October 20, 2024 • 40 mins
Through Christ everyone can overcome or develop their weaknesses into strengths. In this heartfelt episode of "More Than Coincidence" Bri describes her early spiritual encounters and how her life has been blessed by her Asperger’s diagnosis.
We discuss the importance of good intentions and self-forgiveness and as someone who has navigated the social world with autism, Bri shares her own experiences of finding connection and understanding through positive intentions. We discuss how empathy and self-awareness can lead to personal growth, and how crucial support from loved ones can be in overcoming challenges. Together, we reflect on the power of intentions to counter negativity and foster a sense of worthiness in both spiritual and social realms.
Finally, we dive into the crossroads of faith, family, and career, examining how life's choices are often guided by divine connections. Bri candidly discusses her transition from medical laboratory science to nursing, driven by a calling to provide hands-on patient care. Her story is a reminder of the importance of aligning personal aspirations with spiritual guidance. Through these narratives of faith and resilience, we invite listeners to consider how trusting in the Lord’s plan can illuminate the path toward fulfilling one's calling in life.
Please reach out to me if you are interested in sharing your story! I would LOVE to hear from you. :)
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello everyone and welcome to, more Than
Coincidence, remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
As the author and finisher ofour faith, our Savior writes
personal experiences into eachof our lives which can later
strengthen, empower and bring uspeace upon reflection.
This podcast is dedicated tosharing these anchoring memories
(00:26):
from everyone's unique storiesin order to collectively
remember and testify of thereality of Jesus Christ and his
presence in our lives.
I'm your host, lily, and I'mvery excited to share these
experiences together.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Good evening everybody.
Today we have Brie on thepodcast.
How are you, Brie?
Good Thanks for coming today.
Do you mind introducingyourself for everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yeah, so my name is Brie.
I've been in Utah for a lot ofmy life and I've had the
pleasure to meet Lily when wemoved close around them, and my
husband and I have been marriedfor seven years and just had a
little baby.
He's so cute and he is eightmonths now and I'm I've been
(01:13):
trying to do some nursing schooland kind of a as a second
degree.
I got my first degree inmedical laboratory science, so I
guess I'm a medical laboratoryscientist trying to be a nurse,
that actually sounds reallylegit.
It is legit.
It was hard, um and uh.
Yeah, I just have a passion fornutrition, helping people heal
(01:39):
and also just I've come up withthis phrase recently but I like
to take a big bite out of life.
I just love learning and takingeverything in as much as I can.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, you're definitely a Ravenclaw If we
were in Harry Potter.
Oh yeah, you're so smart,you're just always learning
something new.
It's cool because you apply alot of what you learn too, which
I think is really.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I don't know, you're just really awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I feel very honored to have you today.
So I'll just ask you thequestion then, bree, what
memories do you have in yourlife that you reflect on, that
prick your heart in remembranceof Jesus Christ and anchor you
to him?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah.
So I guess we can just startfrom the beginning of my life
and kind of go from there.
So I would say, since I wasborn into the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, itkind of was apparent to me early
on that Jesus was always withme.
(02:39):
And kind of the first time thatI actually recognized it was
around eight years old.
I don't know if it was beforeor after I got baptized, but I
decided to get baptized andaround there I started noticing
the Spirit and I was trying tofigure out the chronological
(03:03):
order of this.
But my mom told me a story thatwhen my brother he's eight
years younger than me, so whenshe was pregnant with him, right
before she went to the deliveryroom, she saw me crying and
she's like you know, brianna,what's going on?
And I was crying.
I said what if the cord waswrapped around his neck?
(03:25):
And she's like that came out ofnowhere, like nobody told yeah,
her that that happens rightright.
So that actually kind of youknow, made my mom a little
nervous and, uh, because youknow your kid just says saying
something yeah right and um, sothat actually it actually did
(03:52):
happen.
Yeah, and when my brother wasborn, the doctor had to unwrap
the cord three times.
No way, yeah, so it was actually, uh, that was enough times that
it was restricting his bloodflow yeah and it was an issue,
but because I told my mom andthe way she reacted, it actually
(04:14):
kind of saved him because,there was like, since she was
stressed, she had high bloodpressure, so the the blood was
able to get to his brain alittle easier, even though it
was wrapped, and then they, youknow, had to kind of control it
and stuff and just what thenurses were doing and what she
(04:35):
was doing, and just kind of alllike wow it worked out, worked
out, and my aunt was like briecalled it.
Oh my, oh my gosh, she called itand you know, I do kind of feel
like a special connection to mybrother.
We're kind of similar in a lotof ways.
Yeah, and so you were lookingout for him even before he got
there.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I don't remember him, like you know, coming to me or
anything, but just that thoughtcame and that was really cool to
hear from my mom afterwards.
I had no idea, yeah, but thethe experience that I do
remember that I had a clear ideaof that it was.
The spirit was have you everwatched the movie Prince of
(05:18):
Egypt?
I love that movie.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I ball almost every time.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love it, so good and um, it was
the scene of the burning bushand just the music is just, it's
amazing, it's just yeah sublime, it's just so.
I don't even know how, how toexplain it.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
All the music in that movie just really brings the
spirit.
In a lot of ways I feel like,yeah, yeah, it's an inspired
movie.
You hit it on the head.
Yeah, no, he's amazing so good.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
But just after seeing that scene like I started
crying, and even after the wholemovie too, um, and my mom again
like what's wrong?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
you know why are you crying?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
and she's like did your sister hit you?
Yeah?
yeah and she's, you know, and Iwas like I wasn't sure why I was
crying, and she's like, do youfeel, you know, like peace or
yeah, happiness, or I was like,yeah, and, and I it was that's
kind of the first time I everfelt felt like a burning in my
(06:23):
chest from right, the HolySpirit, you know, burning in
your heart, yeah, and um, that's.
After that I remembered thatfeeling and that's kind of how I
identify the spirit is, if Ihave a burning in my chest, I
know for sure.
Yeah, it's like you can getthoughts in your head, right,
and you can't always tell ifit's you or the holy spirit,
(06:46):
right, right, but you, I don'tknow how you can affect your
chest your heart, you know, andyou as a medical person like
that is definitely not yeah,yeah, exactly.
So that's kind of always beenlike.
That's been the foundation thatI kind of built on from there
right, I always kind of feltlike I had a special connection
(07:10):
with God compared to a lot ofpeople, and I kind of observed
the differences throughout mylife, like how easy I am, I'm
able to like connect to him andthe Holy Spirit and I'm not like
bagging on anyone else.
But I do feel like I can tellyou the reason why.
(07:33):
Most likely is that a littlebit later, actually around that
time, I got diagnosed withAsperger's, which is a type of
autism.
With Asperger's, which is atype of autism, it's now
classified as level one autismbecause now it's a, it's a
spectrum and it kind of, youknow, makes it so you can't
(07:56):
socialize as well, you can'tcatch cues, you kind of get
focused on something and youkeep going on it and, um,
sometimes you get stuck onthings that other people can
move on from you know, and Ithink that I feel like autism
(08:17):
kind of is like maybe a littlebit of a of a parting of the
veil.
Yeah, you know you likeespecially the people who are
farther down the spectrum.
You just know that they'reperfect.
Yeah, you just know that theyare close to God yeah even
(08:39):
though they're not.
