Glass is half full!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope it finds everyone well and comfy, with good friends or family, and blessed with a tasty meal. I haven't been one of those organized people that have expressed their gratitude for something every day in November, either blogging or on facebook...I've been too busy trying not to cough and writing...NaNoWriMo count is up past 27,000 words. I'm just thankful I've beat my past record of fail! ;) But I am very grateful and I'm trying to really think about how good things are for me instead of what is popular nowadays...whining!

We're going to attempt the cabin again for Turkey Day, last year was a 'disaster', having three sources of power die on us. But as I'm trying to see things from the 'glass half full' point of view...I figured last year we just weren't supposed to be up there. We had to come home Thanksgiving Day and boy the traffic was non-existant! So that was good. We had Steak instead of Turkey, we got to go shopping at a lot of stores on Friday without too much driving and we had our bird the next day and watched movies and missed a big snowstorm.

Still, I'm really, really hoping I can keep having a good attitude when, doubtless, there will be some snags! Crossing fingers for no broken pipes, no frozen well, and no critter invasions. Also really hopeful for power sources to work and the weather to be fine. We're having our wonderful friends up, and I'm very excited. When you don't live near family, you make family from friends. And I could not be more blessed that way.

I'm particularly feeling emotional about the changes our Stake made on Sunday. Ever feel tugged between being very happy and very sad?? We had 8 wards that they pared down to 6. Every ward was sliced and diced, and glued to various puzzle shaped blobs. Each ward was re-named, which I thought to be a brilliant move by our leadership because really, we're all starting afresh. I'm now in Littleton Ward, and I'm going to have some wonderful people in my ward that weren't there before. I'm also going to have some of my very best friends going to a different ward. It's going to take some adjusting.

I am glad about it because of the motives and the results. The youth program needed some help, and this basically adds a lot of youth into the joint program we have, which is very good for our kids. It's also really good as far as leadership managing the massive piles of people that need managing. There's a large percentage of need verses those who are willing to help, put it that way! This should help that. But it still doesn't make me feel good about the fact that my friends are not in my ward.

Thank goodness most are still in my building, and we're not living far away so I can still hang out with them. I must say I don't envy those who have to organize such things. I am sure they will have a lot of 'feedback' but I hope people can trust them. What a great opportunity for each of us to get to know others from our Stake that we would not perhaps had got to work with before! Half full, it's half full. Actually if I think about it, generally my life is more often at least 3/4ths full, so I'm not complaining. Some things make us just work harder to see it.

I'm actually very grateful for all I have, I always feel so lucky I wonder just what is around the corner. :) I don't want to ramble but thanks to all of you for all you do for me. :) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!!

*HUGS*

Strange Emotions

I feel strange.

So, I have been Young Women's President in my ward for the past 2 years and 3 months. I was released on Sunday. Just as when I was called, I was not expecting the calling in ANY way shape or form, I had no inkling of a release either. I guess I'm just not good at that vibe. ;) I'm glad I knew for a week...otherwise I would have been a mess. I was praying all week that I would be able to accept change, accept and support the new President and I'm very, VERY pleased with who they called.

Jamie Bird is our new YW President and was one of my counselors. I called her in August of last year when I abruptly released some of my counselors and called her as a new one. It wasn't that my other counselors were being taken away, or weren't awesome because they were! Honestly I've never had such a powerful and difficult spiritual leadership choice before. I just KNEW I had to make a change, didn't really know why because I adored the counselors I had but I also knew it had to happen. Like seriously, I couldn't sleep or think clearly for about two weeks.

I am so grateful that experience happened. Even though it was wrenching. It really is sort of hard to describe, but I know now it was meant to be. I know she was being prepared (it's not all about me afterall! LOL!) I wish I could be more faithful and just trust the Lord without angsting about stuff. You have to hope that positive spiritual experience will give you the strength to be more trusting and faithful.

So, now that it's official...I am emotional, and calm, relieved, and depressed, and happy and concerned and comforted and a lot of other words. I suppose that is typical with a calling you both feared and came to love. I will miss my girls! I will miss the leaders that I was able to work so closely with for so long. Our ward meets 'as a building' for Youth programs, thus, three YW presidencies must coordinate and work together with all three youth groups to make things work. It was a lot more coordinating than I thought, but I grew to just LOVE the other leaders and all three wards' YW. What a blessing to get to work with talented sisters from other wards and get to know girls you normally would not have had a chance to! It's just not something many people get to do.

At the same time, I have some bit of feelings of relief. There is a lot of work involved and I've poured a lot of my time into it, which I don't begrudge yet...maybe the Bishop realized that I am just not getting my house clean? ;) I'm hoping that now I've been called as a Primary teacher (yay!) that I may have some time to do something productive. Er...like blogging? Seriously I should be walking right now, grr. ;)

I know many people have had similar experiences with callings, I tend to be angsty about a new one, and sad when released. The Lord has to be rolling his eyes at me sometimes, thank goodness He knows what He's doing.

If I ever got to serve with you with YW or even in other callings, thank you for your talent and support and guidance and love. Church service is something many people don't understand but I'm glad I get to learn through it. *hugs* to all!