One Year!

Monday marks the one year anniversary of Marshall being put in as bishop. In some ways it seems like it was only yesterday that we got that fateful call to meet with the stake president and in others it seems like life was never any different.

The hardest thing for me is sharing my husband with a ward and all that it entails. I like to be organized and I don't like surprises. It's been an adjustment getting used to unexpected phone calls and emergencies. Don't people know that interviews happen on Tuesday and Sunday? That means that people can only have emergencies or deaths occur on Tuesday and Sunday, right? ;) Some days I am great about letting my husband run off to whatever need has to be met and others I am not. I still have a lot to learn. But there are a few things I've picked up in the past year that have made this experience priceless:

1. Caller ID is my best friend.
2. Angels do exist, both from this world and the next.
3. Sunday is not a day of rest, but rather the survival of the Sabbath causes one to need a day of rest.
4. At times I've learned more than I wanted to by answering the phone, listening to the answering machine, or just by opening the front door.
5. I live in an amazing ward full of wonderful people.
6. Older members can have great wisdom and experience. They've all "been there" and are proof that it gets better.
7. Having your dad be bishop is "way cool".
8. I'd rather have my husband be gone acting as bishop than be gone because he needs to see the bishop.
9. Life usually doesn't go according to plans.
10. The Lord makes all things possible. Even if He asks you to scale up an 80 foot high rock wall with one hand tied behind your back and your feet bound, He'll help you reach the top.
11. I am never alone, even if I feel alone. There is prayer and a listening Father in Heaven who is always waiting.
12. I may feel forgotten, but I am often remembered in many prayers and cheered on by numerous ward members.
13. I would fail without the influence of the Spirit in my home and life.
14. I can lug a car seat, church bag, diaper bag, and Primary lesson bag all into church on my own.
15. It is okay to ask for help.
16. My husband is amazing at balancing work, family, and church.
17. Every moment with Marshall counts.
18. The mantle does fall on those who have been called and it has been neat to see it happen to Marshall.
19. I love being called "Sister Bishop" and getting hugs from dear elderly ward members every Sunday.
20. I'm not the only one who thinks my husband is a humble, well studied in the scriptures, righteous man.
21. Some Sundays are spent in the hall with two or three kids in tow. But that's okay because what matters most is being at church, even if it is in the foyer.
22. I have a long way to go on being patient.
23. If the phone rings after 7pm, it will ALWAYS be for Marshall.

The list could go on and on. I've learned so much and yet have a long way to go. It's been a challenge. I've shed many tears. But I wouldn't trade any of those hard times for missing out on this experience. I feel very humbled and honored to be a bishop's wife and serve along side with my sweet husband. It has been a wonderful privilege so far.