What is MY Mission?!

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately on trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with my life, what my purpose in this life really is. I have to admit that it's stressing me out a bit, and I really don't know what direction to look. There are so many things that I want to do, and things that I'm passionate about; however, I don't know what's right or wrong.

You know how some jobs/careers just fit people, and you just know that's exactly what they are supposed to be doing... I want that! I want to find my niche, and know that it is something that I can do to better those around me. What do people see when they see me? What do they see me doing with my life?

Patience... something I'm trying to have, and something I struggle with a lot -- when it comes to me. If it deals with others, I am able to be more patient; however, so many things are in question right now. Maybe it's what I need to have more of now at this moment in my life; maybe it's still a learning period for me at this time in my life. If that's the case, it's getting really hard.

I just started another book called "Single, Yet Not Alone" and it's really good. One thing that was pointed out that I feel often is that I do a lot alone. YES... I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there for me without a doubt. However, they aren't going to answer all of my questions, give me a sound board all the time, or help me decide just the basics of the day. Some of those things we decide just as mortals with the knowledge we already have... but it would be nice to have someone to make them with. It would just be nice to have someone there to enjoy things with or to have them just laugh at me when I'm being dumb about whatever it might be.

What am I supposed to do? Where do I fit?

Good Things Are Happening!!

So far this week has been a great week for me, and I felt like sharing! :-)

Sunday... It was a good day as I enjoy Church. I go for me, and that's the most important thing to me. I got to teach the 12-13 year olds, and they are fun. Such an interesting, but good group. We had FHE in Lufkin at the Robert's, and I loved it!! It was so good to see them again, and they showed a CES Fireside from 2006 when I was in Utah. Brought back great memories!!

Monday... I got another job!!! Yes, this makes three actual jobs, and four if you count babysitting on Thursdays for an hour... but to me, that's just play time!! I am going to be working for a friend and a professor as I qualify for workstudy. This does mean that I will probably be letting go of one job when Spring semester starts, but until then, I'm pushing through!

Tuesday... Today, if you will, was a fun day! I got up to register for my classes, and I have to say... what a headache!!! It's really hard when certain classes are only offered in certain semesters, and those happen to be the times you are hoping to not be around. Oy vey! BUT - I got it all figured out. I'm registered for 18 credits (just 1 more than I have now), and I'm excited. It will be a busy semester, but a productive one! After the Spring, I will have 10 classes left for my major, and 5 classes for my minor. This will go by quickly, and I'm excited. After all of that, I spent the day with my mom. We went to breakfast and lunch together, we went to donate blood (great day as it was the UT/TAMU challenge day), and then we looked at some apartments. I FOUND ONE!! :-) I'm applying tomorrow for University Club, and I don't see why I won't get in which will be nice! These apartments are actually the apartments my father lived in during his last two years at SFA. So kind of fun.

But yea - things are great!! I'm ready for Thanksgiving Break, but before that, I have a LOT of work to do!! So... off to bed I go for a long day tomorrow!! YAY!! :-D

We Will Miss You, Aunt Mary Lou!!

As a note to this -- it's really hard to lose four family members in one year. I'm hoping that the year will end death free for my family. Mary Dalton was my Great Aunt, Nancy Dalton was my 2nd cousin who I remember looking up to when we were younger (she's around my mom's age), and Paul and Dera Dillow are my grandparents who died 62 days apart (how I miss them so VERY much!!). What a year!

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Funeral service for Mary Lou Dalton, 75 of Lawton will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2008 at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home Chapel with Chuck Pettigrew, pastor of Liberty Heights Christian Church, officiating.

Burial will be at Highland Cemetery under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.

Mary Lou was born on January 3, 1933 in Lawton, Oklahoma to Fielding and Althea (Read) Hankins. She grew up in Lawton and graduated from Lawton High School in 1950. She attended Cameron College. She worked for Sears as a sales associate for 35 years, retiring in 1990. She moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2006. She was a member of the Sears X-Club as a retiree from Sears and was active with the Women's Christian Fellowship. She was a member of the First Christian Church and the Hill Crest Christian Church in Oklahoma City. She was active with the election board, tallying ballots.

