Muphy's Law

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Now I'm not saying that I'm experiencing the side effects of Murphy's law. What I am saying is that I need to be a little on suye watch right now because life is getting crazy, and it doesn't seem to be letting up. I'm not one to be superstitious or anything, but I'm starting to get a little paranoid. 

Sunday, May 5th, I was driving home from church, like always, and I got pulled over for speeding. My first speeding ticket. Please note, cops make me very nervous. I started freaking out, trying to repress a panic attack and trying not to look suspicious. It was terrible. I dont know how people get out of tickets or what to do. I was just trying not to cry or vomit, because those are my initial responses to police situations. I was really upset with this. I went home in a state of shock and panic, having to remind myself, "it's only money. you're okay" Luckily, my brother shared wisdom and guidance with me to make me feel better and calm me down, because he's an expert at getting speeding tickets. I tried to focus on the positive. I was eating yummy salads for lunch, which made me feel very healthy. We had a fun MMA demonstration lesson for FHE by Christina. I had booked a flight to Belize, decided I hated my RayBans, and got cash out from the bank in order to pay my ticket.

I went to pay off my but they wouldn't let me do defensive driving, like I was planning. It was not an option. I chose the deferred adjudication. However, this means I have to pay the whole ticket! Bah humbug. But that's okay. I can relax. I will be fine. I went to go get a facial. Went home to surprise my parents, who had ice cream. yum yum. See? Life is already getting better. Yes?

My car is the black one

Friday night, I went out with Rachel and saw Iron Man 3. Great movie. Saturday, she came over, and we were going to meet up with Laura and carpool down to the Crawfish Boil in Galveston. False. I got in a car wreck about 0.7 miles away from my place. Really. A car turned into me. I learned 2 things at this point. 1. Mazda is correct, when you get in an accident going < 25 mph, their bumpers do not get really damaged. 2. I cannot handle these kind of situations. My brain was about to explode. Rachel was in the car with me, which I am grateful for because my brain died. I couldn't think straight. It was all a haze. We did manage to go to the Crawfish Boil with Leland and Laura and eat yummy crawfish, play in the water, and afterwards, eat crepes in Htown.

I figured, it can't get much worse, until a few days later, I was sitting at my desk when my co-worker, Jimmy came over to start a little conversation. You remember Jimmy....he's the one completely understands the concept of "leftover women" and likes to remind me that I still have a little bit more time. We were talking and I told him I was going to Belize. He said "Are you meeting your boyfriend in Belize?" I responded, "I don't have a boyfriend." He said in a very kind and  understanding manner, "Oh. Are you meeting your girlfriend?" I blurted out in shock, "NOOO!" That's when I realized, I'm ugly and Jimmy thought I was a lesbian. I'm just not as hott as I once was. No one has ever really legitimately thought I was a lesbian before. Not that there is anything wrong with lesbians, I just want everyone to know, I LIKE BOYS! I had a depressing moment that made me think of Peter Pan when they are about to defeat Captain Hook and everyone starts chanting "Old! Alone! Done for!" Yeah. Exactly like that.

After the lesbian debacle and being talked down from going to buy lots of push-up bras and more make up, I decided to focus on going to Belize. I tried to ignore my spasmodic driving when I would get nervous twitches as people tried to cut in front of me or change lanes around me. I went home that Sunday for family dinner and to pick up my waterproof camera and passport. Only then I realized, I leave for Belize in 5 days and have lost my camera charger. What in the world?!?!? I went to Best Buy on my lunch break that Tuesday and discovered that a camera charger was $50, with is half of the price of the camera! I should have just bought a new camera, but there was no time. I realized that I never memorized my credit card's pin number since I had received my new credit card. So I got out a lot of cash and hoped that I wouldn't need more otherwise I would be cashless in a foreign country. Needless to say, leaving to Belize was a much needed vacation, because I was on self-requested suey-watch.

Just kidding!

It's depressing weeks like these that I think either God's mad at me or Satan is trying to prevent me from doing something good. However, I know that God is not a vengeful person, but a loving Father in Heaven. It doesn't matter what happens in my life; He is there, and He loves me. Trials build us up and make us stronger. I have been blessed enough with trials to know that. I love them, and hope I learn the lessons they were given to me to lean. Come what may & love it!

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

To be honest, my mind has been blown and my heart is full of awe and love. Really, I feel unworthy of how amazing my Heavenly Father has been to me. Seriously. I feel like he is just giving me things and giving me things and I think my friend, Ben, said it best when he quoted Malachi 3:10, when the Lord says, "Prove me now herewith...if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." At times, I feel uncomfortable when people give me gifts of compliments, so I don't know how to react right now. Let me explain...

1. I have been given this dream job, where I was told a few weeks ago that during the first year of employment, I would be sent to live in Missouri, Italy, Brazil, and China. I know, right? I'm still waiting for them to call me back and yell "Gottcha!" (Yes. Being offered a chance to travel the world is exciting, and I cannot wait for the many adventures that await. But I'm still looking forward to settling down in a year to more permanent location)
2. I went to visit my mission this past week. Words cannot describe how amazing that was. Literally. I'm not even going to try right now. All I can really verbalize is it was exactly what I needed and wanted. I love the people of Northern California. 
3. I got a call from my boss yesterday and he say, "Natasha, there is this great project going on and I want you to be a part of it. We're going to have to change your plan around. I want you to not go to Missouri right now, but go to the UK and the Czech Republic." It was a little funny, because I got an email from him earlier to call him when I have time, and my immediate thought was, "Oh no. What did I do?" Silly me. I didn't do anything. So when I heard the news, I was so excited; I couldn't believe it. So now, I'm going to be sent to England for a bit and then the Czech Republic and then to Missouri. Seria una fiesta.
4. I walked into institute 5 minutes late and sat down between two people I haven't really talked to before. Then I hear a girl behind me announce that she is from Sacramento, so I turned to say that I served in Woodland. When I turned around, the girl looked really familiar. I realized that I was looking at Jessica, a girl I knew when I was 16 for one week and have had of-and-on communication with over the past decade(ish). After class we just hugged and I was super excited. She invited me to go to lunch with her and her brother, and we just headed off into the sunset. (hyperbole. it was around 3pm.) So I went over to hang out with her for a few hours. It's amazing how after around 7-8 years of not seeing each other, it was as if no time had passed. It was a real life Alma and the sons of Mosiah experience. It was really to my astonishment, I met Jessica...and I did rejoice exceedinglye to see her, and what added more to my joy, she was still my sister in the Lord (see Alma 17:1-2). She's amazing and wonderful. We shared mission stories and life stories, and it was a great reunion.

Really. I feel so spoiled with how much the Lord is opening the windows of heaven and pouring out blessings. I am so happy right now, even if I still have 40 pages of textbook reading to do tonight, along with some PowerPoint slides I need to create and an essay to edit. I am so happy right now.