Answers to Prayer - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

We started Ether this week in my Book of Mormon class.  Verse 19 of chapter 2 presents some of the questions that the brother of Jared presented to the Lord after building the barges.  It reads, “And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.”  The three problems in this verse are:  1) No light, 2) No way to steer, and 3) No air in these boats.  Then we discussed in class that the Lord responded to these questions in three different ways, and that all our answers to our questions will fit into one of these categories.  The first category is that of specific instruction. Concerning the lack of oxygen, the Lord gave directions to the brother of Jared to cut holes in both sides of the ship and put in plugs.  The next category is when the Lord just wants us not to worry about the situation – He will take care of it.  This is the example with the issue of steering as the Lord just told the brother of Jared that he did not need to worry about it.  The final category is when the Lord takes a step back and allows us to use our agency to make a decision, and then He will step in and assist.  This is shown through the problem of having light in the barges – the brother of Jared came up with a solution and then the Lord made his solution work.  All of our questions that we bring to the Lord will always be answered in one of these three ways, which is very comforting to know that we are receiving answers, even when it doesn’t feel like we are.  I am very grateful to have the story of the brother of Jared to parallel my situations in life.

Episode 35 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

That night, Kelsey and Tom ran into another familiar person – Bridget Tamoulsen, a famous actress.  She was the kind of woman that, when she entered a room, all the other women in the room took a huge hit to their ego.  Needless to say, the attractive brunette was not top on Kelsey’s list of people she wanted to see when on a date with her famous and ruggedly attractive boyfriend.  They only stopped to chat briefly as they were on their way to get dinner, however, during that short chat Bridget managed to weasel her way into getting Tom’s number – for “acting tips” (or so she said).  Kelsey was rather uncomfortable with the situation – she felt that the woman was going to be manipulative.  However, Tom obviously gave her his number reluctantly, so Kelsey put it out of her mind.  She went to an enjoyable dinner with Tom.

Meanwhile, Caitlin and David were sitting alone at a table in a quaint little café.  They had just finished eating dinner and ordered chocolate mousse cake for dessert.  As they waited for their order to arrive, David reached across the table for Caitlin’s hand.  He looked deep into her eyes and Caitlin felt her heart flutter.  “Caitlin.” David said, completely entranced in her gaze.  “I know that we have just barely started dating, but I feel so strongly for you and…I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend.”  The last part came out in one nervous breath.  Caitlin, stunned by this unexpected question, took a second to process before she smiled breathtakingly at David.

“I would love that!”

Late into the night, Kelsey and Tom arrived in front of the hotel room.  “Good night, beautiful.’ Tom whispered, then leaned in and kissed her tenderly on her slightly parted lips.  Kelsey swayed into his muscular frame – she always was unable to keep her balance when he kissed her. They stood there for a second, Kelsey’s head against his chest, until they heard the sound of approaching footsteps.  David and Caitlin walked up, holding hands.  That kind of put a crimp in Kelsey and Tom’s affections.  The two girls bid a slightly awkward goodbye to the guys and entered the apartment.  Aislinn was sitting on the couch, her lap covered with tissues and holding a jar of Nutella and a spoon.  Sad music emanated from the movie playing on the TV.  Kelsey, super excited, declared, “I met Zachary Levi and Tom kissed me again!!!”  Caitlin took a second to be enthusiastic for her before she announced her news.

“David asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes!!!”  Both girls were now jumping up and down in their joyful state.  Aislinn tried to be cheerful for them, but it wasn’t working.  She was just feeling much too pathetic.  As they readied themselves for bed, Caitlin and Kelsey made a pact that they were going to get Aislinn a boyfriend.

Episode 34 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

The next morning, Kelsey, Aislinn, and Caitlin were left to themselves as Tom was busy filming and David was recording.  They took this chance to catch up on their sleep and just relax – a day of pampering, featuring home facials and manicures. 

