That There Shall Not Be Room Enough to Receive It

Allow me to preface the beginning of this post by saying that I will get to the reason for my post title at the end. And here's why: I always save the best for last. Even when I am eating. (See, this could have been another random thing about me, but I didn't think of it at the time, so now you get to learn it). See, when I eat a "formal" dinner - this means I actually have a cooked meal and sit down and eat like a normal person - (and probably any other time as well), I always examine my plate and consider what, to me, is going to be the tastiest part. Okay, not even just as simple as that. I rank the whole plate. So whatever I feel is the least likeable, I eat first. And I don't "mix-n-match" either. I don't take a bite of corn, and then a bite of mashed potatoes, and then a bite of steak. Nope. I eat ALL the corn first. Then all the mashed potatoes. Then I get to the steak. This is, of course, an example meal and not one I am specifically citing. But just so you get my gist :). *I do want to say that this plan sometimes back-fires on me, because there are occasions when my judgement has been flawed, and the thing that looked like it would be best ends up not tasting so great. These are sad days. Just be aware of this flaw in my philosophy (at least with eating the food in this manner) in case you had some burning desire to attempt this method* So anyway, I save the best for last. And so by the time you reach the end of this post, you will know why my title is what it is.

Exciting thing #1: In celebration of finishing the semester and also in celebration of my "best" news (which you will learn shortly), I decided to treat myself to the movie that once starred these people:

And if that doesn't really help you, then maybe these quotes from the movie will:

"Hey you guys!"

"This one. This one right here. This was my dream, my wish. And it didn't come true. So I'm taking it back. I'm taking 'em all back."

Okay, give up? Here ya go:

I LOVE The Goonies. I have been wanting this movie for some time, and since they had it on sale for $6.99 at Circuit City this week, I figured I deserved a treat. So, for your listening pleasure, how about a shout-out to Cyndi Lauper, who tells us the Goonies are "Good enough." The video is a little long and drawn-out, but you can watch a bunch of huge WWF wrestling stars from back in the day ;). Anyway, The Goonies is the classic 80s adventure for kids and teens. I heard a rumor once that some movie called Monster House is being considered this generation's Goonies, but I just don't see it. I rented the other movie and I couldn't even get through it. I felt like I'd wasted my time watching just half of the movie. That is never the case with The Goonies. I can watch that movie repeatedly and enjoy it every time. It will always have a special place in my heart. If you've never seen it, you must watch it. There's just something special about a bunch of teens and pre-teens on a quest for treasure that touches the 80s child in all of us :).

Coincidentally, in the summer of 1999, Julie and I, along with my cousin Tatiana and our friend Bonnie, decided to take on "personas" from this movie based on a mall photo-booth picture. So, let me introduce you to us (even though I can't add the picture because, even after 30 minutes of them working on it in R&D, the scanner at my computer would not work). Okay, so imagine four grown women crammed into a mall photo-booth thing. All you can see is Bonnie's nose and mouth (so we labeled her "Mouth"), and one of my eyes (so I became "One-Eyed Willy). You can see all of Tatiana's and Julie's faces. So the other two characters in the movie who have nicknames for names are Sloth and Chunk. And basically, ONLY because Julie couldn't say "Hey you guys" (which is Sloth's line from the movie) as well as Tatiana could, Julie had to be Chunk. I promise it has nothing to do with being chunky. It was based on a process of elimination. I'm telling you... if you could see the picture, this would be so much funnier.

Exciting thing #2: My cousin called me last night and we chatted for a good 30 minutes about my up-coming trip (which is actually exciting news #3: that I leave tomorrow). I am so excited. It seems there is not supposed to be snow falling at any point while I'm there. However, I know it is snowing in D.C. this morning (my co-worker Le's daughter lives in D.C.) and so maybe there will at least be some snow on the ground up there. Here's to hoping. However, I will be having so much fun anyway that non-snowing is not even a blip on my screen of disappointments :). It was just one of those things that would have been cool. But I will surely see snow around this time next year when I'm living in Washington State. I've been patient for the last 27 years, I'm sure I can handle one more... Anyway, my cousin and I had a fun conversation and I am really looking foward to seeing her. My aunt has been able to get Friday off work and she will be coming with us into NYC. How exciting!!! I have been warned about the filthiness of the subway (so Kristin, it appears we will, in fact, be riding the subway, and I will get pictures!). Is it demented that I am totally psyched about this - the subway???

