Steady and sure

Heavenly Father blessed me with incredible parents. Both have their strengths that they add to our family and they are miraculous strengths. My dad has a talent that is rare to the world and very special to me. He has always honored the Priesthood and been able to give me a Priesthood blessing whenever I needed one. But he never gives a general or broad blessing. They have always been very specific, detailed, and exactly what Heavenly Father wanted me to know.
All of my siblings and I received a blessing for the new school year and each was spectacular. My dad receives revelation for each like he is giving a Patriarchal Blessing. My blessing this time especially got me fired up for my mission.
For quite some time, I have been thinking about the timing of everything. When should I submit my papers? When should I put my availability date...on my birthday in the middle of March or after one more semester at BYU? When will I get my call? After much deliberation, I was thinking that I would submit my papers during Thanksgiving break when I come home, then have my call around Christmas time...hoping that I would be called close to my birthday. For all I knew, I could be called in July and have to consider going to the winter semester. I was hoping that I would be able to find a way to make some money during the few months that I was home.
So when my dad starts speaking by the Spirit, he lets me know that my plans will follow through. I will be able to find a temporary job during the few winter months that I am home and I will be able to go on my mission as soon as I have my birthday. He went on to tell me that there are missionaries wasting time and being disobedient. When I get there, I will be able to take their investigators and convert them to the Gospel. They will be ripe and ready. I will absolutely LOVE my mission.
Until that blessed time when I am set apart, I must be steady and sure, remain faithful, and protect myself from Satan. I have to keep the eternal perspective. When I think about a mission, my heart pounds deep inside of me and the Spirit fills my soul with excitement and joy. I am so excited for the opportunity that lies ahead of me!!!!

Starting my mission papers...

I have officially started working on my mission papers!!!! My heart pounds a little harder when I think about them. It is such an exciting time, and a point that I have been waiting to reach. When I was 14, my mother and I were talking about how far off my mission was and we decided that it would be our joke to call the time until I turn 21, the "seven years of famine". Life up to this point has been absolutely wonderful and I have lived life to its fullest. Now I am moving forward into a time that I dedicate my life 24/7 to serving the Lord. I am going to serve a full time mission and do what I was fore-ordained to.
I knew that there would be troubles along the way and that Satan would try to stop me, but today I experiences something quite humorous. I was ready to scan and upload my passport and drivers license to the online recommendation system. My drivers license has been hidden in the same location ALL SUMMER LONG, but suddenly, was no where to be found. I chuckled to myself, "Oh boy, you have got to be kidding me!" I dug through all of my bags and every place I thought it might be hiding. It magically disappeared, right when I needed it for my mission papers. I know I will find it eventually, with a lot of prayer.
Something else that I found interesting... My mom had put a new ink cartridge into our printer not too long ago. Recently enough that there should be plenty of ink to print off my medical and dental forms. However, I tried to print them off, and suddenly there was no ink. I can see that Satan is going to try everything he can to stop me from serving. If it is the Lord's will, anything is possible. I know that I am supposed to serve a mission, and somehow, I will be able to submit my papers and get to the mission field. And serve with all of my heart, might, mind and strength.