Life Can Change So Quickly (A Dog and A New Calling)

You may have noticed we haven't been quite keeping up with our Christmas countdown. Why? Well, it's a long story...

A month or so ago, we decided to get a dog. (The kids had been begging for one since, well, FOREVER!) After a month of searching, we found the perfect dog. Her name was Scarlett and she was a bassethound/beagle mix. She was very cute, in a silly, bassethound sort of way. We filled out an application, had our references checked, officially adopted her and then excitedly brought her home last Tuesday. (Can't you just picture our home? A big front porch with two rocking chairs and a bassethound guarding the door. The perfect southern home! Oh, and the name Scarlett! The perfect southern name. Miss Scarlett from 'Gone With The Wind.' It all seemed perfect!) Well, she was a great little dog. Already potty trained and out of the 'puppy' stage. Perfect really, UNTIL we gave her her heartworm medicine. Long story short, she had a severe reaction to the medicine. We took her back to her foster mom on Thursday, who then took her to the vet. Many tests later, with further tests to be completed, we felt strongly that Scarlett needed to stay with her foster mom. It was a hard decision to make, especially with kids who had already fallen in love with Scarlett, but Mark and I knew the decision was right. (A few days later, the rightness of our decision would be confirmed! See story below.) Many tears were shed, but we are all doing well now. I don't believe we will be adopting another dog any time soon. It was an extremely difficult week for all of us. I am just grateful we only had Scarlett two days. Much longer would have been much worse. So, that's our story about Scarlett. It's a sad story, but hopefully our next story is a little happier.

Two weeks ago, Mark got a call from our bishop. (Scary, I know!) After talking with our bishop for a few minutes, (the bishop attempting to prepare Mark for the following,) the bishop asked Mark to discuss with me the possibility of me teaching early-morning seminary, saying he would get in contact with us in the next week or so to see how we felt. Here's how I felt when Mark broke the news to me..."What?! Me?! I am NOT a scriptorian! Not even close! Does he know I never served a mission?! He knows I don't have teenagers, right?! Does he know I have never even served in the youth program?! "Yes" to all of the above! And he still wants me to teach seminary?! Are you sure?! Me?! No, really! Me?! There are probably a million (a little exageration) other people that would be better at teaching seminary than ME!" After the initial shock, (and boy, was it a shock,) came the excitement..."Okay. I can do this. It will be fun! I will learn so much! Thank goodness I have until SEPTEMBER to prepare myself." That sums up pretty well how I have felt over the past two weeks. I have gone back and forth between 'scared out of my mind' to 'excited' many, many times a day. Well, this past Sunday, the bishop asked me and Mark to meet with him before church. The meeting was wonderful. It was exactly what I needed. It calmed all of my feelings. I won't go into the details, but before the meeting I sort of felt that I was being asked to teach seminary because I fit what they needed...I had the time to teach and I lived close to the high school. After talking with the bishop though, I no longer feel that way. I realize there was so much more to the decision. I realize this is where the Lord needs me at this moment. Mark's Patriarchial blessing talks about our home being a sanctuary for the youth. I always assumed it meant when our kids were teenagers, and their friends were in our home, but I guess not. I am sure it will be then, but it looks like it will be open to the youth much sooner than I had imagined. (Sorry this story is SO long.) Well, up to this meeting, and throughout the meeting, I was still under the impression that I would be starting next September. That impression soon flew out the window. In Sacrament meeting that day, the former seminary teacher was released and I was sustained. My head was reeling. "Wait! They just released Sister Kaiser! They just sustained me! That means I am NOW the seminary teacher!" Sure enough. I talked to Sister Kaiser after the meeting and I am most definitely the new seminary teacher and I start in January. JANUARY! Back to the roller coaster. Up and down. Scared and excited. That's how I feel about the calling to this day. Scared and excited.

So, that's the whole story. We adopted a dog. We said goodbye to a dog. And I became a seminary teacher. I am grateful to know my Heavenly Father is there with me through all the ups and downs, because life can change so quickly!