She is survived by her son, Russell Dalton, of Morehead City, North Carolina; her daughter and son in law, Leta and Bruce Schneider, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; two brothers and sisters in law, Frank and Shirley Hankins, of Lawton and James and Sharon Hankins, of Wynnewood, Oklahoma; four grandchildren, John Schneider, Megan Schneider, Brinkley Marie Claxton, and Jade S. Johnson; her aunts, Betty Cole, Rosemary Crance and Margaret Lake; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of cousins and other family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Nancy Lynn Dalton; her sister and brother in law, Dera and Paul Dillow.

http://www.grayfuneral.com/CurrentObituary.aspx?did=7e4a5bcf-37ba-48a8-8bc0-718adb0ee8c1

Decisions, Decisions

I'm back in Nacogdoches, and once again, I really didn't want to come back. I know that this is home for me at the moment, but I never like coming back. Sad, huh?

I miss my dog, but at the same time, it's nice not having to really worry about her at the moment. My parents are watching her for tonight as I needed to come home and get some things done, i.e. homework. Not too much but uploading pictures and unpacking has happened. Now, I'm thinking that I'm going to go to bed really soon. I have to be at Church at 9:30am for choir practice for Ward Conference at 11am. Really now - too early! haha

Little Rock was great. Not much to do in the city as a tourist, but I enjoyed myself. It was a neat experience, and I got to see Jared. :-D YAY!! haha

Below are just some pictures from the past few days, so enjoy! I know I did/do! :-)

Kaitlin and I at the Arkansas Welcome Center.

Our hotel, Double Tree Hilton.

The Arkansas River - our view.

The elevator in the Peabody, where the conference was held.

Flooring at the Clinton Library - We got to visit Thursday night, after hours.

Jared and I before we went out Friday night. :-D

Michele and I on the Trolley.

Old Stone Fort Museum - the original capital

Oh yea, you might wonder... what decisions?!? Well, there are several that I'm always trying to figure out, and right now, I'm just trying to find out what is best and waiting on someone else to decide. I know it needs to be what the Lord wants, and I feel in my heart it is. *sigh*

Little Rock

I'm here in Little Rock for the NCFR Conference, and it's going well. I haven't really attended a lot of sessions where I just sit and listen, but I have gotten some good information and have just enjoyed being away from home.

Today is the last day that we are really going to be doing anything with the Conference, even though there are still things happening tomorrow. We decided that we want to check out the city some before heading back to Nacogdoches. It's been nice to learn how things work so that next year, I'll know. PS - Next year it's going to be held in San Fransico!! :-D

Tonight is going to be a fun night as well! I'm seeing Jared, and I'm excited. I have no clue what we are going to do, but we are going to figure it out. We always do. haha So yea - good times! I miss my baby, Lexie (my dog), and I miss my family. However, it's always nice to get away when I have the chance.

A Single Voice by Kristen M. Oaks

Okay, so I'm reading this book that came out a couple months ago written by Kristen Oaks. First, let me just say that I love her! I have met her and have heard her speak... she is truly amazing!! When she came to speak to us at the Westminster Institute, she wasn't feeling very well so she brought along her husband, Elder Dallin H. Oaks. She informed us that if she couldn't make it through, that he would finish up for her. Afterwards, she made sure that everyone had an opportunity to shake his hand and meet him. I think she told me two or three times to go shake his hand. A wonderful spirit!!

With this book, it's about her life and the life of others while they are single, and usually single for many years, for this life, or became widowed. If you know me, I don't really love the fact that I'm 25 and single; however, I'm trying to love it. This books really helps me out a lot, and puts a lot of things in a different perspective. It helps when I am part of a Church and a Ward that is very focused on families (remember, I am not a part of an eternal family right now as I'm the only member in my family).

Chapter 8: Never a Single Dull Moment is the chapter I'm currently reading, and it's so good! Okay - the whole book is amazing so far, and I'm sure it won't let me down to the end. I wanted to pull out some things that I've read that I just loved. Maybe this will inspire others or not. Either way, I know it has helped me and opened my eyes a little more.

