Change

We made a big change, or have been in the process of for some time now, of moving to Arizona. I have the hardest time with change of any kind and I thought this talk below was great to help me "get on with my life."

Within one month we bought a house in AZ, waited for it to close, started working on it, drove back and forth between UT and AZ 100 times, closed up on deals in Utah, got released from our callings, rented the upstairs and downstairs of our house in one day, went to Las Vegas for family things and picked up a trailer, got back to our untouched house in UT at 9:00PM Sunday and packed our whole entire house the next day on Monday, and Ryan and trailer took off to AZ Tuesday morning. Since that Tuesday morning of March 22, I cleaned our house in Utah and drove down to AZ for good. It was a sad time for me. Sleeping on an air matress, alone, in our empty house brought back so many great memories that we have had there. There was a ton of blood sweat, and tears put into that cute little house in Orem. So many projects, family gatherings, visitors from out of town, birthday parties, college graduation, our first house together being married, awesome neighbors and the list goes on. I have grown to love the mountains and the beautiful green plants and flowers everywhere.

Before:

After:

I guess it is just the end of one era of our lives and onto the next to make more great memories in a new place. We have torn this little home in AZ all apart with the help of so many and it will soon be just as cute as our home in Utah (hopefully!) I am sure our home in Arizona will bring us as much happiness as our home in Utah has. We will miss all of the family and friends in Utah, but I am back at home with all of my family and most of Ryan's here in AZ... what more could we ask for?! We have been so blessed. I am so grateful for these opportunities in my life.

Get On with Our Lives
Elder Steven E. Snow
of the Presidency of the Seventy

We too need to “get on with our lives.” Most of us do not seek or even welcome dramatic changes. But change is an essential part of life’s experiences.... Too often we are reluctant to enter the next stage, begin the next challenge. Maybe we are too comfortable, fearful, or lacking in faith...

How can we then best prepare for the changes we must inevitably face as we progress through life?

First, follow the prophets. Listen to and abide by the counsel of the Brethren. Prophets often raise a voice of warning but also provide steady, pragmatic counsel to help us weather the storms of life.

Second, keep an eternal perspective. Understand that change and challenges are part of God’s plan. By design this mortal existence is a time of testing or a time “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25).

Life’s challenges and changes provide opportunities for us to grow as we exercise our agency in making righteous decisions.

Third, have faith. President Thomas S. Monson has counseled us that “faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other” (“Come unto Him in Prayer and Faith,” Liahona, Mar. 2009, 4; Ensign, Mar. 2009, 6).

Fourth, be of good cheer. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught how to respond to adversity. Part of his counsel included: “The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable” (“Come What May, and Love It,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 27).