Book Review: Blide Date Collection

I love Timeless Romance Anthologies. They make me so so happy.

This anthology had it all - both historical & contemporary time periods, fantastic authors & characters, and lots and lots of romance. Really, what more do you want? I loved most of the stories and really liked the others. Each was fun and unique with characters that were interesting and well-written. The authors did a great job taking the reader through time periods and experiences unique to each novella. A great collection to read on a rainy day.

:)

I need God

I am technology illiterate. I had a beautiful picture that I wanted to share but alas I cannot get it to load. It's a problem. Not a big one, but it makes me sad anyway. Oh well. Maybe next time.

This morning I went on a short drive before church and passed a couple churches on my way. I passed them and thought how glad I was to see people going to church on Sunday. Sometimes I feel that more people need to go to church. Even in sweats or ratty clothes- they need to be at church. I then thought that those going to church have probably acknowledged a need for God. I know I have. I know that I need Him. But then I thought that we all need God more than we realize. Those who don't think they need God need him, those who only need God on Sunday need Him, those who pray to Him daily still need Him even more. I wonder if it is possible to realize and really understand how much we need God in our lives.

It made me think.

I know that I need God. I need Him desperately and rely on His strength every day. I was taken aback and set to thinking on this thought that we all need God more. I realized that this is not weakness. It is STRENGTH to acknowledge that I need more help and power from the most powerful being. I am stronger and better with Christ than I could ever be alone. There is power in that. There is power in me.

What an amazing thing.

Hannalyn is asleep in my arms, the rain is coming down nice and steady, and I find myself reflecting on life and love, on faith and family, on hopes and happiness.

Our world has been turned upside down recently with the creation of Vernal Theatre: LIVE. Upside down isn't bad, it is just different from what we used to know. The crazy thing about turning something on its end is that I realize that things aren't so different over here. My family still loves me, my daughter is still the cutest, and the gospel is still true. Despite having things upended all around me, there are some things that haven't and won't ever change. I take a lot of comfort from that.

I think the thing I miss the most about how things were even a few weeks ago is the plethora of time I had with Daniel and Hannalyn. It's amazing to me how just a couple years ago we were begging for something to do so that we could spend time together but apart. Now we'd do anything for a quiet night. Hannalyn is growing up so fast. Every time I look away it seems that she has grown and changed. Thankfully, one thing that remains the same is that I make her fall asleep for her nap in my arms. I love sitting with her, both of us peaceful, me watching her sleep, and just BREATHING. It gets me through the rest of the day. It's a miracle time for me.

I can't deny that I have been blessed. For everything to have worked out the way it has, I know that there is a higher power guiding and directing what we are doing. Miracles, most often in the. Or. Of people expressing their love, have been abundant. We are so grateful. I am so grateful. I am learning so much about people and life and family and myself. I am being stretched in ways I couldn't imagine. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

Life is beautiful. Not perfect, not sunny, not without questions and fears, but oh so amazingly beautiful. And I love it.

The Jacksons in Aug & Sep

Wow. What a month we had in August and so far in September! I've missed blogging consistently but I just can't seem to justify taking the time to sit down and do it. I'm hoping that will change a little now that we've got our first event at the theatre under our belt. In no particular order, here are a few of the things that have happened over the last while.

-- My sister Larissa had a birthday three days ago. Happy birthday wishes to her.

-- My mom had a birthday & my parents' anniversary happened. We sent them to a Josh Groban concert in Salt Lake.

-- We have 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' rehearsals going on as we get ready for opening night this week. September 9!!! Crazy.

-- We've spent a lot of time at the theatre getting ready to open. I've been going every morning with a friend of mine to clean, paint, and just do all the prep work that goes into getting a business ready to run. There has been an abundance of "things" to get done. Most of it I didn't even think about until just before. Nonetheless, despite the odds, we managed to pull together and put on an Open House. I think it turned out ok. I mean, I should be more positive. I got really great feedback and we managed to sell some tickets for Charlie Brown. We had more people come than I thought we would get considering all the other things happening that weekend. The performers especially seemed to have a good time and enjoyed being on the stage.

