“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

I've discovered that faith requires patience. Not the sit around and wait patience but the work for your answer/result while you anticipate an answer patience.

I also have discovered that no matter how righteous your desires are, God has a way of making you realize there are better desires for you to have.
My plan has changed because I have changed. I have yearned for and have seen the world and it is beautiful and big and challenging. I found myself challenging it back, daring it to surprise me. And surprise me it did, in good and not so good ways.
I have always had a plan.  I would go to BYU, get married before I graduate, and have my first kid probably soon after.  I wanted to study interior design or music.  That Michelle turned into the Michelle who (through an arduous process) discovered a love of English so deep that she wanted to study it.  I graduate in August and I am proving to my non-member relatives that it IS possible to go to BYU and NOT get married.  Like I said, I have traveled to so many places and experienced so many things and it has matured me into the woman I am today.  I also have had trials that I never anticipated that have made me stronger.  I felt pain deeper and had deeper joy since leaving for school 4 years ago.

I want to clarify my typical answer to the question: what are you to do what you graduate? I always answer with an academically/career-centered ploy. "I want to go to grad school" "I want to write" "I want to teach." And I am under the impression that I've scared a few (male) people with my ambitions.  So allow me to give a footnote.  I want more than anything to be a mother.  Ever since I was a little girl, I would be the mommy to my dolls and play house.  I get teary-eyed whenever I see a movie where there is a happy ending of marriage or babies or melt when I see a dad toting his little girl around on campus.  I think it is the most attractive thing in a man when he kisses his mom on the cheek or is good with kids.  SO attractive.  When I say that I want to do all of these career things, I want to do them to prove myself in the world.  But deep down I know that my biggest success will be with my family someday.
However. I answer the way I do because I am NOT the kind of girl to sit around and wait for life to happen to me.  I look forward to falling in love and getting married, but I will do awesome things with my life in the mean time until that happens.  I'm not delaying anything; I'm living my life.

And here I am.  80 days away from graduation with a different degree and a different soul.  I still don't know what I'm doing after I graduate, but there is a vast world out there (not necessarily) waiting for a humanities major with a fine arts minor.  Look at me go!

tunes to stir the summer within you

How do you feel about this song?  I usually instantly fall in love with Sara Bareilles, but this song is challenging me.
http://soundcloud.com/epicrecords/sara-bareilles-lie-to-me

I'm a wee bit obsessed with this one, for example:
http://youtu.be/zIDLtWETlb4

Then there's Colbie collaborating with Andy. Supes cute:
http://youtu.be/63dcJkSd8VI

For a bit of an edge:
http://youtu.be/WbN0nX61rIs

I hope your Mondays have been nicer to you.  I'm going to post a happy post so I can focus on the happy things from the past couple of weeks. (let's just say, it's been a rough little bit of time for the Ericksen family)