This is why I wake up in the morning. :)

So I'm sitting there in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday

scratching Marissa's back.

It's Testimony Meeting.

This girl in my ward goes up to bear her testimony,

and she's talking about her family back east

(zai Niu Yue...? I think?)

[Google Translate that- it's Chinese. :)]

in Hurricane Sandy.

Her family was sitting a few rows ahead of me.

She shared a story about her little nephew and how he prayed for the family's safety back east.

She said that he prayed for a force field around them so that they would be safe.

Come to find out later, the family had been protected,

and they had power, when others around them didn't,

as if a force field had been around them.

She told us that her nephew's prayer had been answered

and that a "force field" really was there!

Her nephew,

who was sitting a few rows ahead of me,

who must have been about 3 or 4 years old,

instantly perks straight up at this thought,

eyes wide,

mouth forming an "o" in surprise,

and looks at his grandma (the girl's mom) in SHOCK.

His prayer was ANSWERED,

and his force field was REAL. :)

It was the CUTEST thing

I have ever witnessed

in my life. :)

 

Part II

My 17-yr-old brother has a friend who was diagnosed with cancer last August.

I haven't personally met her,

but I've heard great things about her,

and I started following her blog.
(which I highly recommend reading, btw)

She is one of the most beautiful, amazing, strongest girls I have ever seen.

I look up to her.

She is a shining light to me in my life,

and she doesn't even know it.

She's a light to many people here!

I have the highest respect for this beautiful girl.

She runs cross country.

There was a 5k in her honor in my hometown at our high school.

My sister-in-law, one of my older brothers and his wife, my sister and I ran the race.

We're not really runners,

(though bro, bro's wife and I used to run in the mornings)

but this was for Rachel.

Let me tell you,

that this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Yes, we all finished the 5k without walking.

Yes, it felt amazing to achieve that.

But the most amazing part was being there

with hundreds of other people

all united

for Rachel,

who also ran the race

and finished just before bro and I. :)

I don't even really know her.
She's been to my house,
she and my little brother have spent countless hours together,
and I read her blog.
But she has a special place in my heart.
Please keep her in your prayers.

I love my family.
I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ.
And because of this:
life?
Even when life is HARD,
life is good.
:)