One by One

Today in Relief Society we had an incredible lesson on the power of temple work. We discussed how many people don't put aside time for temple attendance and ancestry because there are just so many names and the work never is never done. I started thinking about the power of one and how even if you only have time to do one baptism, or one name, that it still makes a complete difference for that one individual person. I came home and looked up some scriptures and started reflecting on Christ's ministry and how many times he took time to make a difference in one person's life.

"he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all..." -3 Nephi 18:36

"one of them spake unto me, calling me by name" - Joseph Smith History 1:17

"and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them" -3 Nephi 17:21

Too often I think we all find ourselves feeling unnoticed and invisible. Lately I have been so busy that I haven't really had time to myself and have begin to feel very overwhelmed and finding myself breaking down. I accidentally ate something I was allergic to on Sunday and it made me really sick. I spent four days feeling extremely dizzy, throwing up, fainting, and putting up with a lot of abdominal pain. But regardless of being sick, I still had hours of classes, work and homework to keep up on. Along with being sick, I've been preparing for eight final exams, working ten hours every day, trying to keep up on bills, juggling housework and laundry, functioning on 4-5 hours of sleep, and making time for a wonderful and loving husband. This lesson helped me to take a deep breath and reflect on President Uchtdorf's talk last year about the forget-me-not flowers.

"Sisters, there is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your

Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you."

This lesson really reiterated how much every single one of us means to our Heavenly Father on an individual and personal basis. He know us by name. He is aware of our individual needs, struggles, strengths, and weaknesses. I've been thinking a lot about all the tender mercies that have taken place in my life this week. Here are just a few of them:

• Sunday as we were saying goodbye to Justin and Shellese, they surprised me with a bag of potato chips! As silly as this sounds, potato chips are one of the only snack foods I'm not allergic to! I'd been kind of sad because Eric and I opted against any Easter baskets because of $, so my potato chips were a simple Easter gift that really turned my day around. Justin is infamous for always sneaking potato chips into my stuff whenever we are leaving town. Thank you for always thinking of me and making me smile!
• Monday evening Bill and Sherry Baker (family friend's) took us out to dinner for fhe. We ate at an Indian place called Korinoor that is now my absolute favorite place to eat here in Provo! Though I had a ten page paper to finish and a review to attend, it was wonderful getting to set aside an hour and exchange some smiles and laughs. Not to mention that for the first time this semester I didn't have to make dinner!
• Friday night our dear friend, Mike Vogue, came by to give us hugs since he graduates and leaves BYU in a few days . He brought Eric bags of protein powder as a late birthday present since Eric has been his gym buddy this past semester. It sure made us sad to say goodbye and think about all the wonderful times we've had together. I'm getting sad to see so many of our friends graduate and move on. But I am grateful that our paths were able to cross for our short time here at BYU and that we've been able to impact each other's lives. Eric and I truly have hundreds of the most wonderful friends in the world!
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Another blessing happened last night after I had had a really long and tiring day of finals and work. I got home and found these sitting on my counter! You might laugh and think it silly, but it's really hard not being able to eat snack foods (especially while studying for finals) and I never buy myself junk food because I feel guilty spending the money. So, Eric had gotten me two of my favorite snacks to cheer me up! I'm so grateful for a wonderful husband and friends who are always full of smiles and hugs. Though they are usually very unaware of the moments they touch my life, I am constantly surrounded by loving friends who uplift and motivate me. I know that God is watching out for me. He never leaves me alone. And though I'm working hard and wearing myself out, he makes up for all my short comings. I am so grateful for the knowledge that God knows me individually and that he takes care of all his children, one by one.