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A Remembered Promise

Paige’s fears melted as she recalled a certain promise from God—and it made all the difference

Paige Christoffersen was Superwoman for a day. When she joined PathwayConnect, she thought fulfilling all of her family, church, and school responsibilities would be impossible. Her fear and stress levels kept increasing, but one day God gave her a special answer that made everything easier and helped her succeed in PathwayConnect.

Frantic Responsibilities

Paige has limited time for hobbies or personal activities. She’s a single mother to three daughters (ages seven, five, and two), so she stays busy every day. She also volunteers at local schools and serves diligently in her Church calling.

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Paige and her three daughters, Haven, Grace, and Lainey, at their home

“I stay very busy! Taking care of three kids is all-consuming and takes up nearly every thought of a mother’s day. The last time I was in school was nine years ago, and back then I thought I knew what it meant to have a lot of demands on my time! Now I know how truly busy life can be,” she says.

Paige takes her responsibilities as a mother seriously, working extremely hard to be the best mother she can be to her daughters.

“I think being a parent is always an overwhelming responsibility. We always want what is best for our children,” Paige says.

For Paige, PathwayConnect was a rare opportunity to have a flexible schedule in which to take college classes, and she felt that it was a blessing.

She remembers, “I knew as soon as the service missionaries spoke in my ward that Heavenly Father wanted me to look into the program.”

The Miracle Day

However, the demands on Paige’s time and energy soon took their toll. Despite the flexible homework schedule, adjusting to the demands of PathwayConnect was still tough.

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The Christoffersen girls love to spend time with their mom and are Paige’s motivation to complete PathwayConnect

“About three weeks into PathwayConnect, I was having a particularly hard week,” she recalls. “I was feeling very stressed and run down. I was feeling guilty that I couldn’t spend more time with my kids, and I still had hours of homework, Church calling preparation, and housework to do. I was trying so hard not to completely stress out and just take it minute by minute, hour by hour, but slowly I let fear and worry creep in.”

In her hour of need, Paige turned to the Lord for relief. She desperately needed help, a moment of rest, anything that would let her know that PathwayConnect was possible.

As she prayed for help, she suddenly remembered a promised blessing: “I said a silent prayer and asked for peace and comfort. Just then, a phrase from my patriarchal blessing popped into my head. I immediately went and read it. There I found the promise that I would be able to accomplish the work before me even though at times it may seem very difficult. I am also promised that I will always be able to regularly study my scriptures despite all the other demands upon my time.”

This reminded Paige of the promise in Moroni 7:33 : “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”

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Paige knows PathwayConnect will help her support her children as they grow up and get their own educations.

She continues, “I then knelt and prayed with all my heart that I would be able to accomplish everything I needed to do and still have time to play with my kids and help them with their homework.”

Trusting in God, Paige went back to work. And the miraculous occurred!

“As I worked on my PathwayConnect studies that day, I kept His promise from my patriarchal blessing in my mind. And what normally would have taken me hours upon hours to do that day didn’t take long at all! In fact, I was Superwoman and accomplished everything I needed to very quickly! I know that it wasn’t because of my own ability or strength, but because I leaned on the Lord and fervently asked for help that I was able to get everything done so fast.”

With God’s help, Paige was able to finish all her coursework, prepare for her Church calling, and complete her cleaning. She then used her free time to be with her children.

A Lasting Testimony

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Paige’s daughters look up to her for everything she does.

Paige’s “miracle day” left her with a lasting impression. After being so stressed and feeling out of options, that day meant a lot to her. Although her trials didn’t magically disappear, she developed a strong confidence that everything works out in the end.

Her experience resembles the blessing in Mosiah 24:15 : “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

“I don’t have this superpower every day, but that day was such a blessing to me and such a testimony builder that through God, anything is possible,” she says.

She offers this advice to parents who may be struggling to adjust to the requirements of PathwayConnect: “There is a remarkable sense of peace and calm that comes from praying to know what Heavenly Father wants you to do and then doing it, even if it feels scary or impossible. I have been able to accomplish more this year in PathwayConnect than I ever thought possible. The Lord takes whatever we have to offer and then expands our time, talents, and minds to accomplish the tasks that He wants us to do.”

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PathwayConnect has helped Paige grow closer to her Heavenly Father and be an example to her daughters.

Now Paige more fully knows that God is in the details of our lives, and even the smallest of actions can be extraordinary. That day felt miraculous, but the greater miracle is that her faith and optimism will continue on with her from day to day.

“When I am doing dishes, bandaging a scraped knee, studying for PathwayConnect, or preparing a lesson for Church, I don’t feel like I am doing extraordinary things. But I know that by doing these seemingly small and simple things and drawing on the Lord for strength, I am becoming the woman God wants me to be, and that is pretty extraordinary.”

After completing PathwayConnect in Connecticut, Paige and her daughters moved to Utah. Paige accepted a new job thanks to the skills she gained in PathwayConnect and has plans to enroll in a local nursing program.