They can't function here.
You just know that they're.
They're more in heaven.
Thankfully mine isn't.
Hasn't affected my life too toomuch.
Um, I've been able to socializeand a lot of people don't know
right that I have it, but assoon as when you get closer to
(09:01):
you can kind of see like signsof it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
The medical obsession .
Yeah, exactly, yep.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yep, I was one of them.
Yep for sure.
So, yeah, so around third grade.
And another thing is that I waskind of a rougher child.
I would wrestle and I would geta little too like rough with my
(09:28):
sisters, cause them to cry andstuff.
And it was never in myintention to hurt them, it was
just kind of a impulse.
And you know, now I kind offeel a little bit of regret,
which is it's kind of weird, butI I feel like I wasn't ever in
the wrong because I neverintended right to hurt them
(09:51):
right and that's kind of a hugetheme that's been throughout my
life is always just, did youintend harm?
did you intend to hurt somebody?
And it's always harm.
Did you intend to hurt somebody?
And it's always.
Even though I don't I misspeak,yeah, even though I'm I don't
catch social cues or or maybeI'm a little too blunt to
(10:13):
somebody and hurt their feelings, you know it's, I never had a
bad intention and that kind oflike helps me forgive myself and
, you know, is helps me kind offeel closer and kind of a little
bit safe from you know thetemptations of the devil, saying
(10:34):
that you are not good enoughyou're, you know you're being
bad.
So that's maybe why I neverfelt super separated from Jesus
and Heavenly Fathers, becauseI've always had good intentions
and therefore I've always feltworthy of their presence.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
And that's how I feel about everybody is that
everyone's a good person on theinside and sometimes that can
get a little twisted or, youknow, some people are more aware
of what they're doing andtherefore it's not so innocent
anymore yeah but I I believethat everyone has that same
(11:15):
right inside right, the samecore but that's what we learn in
the temple, right like if you,if you try and follow the gospel
and keep, keep your covenantswith a true and honest heart
like it's about your intention,right Are you really trying to
you know, like be on team Jesusor are you, you know, are you
not?
And I love how you bring that up, because I do think a lot of us
(11:35):
, myself included, are reallytoo hard on ourselves, because
we let the devil get in our headand say, well, you're not good
enough, or you're not tryinghard enough, or whatever, but
it's like no, my intent is, Ihave the best intentions, I
truly am trying to be better.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
I'm just mortal and I'm failing so sorry yeah yeah,
I feel like having the bestintention is the best way of
thwarting the devil.
It's always having a goodintention and I love the
scripture that came from Isaiah.
(12:08):
It's repeated, actually, acouple times, and it says for
all this, his anger is notturned away, but his hand is
stretched out still.
I just love that Even though Imay up I, you know, was maybe a
little bit rough back then and Imight, I might, not speak as
(12:33):
well that his hand is stretchedout still and it's always been
there and then um to kind ofcontinue.
That was kind of a big time forme.
The spirit came, I got mydiagnosis.
I also started getting somefriends and actually I still
have those friends, no way yeahand I think really my friends
(12:55):
are kind of who got me out of my.
I could have been a lot worsesocially if it wasn't for them
Right and like my family, myfriends all treated me like I
was their equal, like theydidn't cater to me, like I was,
like I had a disability.
(13:16):
Right, they didn't let yourdiagnosis define you yeah
exactly, and I think that's whatmade a big difference is that,
since you kind of, when you'reautistic and you're like a
little higher functioning, youcan mirror, yeah and kind of
mask.
And I just had great friendsthat just you know to mirror,
(13:38):
and also I never felt, I neverfelt out of place when I was
around them.
So and actually like one ofthem I was playing with, they
were playing over at my houseand I was kind of wrestling my
sisters a little bit and shesaid you know, if you don't stop
doing that, I'm gonna leave,I'm gonna call my mom and and
(14:01):
have her pick me up.
And I was like that was when,like I finally made the
connection that was a huge beingtoo rough yeah, like what I'm
doing affects others, like Ijust didn't make that connection
before.
I thought kind of like, oh, it'sfun they.
You know, I kind of knew thatthey didn't like wrestling.
(14:23):
But I just like this affectsmore than just what I thought, I
guess, and it just it kind ofsnapped me out of it and ever
since then I like the thought ofhurting somebody is just not's
(14:45):
out of my mind, yeah, exactlyright, like hitting with with
bad intention.
It's just abhorrent to me and uh, yeah, so, and I guess hitting
in general too a little bitright.
But yeah, that was like a supercool change and that was
probably when I was like around12, 10 or 12.
(15:09):
I also, and I think you know,god sent these friends to me too
.
I was literally about to saythat, like it seems like that's
very divine.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Like he's like these people will help Bree and he
sent them right into your life,yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
And like we're still into each other's lives and it's
just super cool and you knowI'm glad that I have stayed in
the same place, and that'sanother thing is like I feel bad
for people who move around andkind of lose those friends right
.
So I got really lucky on that onthat part too I'm grateful for,
(15:44):
like my dad and in that way,because he just worked so hard
to keep us in the place we wereat, yeah, his job just wasn't
the greatest um at times andyeah, and I also feel really
grateful about that too, youknow how your relationship with
your dad is kind of like yourrelationship with God.
(16:05):
Yes, just like grateful for allthe work he did, same with like
Heavenly Father.
Yeah.
Another thing that kind of wasa big defining thing that
solidified my testimony inprayer specifically was I just
love cats, yeah, like dogs.
(16:25):
I had a great dog.
His name was Tater Tot and hewas like he was such a cutie.
He was a pug in a boxer mix Shutup, that's so cute.
He was like he had thecoloration and the curly tail,
uh-huh, um, and then the longersnout and he was kind of like
stubby.
Yeah, um, he was.
(16:46):
He was such a great dog, but Idon't know why cats are just
your thing, they're my thing.
I love their independence and,yeah, and how they're not all
over you all the time rightright but, um, my cat was having
kittens and I was lucky enoughto be able to hang out with my
mom and my grandma while she washaving the kittens and one of
(17:11):
the kittens wasn't breathing.
And this is where I, you know,knew that Heavenly Father even
though maybe this is notimportant to other people,
what's important to you isimportant to him.
I prayed that that kitten wouldlive and when I finished that
prayer, that kitten startedbreathing, like immediately,
(17:35):
really yeah.
And I was like, yeah, heavenlyfather answers your prayers.
I mean, yeah, there's someprayers he can't answer, right,
but you know, that's when I knewthat he answers your prayers,
whether that's yeah, in heavenor or now yeah, and that
actually kind of translated intoyou know, like young women's
(17:57):
and EFY, which is for now.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What, what was it?
He's FSY, now FSY, yeah when Iwent to EFY.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
By then I felt like my testimony was just like super
solid, I know, and that's uhagain with how I could notice
the difference between otherpeople me and other people
spiritually was just I, was I bythen.
I knew you knew, yeah, I knewthat God was real and he answers
prayers.
(18:25):
He there's a spirit.
He brings angels into your life.
You know, and people to help youright.
And in EFY I also kind of foundout that, like how I could tap
in to things kind of easily andI remember we were kind of
workshopping how you could usethe Spirit to find just a random
(18:50):
scripture that you needed toquestion.
