Sunshine

 It's decided to be Spring in Logroño! I'm sure we have plenty of cold, rainy days ahead, and then later warmer, rainy days too, but the last few days have been glorious. Yesterday we went on a hike with our friends to this lookout over Logroño. I'd been once before, but there was no wind, it was like 65 degrees, and the sunset was amazing. I have such good friends and such a good life. 

There surely is opposition in all things. Learning a language is hard! Being able to understand more and more is so rewarding (more rewarding than understanding in my first language). So is going to the gym, learning to regulate my emotions and love myself more (see last week's post, lol), teaching English to classes of teenagers, building a strong and happy relationship, drawing closing to the Lord, and serving the church. All of that is hard sometimes, but when I do those things I feel so happy and proud of myself! Things that are worth it take effort. 

Laying around, eating jamon flavored potato chips (if you know, you know), and watching Gilmore Girls (for the first time in my life, I might add) is easy and sometimes really fun, but not rewarding to the same degree. I've never been so elated to see the sun, and it's because I've never had to miss it. 

I've been reading "The Infinite Atonement." Wow, that's an good book. The atonement of Christ was the most important thing that ever happened. Each chapter talks about how infinite it is: infinite in time, infinite in suffering, infinite in love. It was infinitely the darkest, most horrible suffering ever to happen to one person. Then three days later, He arose in magnificent resurrected wholeness. He had won the battle over sin and death. All we need to do is join his team. 

It's obvious that light and dark, good and evil, and every other instance of opposition found in creation is purposeful. We need it. Evidently, we can't reach all the possible heights of goodness and joy without the existence of the opposition, whether that's rain in Spain or horrible pain. (I really wanted to add something about muscle gains, Cain, the bane of my existence, and more into that sentence, but I reFRAINED! 😂 . . . . . . sorry haha) 

Anyway, the last thing I have to say is that I have been very brave and maybe a little delusional this week. I started making reels for social media about the culture and my experiences in Spain. They are a little awkward and cringey, and I don't do any video editing, but I have been wanting to do it for a long time. It's part of trying to care less what people think, I guess. Also, talking in front of a camera is harder than it looks, but it's been exciting and fun for me. Again, opposition, right? 

I hope you have a great week! I love and am so proud of my mission-serving family members (and all the rest of you too). Enjoy the sunshine. :)