Day 5

A photo of yourself two years ago...

This picture was taken almost two years ago exactly.  It was taken on St. Patrick's Day in the "Town-Square" of Fort Collins, Colorado during a spring-break road trip.  My two friends, Davey and Mike, and I thought we were hilarious.  Okay, well, we were pretty funny.  ;)  It's amazing to think how drastically life can change in just a short period of time.  When this photo was taken, I was literally the happiest I have ever been in my life.  I had been working really hard at watching what I was eating and was down 20 lbs.  I was living life exactly as the teachings of Jesus Christ tell me I should.  I had just turned in my mission papers.  Little did I know that not far off in the distant future the darkest time of my life was waiting for me...

I wish I could say that I'm completely over it, but I'm not.  I wish I could say I'm just as happy now as I was in this picture, but I'm not.  I wish I knew exactly how to make that happen, but I don't.  I guess that's just part of life, you appreciate the happy moments because of the sad ones; you're made stronger by the challenges that are inflicted upon you.  However, here's what I do know: without friends and family I am nothing, but even more than that without God I am nothing.  He has a plan for me, and I need to be humble enough to let it happen.  I wasn't supposed to go on a mission two years ago.  For everything there is a season. 

I'm just hoping that this season is mine, and I've got a pretty good feeling about it.  :)