That afternoon, however, Tom and Kelsey went out for a walk along the boardwalk.  They strolled, hand-in-hand past the booths. “Look!” Kelsey said, pointing toward a booth featuring hand-carved jewelry with her free hand.  With the one held firmly in Tom’s grasp, she tugged slightly so that they changed direction and headed toward the little table.  “I just love this!” Kelsey gushed over the intricately carved pieces.  Tom smiled indulgently and said,

“Pick out anything, darling. My treat.”  Kelsey turned to him and said,

“I appreciate that, but I couldn't…”  Tom just laughed and replied,

“Well, I’ll just have to use my best judgment to pick out something for you, then.” He brushed one hand against her cheek tenderly.  “You are my girlfriend.  It’s my right to buy you pretty stuff.”  She blushed, as she always did when he touched her.  He then turned away from her and began to examine each necklace displayed on the table, searching for the absolute perfect trinket.  Seizing one, he immediately turned to the shopkeeper and bought it, keeping his lean body between it and Kelsey’s curious eyes.  He glanced over his shoulder at Kelsey, who was watching him.  He grinned.  “No peeking, darling!”  She rolled her eyes. His transaction finished, he made her close her eyes while he fastened the necklace around her soft neck. “Okay, you can open now.” He stepped back and held a little hand-mirror out for her to see the beautifully carved miniature sunflower made of pale wood hanging from a green string.

“Tom!  It’s….absolutely lovely!  Thank you so much!”  Kelsey breathed, touched by the caring gesture.  He smiled, pleased that he had made her so happy.  He took her hand again and they continued down the boardwalk.  They had only been walking for a minute or so when a voice called after them.

“Tom!!! Kelsey!!!”  They turned to see who was addressing them.  Kelsey gasped.  It was Zachary Levi!!!  He ran up to them, a charming grin on that oh-so-handsome face.  A little bit of scruff only served to enhance his attractiveness – it gave him a bit of a roguish feel.  “Wow!” Zachary said, “I was not expecting to see you two here!  I am a huge fan of both of you.”  Kelsey looked stunned.  Tom just looked very confused.

“Who are you exactly?” Tom asked.  Kelsey almost slapped him. How could he possibly not know who Zachary Levi was??  Quickly, before Zachary was able to answer, Kelsey jumped in and explained.

“He’s Zachary Levi!  Remember – he was in Thor: The Dark World with you?  And more importantly, he sang in Tangled!”  Recognition dawned in Tom’s eyes.

“That’s right!” He said.  “How are you, man?”  They then did that awkward man-hug thing where they sorta clasp hands and run into each other’s bodies. Then Zachary turned to her and enveloped her in a very close surprise embrace.

“Hey, Kelsey.  You sure are even more breathtaking in person – it’s wonderful to meet you.”  At the adoring look in his eyes (and the fact that Kelsey did not seem to mind his attentions), Tom decided that he needed to take action.  He very deliberately placed his arm possessively around his girlfriend’s shoulders as the conversation continued.

“I’m so glad you had a chance to meet my girlfriend today, Zachary.” Tom said, not sounding at all glad.  Zachary smiled (mostly at Kelsey).

“Believe me Tom, I am so glad as well.”  He replied.  Tom continued,

“She really is the best girlfriend a man could ever ask for – beautiful, smart, sweet, funny, really, I could go on and on about how lucky I am to have Kelsey as my girlfriend.”  Kelsey gave Tom a weird look – his speech patterns were really strange today…

Zachary also gave Tom a strange look crossed with a glare (when he could tear his eyes away from Kelsey).  “I completely agree, man.  Some guys have all the luck!  Anyway, I really should be off – catch you later!” 

“Alright, man!  My girlfriend and I have to get going, anyway.” Tom commented to Zachary’s retreating figure, then breathed a sigh of relief.  He had seen the way that Zachary had looked at Kelsey and didn’t like it (not as much as he had hated Joey, but still…).  Anyway, he had dealt with the situation very subtly by using the word ‘girlfriend’ 4 times in their very short conversation – he bet that Kelsey hadn’t even noticed!  As they walked off, resuming a normal conversation, Kelsey thought to herself that it must be nice to be a man – clueless.  Obviously she had known exactly what he was doing the entire time.

