the 6-8 page essay

Last night I got home from a Cat Poncho meeting at around 11:30pm.

As soon as I got home I was dreading what would come next.

At 10:46am I was to review my 6-8 page Issues paper with my writing teacher so he could give me tips and instruct me on how to improve my paper.

I wanted to try and jump into it as quickly as I could, try and finish it as soon as possible. But I remembered that I had not yet read my scriptures for the day.

I know--mainly from my own experience--that if I read my scriptures before diving into my own homework, my homework is always easier and makes more sense to me.

So I did.

I spent about 20 minutes reading my scriptures and focusing on the principles and applications found in them. I wrote in my journal my thoughts and feelings. Some good scripture studying was done.

But my head kept falling over, I kept drifting off to sleep.

I didn't know how I was supposed to write five more pages of a paper I had barely researched without falling asleep. Hopefully I would even understand what I was reading and writing.

I remember writing in my journal: "Heavenly Father, PLEASE help me not to fall asleep so that I can finish this paper."

I closed my scriptures, and got to work.

It was only about an hour and a half later when I realized: thoughts had come to my mind that I could never have formulated myself.

I understood what the articles were saying better than I had before.

Words came easily to my mind, and sentences flowed really well.

Up until this point I had just taken credit for the wonderful job I was doing.

But I realized as soon as I was about halfway through the paper that Heavenly Father was blessing me for reading my scriptures before I did my homework.

I reviewed my paper with my teacher this morning, and he really liked it! 

I know that Heavenly Father knows us, and He knows what we need help with. He will bless us if we do His homework before I own, and I have testimony of this.

the lost (again) ring

So I have this ring...

It's really special to me. I think I wrote a blog post about it before and how I found it in a bag I bought from Plato's closet.
As you can see in the picture, it has the tree of life on it.
I think it's beautiful.

I lost it on campus yesterday. I knew where--the bathroom on the 3rd floor of the Wilkinson center. Because I took it off to wash my hands and then forgot to put it back on. Happens to me about four times a week, normally in my apartment.

I was so sure somebody had taken it to the Lost & Found. But there's always that little hint of a doubt that creeps in that makes you wonder "What if it isn't?"
I couldn't make it to the Lost & Found the day that I lost it. And I felt so sick about the fact that it wasn't on my finger as it always is.

I prayed for Heavenly Father to give me peace, that I could forget about the fact that it was not in its proper place.
He did.

I had so much peace about it, that I about completely forgot about it.

Today (Tuesday), I was walking past the Lost & Found and remembered that my ring might be there.
I walked in and asked for it: sure enough, there it was with a piece of a tape labeled "3--10".

I know it's not a big deal. It is just a ring.
But to me, it's a big deal.
And the Lord knows that.

He reminds me daily--and this was just a single experience--that He loves me, He knows me, and he cares about my life! And the things that are important to me? They are important to Him too.

I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father that knows me and reminds me of it.