Exciting thing #4: Institute. I love Institute. I learn so much. And last night, since it was the last night for the semester, we had pizza and soda for dinner. Yum. But even without the dinner, I love Institute. I will miss it for the next 3 or so weeks. I realize I will be super-busy and all that, so it's not like my time won't be occupied. However, I truly have learned so much this past year as we have studied the scriptures. While it is sometimes hard to imagine how some of the Old Testament stories apply to our lives today, the truth is, they do. We finished up the semester last night with the lesson about David's fall from grace. We discussed the many steps David went through before he actually committed the sins he committed. We discussed how many warning signs he had to ignore in order for him to complete the sins. And we discussed the warnings we have in our day, to help keep us from those sins. How awesome to know that the scriptures are true - that they can help us stay on the straight and narrow path as we read, understand, and hearken. And to know that our Heavenly Father loves us so much, He gave us these "instructions" to help us on the oft-times rocky path of mortality.

Exciting thing #5: Even though the city in which my family all lives in WA was in the news for the bad weather and flooding they received over the last few days, all of my family members are safe and sound.

Exciting thing #6: The BEST. Okay, so I'm sitting here at my desk at work yesterday evening at about 4:30. I'm looking at Kraft recipes for holiday desserts (because I love food) because I had just gotten an email from them with these recipes. When all of a sudden, I get an email message in my work email account. So, I can read who it's from and the first line or two of the message in the little window that pops up from Outlook Express to tell me I have gotten a new message. My heart nearly stops, because I just cannot believe what it says:

Congratulations!!I am pleased to be able to provide
some support for your spring 2008 study. This support will come from the Marie
Drolet Bristol Memorial Endowed School of Library and Information Studies
Scholarship. The scholarship is for $500.00.

Okay, so let me give you the history here... I was awarded an $800 scholarship for this (fall)semester. Such a huge blessing. I have been saving up money so I could pay cash for my final tuition payment (I don't have to pay for anything in the summer, because working here gets me 2 classes paid in the summer). I deliberated for several months about whether or not I would again apply for a scholarship for spring 2008 semester. I deliberated, because I didn't want to seem greedy. I mean, here I am, working full-time at the university, and therefore getting a huge tuition break. On top of that, I had already been awarded $800 for this semester. I commented to several people that I felt like I would look greedy if I applied for more scholarship money. They laughed at me and told me I should apply, because the worst they could say was no. So, the week before the scholarship forms were due, I went ahead and applied. I went upstairs to turn in the scholarship form, and ended up having to give it to the Dean of the library school. She said, "But you work here, don't you?" And I said, "Yes, but I'm also in school full-time." And she said, "Well, it's just that so many people are asking for money." And I said, "Yeah, and I understand that. But I always hear about times when there has been all this scholarship money, and no one has applied for it, so it just sat there. So I figured, the worst thing that could happen is that I don't get it." And she said, "Well, that's true. It's kind of like the lottery: you can't win if you don't play." And I said, "There you go." And she said, "Well, we'll see." So, fast-forward over a month, and tuition is due on Friday the 7th (which is when I'll be in NYC). I hadn't heard anything about a scholarship, so I assumed I had not gotten one. Which was fine, because I had the feeling, based on what the Dean had said, that I wouldn't get one. And I had the money saved up. So, I transfered my money from savings to checking in preparation for the spending of the big tuition bucks today (so I make sure I meet the deadline of payment and don't get dropped out of my classes). Well, then I get that email yesterday evening. To say I was floored is an understatement. I was literally speechless and shocked. My heart started pounding and I remember thinking, "Did they send this to the wrong person???"

So, long story short (too late for that), I now have to only pay $451 out-of-pocket this semester and I'm completely done paying for my Master's degree. In the end, it cost me less than $1500 for tuition (about $1408, to be exact). And it's paid for. And, I have some extra spending money for my trip (so, frozen hot chocolate - $8.50 - from Serendipity 3 in NYC, here I come (hopefully)) :).

I have been truly and abundantly blessed. I have learned many things in the past year. One of them is that the Lord fulfills His promises. (Not that I thought He didn't, but I have just seen miracles in my life which confirm it). In Malachi 3:8-10 (as well as in 3 Nephi 24:8-10 in The Book of Mormon), we are promised that, if we have the faith to pay our tithes, the Lord will poor out blessings upon us "that there shall not be room enough to receive it." I have seen that promise fulfilled in my life repeatedly. I know there is nothing He asks of me for which I will not be blessed. And He never asks anything that cannot be accomplished. He knows what we can do, and He will never ask us for more. I have been amazed at the blessings I have received as I have just done as I've been asked and let go and had faith. Now to apply that knowledge to every aspect of my life (not just the tithing). That's the hard part (for me)!