Cyberman x-ray

These are the x-rays of my lovely wrist. it's about a 200 percent (2x) view.

Even if you Don't Like Lemonade

I always disliked the saying "when life throws you lemons, make lemonade." For one thing, if all you had in your lemonade was lemons, everyone would hate you, because who just squeezes a lemon and drinks it straight? That's right, NOBODY unless you're Chuck Norris or something.

Now, I'm not going to try and be all clever and deep and meaningful here, because you see, I am about due for another lovely little packet of happiness (read: hydrocodone). But even though I don't get many people reading this, it allows me to do something produvtive and is a bit of a cathatsis for sitting in bedrest all day.

I didn't expect this to be so hard. Once upon a time, I broke my wrist. The ER staff told me it looked fairly clean and that I shouldn't need surgery. Well, they must of misinterpreted the x-rays, because this has been a really lousy spring break. I had to get a plate and some screws put into my wrist on Tuesday.

Let me interject--yes, I'm interrupting myself. This was my third surgery. I have had two pretty intensive shoulder surgeries, one in May of 2009 and one in November of 2010. They were not fun, to put it lightly. But this? This has easily been the worst surgery I've been through, because my body has refused to let me sleep the pain off. Between 10:00 Tuesday evening and 11:00 Wednesday night, I slept 2 and a half hours. Today was better--my merciful surgeon prescribed me a low dosage sleeping medication that let me sleep about 6 hours. Hopefully I should be back to normal tonight.

But, as my loopy self was sitting in bed just praying for some sleep that never came, I realized why that  little lemonade adage was so popular. Yes, lemons are sour and no one wants to eat them outright. But you can't just look at an experience and see the bad to it. You have to bring your own good into it--sugar's not that expensive, and neither is a little optimism. I've just been stingy with my sugar in this experience because it happened at a really bad time. Well, I'm not going to make it too sweet, because nobody likes that either. But, the good and the bad do have to balance out. Yes. I broke my wrist pretty badly. But we have the medication and technology to fix it so that I can play piano again. Yes, it's made me pretty helpless, but it's also made me rely a lot more on the Lord. I've been able to spends a lot more time with my roommates and with my family. I've been forced to slow down and just take time to let myself heal. So no, I'm not a huge fan of lemonade, but sometimes you need the sour to balance out the sweet. And who knows? There might be someone down the road who needs that outlook to keep them walking.

Now, though, on to pain pills! Hurrah!

Also! I went through the Draper Temple on Saturday. I will echo what all of the General Authorities and leaders of the Church have said--do everything you can to obtain a Temple Recommend. If you have one, go often. The peace is beyond description. The blessings are without measure.

Questions? Feel free to email me at c.chey.steele@gmail.com or just drop 'em below!

Cass

I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!

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No. I'm not going to Panem, thank goodness.

I'm going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana! I know, everyone thought I was going to go international, but as I opened my call letter I knew but at that moment that the Lord has been the one who issued my call, and therefore that I was where I needed to be. As I read the words "Louisiana Baton Rouge  I knew it was right. The most powerful sense of peace I've ever felt in my life came over me and I knew that that confirmation was assuring me that the Lord approved of what I was doing, and that he said he would send me somewhere where I could touch the lives of others that maybe others couldn't touch. I already love the people, and haven't even met them yet! I report July 24th, 2013. Pioneer Day!

It hasn't been an easy route to this call. The week before I got my call was one of the worst weeks my life. It seems to the adversary was trying to throw everything he could at me to discourage me from accepting a call that the Lord had extended. Monday, my sister-in-law miscarried her baby. Is a huge blow to the entire family because we'd been praying so hard for her to keep it. I know that my pain was nothing compared to hers, but it was still hurts me as her sister-in-law. Tuesday, I found out one of my acquaintances up at Utah State has passed away after a series of illnesses. He was blind and had a wonderful seeing eye dog named Huck, and we had just really hit off our friendship before we broke at the semester. I wasn't really super good friends with him, but the blow took me by surprise and also really hurt.I felt like I was constantly in danger of losing my temper, and I could never really find any peace. Except for when I was at the Temple. I was always comfortable there. Finally, I was over hanging out with some friends at the Sports Academy and jumping on a trampoline when I jumped off and landed on my hand. I broke my wrist--snapped at the head of the radius. I spent 3 hours in the emergency room. They had to set the bone and now I'm stuck in a splint until tomorrow when I get it casted. This was the final hardship of a horrible week. 

All of this happened to the week my call was made. I understood something that week. The Lord does not permit the righteous to suffer adversity because He enjoys watching us in pain. He permits us to suffer because he knows we will grow. Rest assured, the pain does not come from Him.

Sometimes, the pain is because he needs someone else at home. Sometimes, it's that the timing isn't right. And sometimes, the pain comes from your own willfulness to do things you're not prepared to do. But I promise you: any pain you suffer, the Savior has already suffered. He will be with you every step of the way. He will not flee nor fail you.

Elder Bednar spoke tonight at a CES devotional about letting your will be swallowed up in the will of the Father. We have to have the faith to accept His will, regardless of our desires. I really encourage you to go watch it on lds.org. it really is a powerful talk given by an authorized servant of the Lord.

 I am so grateful to have the friends I do. Its hard at this age to be committed to the gospel, yet the people around me are incredible examples of just that. I feel like I could go on for hours of what I've learned from them, But I won't. But I love being around worthy Priesthood holders and righteous Daughters of God. I love that my friends are in tune with the Spirit or working to be. I just love my friends :)

 Well, that's all for tonight. It's taken me a while to type this, being one handed. God be with you 'till we meet again.