Determination

Sometimes, they say,
the only way to go through trials
is just to plow ahead.

Just keep your head down
and walking with a purpose.

Don't look to the Left or the Right.

Just Do It.

Emphasis on the
Do
It.

I'm here to say,
I've seen alot of that goin' on in my world lately.
Specifically
in my daughter's eyes.
And in my son-in-law's life.

Mr. Idaho graduated last weekend
from a really tough engineering college--
the Colorado School of Mines.

Not only did he graduate,
he was Magna Cum Laude.
And he rec'd two very prestigious awards
that were only awarded to two other people.
His name is going on a plaque where it will remain
forever and ever
Amen.

And he did that with a wife and two babies,
along with serving as Elders' Quorum President
for the duration of his time in school.

He did it the way he did it,
because that's just who he is.
There was no other option.
He didn't make it look easy.
He didn't do it alone--
he had the support of terrific parents
and his wife held down the fortress in his absence.
There were sacrifices all around.
But, the fact is,
he did it.


Last night,
I watched with pure excitement
as my daughter clicked the
SUBMIT button
for her mission papers.

She has been hmmm'ing and haaa-ing
about going on a mission for awhile now.
She would gather some steam
until some handsome boy came by
and blow it all away with a wink and a smile.
She's also been preparing for a handfull
of relays and marathons...
all spaced out over summer.

We finally had a lull in the wave of distractions--
and that's when it happened.
Girlfriend sprained her ankle so badly,
she was in bed for 3 days straight.

God does things to get our attention sometimes
and this was it for her.

She read her scriptures for three days straight
covering hundreds of pages.
By the time she could stand on her own two feet,
she knew what direction she would start walking towards--
a mission.

She made the appointments with her Bishop and Stake President.
She made the appointments with her dentist and doctor to get
all of her medical papers filled out and turned in,
within two weeks.
All of it.
Done.

And now,
we wait for the large white envelope
revealing where it is she is going.

All of this determination has inspired me
to shrug off the distractions that produce little to no happiness in my life.
I've been working like crazy
staging homes with my friend and partner, Kelly.
It is rewarding to be creative and purposeful with the talents
I've been given,
however non-monumental they are...
I've been more focused on loving my family better,
being a better Primary teacher whose students
know that "Sister Anderson loves me."
I stopped worrying about my memory problems,
health limitations, etc., and just hunkered down
with some old-fashioned determination.

And it has made a difference to me.

It is like that scientific exercise that says
a body in motion
stays in motion.

It fills and fulfills in all the right ways.