Episode 33 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

The evening finally arrived after hours of preparation by the three excited girls.  Kelsey and Caitlin were obviously enthusiastic to see their respective men for their dates.  Aislinn was slightly apprehensively enthusiastic because Tom had sent Kelsey a text saying that he was going to get a date for her so she could come as well – someone famous, of course.  But he never replied saying who exactly he had found for her…just that he was an attractive man (according to other women, as Tom would never….).  So all three girls were looking forward to an unforgettable evening – they deserved it after the disastrous morning they had had!  The men needed to redeem themselves tonight.  Kelsey’s phone started ringing at precisely 5:00.  Confused to see that it was Tom, Kelsey answered on speakerphone, hoping that he was not cancelling last-minute.  “Hello?”

“Hello Kelsey.  This is Tom.” Kelsey stifled a laugh at his extremely formal tone and responded in an equally serious manner.

“Hello Tom.  What can I do for you?”

“We – your dates – are outside your door.  May we have permission to knock politely?”  Kelsey almost lost it at that request.  Listening in, Aislinn and Caitlin burst into silent laughter.  Kelsey glared daggers at them as she replied,

“Of course you may.  We will see you shortly.”  She hung up as an extremely polite knock sounded on the door.  The three of them exchanged grins and went to let the men in.  Caitlin, easily the most excited, pulled the door open.  Two slightly red-faced men stood beside a confused, but attractive young man.  David grinned at the sight of Caitlin, all dressed up in her polka-dot dress and he in his suit for their fancy dinner, and immediately proffered his arm.  She took it and the two started down the hall, already in their own world.  Tom attempted to take Kelsey’s hand, however, the mysterious stranger stepped in front of him and claimed the hand of the fair redhead before he could.

“Kelsey,” he said charmingly, “it is such a pleasure to meet you!  I am a huge fan…my name is Joey Richter, although I’m sure you already knew that!”  Kelsey’s eyebrows nearly leapt off of her face – what an egomaniac! Although, she did actually recognize him…but that was beside the point!  Poor Aislinn… Kelsey pulled her hand out of his and firmly introduced him to her dark-haired roommate.  He half-heartedly shook her hand and called her ‘Ashley’ (which earned him a glare that he didn’t even notice as he was too busy staring at Kelsey).  The two couples caught up to David and Caitlin quickly and Tom drove them to the restaurant - Chez Romantique, the fanciest and most romantic restaurant for kilometers.  Tom had made reservations so they were seated immediately upon entering. They were escorted to a private table lit by candlelight.  Joey reached the table first and pulled out the chair for Kelsey (despite Tom’s meaningful gaze that masked his annoyance).  He did the same for Aislinn, but made sure to place himself on Kelsey’s left, since Tom took the place on her right.  David and Caitlin sat close together and began to look at the menu.  Aside from those two, who had a fabulous dinner, the meal passed in absolute awkwardness for Kelsey, Tom, and Aislinn.  Joey was obviously taken with Kelsey, and so directed all comments toward her, leaving Aislinn to eat in silence or occasionally converse with Caitlin (when she could be pulled away from David briefly) and leaving Tom to brood attractively.  Kelsey was just plain annoyed that she couldn’t talk to Tom (or watch him brood!!!).

