I just don't know how this happened, it was so UNEXPECTED!

Unexpected... That word sounds interesting, you know, like something happened randomly, out of the blue, completely spontaneously, not planned, unseen, a detour, not thought about, you know, like that just happened, not explained with no rhyme or reason. Its not a word that I would use to explain how I went on a mission, or graduated with such and such degree, or even how I fell in love. All those things are pretty planned out, or at least thought about. It is a word that I would use in describing how I randomly met Alex Boye at church one day. Or how you could describe how the Ducks worked the Sharks in round 1 of the playoffs. You could even say that about how Mine That Bird, with 42-1 odds, won the Kentucky Derby, or how a bird gets hit by a pitch during a baseball game. That is unexpected

This is the thing that gets me, that really eats at me and makes me want to punch someone in the face. It is when they act like the decision that they just made, or plan on making, was something completely out of their control. Lets take the dating world for example. Most LDS boys and girls have thought a lot about getting married. It’s a big thing in the church. Getting sealed in the temple is the last ordinance that you can receive for yourself, and that is necessary to return back to the Celestial Kingdom. So, it usually is on their mind from ages 18 till they are married. So, granted they might not meet said person and the first question they ask themself is, “Is this my future spouse?” No they probably don’t ask themselves that, and if they did, that might be a little creepy, but none the less, it is in the back of their head. It is a thought that comes up, somewhere with in the first few days of meeting said person, but it is not a thought acted upon. Then a few dates go by, things go well, you start to court, and check it out, your thinking about getting married. Whether it be 3 weeks or 3 years before this happens, it isn’t something unexpected. You went on a date with said person, conscious decision, you decided to court said person, conscious decision, you decided to get engaged to said person, conscious decision. Wow! Three conscious decisions, three times, multiplied by ten to 100 times of conscious decisions. It sounds like something planned, or at least thought about. It didn’t just sneak up on you and say " HEY, Your in Love!", low and behold you fell in love, how did that happen, really easy..... you see you decided to get in the water, and therefore, you got wet. So don’t whin about how you got wet, and don’t sit back and say, well this just randomly, unexpectedly happened, I have no idea how, but I got wet. Because you do!

Another one... lets take another case study. Maybe a little more understandable. Living the commandments. You didn’t go from asking her on a date to her getting pregnant. That isn’t something that just unexpectedly happened. No, you made some decisions, all along the way. First it was the date, then the thoughts, then bit by bit, this action and so on. So, don’t say, poor me, I didn’t expect to get pregnant or get her pregnant. NO! you played with fire, and yes, you got burned. You decided hey, I want to go peak over the edge and see what happens, well you fell. Had you stayed as far away as possible, like everyone told you, you would have had no problem. But you made a choice, so step up to the plate and say, this is my decision and I decided this, knowing what could happen, and take the consequences.

Maybe another one might help.... Getting fat... this is one that might be sensitive to certain people, so don’t get me wrong, I am not denying or saying that some people do have medical conditions and certain problems do exist, but honestly, lets be honest here. Where did all these problems come from? They didn’t have this problem a 100 years ago. So, what has happened? Well, one day you decided, I am going to go all out, I am going to eat whatever I want, not exercise, and who cares. Well, if you put on 5 pounds a year(which isn’t that hard to do), for 10 years, you just packed on 50 pounds. I don’t know how it happened.... I do! Pick me teacher! Over here! Over here! I got the answer! It happened the same way you eat an elephant, one bite, one decision at a time! You could not possibly say, “ I didn’t think eating McDonald’s food every day for lunch would be bad for me.” Come on! Don’t say, “ I don’t know how this happened.” “ This was so unexpected.” Step up to the plate and realize you used your agency and you decided that. Yes, you picked it.

Unexpected, unexpected, well unless it’s the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl by a last minute touchdown, or some surprise birthday party, don’t ever use that word to describe choices that you made. You make more choices then you think, including who you fall in love with! So, don’t act surprised if you went on a date with a guy and now you want to be more than friends, don’t be surprised if you eat crappy food, and you get fat. That is what happens when you make choices!