Hi—I am Valerie.  I am thirty-two and am married with four children, ages 10, 5, 3 and 7 months.  I love photography, crafts, blogging, teaching, cooking, spending time with family, hiking, playing basketball and discovering new places.

I would like to share an experience I had that tells me that God answers prayers.  I had just graduated with my Associates degree in Elementary Education.  I was accepted to Brigham Young University but had not scored high enough on the PPST, therefore, I wasn’t accepted into the teaching program.  I was not a good test taker, but was a hard worker.  I had a 3.8 GPA.  The worse part was that one point separated me from everything falling into place.  BYU had just raised the test score requirements.  If I had been able to apply for the program months earlier, everything would have worked out just fine.

But here I was, stuck . . .

I prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked that he would help me know what to do.  I was confused and distraught.  I didn’t know where else I would go.  I wrote a letter of appeal to the Dean of Education at Brigham Young University in hopes something would come of it.  In the meantime, I had an impression to return to the two-year school that I had just graduated in.  “Why would I want to do that?”  It would be kind of embarrassing to return, but I felt a strong urge to do so.

I returned and took the classes as if I were going to Brigham Young University.  I decided to not worry about my situation and exercise my faith and put my trust in the Lord.  I also decided that I wasn’t going to stress about school and grades and that I was going to just have fun and enjoy life.  It turned out to be the best semester of my life and on top of it, I ended up with a 4.0 that semester.  I also heard back from Brigham Young University that they had accepted my appeal and that I would be able to start next semester.

Everything worked out and I got my degree in 4 years, despite the minor setback.

I have always been grateful for the power of prayer, for a loving Heavenly Father who is mindful of our needs and hears and answers our prayers.  Sometimes it’s not in a way that we understand at that moment, but in a way that works out in the end.