Exhilaration

Uni results are coming in fast! And fortunately most of the news is good. It seems that I am well-placed to be averaging over 80% in all of my subjects in the lead-up to exams. I was really excited to receive my statistics assignment on discriminant analysis... Another first class honours score. Add to that my applied cognitive psychology essay with 88% and the trend is continuing. While I hate to admit it, this year seems to me to be less about learning, and more about grade-chasing as I try to pull in a 1st class honours. And so far things are on track.

I've begun studying in earnest for exams. Fortunately I began studying some weeks ago, but now it's an 8 hour-a-day job. Particularly with the pressure of stats. I have about 9 days until my first exam, and I should do quite well. Then another week until stats kicks off. That's no fun, but I keep my head up because it means that when I have finished that I only have two subjects, and one very big assignment (my thesis) until my degree is absolutely and unconditionally completed. Which will then mean that weeknights, weekends, and holidays are mine and my family's again!

So blessings have come through school. But I believe even more significant blessings have come through other means. On Thursday I attended the temple. It was the first time in months that I've taken the time, and I really felt as though I needed to be there. As I sat in preparation for the session to begin I felt exhilarated. It was such a thrill to be there again. Genuinely exciting. I know that as a place of peace we generally feel peaceful at the temple, and I did. But another part of me was buzzing. I love being there.

On Monday night for family home evening we decided to talk to the children about the authority of the priesthood. We believe that Jesus gave his authority to His disciples, but it was not something that anyone could claim to have. Instead it had to be conferred upon someone. And since His original church was torn apart within a short-time after He walked the earth, we believe it has been restored. As part of the restoration of the Church with His teachings, the priesthood (or authority to act for Him) was also restored. It is conferred upon all worthy male members of the church aged 12 and over, with higher offices as the person ages and grows in maturity and responsibility.

After we have talked about these things with the children I gave each of them a priesthood blessing. I placed my hands upon their heads and spoke as I felt prompted too. Since then we have seen some remarkable blessings. Ella is improving in her speech, but more than that, she is increasing in understanding which makes dealing with her that little bit easier! She has also begun sleeping right through the night. Abbie, who has been driving us crazy with cries of being scared most nights, and several interruptions as we sleep, has gone to bed quietly and even happily every night this week! We feel blessed.

We went and saw the third in the Pirates of the Carribean trilogy at the cinema yesterday. Didn't think much of it... I give it 6 out of 10. While the first one was lots of fun and the second one told an exciting and easy to follow story, this was heavy, dark and extremely violent. The story was complicated and difficult to follow, and some parts were extremely slow. Still a remarkable visual sight, but not a particularly enlightening film.