Saturday, August 29, 2015

Degrees of Light



"You don't need the Temple to have a happy marriage", was advice we received early in our engagement from a bishop. I remember sitting there, mind blown wondering, "why a bishop would seemingly discourage temple marriage." Now I get it. Of course in retrospect, on the very day my divorce is final, it all is perfectly clear.

As a convert I wavered with this temple thing. What was so great about it?! Why does getting married, or being "sealed", make any difference. At some point I thought, "Maybe being sealed does make marriages easier". At least thats what I was taught the past four years. If you get married in the "right place" at the "right time" You'll have a spiritual leg up on the marriage game.

My bubble was soon burst, as I realized that the Bishop was right. Just because one, or even both, parties may be attending church or going to the temple does not guarantee happiness. You don't need the church, or the temple, or a sealing to be happy. What helps is the Gospel and a close relationship with God.

People let you down, things don't turn out like you expected, life isn't static. It's when I was following the guidance of my Heavenly Father that I felt peace and happiness amidst such darkness. I still have so much to figure out. I'm not perfect, or a genius, nor do I have even some of the answers; but welcome to my journey anyhow.


*Freeze Update*
I inventoried my finances; both the output and income
I narrowed down my bills and expenses
Lastly, I'm working on establishing a weekly/monthly budget

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Freeze!



As a recent graduate, times are getting tight. Those loans are starting to come in and graduate school is on the horizon. Sometimes I need a"come to Jesus" talk to set me straight. So for 30 days I plan on only spending money on the necessities. My generation has a terrible habit of spending outside their means, and I am no exception to that. My ultimate goal is stability and not living paycheck to paycheck. Most people my age, especially college grads, could hardly dream of having a savings. Therefore, my greatest hope is to be able to save...for my dream vacay to Croatia! Ok, not really for traveling, for emergencies. Thats more adult, right?

First things first, I need to set short term goals and guidelines. Small victories led us to success:

  • Goal 1: Inventory my income and expenses
  • Narrow my financial categories: Bills, food, gas, etc...
  • Set a weekly and monthly budget
Stay tuned and wish me luck!




Monday, August 17, 2015

Don't Stop Posting

I'm not dead.

Its surprising that I'm not. I should be half way to the spirit world after the year I've had, #rollercoaster. That being said, I received a comment saying "don't stop posting", just as I was contemplating restarting my blog. That comment was an answer to lots of prayers. After much contemplations (and playing with Canva.com to make my blog fresh and new), I decided to hop back on the blogging wagon.



Welcome to Home Sweet Home: the relaunch.

I thought it would be helpful to introduce myself. My name is Caitlin. I live in Northern California. I LOVE American history and recently graduated college with my BA. Nordstrom and the mountains are my happy place.