Like you would have thescriptures closed and you don't
the scriptures.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah I'm closed.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
And you don't you know, no scriptures memorized or
anything yeah, no peeking, andwe were partnered with another
person and they would have aquestion and then you were going
to like look it up and answerit and I I don't memorize
scriptures very well, so I Itotally depended on the spirit
and you know, I flipped to ascripture and I just bore my
(19:23):
testimony that and I don'tremember the exact scripture,
unfortunately, but you rememberthe feeling yeah exactly, and
that God will never let you downand he'll always answer your
prayer, even if and again itmight be in heaven.
But he will never forget you,and you know that.
(19:44):
That made my partner cry andthat was just a special moment.
It was like wow, like that wasfor, that was the right answer
for for them and, yeah, I can dothis yeah, it was just kind of
cool that God can use too.
Yeah and you just you don'talways know if you have affected
(20:05):
somebody, because a lot ofpeople keep things secret, so
that was just kind of cool tosee it on his face yeah to know,
wow, like I can do this.
And that's when I kind of knewthat it's like a um, a next
level, when, when you can alignyour will with the father's,
(20:28):
whatever you're going to do nextis what he's going to choose
anyways, and I think that's kindof the level where the prophets
are at right, they're sothey're so in tune with him with
, but they don't have to askanymore, they're just in line.
And that's kind of where I madethat connection and and kind of
(20:50):
pledged myself that I would getthere, yeah, someday, yeah, so I
was just like a cool experience.
I remember my counselors sayingthe, the FY counselor over our
group saying to each you know,teach person.
It was something around thelines of I know you believe in
(21:12):
in God, you know, and you know,just keep keep going.
And then they came to me andyou say they said something like
I know that you know God isreal, you know just, just the,
just the difference there.
And I was like yeah, no, yeah,that's right, yeah, exactly,
(21:32):
yeah.
So that was, that was justsomething that kind of.
It was a cool little campexperience for that.
I was kind of going there forthe cute guys, but it was kind
of like a little workshop andthat was special.
And then into high school Iknew that I wanted to do
(21:58):
something more than just becomea mom, yeah, and so kind of
figuring out what that was mygrandma, the same one that was
with the, with the kittens yeahwith the kittens.
She was living with us and sheactually was living with us
because she wasn't taking careof herself.
(22:19):
Well, she had a lot of healthissues, including like diabetes,
which I think probably led intoher pancreatic cancer, and I
can't remember how old I was.
Pancreatic cancer is just, it'sreally hard to cure apparently.
So it was pretty much we kindof knew that that was it and she
(22:40):
.
She had a another form ofcancer before and they were able
to take it out, but you can'ttake your pancreas out yeah nope
I guess you, maybe you can't.
I don't think there's anymedications that can replace
everything, though, and kind ofaround that 10th grade point I
(23:01):
kind of declared war againstcancer.
Yeah.
I will cure cancer, yeah and I,you know so I'm going to go
after this because it was justcancer was, I think, the second
leading cause of death at thattime, and I think it still is.
Yeah, heart disease is it'sstill number one yeah, and I
(23:24):
just but heart disease versuscancer.
I feel like a lot of innocentpeople get hurt with cancer and,
um, I just felt like that wasan injustice and and my grandma,
yeah, and it was, you know,people were looking into the
cure anyways and.
I just wanted to hop on that.
(23:45):
So I worked hard and got myassociates in high school and
and I also at that time wasthinking about going on a
mission, and I said you know,heavenly Father, if you want me
to go on a mission, tell me andI will turn on a dime yeah but
if you want me to do somethingelse, and you want cancer cured.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, that's where I'm going next.
Yeah, and that's you know.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I never got the impression to go on a mission
yeah, I would have happily gone,but yeah, I, I.
That's when I kind ofunderstood I had a different
mission and that's how I alsofeel about when other people,
like other ladies I guess, don'tgo on missions.
They had another mission to doand mine was getting into school
(24:30):
and getting that done as earlyas possible, because I think
Heavenly Father knew that Iloved school and you will be,
there for a long time.
Yes, exactly, so might as wellget it done early.
Yeah, so that was just kind ofcool.
And with the again, with thatprayer, that I knew that
Heavenly Father would answer.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Yeah, and he did by just saying you know, continue.
And I also prayed about likewhat school to go to, right,
because I had BYU and the U asoptions.
But you know, heavenly Fathersaid the U, I'm sorry, byu, but
it was it was the?
U and it was actually goodbecause the U is it has that
(25:15):
hospital.
Right, exactly, and it's just,it's very medically focused.
Yeah, it's, they're very good,right, and it's kind of cool
because now that I'm married andstuff, my husband went to BYU.
I went to the?
U and, like people, tease usabout that.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
House divided.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, exactly, but he went to BYU for business.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And they're really good at business so like we both
went to our universities thatyou know were suited for what
you wanted.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, exactly and um, yeah, so I you know I didn't
consider nursing.
I I wish I did.
I at the time didn't think thatI wanted to be with people
because, again, like thatAsperger's that autism thing,
time didn't think that I wantedto be with people Because, again
, like that Asperger's thatautism thing, like I didn't
think I would mesh well withpeople.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
And.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
I was a little bit of an introvert.
I kind of flipped around.
I was going to say it was likeoh wait, I do get my energy from
people Like, shoot, I guess I'man extrovert, but yeah, so I
think Heavenly Father kind ofknew that I would do that flip,
yeah, and I wonder if HeavenlyFather was like you know, you,
(26:30):
you need, you know, a biggerlike view of the medical field,
because if I did nursing I wouldhave just done nursing and gone
up.
But because I have medicallaboratory science right,
there's just another realm ofpossibility for me and even
though I kind of regret it, it'snot, I think it will pay, pay
(26:55):
back later.
Yeah, I think I haven't, youknow, seen the end of that.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
So the chronicle or whatever, yeah, the story
continues exactly.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
So, yeah, and, and I went to medical laboratory
science because I thought thatwas the closest to cancer and I
actually did cancer research atthe Huntsman.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Whoa, that's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yeah, and it was, it was cool.
I just I wasn't.
I had the opportunity of havingmy own project underneath a
idea that was already made by aprincipal investigator, right,
but I, I just didn't really haveenough time.
And, yeah, I was commuting fromLehigh, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
So it was commute.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yeah, so it was like an hour each way on the train
because I wanted to save moneyanyways it was just a lot into
that decision, but I just didn'tfeel right in that researching
cancer there.
It just felt and I know thiskind of sounds bad, but it was
just too slow for me.
(27:58):
It was just I kind of felt likeI wasn't on the bleeding edge,
even though I, you know, was theHuntsman is just they're
researching new stuff, yeah, butit takes time.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Research takes a lot of time.
It does, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
But it takes time.
Research takes a lot of time.
It does, yeah, and I kind ofgot a little bit frustrated
because I didn't.
I wanted to see this, what wewere researching, applied to
patients.
Yeah, but it wasn't entirelythat way.
It was more like adding asentence to a textbook for at
least the stuff that I wasaround, and I was like this
(28:34):
isn't, this isn't for me.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I kind of wanted to see patients, patients, more
people oriented, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
I wanted to see people's tumors shrink from this
research and yeah, yeah, itwasn't that way, right, and so I
just kind of shrunk back intomy degree and, just you know,
finished it and then I worked ina hospital lab for a little bit
and it was, you know, I learneda lot and it was super cool.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
I loved the people I was with and but then I realized
that because I would go on somecodes, so they call like a
trauma or something right, andthe lab is there to test.
