29 May - 4 June 2023
I'm not really feeling up to giving a play-by-play of my week, but I do want to note some important things. I made a new friend! Kimberly Smith :) The missionaries have been teaching her the lessons and I've been attending them, and we really clicked. We've had some really good conversations, and she's invited me to things and has been receptive to my invitations. She also wants to be a therapist! She went to the Memorial Day ward barbeque and then I attended two of her lessons this week! One of them was really tender because I was able to share the experience I'd had in the temple from the previous Saturday, and it brought such a sweet Spirit that she could identify and feel. So that was incredible. Then we chatted for almost an hour after out in the parking lot, just the two of us! I had a really awesome stake activities committee meeting on Sunday, and I've spent a lot of time following up with my committee members and planning for activities that can help us bond. I even asked my co-chair if we could take time to chat and get to know each other better so we can be more united and knowledgeable about each other. He is leaving soon for his mission, but he is motivated to give it his all until he leaves. Friday night, I went to another lesson with the missionaries, but I wasn't feeling that great and was tired, so I didn't speak up much. I think a huge part is me reading my friend and how anxious she was, and that affected my ability to be calm and feel the spirit and have things to say. I did initiatories early in the morning on Saturday, then exercised, then went to clean the church with my sisters and we went shopping after. Valerie hosted a girls' night and got treats for it. I took a nap and did some homework. I also got to hold my baby neice. She is getting so big! The girls' night was refreshing, just talking. We didn't actually do any games or anything. I fasted on Sunday to be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works. I'm at a really good place in my life and just need the momentum to keep going. When I find myself sad or lonely, I don't try to distract or wish them away, but I take ownership of what I'm feeling and that I'm the one who is responsible for making myself happy. I can't expect another person to make me not feel lonely or sad. I have all the power within myself to live a happy and fulfilled life, and I think I will constantly have to remind myself of that because we live in a world that promotes a very opposite message than that. I think it can be disheartening when I work so hard and throw myself into something and don't see any results, and it can make me lose the motivation for it, but I have to remind myself WHY I'm doing it. If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing it for me, not for anyone else or any other validation. When I start expecting external results, that's when things get discouraging. So yeah, it really is me and God against the rest of the world. It's just us two, Him helping me make a difference in myself and in the world, and anyone else I encounter is just a bonus, a blessing to add happiness to my life. And I'm learning how much I really do have to offer as a therapist. I do have unique insights, understanding, and empathy. What I have to offer people is a unique skill and talent that they cannot get anywhere else.
Much love,
Emily Burnham
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