The Lord's Mysteries

I definitely believe that the Lord works in mysterious ways. It, of course, ends up being the best way to learn and grow but always a mystery. One "mystery" I've kind of figured out is how I receive answers to prayers. Sometimes the Lord doesn't give me an answer at all. Really, that's how it is sometimes. It's not that He doesn't want to direct me, but its more that He knows I can eventually figure it out "on my own". Saying this now I realize that the Spirit probably plays a part in this "realization", but its not the usual prompting that I can definitely distinguish as the Spirit's soft whisper. God gave us a brain and I'm pretty sure that He gave it to us for us to use as much as we can.
Talking about the Lord's mysteries I think I've made another discovery. I think dating, for me, has come in different "phases". I meet an awesome guy and it doesn't work out how I would like so I get a little greedy and go looking for a "relationship" to meet my selfish needs and I don't necessarily look at the big picture. Then I get to the point where I know that the way I am dating and who I am dating isn't the best option so then I go to the next extreme and look for that guy that will be the kind of father I want for my kids, someone who will make a good living, and fits well with my family and my parents really like. Not that these things are bad, but I just look for how this guy is going to effect everything, but me. And it just goes in circles. Well I'm breaking the cycle! I want a man who will set the example I want for my future children and has the potential to be a great leader in the church, but I also want a man who makes me happy, gives me butterflies, will be frugal but still buy me flowers every once in a while, is very sweet and chivalrous, but is most definitely a man. I want that happy medium. My mom told me something interesting the other day about how it's important to marry a man who will be a great father and priesthood holder in my future home, but being in love is just as important because I'm going to be married to him for a loooooooong time. So I guess what I'm saying is that as amazing and perfect a guy might be I still need chemistry.
Reading this you may all be thinking, "well duh Alex!" but I just came to realize this recently and I thought I would share :) I guess I really didn't know what I wanted until now. Actually, I probably still don't really KNOW what I want and need, but there is someone who does and luckily we're pretty good friends ;)