Do a quick test like at thebedside, yeah and.
I realized I love going tothose like I would get a little
(29:25):
buzz.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
I guess I'm a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
But, um, I was like, oh, wow, yeah, like, and I felt
like I kind of hit the ceilingat my job too and I didn't want
to.
I realized I didn't want to doit for forever yeah and that's
kind of where that transitioncame, naturally to go into.
It's like I want to be thenurses that I see in the ER that
(29:53):
are helping, Because I just Ifelt like I went to the lab
because I thought that researchwould help the most people.
Right, because you know it kindof it does.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
It can Right.
Yeah, but you really wanted themore hands-on, like I'm seeing
the patients, I'm caring for thepatients, yeah, and seeing and
helping them with theirtreatment, yeah exactly, yeah,
and I think perhaps in thefuture, if finances and time,
and that I can still take careof my family and put them first
(30:26):
yeah if that allows this, Iwould probably become a nurse
practitioner and maybe startsome research, who knows?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
I?
Speaker 2 (30:35):
could see you doing that.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
That would be pretty sweet, but I know that it can
take a lot from your family.
So we'll just see how it goes,and I've kind of come to terms
that if it doesn't work out,I'll just follow what the Lord
wants me to do, right?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
But it's cool that you can really like, with all
the things that you've shared,you really can look back on your
life and see where the Lord hasliterally taken you and it was
like with each thing it had apurpose.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Right this.
You know.
You needed your friends toteach you these things and to be
your awesome buddies.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
You had this experience specifically to help
you with the spirit you know andknow that your prayers are
answered, and even going up tothe you like now you know, like
I really enjoyed this.
It's a resume builder, but thatmaybe isn't what I want.
Like literally every singlething you've done in hindsight
has been something to kind ofguide you and direct you in that
way to help give you furtherclarity for later.
Yeah, or just like evenexperience, like the fact that
you were able to go in whenyou're working as the lab tech,
like you can already say that,yeah, I've gone in and I've
(31:36):
helped patients already.
Like so when you're now thatyou're going to be a nurse,
you're not completely a greenie,because you've already had the
experience of going in withpatients right During intense
situations or whatever like Ithink that's already going to
prepare you to do that job rightand to do it well, because
you've already been in thatenvironment, you know the
protocol, you know how to likeact and stuff around that.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
So I think that you, the Lord really has prepared you
really well for your next step.
So it'd be cool.
You'll like become a nurse andthen you'll go cure cancer,
right?
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Yep, that's the next, that's the next jump.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
It might take a few more steps, but yeah, that's, I
would love that if that happens,it's the direction.
Yeah, but I think HeavenlyFather also knew of my nature,
because I've noticed ratherrecently that Heavenly Father
gives me things slowly, yeah,like he gives me trials slowly.
(32:33):
I guess, and I think thatprobably has something to do
with my autism, because you have, it's a little bit harder for
people with autism to adapt tochanges.
Yeah, not that like I feel likeI'm pretty adaptable, but it's
probably because Heavenly Father, like, gives me things a little
more slowly.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
So I guess an example of that is like when I had
Wesley.
Yeah, I felt like all thethings that you have to learn
with the baby and stuff, right,and the troubles Like they could
have all came at once, you know, like feeding troubles,
sleeping troubles.
Yeah, all of it, all of it butthey kind of came one by one, I
(33:14):
guess, so they came like one ata time, yeah, and I've heard
some people have it all at once.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
And I was just like, wow, I'm really lucky.
And just yeah, I'm, and maybe Ican think of a better, better
examples.
But yeah, I just noticed thatit's just slower and I just know
that Heavenly Father is justbeing gracious with me and
that's just.
You know.
I really appreciate it.
I don't want my child to comedown like no one wants that
(33:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Or maybe one day it will, but you've been prepared
enough to be able to handle itwhen it does come.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, exactly, maybe I'll think of a better example
again too.
Is that it just?
I feel like it's a blessing ina way, because I in my
patriarchal blessing it saidthat I was a valiant.
(34:17):
I was valiant during that thatfight between Satan and and the
people who supported God's plan,the people you know just that
whole thing in the premortallife and I think maybe that
valiance has something to dowith my autism.
(34:38):
You know, like that that I cameto earth still fighting a
little bit or you need tohandicap you so you wouldn't
rule the world.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yeah, yeah, just kidding, it's not handy.
That's funny, I like that, butyeah it's like it.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
It's just I think it has you know I I think what how
you were in the premortal lifeis kind of how you came here,
and I being blunt too, I I feellike it is in respect to people,
because I don't want to everlie to anybody yeah and there's
(35:15):
just a lot of things to autismthat I feel like it's just so
pure.
Yeah, in a way it's withoutguile and it's um even though it
can be hurtful to people whoaren't ready to hear.
You know harsh words, but yeah,I don't think of autism as as a
(35:39):
burden.
I'm actually quite proud of itand you know it's.
I feel like it's my main trialin life, like pretty much all
the trials that I haveexperienced stems from it.
Yeah, but I feel like it alsohas brought me to where I am now
because with the autism, withthe focus, I think, the
(36:02):
intelligence that I have beenable to to handle I guess is's
because of yeah it's just andthe memory apparently people
with Asperger's their memory isis really good, like I, I think
it was like the 95 percentilearound there and that memory has
(36:24):
helped me a lot in anatomy.
And you know it came withpluses and minuses but I feel
like it's just more pluses andI'm grateful that I, that I'm
kind of in this in between ofnot having to rely on others to
help me and then still havingthe good things that autism has
(36:49):
brought me, it's like asuperpower, yeah yeah it, and
you know I just always kind ofbeen grateful and self-assured
about who I am and that you knowagain that I'm a good person on
the inside and there's nothingthat will change that, and also
that I know that God lives, andthere's nothing that can change
(37:12):
that either.
Honestly, and I am, I'm gratefulfor all the things that the
Lord has given me, and I meanthere's probably a lot more
other things I could say.
My sweet boy too, he's just,he's just such a.
He's different too.
(37:32):
I can tell yeah and I think heuh, when he was a in the womb, I
could just feel his sweetness.
Yeah, I just could feel hisspirit and yeah, that sweetness,
I think is that same sweetnessthat I have and that Ben fell in
love with too yeah he justtells me, like you're so tender
(37:55):
you are, you really are thoughand you know I uh, I know that I
was giving him a tender spiritlike mine for a reason and I'm
really excited to see how, youknow, he grows and I feel so
(38:18):
much better equipped if he didhave autism how I can help him
through it.
And yeah, at first that waskind of a worry for me because
it's genetic yeah but it can'tbe genetic anyways, but I just
know that that's.
You know this, and more peopleare having autism or realizing
(38:42):
that they have autism, and Ithink that's the mark of the
strong children, perhaps or not,not the only mark, right, but
of the of the strong children ofgod.
And I, yeah, I'm just I, eventhough autism is the negative
thing, I think it's a blessingand and I, uh, yeah, just wanted
(39:13):
to bear my testimony that,because of all these things that
I have experienced in in mylife, that I know God never,
will never leave me andtherefore I will never leave him
, and I say these things in thename of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Amen.