After dinner finally ended, the group adjourned to the theatre that Tom had rented to watch “Ever After” – the men were not thrilled at the choice of movie, but the girls were using the power of guilt as long as possible to get their way.  The movie started.  Poor Kelsey was sandwiched between Tom and Joey.  Finally, she had had enough.  She turned meaningfully to Tom and said, “Tom, I think that the Prince is wearing buffalo briefs, don’t you agree????”  Tom stared at her blankly, wondering if she had gone crazy. Then, he finally recognized the phrase ‘buffalo briefs’ as being their code for ‘get me out of here now!’ and understanding dawned in his eyes.  Five minutes later, a mysterious emergency popped up concerning Avengers 2 and Tom insisted that he had to leave right away.  Kelsey, of course, was very considerate and volunteered to sacrifice her evening to help him deal with the problem.  They made their escape before anyone could question their excuse.  Aislinn leaned back in her chair and sighed.  This must be one of the worst dates of her life.  Easily.  Not even a full 5 minutes later, Joey got up and left without a word to her – she never saw him again (thankfully!).  That left her sitting, alone (except for David and Caitlin, but they didn’t count).  She looked over at them and saw that David had casually lifted his arm behind Caitlin’s chair and was inching it down toward her shoulders slowly.  Despite her inner sadness, Aislinn smiled at how cute and slightly awkward they were, then resigned herself to trying to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Meanwhile, Kelsey and Tom headed over to McDonald’s and their special spot in the back of the parking lot.  First, they went through the drive-thru and bought the little apple pies.  Enjoying their dessert, they sat on the hood of the car and looked up at the stars.  As it grew colder, Tom slipped his jacket off and draped it and his arm around Kelsey’s slender shoulders without a word.  Kelsey smiled and leaned into his very fit body. They sat there for hours, loving being close to each other and one with the night.

Episode 32

Kelsey returned to the apartment and shut the door quietly behind her.  Caitlin and Aislinn were sitting expectantly on the couch, waiting for Kelsey’s post-date story.  They started to formulate words, but Kelsey motioned them to silence.  “He’s probably still out there!”  She whispered.  They nodded and the three of them sat motionless until the sound of Tom’s car leaving was clearly heard.  Then Kelsey screamed at the top of her lungs, “HE KISSED ME!!!!!!!!!”  Caitlin and Aislinn jumped up and started screaming too.

“WAS IT LIKE A DEAD FISH???”  Caitlin asked impatiently.

“NO!” Kelsey yelled back, “IT WAS WONDERFUL AND STARTLING AND… I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT!!!”

Over the other two, Aislinn yelled, “This calls for a One Direction ice-cream dance celebration!!!”  She cranked up the music and pulled out the ice-cream (well, Almond Dream for the beloved Kelsey).  They passed the night in a state of delirious excitement and insanity.  Chick flicks, chocolate, and lots of laughter characterized the regular sleeping hours.  But by 9 am, the risen sun found the three girls fully dressed and lying, soundly asleep, on the couch.  The evidence of their party could be seen in the empty ice-cream containers strewn around the room, pillows and blankets carpeting the floor, and movie cases piled haphazardly on top of the entertainment center.  In short, it was a mess.

Outside the hotel room, David Archuleta paced nervously, attempting to work up the courage to knock on the door and say good morning to Caitlin.  He had brought her a bouquet of pretty pink flowers to brighten the morning.  However, he couldn’t decide if it was overkill to see her before their first official date or not.  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.  He looked over and saw Tom coming up behind him.  Tom nodded, acknowledging David’s presence. He had come over early as he couldn’t bear to be away from Kelsey for a moment longer after the wonderful kiss they had shared the night before.  The two men awkwardly stood in front of the door.  David, uncertain as to what he should do, hesitantly knocked.  Then they waited, still refusing to make eye contact or initiate verbal communication. There was no answer or sound from inside.  Impatient, Tom knocked loudly.  Still no answer.  Tom then growled something under his breath and pulled out the spare key card and swiped it to open the door.  David’s eyes widened.  He was sure that that was not allowed!  However, his curiosity won over and he followed Tom into the room.  They both stopped dead at the insanely awkward sight in front of them.  The three girls were sprawled across the couch amidst a pile of chocolate by-products and bed coverings.  The men glanced at each other and mutually decided to beat a hasty retreat before they were noticed.  Kelsey, however, happened to open her eyes at just that moment.  She, grasping the tension of the situation almost immediately despite her fuzzy head, nudged Aislinn and Caitlin awake.  Then three sets of extremely angry eyes were directed in the general direction of David and Tom.  They cringed.  Kelsey’s hair was in a very messy bun on top of her head and her make-up was smudged across her entire face.  On top of that, the couch had left beautiful lines in her forehead and cheek.  Tom smiled uncertainly at her.

