Love Led Us Here

 Love led us here

Right back to where we belong
We followed a star and here we are
Now Heaven seems so near
Love led us here


Is it bad that this song from Muppet Treasure Island suddenly got stuck in my head while I was talking to the missionaries? I don't think so.

Oh so many thoughts I don't know where to begin. I think that media can be used to spread good messages, as well as the bad, and I think that sometimes, unintentionally, Disney movies can teach the Gospel. I think I wrote in a previous post that I believe that anything that is truly good comes from God.

The reason why this song got stuck in my head is because we were talking about the Atonement, or Christ's sacrifice for everyone who ever lived, or is living, or will live.

It got me to thinking about God's love for everyone. It also got me to thinking about my own life and where it's going and where it's been. I had no idea that one day I would move out to Florida and work at Disney World. In fact, I thought I would be lucky to even come visit Disney World ever again when my parents took me back when I was 11.

I had no idea I would go to Snow College, or go to UVU or be in LDC or work at Taylor Maid, or be 23 with absolutely no prospects for marriage. My life, since graduating from high school, has not been anything like what I thought it would be.

Sorry, Angie, I couldn't resist

 Honestly, I planned to go to BYU, meet my husband before I graduated, and hopefully start popping out some babies by the time I was 23. Sounded like a breeze of a plan to me. I never even thought that going on a mission was ever going to be a consideration of mine because I was convinced that I would get married before I turned 21, or that I would at least be engaged.

But that is NOT what happened. And even though I really want to get married, I'm really glad that things have worked out the way they have.

San Diego 2008

At Snow College, I learned how to have friends, and how to be a friend, as sad as that may sound considering I was 18 years old. Whenever I think of that time, I can hardly remember what I studied, but what I do remember are the incredible friends that I made. Friends who helped build me up and strengthen my faith. And even though I don't talk to some of them anymore, and maybe some of them have wandered down other paths now, what they did for me in that moment in time changed me for good. It inspired me to want to be that kind of friend.

At Taylor Maid, I learned how to be a good worker. Everyone there knows that if Rick, the owner, walks by and sees you just standing there, you are going to get it. He's not paying you to stand around, you see. If there aren't any customers, you sure as heck better be doing something else that's going to improve the store. I learned how to take pride in my work, and how to work with others who have huge personality differences. I also had to learn about myself and how others perceive me when I got promoted, so I learned to speak with more kindness. And I never knew that being obsessed with Harry Potter could help get me a job! I'm hoping that I can return to learn more lessons there when I get back to Utah.

In the Latter-day Celebration Choir, I think I may have learned the most. I learned to have faith in myself and my own abilities. I learned how working together to blend created the most beautiful effect. I learned the sweet joy of sharing the Gospel using one of my talents.  Day by day, I was able to hear the Gospel in a way that had the most impact on me (besides the way my parents taught me), through music. Again, this is one of those journeys that isn't quite over yet.

O Love Divine

At UVU, I learned to have a passion for what I'm studying. Before, school could be fun, or interesting. But once I started seeing my drawings come to life, I felt a fire like never before. Never before had I ever spent 10 straight hours working on a project for school. I had always reached the point of "that's good enough." That wasn't going to cut it for my animation class. The way my teacher taught the class, you could tell that it was something he really believed in. It made me believe in it too, as an art form. I have every desire to complete my Bachelor's degree there at UVU in animation.

And now, I'm here in Florida, doing the Disney College Program. I know there are still lessons I'm learning, like how to be more humble for example. I've learned to be grateful for what I had in Provo. I know that one lesson I've learned is how very much I love my family, and how much it hurts to be so far away from them for so long. I know in the eternal scheme of things, six months isn't that long. And I know that anyone who has served a mission is now calling me a baby because not only can I call, text, skype, and facebook them, but my parents even came for a visit. But I know that no matter where I go in life, I want to make the right decisions so that this kind of separation isn't permanent. I want to be with them for eternity.

wouldn't you wanna be with these lovely chomps too?

 

I am so glad that I came to Florida, though. I have made some awesome friends, who are the real reason why I don't just cut my program short and come straight home.

If you made it through this post, I applaud you. All of my posts seem to be really long, so that's why I don't feel bad for not posting often. Also why I add so many pictures. But, I just thought that all of these decisions I made in my life, every opportunity that's come my way, I know God has placed in my life because I've been striving to make the right decisions.  And I just have to have the faith that God will continue to guide me as long as I do what He asks. There were so many factors that had to fall into place for me to come out here to Florida, and I kept saying to myself, I feel like I should do this, but if it doesn't work out, then maybe it just wasn't the right thing. But because it did work out, and it was something I wanted to do, I knew it was something I should do. Heavenly Father prepared a way for it to happen.

So I'm exactly where I am right now because Love led me here.