Thank you for coming to me,you're the best.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Oh, you too.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Thanks again for tuning in to More Than
Coincidence, Remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
Please follow us on socialmedia or share us with a friend.
If you have an experience you'dlike to share, feel free to
reach out tomorethancoincidencerememberhim
at gmailcom.
I can't wait to hear all of theamazing memories you all have
of our Savior.
(40:00):
See you next time.
Hello everyone and welcome to, more Than
Coincidence, remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
As the author and finisher ofour faith, our Savior writes
personal experiences into eachof our lives which can later
strengthen, empower and bring uspeace upon reflection.
This podcast is dedicated tosharing these anchoring memories
(00:26):
from everyone's unique storiesin order to collectively
remember and testify of thereality of Jesus Christ and his
presence in our lives.
I'm your host, lily, and I'mvery excited to share these
experiences together.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Good evening everybody.
Today we have Brie on thepodcast.
How are you, Brie?
Good Thanks for coming today.
Do you mind introducingyourself for everybody.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yeah, so my name is Brie.
I've been in Utah for a lot ofmy life and I've had the
pleasure to meet Lily when wemoved close around them, and my
husband and I have been marriedfor seven years and just had a
little baby.
He's so cute and he is eightmonths now and I'm I've been
(01:13):
trying to do some nursing schooland kind of a as a second
degree.
I got my first degree inmedical laboratory science, so I
guess I'm a medical laboratoryscientist trying to be a nurse,
that actually sounds reallylegit.
It is legit.
It was hard, um and uh.
Yeah, I just have a passion fornutrition, helping people heal
(01:39):
and also just I've come up withthis phrase recently but I like
to take a big bite out of life.
I just love learning and takingeverything in as much as I can.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, you're definitely a Ravenclaw If we
were in Harry Potter.
Oh yeah, you're so smart,you're just always learning
something new.
It's cool because you apply alot of what you learn too, which
I think is really.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I don't know, you're just really awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I feel very honored to have you today.
So I'll just ask you thequestion then, bree, what
memories do you have in yourlife that you reflect on, that
prick your heart in remembranceof Jesus Christ and anchor you
to him?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah.
So I guess we can just startfrom the beginning of my life
and kind of go from there.
So I would say, since I wasborn into the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, itkind of was apparent to me early
on that Jesus was always withme.
(02:39):
And kind of the first time thatI actually recognized it was
around eight years old.
I don't know if it was beforeor after I got baptized, but I
decided to get baptized andaround there I started noticing
the Spirit and I was trying tofigure out the chronological
(03:03):
order of this.
But my mom told me a story thatwhen my brother he's eight
years younger than me, so whenshe was pregnant with him, right
before she went to the deliveryroom, she saw me crying and
she's like you know, brianna,what's going on?
And I was crying.
I said what if the cord waswrapped around his neck?
(03:25):
And she's like that came out ofnowhere, like nobody told yeah,
her that that happens rightright.
So that actually kind of youknow, made my mom a little
nervous and, uh, because youknow your kid just says saying
something yeah right and um, sothat actually it actually did
(03:52):
happen.
Yeah, and when my brother wasborn, the doctor had to unwrap
the cord three times.
No way, yeah, so it was actually, uh, that was enough times that
it was restricting his bloodflow yeah and it was an issue,
but because I told my mom andthe way she reacted, it actually
(04:14):
kind of saved him because,there was like, since she was
stressed, she had high bloodpressure, so the the blood was
able to get to his brain alittle easier, even though it
was wrapped, and then they, youknow, had to kind of control it
and stuff and just what thenurses were doing and what she
(04:35):
was doing, and just kind of alllike wow it worked out, worked
out, and my aunt was like briecalled it.
Oh my, oh my gosh, she called itand you know, I do kind of feel
like a special connection to mybrother.
We're kind of similar in a lotof ways.
Yeah, and so you were lookingout for him even before he got
there.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I don't remember him, like you know, coming to me or
anything, but just that thoughtcame and that was really cool to
hear from my mom afterwards.
I had no idea, yeah, but thethe experience that I do
remember that I had a clear ideaof that it was.
The spirit was have you everwatched the movie Prince of
(05:18):
Egypt?
I love that movie.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I ball almost every time.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love it, so good and um, it was
the scene of the burning bushand just the music is just, it's
amazing, it's just yeah sublime, it's just so.
I don't even know how, how toexplain it.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
All the music in that movie just really brings the
spirit.
In a lot of ways I feel like,yeah, yeah, it's an inspired
movie.
You hit it on the head.
Yeah, no, he's amazing so good.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
But just after seeing that scene like I started
crying, and even after the wholemovie too, um, and my mom again
like what's wrong?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
you know why are you crying?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
and she's like did your sister hit you?
Yeah?
yeah and she's, you know, and Iwas like I wasn't sure why I was
crying, and she's like, do youfeel, you know, like peace or
yeah, happiness, or I was like,yeah, and, and I it was that's
kind of the first time I everfelt felt like a burning in my
(06:23):
chest from right, the HolySpirit, you know, burning in
your heart, yeah, and um, that's.
After that I remembered thatfeeling and that's kind of how I
identify the spirit is, if Ihave a burning in my chest, I
know for sure.
Yeah, it's like you can getthoughts in your head, right,
and you can't always tell ifit's you or the holy spirit,
(06:46):
right, right, but you, I don'tknow how you can affect your
chest your heart, you know, andyou as a medical person like
that is definitely not yeah,yeah, exactly.
So that's kind of always beenlike.
That's been the foundation thatI kind of built on from there
right, I always kind of feltlike I had a special connection
(07:10):
with God compared to a lot ofpeople, and I kind of observed
the differences throughout mylife, like how easy I am, I'm
able to like connect to him andthe Holy Spirit and I'm not like
bagging on anyone else.
But I do feel like I can tellyou the reason why.
(07:33):
Most likely is that a littlebit later, actually around that
time, I got diagnosed withAsperger's, which is a type of
autism.
With Asperger's, which is atype of autism, it's now
classified as level one autismbecause now it's a, it's a
spectrum and it kind of, youknow, makes it so you can't
(07:56):
socialize as well, you can'tcatch cues, you kind of get
focused on something and youkeep going on it and, um,
sometimes you get stuck onthings that other people can
move on from you know, and Ithink that I feel like autism
(08:17):
kind of is like maybe a littlebit of a of a parting of the
veil.
Yeah, you know you likeespecially the people who are
farther down the spectrum.
You just know that they'reperfect.
Yeah, you just know that theyare close to God yeah even
(08:39):
though they're not.
They can't function here.
You just know that they're.
They're more in heaven.
Thankfully mine isn't.
Hasn't affected my life too toomuch.
Um, I've been able to socializeand a lot of people don't know
right that I have it, but assoon as when you get closer to
(09:01):
you can kind of see like signsof it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
The medical obsession .
Yeah, exactly, yep.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yep, I was one of them.
Yep for sure.
So, yeah, so around third grade.
And another thing is that I waskind of a rougher child.
I would wrestle and I would geta little too like rough with my
(09:28):
sisters, cause them to cry andstuff.