“You look…lovely?...Dear?” Tom attempted to placate the growing storm in Kelsey’s chocolate eyes.  It didn’t help.

“Get out!!!!!” Kelsey screamed and pointed toward the door.  Tom obeyed with alacrity.  Aislinn had left well before this point, and Kelsey now followed her to the sanctity of the bedrooms.  This left Caitlin and David alone.  He proffered his offering, the flowers filling the room with a sweet aroma.  Caitlin wasn’t looking too awful – she had no residual make-up and her hair was sorta straight (although she couldn’t say that it was her biggest desire to have David see her in her PJs).

“These are for you…I just wanted to tell you that I am excited for our date tonight!” David said, still slightly nervous.  “And I’m sorry for bursting in on you…but you look fantastic, considering, you know, the morning…and just waking…” He trailed off as he realized that this conversation was probably not helping the situation.  Caitlin just smiled (a forced smile, to be honest – she is NOT a morning person, and this trait was enhanced through staying up all night) and thanked him for the flowers, then sent him on his way.  She then joined her roommates and went to sleep, putting the awkwardness out of her mind.

Episode 31

They drove up to a deserted sandy beach (owned by Tom, of course).  The moon was full and illuminated the silvery water with its luminescence.  The warm breeze blew Kelsey’s hair back, the red shimmering in the pale light.  Tom gazed at her as they walked, an adoring look on his handsome face.  “Kelsey, you really are wonderful.  I hope you know that.”  She blushed, however the darkness hid the rosy spread across her delicate features.  Tom slowed his graceful walk and Kelsey matched his pace until both were standing still, gazing melodramatically into each other’s eyes.  He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then let his hand linger on the soft skin of her cheek.  Kelsey’s heart sped up and she realized that this was it.  He was going to kiss her!  At first, excitement was the dominant emotion.  She was ready for this.  But then reality set in.  This was going to be the most clichéd first kiss ever invented!  Tom closed his eyes and Kelsey’s widened in horror.  On a beach??? A beach of all places???? What if the sharks were watching?  He pulled her close and started to lean in.  Kelsey leaned back.  And seriously, in the light of a full moon? What is this, a cheesy romance novel??  Her thoughts continued in this panic cycle.  Tom leaned forward, his lips almost to hers.  Kelsey leaned back just slightly too far and found herself slipping in the powdery sand.  Losing her balance, she flailed frantically at Tom and managed to latch onto one muscular arm as she fell.  However, this only succeeded in sending her momentum forward and ended with her sprawled in the sand, humiliated.

“Kelsey??” concerned tinged with disappointment coloured Tom’s voice.  “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.  And hungry. Are you hungry?  We should go to McDonald’s.  Let’s go.” Realizing

 she was babbling, Kelsey leapt to her feet and grabbed Tom’s hand, leading him back to the car.  The ride was far too short and way too quiet.  Looking up from her study of her hands, Kelsey realized that they were in the McDonald’s parking lot.  “Why are we at McDonald’s?” Kelsey asked in bewilderment.  Poor Tom responded, confused,

“Because you asked to come here?”

“Right.” Kelsey quickly agreed and opened the car door.  As she walked around the vehicle, Tom met her and, before she could react, placed one hand on her chin and lifted her face up to meet his.  His lips, soft as a baby’s bottom, grazed hers in a tender kiss that literally sent shivers down Kelsey’s spine.  He smiled as she melted into his arms. 