"A valued single friend has written: 'When we come into this world, we are alone. When we enter the waters of baptism, we do this as individuals. We are confirmed one at a time. One by one we bear our testimonies. Each of us is endowed in the temple as an individual. Our Church callings usually come to the one. And when we die, it will likely be a lone experience. I think we expect that so much of life is about being a couple or with others that we ignore all the times that Heavenly Father expects us to stand alone, to be counted as an individual, and to personally bear witness. We shouldn't be surprised that so many of our key experiences come to us alone. Likewise, salvation comes to one soul at a time' Because salvation comes individually to us, we had better like ourselves and feel comfortable with who we are (153-154)."

"My motto [Dini Hansma] is: You will receive in life comparable to what you give. Single people especially need to reach out to others. Sitting back and waiting to see what others will do for you might mean you have to wait for a long time. Nobody is served by being depressed about it or having a depressed person on their hands. There is so very much to do. Help unconditionally, because if you expect rewards you will not get them and you will be disappointed. Count your blessings, and really name them one by one. Then thank the Lord for all you have and for all you can do. Ask Him what you can do for Him, instead of the other way around."

I may be single, and even have a lot of pressure to find an eternal companion to have my own family, BUT I can do so much as a single adult that many others may not be able to do. This really is MY time to serve the Lord to the fullest, and to learn all about me. This is my time to enjoy the blessings I've been given, and to enjoy the simple moments where the only one I have to think about is myself when needed, and go out and serve others as it calls for!!

Self-Assessment (ISFJ)

For one of my classes, we are having to do a self-assessment by using the Myers-Briggs Assessment and also having to find out what our learning styles may be. This is something I've done before when I was a RA for Westminster College; however, I don't remember what I was then. In doing this, I found out that I'm a ISFJ and wow, it fits!

One analysis of this is from Keirsey and they break it down into four temperaments, and within those temperaments are a couple different types of people. Here is what they say about me:

Guardian - Portrait of the Protector (ISFJ)

We are lucky that Protectors make up as much as ten percent the population, because their primary interest is in the safety and security of those they care about - their family, their circle of friends, their students, their patients, their boss, their fellow-workers, or their employees. Protectors have an extraordinary sense of loyalty and responsibility in their makeup, and seem fulfilled in the degree they can shield others from the dirt and dangers of the world. Speculating and experimenting do not intrigue Protectors, who prefer to make do with time-honored and time-tested products and procedures rather than change to new. At work Protectors are seldom happy in situations where the rules are constantly changing, or where long-established ways of doing things are not respected. For their park, Protectors value tradition, both in the culture and in their family. Protectors believe deeply in the stability of social ranking conferred by birth, titles, offices, and credentials. And they cherish family history and enjoy caring for family property, from houses to heirlooms.

Wanting to be of service to others, Protectors find great satisfaction in assisting the downtrodden, and can deal with disability and neediness in others better than any other type. They are not as outgoing and talkative as the Provider Guardians (ESFJs), and their shyness is often misjudged as stiffness, even coldness, when in truth Protectors are warm-hearted and sympathetic, giving happily of themselves to those in need.

Their reserve ought really to be seen as an expression of their sincerity and seriousness of purpose. The most diligent of all the types, Protectors are willing to work long, hard hours quietly doing all the thankless jobs that others manage to avoid. Protectors are quite happy working alone; in fact, in positions of authority they may try to do everything themselves rather than direct others to get the job done. Thoroughness and frugality are also virtues for them. When Protectors undertake a task, they will complete it if humanly possible. They also know better than any other type the value of a dollar, and they abhor the squandering or misuse of money. To save, to put something aside against an unpredictable future, to prepare for emergencies - these are actions near and dear to the Protector's heart. For all these reasons, Protectors are frequently overworked, just as they are frequently misunderstood and undervalued. Their contributions, and also their economies, are often taken for granted, and they rarely get the gratitude they deserve.

Mother Teresa, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Steward, and Tsar Nicholas II are examples of Protector Guardian style.