Just some (not studying) thoughts.

My life right now consist of studying, going to school and loving Dallas. That's it, that is all I have to do all day every day! Sure, I could do other things, but why? These are the things that I love most. I love to study and learn new things. It is so fun and exciting!! I get to spend all day studying and learning things that will help take care of my future family. Dallas told his step-sister last Sunday that as far as school goes, "I'm thriving." I wouldn't put it that way, but I can definently find joy in what I am doing.

 

I had to buy a ~$800 dollar set of medical equipment this summer. I was feeling really annoyed by it all!! Why would I need such an extravagance? Every doctors' office and hospital provides this equipment for their providers. Then I started thinking to the future...

Little Caleb fell off the trampoline and gashed his head open(little exaggeration)! (in the future) If I had been there I could have just pulled out my doctors (pa) bag and stitched up his little head!

If one of my (future) or my sisters kiddos, possibly has an ear infection... I could just whip out my otoscope and check! Fun right :) *I know your all so jealous*

 

Now of course I get tired of studying (like right now), just like you get tired of almost anything that you HAVE to do. If I can keep in mind that I actually like it...Learning that is... sometimes it can set me into the right mood. Other times I have to do something else, like posting my thoughts.

 

Dallas.

What else can I say? He is the love of my life and I don't get to see him nearly enough.

My friends often get tired of me talking about Dallas, which makes me sad because he is so wonderful. I never thought I could love someone so much so easily. I married my best friend.

Dallas and I had to speak in church on Sunday on Marriage and Family. I know what all of you are thinking, the easiest subject in the world. It was. Friday night, when Dallas was at work and I was missing him very much, I sat down and started righting the introduction to my talk. I got a little carried away and ended up pretty much writing the entire thing. All I had to do was add some quotes from President Hinckley and I was set!! I wanted to share some of my favorite parts with you…

Dallas and I have been married 2 ½ years. I grew up in Show Low, AZ in a family of 8 kids and Dallas grew up in Mesa with lots of brothers and sisters too!

We met at a party 3 ½ yrs ago through Dallas's sister, Mindy, who I'd met at ASU

Dallas and I became best friends pretty much immediately. He was the sweetest, nicest, most helpful, caring guy I'd ever met. (He was that way to everyone)

We dated on and off for 5-6 months continuing to stay best friends due to Dallas's insistence on being part of my life

We finally convinced each other to get married and have enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[talk continued…]

I love the commintment that marriage, specifically eternal marriage, brings to our relationship.

• There is a bond that is formed in that holy place that is so special and complete I can not imagine living without it. The trust that encircles our relationship is not something to toy with or take lightly. It forms a perfect security blanket in the world that we live in.
  

 

• Gordon B Hinckley once said, "How sweet is the assurance, how comforting is the peace that comes from the knowledge that if we marry right and live right, our relationship will continue, notwithstanding the certainty of death and the passage of time. Men may write love songs and sing them. They may yearn and hope and dream. But all of this will be only a romantic longing unless there is an exercise of authority that transcends the powers of time and death."
  
• "Every man who truly loves a woman and every woman who truly loves a man hopes and dreams that their companionship will last forever. But marriage is a covenant sealed by authority. If that authority is of the state alone, it will endure only while the state has jurisdiction, and that jurisdiction ends with death. But add to the authority of the state the power of the endowment given by Him who overcame death, and that companionship will endure beyond life if the parties to the marriage live worthy of the promise."
  
  
• "But this gift, precious beyond all others, comes only with a price—with self-discipline, with virtue, with obedience to the commandments of God. These may be difficult, but they are possible under the motivation that comes of an understanding of truth"
  

• Eternal marriage is a security blanket in this world. It is knowing that we will be here for each other for eternity. We are completely committed to each other. We were joined in a union which death cannot dissolve and time cannot destroy.
  
• With our marriage in the temple, we have made an eternal family. The children that we have someday will be born under that sacred covenant and will have that gift from us. What a wonderful thing to give your children! There are very few things that you could give them greater than the gift of an eternal family.
  

  
   

  • I will never forget the excitement and joy that Dallas had the first day he, literally, carried me over the threshold to our new apartment and said, "Welcome, to your new home, Mrs. Turley." What Dallas meant to say was, "Welcome to your eternal family, a relationship you can count on, will always be there, and will be the 'place' you come for comfort." He was so excited to finally have that feeling of commitment and certainty, that this was forever…
    

  
   

• The proclamation to the world concerning family is a wonderul revelation. I love it and its coming forth was perfect timing. It is just another testament that the Lord knows what these last days are going to consist of and gives us the tools we need to get through them. When this revelation came out we had no idea that we would be in a world where we would need to define marriage as between a man and a women. But there it says it explicitly, "Marriage between man and women is essential to His eternal plan, and children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."
  

  
   

• I love to hear the prophets and apostles speak of their love for their wives. We often heard President Gordon B. Hinckley speak of his wife and their love for each other. It gave me tingles every time and made me yearn for that kind of love and commitment.
  
• Joseph Smith often spoke of his love for Emma in this same way. These two people were truly dedicated to each in life and in death. They loved each other unfailingly and trusted in God to help them through the trying times. In the Ensign this month there is an article about Joseph and Emma. I can't help but love this article about their various hardships and the private love and compassion they held for each other through these hard times. It actually saddens me that we do not speak to each other this way anymore. They letters almost reflected poetry to each other. Hear are some exerts from the ensign article.
  
  • Joseph wrote, "My heart is entwined around yours forever and ever." "My dear and beloved companion of my bosom in tribulation and affliction." "If you want to know how much I want to see you, examine your feelings, how much you want to see me… I would gladly walk from here to you barefoot and bareheaded… to see you and think it great pleasure, and never count it toil." "Oh, Emma, do not forsake me nor the truth, but remember me; if I do not meet you again in this life, may god grant that we may meet in heaven. I cannot express my feelings; my heart is full. Farewell, O my kind and affectionate Emma. I am yours forever, your husband and true friend." No one could deny Josephs affection for Emma. He truly loved her unfailingly.
    
  • Even Emma's letters reflected her deep love and concern for Joseph, "I verily feel that if I had no more confidence in god than some I could name, I should be in a sad case indeed, but I still believe that if we humble ourselves and are as faithful as we can be, we shall be delivered from every snare that may be laid for our feet." "The walls, bars and bolts, rolling rivers, running streams, rising hills, sinking valleys, and spreading prairies that separate us and the cruel injustice that first cast you into prison and still holds you there, with many other considerations, places my feelings far beyond description."
    

 

I love these lines. They would be considered cheezy these days… but I think they are wonderful. They were expressing, quite eloquently, how much they loved each other.