Episode 30

All the girls woke up the next morning deliriously happy.  Aislinn, being the sweet person she is, was super excited for both of her roommates.  Caitlin was on cloud 10 (way above cloud 9) because David had asked her for her number yesterday and they were going out on an official date tomorrow night, doubling with Kelsey and Tom.  Kelsey finally had her first official boyfriend, finally, and, to celebrate them being public and official, Tom was taking her to the set of The Avengers to give her the grand tour and let her meet all his co-stars and other cast members.  Needless to say, Kelsey was unable to contain her excitement.  She was practically bouncing off the walls.  Watching her, her roommates noticed 3.5 complete outfit changes, 4 different hairstyles, and countless variations on accessories all in the one morning while she waiting impatiently for Tom to arrive.  Finally, the long awaited knock sounded at the door and Kelsey gave herself a quick final glance in the mirror.  She was wearing her bright red skinny jeans with a Loki T-shirt (obviously) and had her hair partially pulled back.  She was wearing light make-up that emphasized her eyes – she looked cute and summery.  She calmly answered the door and Tom immediately pulled her into a close embrace. “I missed you.” He muttered against her hair.  She felt her heart speed up as she replied,

“I really missed you too!  I’m excited to spend the entire day with you.”  He smiled and took her hand. It was a short ride (or at least it seemed short to Kelsey, but then time always seemed to go by super fast whenever Tom’s magnificence was near).  Arriving at the set of Kelsey’s most-loved movie series of all time nearly killed the poor girl due to excessive excitement.  “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!!!” Kelsey squeaked out.  Tom gave her a look at the strange high-pitched noise emanating continuously from Kelsey’s mouth.

“Don’t hyperventilate, darling!” he admonished in an amused tone.  They proceeded to watch a couple scenes from the upcoming movie (those that did not involve Tom’s character, obviously – please note: for copyright reasons these scenes cannot be described in this story. Apologies.).  Then Tom turned to Kelsey with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.  “Kelsey?” he asked imploringly.  She immediately narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious.

“Yes…?”

“Will you be an extra in one of the scenes?”  He smiled convincingly and Kelsey felt herself melt.   Without any conscious agreement, Kelsey found herself sitting in a make-up tent being fussed over by a hair stylist and various other bossy women pulling at her hair and dabbing goop onto her face.  Tom came in to get her half an hour later.  He entered the tent and then stopped dead.  “Kelsey.  You look…SEXY…to say the least! That is the only word to describe this…”  Kelsey smiled self-consciously, but did not return the compliment as he was in full Loki-mode and looked creepy (well, creepier than usual).  The scene passed in a blur of excitement – all Kelsey could really remember was standing next to the gigantic build of Chris Hemsworth (he brushed against her arm!!!! Swoon!!!) and following the directives of her idol, Joss Whedon, as to where to walk and stand.  She nearly fainted (aka “tripped”) the first time he spoke to her directly.  She ended up with a good thirty seconds of screen time!  Tom came by afterwards and then they walked to his car, hand-in-hand.

The First Step

This week in my Book of Mormon class we discussed the wickedness of the Nephites in Mormon 2.  Verse 13 reads, “But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather he sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.”  This verse made Mormon very sorrowful, as he had believed that the people were going to repent of their sins and become a righteous people again.  He saw that they were poor in spirit and were mourning – the first two steps on the staircase to Christ.  However, the people had missed an important part of the first step.  In verse 14 it says that “they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God and wish to die.”  The first step requires not only for the people to be poor in spirit, but also to come unto Christ.  This they did not do.  I connect this to my own life, as there will be times in my life where I am upset, but I have to remember to come unto Christ instead of just mourning and complaining alone.  I have to take this first step in order to progress and learn from my trials instead of merely enduring them.   This will lead me on the path to righteousness and development instead of sending me spiraling down into wickedness.  I know that as I come to Christ He will help me better myself and endure my trials with fortitude.

The Merciful Savior

I have always loved the scriptures found in 3 Nephi 22:8 and 10, which read, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee…For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”  I love the symbolic language - the Lord may be angry at us for a ‘moment,’ however, His kindness is ‘everlasting.’  I love this because it is a testament to me that the Lord may be annoyed at me and leave me on my own for a small period of time, but eternally he will be on my side and will have mercy on me.  I know that He always has my best interests in mind and that everything He does is for my eventual eternal benefit, regardless of how I feel at the time.  This passage also talks about the “covenant of peace” that will not be removed from us.  This is a big deal to me personally, because I know that sometimes the hectic nature of life and the stress from the world overwhelm me.  I love knowing that I have that promise of peace from my merciful Savior to hold on to, no matter life’s challenges.  The final part of the scripture states that the Lord will have mercy on us.  I know that it is through His mercy that we are able to reach our full potential and reach the highest (or any) level of salvation.  I am so grateful for the Lord’s kindness and mercy towards me on a personal level.