And it was never in myintention to hurt them, it was
just kind of a impulse.
And you know, now I kind offeel a little bit of regret,
which is it's kind of weird, butI I feel like I wasn't ever in
the wrong because I neverintended right to hurt them
(09:51):
right and that's kind of a hugetheme that's been throughout my
life is always just, did youintend harm?
did you intend to hurt somebody?
And it's always harm.
Did you intend to hurt somebody?
And it's always.
Even though I don't I misspeak,yeah, even though I'm I don't
catch social cues or or maybeI'm a little too blunt to
(10:13):
somebody and hurt their feelings, you know it's, I never had a
bad intention and that kind oflike helps me forgive myself and
, you know, is helps me kind offeel closer and kind of a little
bit safe from you know thetemptations of the devil, saying
(10:34):
that you are not good enoughyou're, you know you're being
bad.
So that's maybe why I neverfelt super separated from Jesus
and Heavenly Fathers, becauseI've always had good intentions
and therefore I've always feltworthy of their presence.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
And that's how I feel about everybody is that
everyone's a good person on theinside and sometimes that can
get a little twisted or, youknow, some people are more aware
of what they're doing andtherefore it's not so innocent
anymore yeah but I I believethat everyone has that same
(11:15):
right inside right, the samecore but that's what we learn in
the temple, right like if you,if you try and follow the gospel
and keep, keep your covenantswith a true and honest heart
like it's about your intention,right Are you really trying to
you know, like be on team Jesusor are you, you know, are you
not?
And I love how you bring that up, because I do think a lot of us
(11:35):
, myself included, are reallytoo hard on ourselves, because
we let the devil get in our headand say, well, you're not good
enough, or you're not tryinghard enough, or whatever, but
it's like no, my intent is, Ihave the best intentions, I
truly am trying to be better.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
I'm just mortal and I'm failing so sorry yeah yeah,
I feel like having the bestintention is the best way of
thwarting the devil.
It's always having a goodintention and I love the
scripture that came from Isaiah.
(12:08):
It's repeated, actually, acouple times, and it says for
all this, his anger is notturned away, but his hand is
stretched out still.
I just love that Even though Imay up I, you know, was maybe a
little bit rough back then and Imight, I might, not speak as
(12:33):
well that his hand is stretchedout still and it's always been
there and then um to kind ofcontinue.
That was kind of a big time forme.
The spirit came, I got mydiagnosis.
I also started getting somefriends and actually I still
have those friends, no way yeahand I think really my friends
(12:55):
are kind of who got me out of my.
I could have been a lot worsesocially if it wasn't for them
Right and like my family, myfriends all treated me like I
was their equal, like theydidn't cater to me, like I was,
like I had a disability.
(13:16):
Right, they didn't let yourdiagnosis define you yeah
exactly, and I think that's whatmade a big difference is that,
since you kind of, when you'reautistic and you're like a
little higher functioning, youcan mirror, yeah and kind of
mask.
And I just had great friendsthat just you know to mirror,
(13:38):
and also I never felt, I neverfelt out of place when I was
around them.
So and actually like one ofthem I was playing with, they
were playing over at my houseand I was kind of wrestling my
sisters a little bit and shesaid you know, if you don't stop
doing that, I'm gonna leave,I'm gonna call my mom and and
(14:01):
have her pick me up.
And I was like that was when,like I finally made the
connection that was a huge beingtoo rough yeah, like what I'm
doing affects others, like Ijust didn't make that connection
before.
I thought kind of like, oh, it'sfun they.
You know, I kind of knew thatthey didn't like wrestling.
(14:23):
But I just like this affectsmore than just what I thought, I
guess, and it just it kind ofsnapped me out of it and ever
since then I like the thought ofhurting somebody is just not's
(14:45):
out of my mind, yeah, exactlyright, like hitting with with
bad intention.
It's just abhorrent to me and uh, yeah, so, and I guess hitting
in general too a little bitright.
But yeah, that was like a supercool change and that was
probably when I was like around12, 10 or 12.
(15:09):
I also, and I think you know,god sent these friends to me too
.
I was literally about to saythat, like it seems like that's
very divine.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Like he's like these people will help Bree and he
sent them right into your life,yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
And like we're still into each other's lives and it's
just super cool and you knowI'm glad that I have stayed in
the same place, and that'sanother thing is like I feel bad
for people who move around andkind of lose those friends right
.
So I got really lucky on that onthat part too I'm grateful for,
(15:44):
like my dad and in that way,because he just worked so hard
to keep us in the place we wereat, yeah, his job just wasn't
the greatest um at times andyeah, and I also feel really
grateful about that too, youknow how your relationship with
your dad is kind of like yourrelationship with God.
(16:05):
Yes, just like grateful for allthe work he did, same with like
Heavenly Father.
Yeah.
Another thing that kind of wasa big defining thing that
solidified my testimony inprayer specifically was I just
love cats, yeah, like dogs.
(16:25):
I had a great dog.
His name was Tater Tot and hewas like he was such a cutie.
He was a pug in a boxer mix Shutup, that's so cute.
He was like he had thecoloration and the curly tail,
uh-huh, um, and then the longersnout and he was kind of like
stubby.
Yeah, um, he was.
(16:46):
He was such a great dog, but Idon't know why cats are just
your thing, they're my thing.
I love their independence and,yeah, and how they're not all
over you all the time rightright but, um, my cat was having
kittens and I was lucky enoughto be able to hang out with my
mom and my grandma while she washaving the kittens and one of
(17:11):
the kittens wasn't breathing.
And this is where I, you know,knew that Heavenly Father even
though maybe this is notimportant to other people,
what's important to you isimportant to him.
I prayed that that kitten wouldlive and when I finished that
prayer, that kitten startedbreathing, like immediately,
(17:35):
really yeah.
And I was like, yeah, heavenlyfather answers your prayers.
I mean, yeah, there's someprayers he can't answer, right,
but you know, that's when I knewthat he answers your prayers,
whether that's yeah, in heavenor or now yeah, and that
actually kind of translated intoyou know, like young women's
(17:57):
and EFY, which is for now.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
What, what was it?
He's FSY, now FSY, yeah when Iwent to EFY.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
By then I felt like my testimony was just like super
solid, I know, and that's uhagain with how I could notice
the difference between otherpeople me and other people
spiritually was just I, was I bythen.
I knew you knew, yeah, I knewthat God was real and he answers
prayers.
(18:25):
He there's a spirit.
He brings angels into your life.
You know, and people to help youright.
And in EFY I also kind of foundout that, like how I could tap
in to things kind of easily andI remember we were kind of
workshopping how you could usethe Spirit to find just a random
(18:50):
scripture that you needed toquestion.
Like you would have thescriptures closed and you don't
the scriptures.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah I'm closed.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
And you don't you know, no scriptures memorized or
anything yeah, no peeking, andwe were partnered with another
person and they would have aquestion and then you were going
to like look it up and answerit and I I don't memorize
scriptures very well, so I Itotally depended on the spirit
and you know, I flipped to ascripture and I just bore my
(19:23):
testimony that and I don'tremember the exact scripture,
unfortunately, but you rememberthe feeling yeah exactly, and
that God will never let you downand he'll always answer your
prayer, even if and again itmight be in heaven.
