Goals and Perspectives

Another busy week has past! It was filled with studying, test taking, training for my new job at WADDL (Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory), and working with the Bighorns. I think my favorite part is working with the Bighorns. Spring Break starts tomorrow and I am going to kick it off by spending time with pregnant sheep and goats at 6 am to see if they have delivered any babies. My mom is coming to see me Tuesday and Wednesday! She hasn't been here since my White Coat Ceremony. Finally, I am heading to Utah at the end of the week!

I have been thinking a lot about goals since Randy left and I have set three attainable ones. While pondering on them I realized that each goal focuses on a different gift from Heavenly Father. The first has to do with the opportunity to develop my character. Am I becoming the person my Heavenly Father wants me to become, am I developing characteristics that bring me closer to Him? The second, how am I spending the time He has given me? Am I using my time to develop my talents, serving others and improving myself or am I idling away my time on frivolous things? The third, how am I treating the body He has given me? Am I cherishing it as a precious gift or am I treating it as something ordinary?

I found this quote by Elder M. Russel Ballard that went along beautifully with this idea. It was originally given in an address for young adults in Salt Lake City on October 18, 1981.

"I am so convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life."

Carl Sandburg said something similar. He said, "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

What are you doing with your life?

Creation

Randy has been gone a week and a day now. I have been doing my best to stay busy including training for a new job, took a trip to the U of I sheep center, attended a saturday therio lab, going to Stake Women's Conference, being with friends, and of course lots of time with Mitch. 

Last night Becky and I were attempting to study for immunology. While we were studying, we discussed how amazing the different parts of the immune system are. For example, a particular part of the immune system involves specific cells randomly mutating at specific times after the body has been exposed to some form of pathogen. From these mutations, a perfect match (meaning a cell that can respond to this exact pathogen) is created and the body can stop the spread of the pathogen and this process does not take very long. To top it off, the body can then store some of these cells for decades just incase the body sees the same pathogen and then the body can mount an effective immune response even faster!!! Isn't that just amazing- that random mutations in the DNA of specific cells can protect us from disease?! It strengthened my testimony that there is a Supreme Creator. It would be impossible for this beautiful system paired with hundreds of other systems working together seamlessly to sustain life could happen by happen-stance. This testifies to me that there is a grand design and that God lives.