Episode 29

David and Caitlin stood, awkward and alone, in the room.  They very unsubtly avoided looking anywhere other than the floor, for fear that they might accidently make eye contact and have the awkwardness increase.  Eventually, David broke the silence. “Caitlin?” he ventured timidly.  She looked up, a blush still heating her face.

“Yes?” she was sure he could hear the faint tint of resentment towards him still present in her voice.   He looked like he winced slightly at the edgy tone, but then he continued,

“I wanted to apologize.  For the concert.”  Now he commanded her full attention.  “That must have been awfully embarrassing for you.  I’m really sorry.  I was intending to pick you, but then you were so gorgeous that you took my breath away, and…I don’t know.  I got scared, I guess!”  She looked at him, her eyes wide and her heart beating WAY faster than could possibly be healthy.  This was truly a dream come true!  She beamed at him, and as they stared into each other’s eyes, they knew that all was forgiven and that this would be the start of something new and wonderful.

However, Kelsey and Tom’s conversation did not sound quite as promising.  Kelsey was freaking out.  There is no other way to describe it.  Her frantic, wide-eyed stare couldn’t focus even on the perfection of Tom’s face, nor would she listen to his velvety attempts to sooth her frazzled nerves. “Kelsey,” he tried, yet again, to calm her down.

“No Tom!” she practically yelled at him.  “I have every right to be upset right now!!!”  He caught and held her flailing arms before she clocked him (or herself – this is Kelsey, after all).

“Calm down,” he insisted, quietly, staring deep into her defiant gaze.

“What are we going to do?” Kelsey asked, her voice almost a whisper, extremely conscious of the closeness of his face near hers.  She slowly closed her eyes and leaned in, convinced that he was going to kiss her. A second passed with her standing there, eyes closed and lips partially puckered before she realized that his lips were not coming to meet hers.  She quickly opened her eyes and saw that Tom was standing there, eyes closed as well (praise the Lord!) and contemplating the situation.   Maybe he hadn’t noticed?  Kelsey wished she could sink into the floor as she saw the cheeky grin on his face.  He had totally noticed.  She was positive and ready to die of embarrassment. He answered the question that she had almost forgotten that she had asked,

“How about…” he paused and cleared his throat nervously, then continued in a husky sexy voice, whispered in her ear.  “How about we prove them right?”  Kelsey stiffened, confused.  Did he just?  He then proceeded to clarify.  “Kelsey, I really really like you.  And I think that we have something very special. I think it’s time we made it official – will you be my girlfriend?”  Kelsey felt on top of the world as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Tom’s neck, his broad shoulders strong against her arms.

“I would love that!” She agreed with a smile on her face.

Ye Are Weak

In my Book of Mormon class this week, we discussed a scripture in 3 Nephi 17.  In verse 2, Christ tells the multitude that “I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.”  At this point, the people are exhausted.  Their brains are completely full of the knowledge that Jesus has revealed unto them thus far, and they are just unable to receive anything more.  Christ, in His infinite wisdom, realizes this and decides to postpone the rest of His discussion until they are again ready to learn.  I connected this experience to my own life – I am weak, and there are times when I am not ready to receive certain knowledge or revelation that my Heavenly Father intends for me.  However, Christ will be patient with me just as He was with the multitude.  He will wait until I have reached the point where I can accept and act upon the knowledge or inspiration He knows I will need.  This thought always gives me great comfort because there are times in my life when I am scared that I am not receiving inspiration that I (in my mortal weakness) feel is essential to me at the time.  I am so grateful to know that Jesus is watching over me and that He knows the exact right moment for the revelation to come to me. Knowing this, I am able to go forward with faith.