But he will never forget you,and you know that.
(19:44):
That made my partner cry andthat was just a special moment.
It was like wow, like that wasfor, that was the right answer
for for them and, yeah, I can dothis yeah, it was just kind of
cool that God can use too.
Yeah and you just you don'talways know if you have affected
(20:05):
somebody, because a lot ofpeople keep things secret, so
that was just kind of cool tosee it on his face yeah to know,
wow, like I can do this.
And that's when I kind of knewthat it's like a um, a next
level, when, when you can alignyour will with the father's,
(20:28):
whatever you're going to do nextis what he's going to choose
anyways, and I think that's kindof the level where the prophets
are at right, they're sothey're so in tune with him with
, but they don't have to askanymore, they're just in line.
And that's kind of where I madethat connection and and kind of
(20:50):
pledged myself that I would getthere, yeah, someday, yeah, so I
was just like a cool experience.
I remember my counselors sayingthe, the FY counselor over our
group saying to each you know,teach person.
It was something around thelines of I know you believe in
(21:12):
in God, you know, and you know,just keep keep going.
And then they came to me andyou say they said something like
I know that you know God isreal, you know just, just the,
just the difference there.
And I was like yeah, no, yeah,that's right, yeah, exactly,
(21:32):
yeah.
So that was, that was justsomething that kind of.
It was a cool little campexperience for that.
I was kind of going there forthe cute guys, but it was kind
of like a little workshop andthat was special.
And then into high school Iknew that I wanted to do
(21:58):
something more than just becomea mom, yeah, and so kind of
figuring out what that was mygrandma, the same one that was
with the, with the kittens yeahwith the kittens.
She was living with us and sheactually was living with us
because she wasn't taking careof herself.
(22:19):
Well, she had a lot of healthissues, including like diabetes,
which I think probably led intoher pancreatic cancer, and I
can't remember how old I was.
Pancreatic cancer is just, it'sreally hard to cure apparently.
So it was pretty much we kindof knew that that was it and she
(22:40):
.
She had a another form ofcancer before and they were able
to take it out, but you can'ttake your pancreas out yeah nope
I guess you, maybe you can't.
I don't think there's anymedications that can replace
everything, though, and kind ofaround that 10th grade point I
(23:01):
kind of declared war againstcancer.
Yeah.
I will cure cancer, yeah and I,you know so I'm going to go
after this because it was justcancer was, I think, the second
leading cause of death at thattime, and I think it still is.
Yeah, heart disease is it'sstill number one yeah, and I
(23:24):
just but heart disease versuscancer.
I feel like a lot of innocentpeople get hurt with cancer and,
um, I just felt like that wasan injustice and and my grandma,
yeah, and it was, you know,people were looking into the
cure anyways and.
I just wanted to hop on that.
(23:45):
So I worked hard and got myassociates in high school and
and I also at that time wasthinking about going on a
mission, and I said you know,heavenly Father, if you want me
to go on a mission, tell me andI will turn on a dime yeah but
if you want me to do somethingelse, and you want cancer cured.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, that's where I'm going next.
Yeah, and that's you know.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I never got the impression to go on a mission
yeah, I would have happily gone,but yeah, I, I.
That's when I kind ofunderstood I had a different
mission and that's how I alsofeel about when other people,
like other ladies I guess, don'tgo on missions.
They had another mission to doand mine was getting into school
(24:30):
and getting that done as earlyas possible, because I think
Heavenly Father knew that Iloved school and you will be,
there for a long time.
Yes, exactly, so might as wellget it done early.
Yeah, so that was just kind ofcool.
And with the again, with thatprayer, that I knew that
Heavenly Father would answer.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Yeah, and he did by just saying you know, continue.
And I also prayed about likewhat school to go to, right,
because I had BYU and the U asoptions.
But you know, heavenly Fathersaid the U, I'm sorry, byu, but
it was it was the?
U and it was actually goodbecause the U is it has that
(25:15):
hospital.
Right, exactly, and it's just,it's very medically focused.
Yeah, it's, they're very good,right, and it's kind of cool
because now that I'm married andstuff, my husband went to BYU.
I went to the?
U and, like people, tease usabout that.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
House divided.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, exactly, but he went to BYU for business.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
And they're really good at business so like we both
went to our universities thatyou know were suited for what
you wanted.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, exactly and um, yeah, so I you know I didn't
consider nursing.
I I wish I did.
I at the time didn't think thatI wanted to be with people
because, again, like thatAsperger's that autism thing,
time didn't think that I wantedto be with people Because, again
, like that Asperger's thatautism thing, like I didn't
think I would mesh well withpeople.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
And.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
I was a little bit of an introvert.
I kind of flipped around.
I was going to say it was likeoh wait, I do get my energy from
people Like, shoot, I guess I'man extrovert, but yeah, so I
think Heavenly Father kind ofknew that I would do that flip,
yeah, and I wonder if HeavenlyFather was like you know, you,
(26:30):
you need, you know, a biggerlike view of the medical field,
because if I did nursing I wouldhave just done nursing and gone
up.
But because I have medicallaboratory science right,
there's just another realm ofpossibility for me and even
though I kind of regret it, it'snot, I think it will pay, pay
(26:55):
back later.
Yeah, I think I haven't, youknow, seen the end of that.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
So the chronicle or whatever, yeah, the story
continues exactly.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
So, yeah, and, and I went to medical laboratory
science because I thought thatwas the closest to cancer and I
actually did cancer research atthe Huntsman.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Whoa, that's a big deal.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yeah, and it was, it was cool.
I just I wasn't.
I had the opportunity of havingmy own project underneath a
idea that was already made by aprincipal investigator, right,
but I, I just didn't really haveenough time.
And, yeah, I was commuting fromLehigh, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
So it was commute.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yeah, so it was like an hour each way on the train
because I wanted to save moneyanyways it was just a lot into
that decision, but I just didn'tfeel right in that researching
cancer there.
It just felt and I know thiskind of sounds bad, but it was
just too slow for me.
(27:58):
It was just I kind of felt likeI wasn't on the bleeding edge,
even though I, you know, was theHuntsman is just they're
researching new stuff, yeah, butit takes time.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Research takes a lot of time.
It does, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
But it takes time.
Research takes a lot of time.
It does, yeah, and I kind ofgot a little bit frustrated
because I didn't.
I wanted to see this, what wewere researching, applied to
patients.
Yeah, but it wasn't entirelythat way.
It was more like adding asentence to a textbook for at
least the stuff that I wasaround, and I was like this
(28:34):
isn't, this isn't for me.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I kind of wanted to see patients, patients, more
people oriented, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
I wanted to see people's tumors shrink from this
research and yeah, yeah, itwasn't that way, right, and so I
just kind of shrunk back intomy degree and, just you know,
finished it and then I worked ina hospital lab for a little bit
and it was, you know, I learneda lot and it was super cool.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I loved it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
I loved the people I was with and but then I realized
that because I would go on somecodes, so they call like a
trauma or something right, andthe lab is there to test.
Do a quick test like at thebedside, yeah and.
I realized I love going tothose like I would get a little
(29:25):
buzz.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
I guess I'm a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
But, um, I was like, oh, wow, yeah, like, and I felt
like I kind of hit the ceilingat my job too and I didn't want
to.
