Change

Heavenly Father has been full of changes in my life. It is amazing what he will do in your life when you let him. Life as I know it is about to change in amazing ways. I am heading out to Idaho on April 4th to start a new educational endeavor at Brigham Young University Idaho. This is less than a month away. This is totally unbelievable to me. I am very bittersweet about the lasts but I know there are many firsts yet to come. My emotions have been all over the place for quite a while now. I am amazed at how strong I am at times. I am also amazed at how much my emotions are affected by those who mean a lot to me. I hate to see those I love down and I would do anything to put a smile on their face. This sometimes causes me to be to be overused or hurt but I recover quickly. I need to keep a good head on my shoulders and remember that I can't make things happen that aren't meant to be. I know that I ask for a lot of patience and it's the opposite of what I give sometimes but I can only give everything I have and sometimes I don't feel like it's enough. I have a hard time remembering it is in His timing and not mine. I am far from perfect but I understand this and I strive towards perfection one day at a time. It may not seem like it at times because I know I fail and fall short but as soon as I realize I am heading the wrong way I change my direction and move on. I have a hard time with forgetting the past and moving on. It's not that I want to go back to the past just that I like the good memories and usually have forgotten the bad. One of my biggest faults is that I am a worrywart. I sometimes worry over small things but then realize that they weren't actually that big of a deal. I am so thankful for the friends that I have that help me to become a better person. Those who are a good example and those who are constant reminders while still being loving and uplifting. I have had so many great influences in my life that I could not even begin to thank everyone. Although, I have not always had the best things in my life I know that my family has definitely not fallen short on one thing and that is the love that they give me. I am so thankful for this love and this is one thing that makes my move to Idaho so hard but I know that Heavenly Father’s plan is what is best and that everything else will work out. Thank you to those who are being patient with me. Although, I let a lot of things roll off my back. I do sometimes get hurt easily. I am usually fairly confident but I do need reassurance every now and then. I love you all and I know that I have really gone off topic but there were some things that I just needed to write down and get out.

Love Always,
Ashley :)

Past, Present, Future

The past has brought me to where I am in the present and the present will 

bring me to where I go in the future.

This is definitely the quote of my life with my schooling and future career. I laugh when I think about the indecisiveness of my education. When I was in high school I took accounting, computer, and CNA classes and really wanted to do cosmetology school. My mom said CNA or Cosmetology NOT both so I went with CNA. I finished that and could add one thing to my list of careers I would never want to have.  I graduated high school with all those elective courses and Honors at BCC due to my CNA classes. I then took all the general requirements for my AA at BCC and all of my electives for Business. I then transferred to UCF with Business as my major. A semester later I decided to change my major to Accounting. Took one semester in Accounting and realized that I had not done well at UCF at all. I decided that I had always been successful so it must be the major that was the problem. I went back to BCC for one semester to try out Elementary Education. Well, now that semester is over and one more career is added to the list of careers I never want to have. I have taken some time off from going a 1,000,000 miles an hour to really sit down and think about what has gone wrong and why I am where I am.  I have put a lot of time into praying and asking Heavenly Father where exactly I need to be and I am confident that it is not the major that was wrong at UCF it was the school. Heavenly Father has let me know that I need to listen to Him even if it isn’t always the answer I want. Well, most of you already know where I am going with this but for those of you that don’t I am going to BYU-I. This is a big adventure for me. I am following Heavenly Father with a leap of faith and out to Idaho I go.  :)

Time Flies

Wow!! How time flies!! I wonder if it would seem so if I didn't have something to judge it on. I will never know. Over the last two years things have changed a lot. Two years ago today is the date that I started taking the lessons with the Sister Missionaries. Stake Conference this past weekend was reminiscent for me. 

