Blessed

My heart has been overflowing with gratitude these past few days, but this morning it hit me especially hard.

First of all, there's walking. I've gotten the chance to relearn what it's like to wobble around on your own. Do you realize how utterly wonderful it is to take that first step? And then another and another! It's really, really amazing! This is a joy I'm glad to have experienced, even knowing the cost.

Then, this morning I realized I'd be seeing an old friend here tomorrow. I remembered back to who I was when she saw me in April. ...how different I was! During the following few months, I felt like I was on an accelerated spiritual learning track. And then I got hit and I found out that that acceleration could speed up. It was amazing how much I could learn in a very short amount of time about life, love, suffering, and humility. I feel so grateful that I was allowed to learn all of that. He really answered my prayer when I asked to follow Him and become more like Him.

And as I was singing that morning, it hit me what happened almost exactly a year ago during a similar singing time. Back last December, I was praying to know God's will for me and He answered it by letting me feel Him there with me. It's an indescribable experience that I've had twice in one year, that being the first time.
That's when I truly understood how good He is and how unmatched His love. I understood the Atonement better than I had (that one nearly blew me away) and I knew that it was a priceless gift I was totally unworthy of.

At that point, my heart felt like it would burst with thankfulness.
I've been so blessed!

"Christmas From the Heart"

Well, it was a pretty exciting day with this afternoon being Bridger Mountain Harmony Chorus's annual show, "Christmas From the Heart." We had three quartets, two choruses, two soloists, and a flute trio involved and it was a blast.

The chorus itself was fun. And I think that it was a wonderful last show for our retiring director. At least from where I was, it was the best we'd ever done on many of the songs. I was glad God answered that particular prayer of mine, that this be a great last show for her. She really deserves it.

Most exciting for me was honestly being a part of the flute trio with Carol and Emma. I've never done anything like that. Emma has been in band and Carol's been in tons of things, but the closest thing I've had was Gamelan and that wasn't even close to as exposed as a flute trio is. But during both pieces all I seemed to be able to do was smile inside. With flute, you can really feel the resonance between you and the other two flutes. And for someone as deeply affected by music as I am, it felt like an almost physical bond between us. One of harmony and melody intertwining, leaping, and flowing together. I was sad when it was over, but exhilarated for having done it. I sure do love those two. Just to think that two years ago, I'd never met Emma and hardly knew of Carol. Wow. God can't work pretty fast when He wants to!

Then, I also did one of the solo lead parts with the chorus accompanying me. That was amazing too, but with that one, it was God I felt close to. He used my voice and I sang as I can't remember ever singing in front of a crowd. It felt so loud and ringy. But all I could seem to think about was God and all He's done for me lately, especially with leading me to Him. People said it was good and I believe them, though I don't really remember because of what it was eclipsed by.

Overall, a wonderful experience. :)

Real Live Math Problem

Heh. So the yesterday in between bouts of physics homework, I realized that with Alli moving out in a few days, we needed to get the tabs between all of us settled.

If we call the Roommates A, J, C, and W, then the math is as follows:

Deposit needed paid back to A from C and W at 75 each. Next month's rent would be paid by C, so J and W needed to pay her 300 each. A needed to pay 10 days rent to the other three, which is 75 total, but then internet for the next month gets split and 22.29 is owed to J by C and W.

The additional parameter: Try doing this with the least amount of checks written only by J and W.

I finally got it down to a W->J check, J->C check, and J->A check. But honestly, that's the first real life puzzle I've had of that degree in a long time.