-- Hannalyn is a CRAZY two year old. Of course, I say that understanding that really, she isn't. Compared to other two years old, mine is exceptionally mild, patient, and wonderful in general. She is smart and feisty, brave and rambunctious, sweet and energetic, cuddly and stubborn. I love her tremendously. Everyone needs a Hannalyn in their life. She keeps me sane. Every day.

-- Daniel is a super hero. He works so hard and has been so supportive of this crazy adventure that I've pulled him into. I am so impressed and amazed by him and all he does for our family. We have put in offers on a couple houses, none of which have ended up going through yet, but we don't mind. Really, why we're trying to buy a house right now is beyond me but it feels right.

-- I am hanging in there. Actually I'm doing well. I feel very blessed and I am very grateful for the people and the gospel in my life. Even though I'm busy, I'm doing the things that I love - being a mom & wife and working with people to create memorable experiences through theatre & music. So you know, life is good. Mostly because God is good.

What else is there to say? Our life is a blessed one. It is busy and full and led by the Lord, which is really the best I can say about it. :)

Why I am doing what I am doing

This post is a long time in the works.

I often get asked how I "make it all work". It's a question that I don't really understand. But I'm going to try to answer it in this post. I don't feel like I need to answer to anyone but hope this is a cathartic experience for me. :)

I am a believer in a loving God who, if we will let Him, will guide us through our lives. He wants to bless us and to help us return to our Heavenly home. Because I believe this, I act in certain ways. I believe in promptings and inspiration that come from my Heavenly Father. I believe, and have learned from experience, that following the promptings that come from God make me happier and more successful in every way. I have gone both ways in my life and know that I am a better and happier person when I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and try to live my life the way He would like me.

That being said, life is really hard. Even when I make good choices and make choices that I know are right, life is still hard. That doesn't mean that God doesn't care or that I am doing anything wrong. It's just part of life. The hard times help me appreciate the easy times, just like sad times help me recognize the happy times. And there are many, many happy times in my life.

One thing I have noticed recently is that because I am not with Hannalyn as often as I would like, or when we spend lots of time at the theatre together instead of at home together, I appreciate her more and have more patience. I love being with her and being close to her. She is such a great blessing.

Anyway, Daniel and I have always tried to follow the direction of the Spirit in everything that we do. From the degrees we got at school, to when and where to move, to having children, and selecting a profession - we do our best to follow the Spirit. That includes our most recent foray into the world of theatre ownership. Terrifying, but we know without a doubt that it is what Heavenly Father wants us to do. It is amazing to me to see how everything has fallen into place as we've done our best to live the life Heavenly Father wants us to live. The people we have met, the experiences we have had, all have been incredible.

We love theatre. We love music. We love sharing our talents and seeing other people share theirs. Other people go to soccer games for hours and days with tournaments and practices, etc. Other people spend lots of money on their home and home improvement projects. We do theatre. So to us, it's not as huge of a sacrifice as it may be to someone else. This is what we love to do and so it makes it easier for us to do it.

Don't let that make you think we aren't scared. This could all tank and we would be in huge trouble. We are experiencing a growth of our faith as we put our trust in God and do what He asks even though it is a HUGE step into the unknown. We are doing our best to stay optimistic even when it seems as though everything is against us - finances, mail deliveries, the weather, technology, etc. etc. etc. But through it all, we are blessed with family and friends who pray for us and encourage us. In particular, I have been blessed with a couple of special friends who constantly show up to help me clean and send me texts. One of my friends rearranged her entire day last week to go to the temple with me. If she hadn't, I probably would have changed my plans. We both needed the temple on that day.

I heard once that there is no growth in your comfort zone and no comfort in your growth zone.

We are growing. It is scary, hard, and unpredictable. We could not do it without the love and prayers of the people who love us the most. We could not do it without knowing how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Thankfully, we have both of those things. And most important, we have faith. Faith that as we continue to do our best to do the things God wants us to and as we strive to live like Christ, we will be blessed and everything will be ok.

That's why, and how, I'm able to keep doing what I am doing. It's not easy. But life is good. God is good. And that will never change.