Bibles and Bovines

Hello. Again... Still not sure how to introduce these blogs.

For those of you who don't know me too well, you must know I am a very punctual person; always on time that is. I am always organized and I always know where my things are when I need them. My room is always spotless and my clothes are always neatly folded and tucked away in my closet. My outfit must always be on point and I never leave the house until I am completely put together.

For those of you who do know me, you know the previous paragraph is a lie.

I am always late. I don't care how much time I give myself in the morning, I will never arrive on time. It's inevitable. That being said, yesterday morning was not out of the ordinary. I walked into the service meeting 7 minutes late, hair in a mess, tea cup and bible in hand, and still half asleep. Does anyone have any tips on how to make it to where I'm supposed to be at the time I am actually supposed to be there? No, better yet. Any tips on actually getting out of bed the "first" time the alarm goes off?

It ended up just being Mikayla and I working territory, while two others sisters were on a study.

If I have learned one thing the last two months of pioneering, it's that having fun in service and keeping things light is essential. One sister recently reminded me that if you lose your joy in the ministry, you'll quit. So keeping things fun and finding joy is a must when you're spending time in service.

In honor of keeping true to that philosophy, I may or may not have shared the good news with a few beautiful bovines yesterday.  But does something like that really even surprise you?? Mikayla and I were working territory just the two of us, when we passed a group of cows near the side of the road. I couldn't help but slow down and talk to them on our way by....

Cows are kind of adorable with their long eyelashes, big fuzzy ears, and their tippy toe hooves. These cows seemed to be friendly so I pulled over and Mikayla and I got out to see them.

Here's where it gets kinda funny. The cows got scared and backed up when we got to the fence. I tried talking to them and I held out grass and tried to get them to come over, but they weren't having it. So right before I was about to give up, I held out the watchtower and said "Well we're just offering the latest watchtower and awake..."

I kid you not, just then a cow boldly busted from the heard and walked right up to me and reached out and sniffed me and the magazines and was completely calm.... Mikayla and I couldn't stop laughing. Clearly we touched the heart of the only cow conscious of his spiritual need. Hahaha. It was too funny.

So even though I was late to the service meeting and I was a total mess, something as silly and stupid as taking a few minutes during our service day to stop and play with some cows.... Completely and entirely brightened our day.

So don't forget to have fun and find joy where ever you can... play with the cows.

Lyn-Z

"It's not the circumstances that create joy. It's you."

Chapter One

Hmmm. Um. Hi?

Well... I guess some things never change. I still have no idea how to start these blogs... Blogs? Is that really even the right word for what it is I do here? Diary? Word vomit? Story telling? Snapshots? Ahh yes. There it is. The original reason I even started this blog in the first place. To try and capture the little seemingly meaningless moments (snapshots) in our day to day routines that essentially, upon reminiscing, make up the brightest moments of our life (snapshots)... Hoping to remind ourselves that life is, in fact, ok sometimes.

I'm not even sure what I want to write about this time around. Maybe about all the changes that have taken place during the last two years. Or maybe even the changes that have occurred in just the last few months. I'm really not even sure where to start though. I guess maybe with the transplant? Or maybe the trip to South Dakota? Or maybe the summer leading up to the trip to South Dakota? Or maybe I should discuss the fact that I managed to graduate high school? Or maybe that I'm attempting to regular pioneer? Or maybe that I'm dating? I don't know. So much to talk about. So many things to be said, that probably shouldn't ever be said... But don't worry that's what I'm here for.

Either way, the fact of the matter is, I am almost 19 years old. I am done with high school. My Mom is healthy. I am regular pioneering. I am dating an amazing brother. I have my family and I have my friends. This system is winding down and changing like never before. I'm starting an entirely new chapter of my story and these are going to be some of the most exciting times of my life. It only makes sense for me to write them down and share them with you.

Yet the the changes that come with these "exciting times" can only seem daunting and overwhelming. Someone recently told me to "Enjoy the Ride." Another someone told me I should be keeping a diary of this "exciting" time in my life, and I should share my stories with others.

So here I am. Working towards the overall goal of enjoying, appreciating, and finding the silver lining in all the changes and obstacles that come with every day. Stay tuned. Stay happy. And as always.... Don't forget to be awesome.

Lyn-Z

"Isn't it funny how day by day, nothing changes... but when you look back, everything is different." - C.S. Lewis