I realized I didn't want to doit for forever yeah and that's
kind of where that transitioncame, naturally to go into.
It's like I want to be thenurses that I see in the ER that
(29:53):
are helping, Because I just Ifelt like I went to the lab
because I thought that researchwould help the most people.
Right, because you know it kindof it does.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
It can Right.
Yeah, but you really wanted themore hands-on, like I'm seeing
the patients, I'm caring for thepatients, yeah, and seeing and
helping them with theirtreatment, yeah exactly, yeah,
and I think perhaps in thefuture, if finances and time,
and that I can still take careof my family and put them first
(30:26):
yeah if that allows this, Iwould probably become a nurse
practitioner and maybe startsome research, who knows?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
I?
Speaker 2 (30:35):
could see you doing that.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
That would be pretty sweet, but I know that it can
take a lot from your family.
So we'll just see how it goes,and I've kind of come to terms
that if it doesn't work out,I'll just follow what the Lord
wants me to do, right?
Speaker 2 (30:53):
But it's cool that you can really like, with all
the things that you've shared,you really can look back on your
life and see where the Lord hasliterally taken you and it was
like with each thing it had apurpose.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Right this.
You know.
You needed your friends toteach you these things and to be
your awesome buddies.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
You had this experience specifically to help
you with the spirit you know andknow that your prayers are
answered, and even going up tothe you like now you know, like
I really enjoyed this.
It's a resume builder, but thatmaybe isn't what I want.
Like literally every singlething you've done in hindsight
has been something to kind ofguide you and direct you in that
way to help give you furtherclarity for later.
Yeah, or just like evenexperience, like the fact that
you were able to go in whenyou're working as the lab tech,
like you can already say that,yeah, I've gone in and I've
(31:36):
helped patients already.
Like so when you're now thatyou're going to be a nurse,
you're not completely a greenie,because you've already had the
experience of going in withpatients right During intense
situations or whatever like Ithink that's already going to
prepare you to do that job rightand to do it well, because
you've already been in thatenvironment, you know the
protocol, you know how to likeact and stuff around that.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
So I think that you, the Lord really has prepared you
really well for your next step.
So it'd be cool.
You'll like become a nurse andthen you'll go cure cancer,
right?
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Yep, that's the next, that's the next jump.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
It might take a few more steps, but yeah, that's, I
would love that if that happens,it's the direction.
Yeah, but I think HeavenlyFather also knew of my nature,
because I've noticed ratherrecently that Heavenly Father
gives me things slowly, yeah,like he gives me trials slowly.
(32:33):
I guess, and I think thatprobably has something to do
with my autism, because you have, it's a little bit harder for
people with autism to adapt tochanges.
Yeah, not that like I feel likeI'm pretty adaptable, but it's
probably because Heavenly Father, like, gives me things a little
more slowly.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
So I guess an example of that is like when I had
Wesley.
Yeah, I felt like all thethings that you have to learn
with the baby and stuff, right,and the troubles Like they could
have all came at once, you know, like feeding troubles,
sleeping troubles.
Yeah, all of it, all of it butthey kind of came one by one, I
(33:14):
guess, so they came like one ata time, yeah, and I've heard
some people have it all at once.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
And I was just like, wow, I'm really lucky.
And just yeah, I'm, and maybe Ican think of a better, better
examples.
But yeah, I just noticed thatit's just slower and I just know
that Heavenly Father is justbeing gracious with me and
that's just.
You know.
I really appreciate it.
I don't want my child to comedown like no one wants that
(33:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Or maybe one day it will, but you've been prepared
enough to be able to handle itwhen it does come.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, exactly, maybe I'll think of a better example
again too.
Is that it just?
I feel like it's a blessing ina way, because I in my
patriarchal blessing it saidthat I was a valiant.
(34:17):
I was valiant during that thatfight between Satan and and the
people who supported God's plan,the people you know just that
whole thing in the premortallife and I think maybe that
valiance has something to dowith my autism.
(34:38):
You know, like that that I cameto earth still fighting a
little bit or you need tohandicap you so you wouldn't
rule the world.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yeah, yeah, just kidding, it's not handy.
That's funny, I like that, butyeah it's like it.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
It's just I think it has you know I I think what how
you were in the premortal lifeis kind of how you came here,
and I being blunt too, I I feellike it is in respect to people,
because I don't want to everlie to anybody yeah and there's
(35:15):
just a lot of things to autismthat I feel like it's just so
pure.
Yeah, in a way it's withoutguile and it's um even though it
can be hurtful to people whoaren't ready to hear.
You know harsh words, but yeah,I don't think of autism as as a
(35:39):
burden.
I'm actually quite proud of itand you know it's.
I feel like it's my main trialin life, like pretty much all
the trials that I haveexperienced stems from it.
Yeah, but I feel like it alsohas brought me to where I am now
because with the autism, withthe focus, I think, the
(36:02):
intelligence that I have beenable to to handle I guess is's
because of yeah it's just andthe memory apparently people
with Asperger's their memory isis really good, like I, I think
it was like the 95 percentilearound there and that memory has
(36:24):
helped me a lot in anatomy.
And you know it came withpluses and minuses but I feel
like it's just more pluses andI'm grateful that I, that I'm
kind of in this in between ofnot having to rely on others to
help me and then still havingthe good things that autism has
(36:49):
brought me, it's like asuperpower, yeah yeah it, and
you know I just always kind ofbeen grateful and self-assured
about who I am and that you knowagain that I'm a good person on
the inside and there's nothingthat will change that, and also
that I know that God lives, andthere's nothing that can change
(37:12):
that either.
Honestly, and I am, I'm gratefulfor all the things that the
Lord has given me, and I meanthere's probably a lot more
other things I could say.
My sweet boy too, he's just,he's just such a.
He's different too.
(37:32):
I can tell yeah and I think heuh, when he was a in the womb, I
could just feel his sweetness.
Yeah, I just could feel hisspirit and yeah, that sweetness,
I think is that same sweetnessthat I have and that Ben fell in
love with too yeah he justtells me, like you're so tender
(37:55):
you are, you really are thoughand you know I uh, I know that I
was giving him a tender spiritlike mine for a reason and I'm
really excited to see how, youknow, he grows and I feel so
(38:18):
much better equipped if he didhave autism how I can help him
through it.
And yeah, at first that waskind of a worry for me because
it's genetic yeah but it can'tbe genetic anyways, but I just
know that that's.
You know this, and more peopleare having autism or realizing
(38:42):
that they have autism, and Ithink that's the mark of the
strong children, perhaps or not,not the only mark, right, but
of the of the strong children ofgod.
And I, yeah, I'm just I, eventhough autism is the negative
thing, I think it's a blessingand and I, uh, yeah, just wanted
(39:13):
to bear my testimony that,because of all these things that
I have experienced in in mylife, that I know God never,
will never leave me andtherefore I will never leave him
, and I say these things in thename of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Amen.
Thank you for coming to me,you're the best.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Oh, you too.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Thanks again for tuning in to More Than
Coincidence, Remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
Please follow us on socialmedia or share us with a friend.
If you have an experience you'dlike to share, feel free to
reach out tomorethancoincidencerememberhim
at gmailcom.
I can't wait to hear all of theamazing memories you all have
of our Savior.
(40:00):
See you next time.
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