Remember

President Kimball said remember is likely the most important word in the dictionary. I agree.

Friday I interviewed at BYU for the Counseling Psychology PhD program. Saturday they let me know that I am an alternate and I get to wait and see how the people they offered spots to respond. Bummer. I really wanted to get into the program and maybe if a miracle happens I still will, but I'm not counting on it.

BYU has the biggest counseling center of any university in the US and the Counseling Psychology program provides a lot of opportunities to get experience there. I really want to work at a university counseling center, but maybe it is not meant to be. Apparently lowly counselors with just a Master's degree are not good enough for university counseling centers. At least there aren't as many options for me now as there would be if I got a PhD in Psych. Maybe that will change someday. Until then I guess I'll figure something else out even if it involves medicaid (Yuck).

I've been told "no" quite a few times now. It gets old. My career plans certainly haven't turned out the way I have envisioned them. I'm still not really sure how we ended up moving to Pocatello and going to ISU. I never would have predicted that but I wouldn't change it either. I've learned a lot.

I've learned that everybody gets their fair share of trials, but some people get way more than their fair share. LIFE IS NOT FAIR. Some people get it relatively easy and then there are people like Job. Personally I think I'll keep the trials I have. I could certainly have it worse and I know an awful lot of people that do.

I just wish I learned from my trials so I didn't have to keep having more. Many of my trials are self inflicted and some of them are just straight up imagined. Things are rarely as bad as we think. No one is picking on me even if it feels like it sometimes. That's where the remembering comes in.

I try really hard to be quick to observe (If you are not familiar with Elder Bednar's talk about it you should make yourself familiar) but unfortunately I'm no Mormon (the person not the nickname for my religion). I'm a slow learner and I forget things quickly. The good news is that I know it and I'm working on it. Two years ago after I finished my Bachelors I worked swing shifts, graveyards, and weekends for $9 an hour. I had a horrible job and few options. I'm in a lot better place now so I should be grateful right? Even if the options I have left after getting told no aren't exactly what I want.

So my invitation for you is to remember. Remember what really matters. Remember Him. I'll be working on it.