I realized that my legs had a different idea. I was buckled into the car without ever consciously changing my mind. 

The second I entered that institute room, I could feel the Spirit. Like we established earlier, I'm one of those girls that cries every time I feel the power of the Holy Ghost, so I was struggling there for a little while. 

The lesson was wonderful. 
My day was wonderful.

And now I'm going to tell you about the power of Satan. 

He loves nothing more than to grab you with those slimy little lands of his and make you his puppet. If you let him, he'll take any opportunity he can get and run with it. He's twisted and creative, and he'll do it any way he can.

He loves taking beautiful days like the one I had and destroying them.
And I almost let him. 

But I didn't. And that's why the post you're reading right now does not even resemble the one I sat down to write. 

But what I do want you guys to know is that I love my Heavenly Father and My Savior, Jesus Christ. They make all the difference in my life, and they can make a huge difference in yours too.