It was January 13, 2009; I decided to go to Stake Conference alone. What made me make this decision was beyond me at the time but I later learned it was the Spirit. I really enjoyed Stake Conference and was extremely pleased when Nathan's mom suggested I sit with them. I paid close attention to the things that were said during conference but the thing that I remember the most is that a young boy held open a door for me and I remember one of the speakers asking 3 boys at various ages what they would be doing at the age of 19, when they each said serving a mission I was amazed. It was beyond my comprehension that these boys loved and understood Heavenly Father enough that they knew they should go on missions. When Conference was over Sister Price pointed at two young women and told me, "if you decide you would like to know more let me know...those will be the missionaries you will meet with." I at that moment decided I would really like to know what this was all about. I told Sister Price that I would like to meet them and we made a beeline to them. When Sister Price told Sister Keller that we would like to set something up she said, "Okay, We will call you sometime during the week and set something up for maybe Friday!" after we walked away Sister Price and I decided that Friday was definitely too late. Sister Keller called me on Sunday night and set up for the first lesson to be on that Wednesday...only two days earlier than Friday but much better. :) I continued to take the lessons and although the adversary fought it as much as he could I was baptized on February 15, 2009 and confirmed on February 22, 2009. 

This was the best decision I have ever made. As soon as I read The Book of Mormon I knew it was true. I am so glad I followed this prompting and didn't ignore it. Over the last two years there have been so many experiences, good and bad but I have gained a stronger testimony day by day. I must say that even though there have been lots of changes in my life Heavenly Father has pointed me to the correct path each time. 

Thankfulness

So, I am completely behind on the picture thing. I will try to pick up on that after I get my finals completed.

Anyways today while I was driving I thought of some random things that I am thankful for and decided it would be a good blog post.

1. I am thankful that I don't live in a state where smoking is allowed in restaurants and other public places. (When we were in Michigan, no matter where we went we smelled like we had been in a club or bar)
2. I am so thankful for my car. I don't know what I would do without the reliable transportation I have.
3. I am thankful for Heavenly Father and his plan.
4. I am thankful for the great friends I have. They all do so much for me.
5. I am thankful for those who are such great examples for me in the gospel.
6. I am thankful for those who while facing tough situations stay strong and rely on the gospel.
7. I am thankful for my church leaders.
8. I am thankful for my family and the love they have for me.
9. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit which guides me.
10. I am thankful for the trials that I have been through in my life that have helped me to become who I am today.

These are just a few of the things that I am thankful for. :)

Day 2: A picture of someone who has been in your life the longest

Day 2: A picture of someone who has been in your life the longest

My sister Jessica and my best friend Sarah.

I love them both so much. Sarah moved to Tennessee and I miss her but they are definitely the two that have been my friends for the longest. :)

Day 1: A picture of yourself and 15 facts about you

Day 1: A picture of yourself and 15 facts about you
1. My name is Ashley Lynn Hobbs
2. I love to help people who need it.
3. I try my hardest to make everyone happy.
4. I love my friends and family.
5. I have everything a girl could ever ask for.
6. I love the gospel.
7. I am thankful for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
8. I am a college student at BCC for now.
9. I work full time.
10. I live with my grandfather and one of my best friends Kayla.
11. I never know what to write for these things.
12. My favorite color is pink
13. I love a lot of best friends.
14. I love going to YSA activities.
15. I am working on my application for BYU-I in the Spring and I am sooo excited!!

30 Days

I saw this on someone's facebook and thought why not but I'm posting it on my blog.

Day 1: A picture of yourself and 15 facts about you
Day 2: A picture of someone who has been in your life the longest
Day 3: Cast of your favorite show
Day 4: Favorite memory
Day 5: Someone you would trade places with for a day and why
Day 6: Most treasured possesion
Day 7: Someone you have counted on the most
Day 8: Someone you do crazy things with
Day 9: Something you hate
Day 10: Something you love
Day 11: Someone you can't imagine living without
Day 12: Someone who inspires you
Day 13: Something that has changed your life
Day 14: A picture of you and your friends
Day 15: Songs you listen to when you are happy and when you are sad
Day 16: A picture of you and your family
Day 17: Nickname you have and why you have it
Day 18: With ipod on shuffle, what are the first 10 songs that play
Day 19: Another recent picture of yourself
Day 20: Where you want to end up/goal for the future
Day 21: A picture of you then and now, what is different?
Day 22: A picture that always makes you smile
Day 23: A picture of someone you miss
Day 24: A picture of your favorite hobby
Day 25: A picture of something you were sad to give up
Day 26: Someone you always rely on
Day 27: Somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 28: A picture of the new you
Day 29: A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 30: Who am I??