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I knew that reading scriptures in the morning had been a blessing to us, but I didn’t know how much until a friend asked me this morning how I was able to juggle being the Primary president and taking care of my family. I told her that I only felt this was possible through our daily habit of reading scriptures as a family. Starting off the day with this activity helps me remember my priorities. I literally feel blinders being put on me when I need to focus on my family more than my calling, then when my calling needs attention, the blinders are removed and I know how to move forward. It’s been an interesting and joyful experience and one I hope others can enjoy. Again, I contribute all of that to family scripture study. I’m not sure how it works, but it does. One day when the veil is removed I am sure I will be able to make sense of all of this and understand what made these blessings available to me and my family.

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During the Summer we decided that we would hold scriptures at 10:00 a.m. and it worked beautifully!  Since school has started scriptures has been a challenge for us with having to move it to 8:00 in the evening and my husband and I have noticed a dramatic difference.  This, of course, became a topic of discussion between the two of us of great importance. We decided that it really was going to be best for all of us to read together in the morning.  This would mean that we all needed to get up…EARLY.

DH and I decided to hold a family council during FHE to discuss this matter further with our six children.  After a productive discussion we all came to the conclusion that if I would make breakfast so we could be fed spiritually as well as physically everyone would gladly make the sacrifice to get up in time to be ready to read by 6:45.  It was a brilliant plan and the best part was that it worked!…today.

I do not own a pair of rose colored glasses, therefore, I understand that it will be normal to have set backs along the way, but I believe we will all be able to keep this up because of how great it makes us feel.  If you knew our family you would understand the miracle it is for all of us to willingly get up in time for scriptures at 6:45.  No coercion.  No criticism. No complaining.  Just love, service, and sacrifice.  Today I truly stand all amazed!!

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I was blessed with a little epiphany this morning as I was trying to wake up.  I was still asleep yet my mind was clear – crystal clear.  I felt the importance of making and keeping promises being impressed upon my mind just as I was starting to stir.  The thought came and left and I felt it was imperative to record my thoughts so I wouldn’t forget them.  This is what they were:

  1. Making and keeping promises to our children and others around us allows us to practice making and keeping the sacred covenants we make to our Heavenly Father and to those we love.
  2. How we make and keep promises to our children is how they will make and keep sacred covenants to Heavenly Father.  They will follow the path we lead them down thus the importance of teaching this principle with integrity.
  3. The more exact we are about making and keeping our promises the easier it is for us to make and keep sacred covenants of our own free will and choice.

I feel a sense of understanding that I’ve not experienced before and yet it is so simple that I think it is silly that I’ve never made this connection.  How grateful I am to a Heavenly Father that helps me understand things that are right in front of me.  Today I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be obedient to impressions such as this.  I am also grateful for the Holy Ghost’s ability to help me understand a principle in such a simple and clear way.

Ride the Waves

Aug
2011
24

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My life feels like it’s spinning out of control.  I have two boys in football – I have not done sports for a long time so this is a bit of a culture shock to get back into this.  When I think about what I can do to gain control I have a few ideas that keep rolling around in my head which means I probably need to pay attention to them.

  1. Get back to my basics (what are my basic needs?) i.e. scriptures, prayers, food, sleep, etc. – taking care of the basics helps me to remember and maintain who I am
  2. Declutter/organize to handle the un-anticipated (prioritize what needs this and pace myself)
  3. Make a to-do list every day (or week – haven’t figured this one out yet) and follow through
  4. Don’t waste my energy sweating the small stuff or anything I have no control over – SO not worth it!!
  5. Don’t forget to have fun along the way and laugh a lot!!  No one needs a stressed out woman in their life.  🙂

Well, this sounds like a pretty basic plan….  Sounds easy enough…then why isn’t it?  Seriously, why isn’t it?  This is a loaded question.  Ha, ha!

I received a Priesthood blessing the other night and the only thing in my blessing that has given me any sense of direction in finding answers to this question is the phrase “to be able to handle the changes in my life and to be able to roll w/ the punches”.  Doesn’t that sound like I just need to ride the wave and not worry about anything?  I think I just realized that I need to do what I can to manage myself in the situation, but that I’m not in control of the situation.  Not that it’s in control of me – I’m just not the one calling the shots and I just need to deal w/ them as they come.

Hmmmm….this is a new thought for me.  I suppose that’s why when I visualize what I should be doing to remedy my feelings I can literally visualize myself on a surfboard riding the waves.

Okay.  I can do this.

I still need to be prepared.  A surfer doesn’t just go out into the waves w/o the right equipment or training.  I feel much better now.  Ahhhh, processing is so therapeutic!!

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So we were on vacation last week with my husband’s extended family from a Monday to a Monday.  It was Saturday and my oldest son, Brennan, broke the ulna and radius in his left arm.  Talk about a change of plans!!  They (dad and two sons) went riding motorcycles at the local track (30 min. away) and I received the phone call at 10:30 am so you can see there wasn’t enough time to get much riding in.  I had been given the choice to stay with the kids at the cabin or to go to the insta care where my son was being treated. (Apparently, the wind caught Brennan’s bike which landed him sideways which then sent him flying through the air and he broke his arm when he landed hard on the ground.)

Two brothers-in-law drove me down to the clinic where Jonathan and Brennan were and assisted Jonathan in giving Brennan a priesthood blessing.  Then they went over to the track and loaded up the motorcycles/gear and hauled it back for us so we didn’t have to worry about it.  Such a blessing to us that day!

We found out shortly thereafter that Brennan would have surgery in St. George (about 45 min. away from where we were).  I know his arm was really hurting him because it wasn’t set, but Brennan was such a trooper throughout the trip down.  When we got to the hospital the staff was so kind.  I expected a long wait and ornery people….maybe that’s because we were working with the people who work on the weekend.  All I know is they were all really laid back and easy to work with.  Nobody was uptight….something I’m used to in hospitals close to home.

Long story short – He had his surgery around 7:30 that night.  We met him back in the room around 9:30.  Jonathan’s brother, Jeff, and his wife, Kami, came to visit.  They brought us an Iceberg shake – so good!  It was a relief to see friendly faces after such a long day.  We laughed and laughed as the anesthesia wore off Brennan.  He was saying really goofy stuff.  Things like when the nurse joked with him that he was Iron man he said that he’s Wolverine.  He also shushed the machine that kept beeping at him.  I joked around with him that he was voted in with dinner duty for the rest of the month and he told me that he would only do it if I used my left arm and he his right so he could flip the food in my face.  It was pretty funny!  There was a lot more funny stuff that happened, too, but I can’t remember any of it right now.

We were released the next morning around 10:00.  We were back  to the cabin by 1:00 and finished our vacation w/o missing a beat.  No question that there was help along the way!!  So grateful for yet another tender mercy filled experience.