It's midnight and I was supposed to go to bed an hour and a half ago because I have class at 7:30... but alas, I'm still up reading all of my past blog posts.  It's killing me!  I'm loving reading back at the dork I was (and really still am).  It's gotten me thinking about all the ways I've changed.

I can't fall asleep.  I'm so happy right now and I don't want this night to end.  I've been in a bit of a slump.  I've just been struggling and couldn't figure out why.  I hadn't been to the temple in a while.  I always meant to go but it was hard to find a few hours (trax take forever) to go.  Terrible excuse. I just kept telling myself that I would go the next day.  So yeah, things were so hard.  I had no motivation.  I was angsty.  I was lazy.  And then that all changed yesterday.  My neighbor Taggert and I had been trying to find a day to go to the temple together and we finally found a time.  So yesterday we went.  It was exactly what I needed.

I don't know what I would do without the gospel in my life.  It grounds me when nothing else can.  Simply going to the temple, reading scriptures, pondering and praying while there was the best medicine I could have received.  I love the gospel.  With the Lord's help I can accomplish anything.  17 credit hours of purely math and science plus working in a lab is a lot. This semester won't be easy.  But I can do it because I have the Lord on my side.  Today after classes, I spent an hour and a half studying my scriptures and listening to the CES devotional that I had to miss on Sunday.  And then wrote a letter to a close friend on his mission.  I had SO much homework to do but I just decided to study first.  It made all the difference!  Honestly, such a testimony builder.  I expected to be working on my homework for a good 6-8 hours but I was able to get it done in 4.  And I understood everything!   What a blessing.

Putting the Lord first makes all the difference.  He cares about me and my studies.  He cares about my social life.  He cares that I had been feeling down in the dumps and He is there to help but I need to reach out to Him in order for his help to reach me effectively.

And there is my first post back from a long time.  It's late so excuse the rambling.

mechale lauren