Lift, Encourage, Inspire & Bless

I had great plans for this blog, just as I had for my life...but Plan A never seems to work out for me. Or plan B or C or L for that matter. And so we just keep trucking along wondering what plans God has in store for us next. The thing that has been on my mind the most this last few months is FRIENDS. What a glorious blessing it is to have a good friend. I just want to give a shout out to all of the amazing friends I've had in my life. I am so grateful for all of the incredible memories and adventures and experiences with so many great and inspiring people over the years. You have truly touched my heart and my life and made me in large part, who I am. If I ever start to doubt if God knows me or if he remembers who I am...all I have to do is close my eyes and remember he gave me people like this: And I can't help but feel loved. :)

So tonight at six Valeria and I headed over to visit a sister in our ward and to say hello, we're trying to meet everyone and put names and faces together so Katie was up on the list tonight. We rang the doorbell and her roommate Mary answered. "Hi is Katie here?" We asked. "Yeah, just one second, " she responded, "KATIE!" "Yeah" Katie said from the kitchen. "Someone's here to see you", her roommate responded.   "Who?" Katie asked. "It's me!" I said loudly from the doorway, just teasing, but was shocked as Katie's response rang back from the kitchen. "Oh hi Stephanie! I'll be right there!" Katie is blind. She is a college student living on her own and attending classes at the local college. She's one of the most cheerful people you will ever meet. As she came into the room she explained how she recognized my voice from talking with me at church one Sunday. I was amazed. Wha...

Broke my nose last weekend. Been thinking about it. I'm amazed at the incredible people who seem to come out of no where and everywhere to help you, just when you need it. People took care of me, gave me medicine, ice, drove me to the hospital, left cookies on my door, called me, visited, the list goes on and on. Perhaps that's why God allows some things to break. Because it's in the fixing....that we really get a chance to learn and grow...through serving each other...and through the process of mending itself. What have I learned in my life from broken things? I distinctly remember my brother and sisters and I playing baseball in our living room one Sunday afternoon. Suddenly my mothers voice came drifting in from the other room where she was reading her book interrupting our fun, "You're going to break my vase", she said. Now you've got to understand the vase was like around the corner and in another hallway from where we were playing. "Mom!"...