Inventory Time

What a heaven-sent weekend.

With family and friends, Ryan and I enjoyed General Conference, a semi-annual gathering of our church to hear leaders share inspired messages. Every six months, we are reminded of our priorities, and inspired to keep God at the center of our lives.

After conference, Ry and I talked about what stood out most to us. For Ryan, service was a key topic woven throughout the talks. Missionary work stood out to me, especially with the announcement of the new policy, lowering the age for both guys and gals to serve as full-time missionaries.

I walked away from conference with two messages imprinted in my heart. One came from Elder Uchtdorf on Saturday when he reminded us, "We are that we might have JOY." Life's too short to let it pass by without enjoying the journey. Being busy is no excuse. We're all busy. But in the end, I don't want to look back and regret not letting myself be happy along the way. I've decided to treat myself more often and choose JOY.

Second message? President Monson's Sunday invitation:

He added, "I have found, that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."

Tonight, I took his challenge. Journal in hand, I went up the nearby beautiful canyon, found a worn bench next to a gurgling creek and wrote out my blessings, one by one. I kept writing for an hour and filled PAGES, everything from health and ability to walk to thrift stores (both to donate to and find gems), supportive parents and in-laws, modern plumbing, and our ability to vote.

You're blessed too. If you take on this challenge, I guess you'll have an experience like mine: Once you start listing your blessings, you'll see more and more that's good in your life. We'd love to hear how it goes!

 Image courtesy of Mormon Newsroom.

Our First Date: Holiday Magic

If you've never been to Temple Square during the holiday season, it's a magical must. Honest. Every year, there's a wonderful LDS Christmas Devotional to ring in the season. This year's will be on Sunday, December 4, at 6:00 p.m. MST. You can enjoy it here

Dec. 2006 | LDS Conf. Center | President Hinckley turned right as I took a picture!

Exactly five years ago, Ryan and I went on our first date to the Christmas Devotional at Temple Square. Back in 2006, I was 20, Ryan was 22, and he'd waited all semester to finally ask me out. Smitten with his deep dimples, I thought he was the "cutest guy in the ward." My roommate and his were dating (still our awesome friends, Mr. & Mrs. Hustedt!) and that night we had ourselves some monumental moments. Here are snippets from that date, copied straight out of my college journal:


December 3, 2006

The Christmas season has officially begun for me today. I went to the Christmas devotional in Salt Lake! I went on a group date with Ryan Beck in the ward, and it was an incredible night. Mattie went with her boyfriend Josh, and Rob Martin brought a girl named Krysta.

We were invited for dinner at Mattie's house. The Morgans made us a feast - roast, mashed potatoes, candied yams, homemade bread, jam and salad. It was heavenly.

We got to the Conference Center just in time, and made our way to our seats. Guess where I got to sit? THE SECOND ROW! When the First Presidency came in, I was just 40 FEET away! the whole devotional I was brimming with gratitude to see the living prophet of God. The devotional tonight was one of those memories I don't want to forget.President Hinckley said that "shining through the dark is the assurance and faith of the true meaning of Christmas: the reality of the Atonement." The Conference Center was breathtaking! I could look at it all day and my eyes wouldn't tire of the vibrant colors and warm Christmas feeling.

I had a great time with Ryan wandering the brightly-lit Temple Square. The glistening lights and glowing temple promise a romantic mood, plus there was a full moon. We took pictures, heard a bell choir in the visitor's center, and enjoyed each other's company. At one point, I was talking to these sister missionaries, and Ryan told them out of the blue: "She's either going on a mission or marrying me." Haha! I blushed. Ryan held my hand! It was a spontaneous, spurred-by-the-mood gesture, and I don't know if it'll happen again, but I enjoyed it. Like I texted him, it really couldn't have been any better - it was a FABULOUS night!

Little did I know, I'd be going to see the lights with Ryan four years later, as his wife. Turns out my journal, my white beanie, and my Ryan are all keepers.

Thanks for spending time on Our Beck Treks. Happy December. Like this post? Your comments are as good as wrapped presents; I love them. Do share...

12/7/11 Addendum: It was mentioned this post makes it seem like we dated for four years. Nope, we both had some growing up to do. Above you read of what we call "Round One," which was really just few weeks of flirting. Three years later, "Round Two" launched strong and he popped the question nine months later. It was all about the right timing. But that's a whole new post...