4 days shy of a month Vacation

So anyone that knows me knows that I like to stay really busy. Sometimes to busy for my own good. This last semester being the prime example. Mid march I found out that not only would I be released from council and school would be ending a month later I also found out that I would be losing my job. (Which was not a sad deal at all because to be honest I was glad for the opportunity to move on.) However because I was so busy I had no time to look for a job. Once I was released from council all my spare time went to finals and once I was done with finals I only had a few days left working at the school.

During the time before I lost my job I lost a friendship that I had held very dear to me. It was one of the kinds of friendships that once a change like this occurs, its lost forever (or at least for a long extended period of time) and can never be the same. I was hurt and knew that somehow I had to try and do what seemed at the time to be impossible and pull through it. (man I can be so dramatic!)

Once April 28th hit and I no longer had a job I had A LOT more time to dwell on things like this. And after a conversation with a few dear friends of mine (one of which happens to be the sister of the first friend and it was with her that I had the Most meaning full these conversations) I learned a few things.

1. First Your relationship with Christ is key. I learned that everything else in life not only makes more since as your relationship with Christ grows but also you grow closer to yourself and you are better able to love yourself then ever you could before because it is IMPOSSIBLE to love and come to know Christ with out gaining a love for ones self.
2. Second Be true to yourself. How many times when we are in a situation where we would like to make a more "dramatic" choice do we ignore it and call it stupid because others would like things to go the other direction then your choice would take you. May I propose that instead of ignoring that feeling listen to it. Don't act on it immediately but think on it and pray about it. You fell that way for a reason and until you fix it you can never be at peace.
3. Third Spend time on you. I'm so far from perfect and I found that I was always beating myself up because of it. I know that I can never be perfect in this life but I also know that until I can handle spending time with myself I can never change so I started to spend time on me. This doesn't mean always focusing on the negative, infact I'm not doing that at all I'm just trying to better my positive. Its made my life so much happier because now I fell like I finally have my own total support... from myself.
4. Fourth Have fun and be yourself. Tonight I was able to hang out with some friends from my ward and what did we spend time doing? Taking pictures with all the Pirates of the Caribbean cardboard cut outs at the Macey's grocery store in town, and planning out Harry Potter Marathon for the last movie and our costumes for said event. Its is so important for us to be ok with ourselves especially around our friends its so much more fun that way.

I was offered a job today and I start tomorrow. I am just 4 days shy of being out of a job for a month. But you know what it was probably the best vacation of my life! :D I am so thankful that the Lord had me slow down just long enough to get me to realize all that i had been missing these past couple of years.