It is good for us to be here

I'm sorry for the lack of an entry last Sunday and I apologize that this entry will be rather brief as well.  I was on my spring break and was spending a wonderful evening making crepes for my family with my beautiful girlfriend Julianne.  I was blessed to be able to spend 9 wonderful days in Utah with Julianne and with my family.

Because BYU does not have a spring break, this was my first spring break since my senior year of high school in 1999.  So, needless to say, it was long overdue and much enjoyed.  In addition to the benefits of having some time off from school, it was wonderful to be able to spend a few days at home.  As much as I dislike being away from my family and friends, there is nothing quite like the feeling of coming home to remind me how truly blessed I am.  In my time at home, everyone went out of their way to make sure I had a wonderful break.

Julianne took time away from her work to be able to spend time with me.  My brother and brother-in-law invited me to go skiing with them (which was a true sacrifice on their part because it was my first time ever skiing; meaning that they were compelled to spend half the day helping me get back up every ten seconds after I had fallen).  My parents provided me with a family car and several wonderful dinners.  And so on.  I can truly say that I was the recipient of a tremendous amount of love and attention during this past week, for which I am tremendously grateful.  Like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, I felt like saying, "it is good for [me] to be here" (Matthew 17:4).

Needless to say, it was extremely hard to come back to Texas today.  I have never enjoyed going far from family and friends--even for just a few days.  I enjoy the comfort and support that comes from being close to those that I love.  But unfortunately life does not always work that way.  As wonderful as was Peter's experience with the Lord and other holy beings upon the Mount of Transfiguration, they had to "[come] down from the mountain" (Matthew 17:9) because there was a work yet to be done and there were souls yet to be saved.  And so it was for me.  As much as I would love for my semester to already be over so that I could keep spending time with Julianne and my family, it was time to return to school and the rest of my semester.  (Thanks to the new calendar that Julianne gave me, I know that I only have 47 more days before I will be home for the summer).

I'm grateful for the short break I had and for all of the amazing things that others did for me during that week.  I am truly blessed!