Joy: Day 23

Today, I got to teach my Mia Maids, (14-15 year old girls), a lesson on dating.  And, let me tell you, it was a lot of fun!  I only have three girls in my class and one of them went home sick yesterday.  So, it was me, the other leader, and two of my cute girls having a discussion (aided by the For the Strength of Youth booklet) about what dating is, (and isn't), how to prepare to date, and what kinds of choices we should make now. 

I LOVE teaching these girls.  I love that they can say, "What I really think is *this*," and we can have a discussion from there.  (And I hope they know that I love them no matter what!)  I love being able to address these topics with them.  And I love telling them stories about my own life.  I had a blast as I was planning my lesson thinking about the different choices I made throughout my life.  And, I found myself being very grateful for the opportunities I was (and wasn't) presented with--no matter how integral (or not) I thought they were to my personal and social development.

I found myself finding joy in the plan that God had (and still has) for me.  Certainly, there were many situations in my life that I thought needed to be different for some reason or another.  But looking back over the years, I can truly see the wisdom in His plan for me.  All of the empty hopes and dreams have faded away and my reality is brighter than anything I could have imagined.  That does not mean life is roses and sunshine.  It just means that I am grateful for the pruning and shaping done throughout my life by a loving Heavenly Father who could see so much more than I could.

Other joys from yesterday:
Celebrating my birthday again with family
Receiving an "Enormous Turnip" themed matryoshka doll (I've wanted one for YEARS!)