Looking Ahead

I'm the kind of driver that likes to anticipate.

I watch the opposite traffic light to prepare for when my light turns green.

And I'm constantly checking my mirrors to try and see who's coming and going around me.

One time, when I was getting ready to merge into traffic from a stopped position, I ended up hitting the car in front of me.

I had been watching for when I could go and forgot that it wasn't my turn.

It's a lesson that I try to teach my kids.

Don't just anticipate - look at what's in front of you.

I have realized that it's not just a driving lesson.

There are times when I am so focused on the future and what is ahead, that I forget to look around and see what is happening right in front of me.

Looking ahead is good.

Seeing and being in the present is more important.

Small and Simple

 

6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Alma 37:6-7 

Lately, life has been teaching me this lesson.

Here's a simple example.

I thought, "These shoes do not work with any of my clothes. I need a new wardrobe."

What worked?

I bought one pair of socks that made the shoes work.

There is a lot more to say about this but I want to keep this post small and simple.

D&C 88:74 - Personal Study

 "And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;"

This is the scripture that stands out to me today.

Here are my thoughts on it:

1. Assemble - I need to be where I'm supposed to be.

2. Organize - Everything has a rule. I need to make sure I know what the rules are; I want to understand God's laws.

3. Prepare - I need to soften my heart and focus on God's will not my will.

4. Sanctify - One definition of this word is 'to make binding'. I need to remember my covenants.

5. Purify & Cleanse - I need to repent often and come into Christ.

 

Making My Bed

My life often seems hectic and a bit out of control.

There's constantly something on my checklist that needs to get done.

As I begin to feel overwhelmed, there's always one was to calm myself.

Making my bed.

I have not always been a bed maker.

It just never seemed that important.

Now, I understand the power that comes from having a made bed.

For me, seeing a made bed in the middle of all the other "to-do" things brings me peace.

It lets me know that I have at least accomplished that much today.

Making my bed is a little thing.

But, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass". (Alma 37:6)

Gathering Scattered Israel

I took the time this morning to watch some of BYU Women's Conference.

As I was listening to Sister Bingham talk about gathering Israel, I had a thought come to my mind.

Gathering Israel means coming to Christ and bringing others as well.

Am I scattered?

Unfortunately, many times, yes!

There are many times when I am focused too much on life and all the things that need "doing".

And I forget that my main focus should be Jesus Christ.

When He is my main focus, the other things in life get done as needed.

This COVID-19 time is an opportunity to gather myself.

To remember what is most important.

As I focus on Jesus Christ through deeper scripture study, praying with more intent, and listening to His voice, I am gathering my scattered self unto Him.

Be Fruitful

In the Old Testament, there are several times when the Lord tells someone,

 "...be fruitful and multiply..."

I have always just equated this phrase to having a family. 

But, in the New Testament it says,

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance."

Now, being fruitful to me means to seek for these things of the Spirit and spread them throughout the world.

Seek

The word I'm focusing on this year is Seek.

I want to make sure that I am seeking the Lord and His will at all times.

Lately, I've realized that God has always answered my prayers when I have been seeking something.

About 15 years ago, I realized there was a need for piano players in my ward. 

I decided I should relearn how to play.

I prayed and asked for help from the Lord.

And I practiced like crazy.

Yesterday, I played for the stake baptisms.

About 5 years ago, I really wanted to figure out how to become more involved in family history.

I prayed that the Lord would help me find a way.

And I started adding sources to my ancestors' records each morning from my phone.

This last week, there were 15 ordinances done for people I've been finding on family search.

 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" Matt 7:7

I know the Lord hears my prayers and will give me answers if I ask.

I know that as I seek to serve others, the Lord will help me find the way.

I know that as I work hard (knock), the Lord opens the way for me. 

Which Way Do I Want To Face?

There's a saying during Spring in the Mountain West:

"If you don't like the weather....wait 5 minutes."

This morning on my drive to work, there were some serious dark clouds.

You could see the rain falling.

But, then I parked my car and got out facing the other way.

Blue skies, puffy white clouds, a beautiful day.

Turn 180 degrees - stormy.

Turn again - blue skies.


Which way do I want to face?


The dark clouds and what may be coming or just left.

Or the beauty of the blue skies that may be coming or just left.

Scraping Up the Browned Bits

See the title up there?

I read that in the recipe I made last night.

It's a common instruction when making meat with a bit of sauce.

Last night it was for a Thai Green Curry Meatball recipe.

I've done it when doing roast or stew or pork chops, also.

It's so delicious.

You take all that flavor and get to mix it in with the rest of the ingredients.

Sometimes, I have worried that the final food will end up tasting burned.

But, for the most part, it just adds this depth of flavor that you don't get by just "cooking".


There have been times in my life (and those I love) when it feels like I'm getting "burned".

I get stuck on questions I can't answer.

Life gets "hot" and uncomfortable.


What I need to understand is that God is going to "scrape up the browned bits" into something beautiful.

These bits will eventually add a depth to my life that can't come any other way.

God's purpose is to give me all the "flavor" He can.

It will be good.

My Part in His Plan

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf posted this on Facebook recently:

"April general conference is a time when seasons change. In the southern hemisphere, the leaves turn colors as autumn begins, and spring flowers bloom in the north. Conference provides an opportunity to gather together as friends and families to become more united in our faith in Jesus Christ and in our efforts to serve Him.

 As I have prepared for this conference, I have felt impressed that each one should ponder again about God's plan for our lives and consider our individual place in this divine plan as His children.

Please, always remember that each one of us matters to Him, wherever we may be. "

I've been thinking a lot about this question:

What is my role in Heavenly Father's plan?

The answer that I came up with:

I am my Heavenly Father's daughter.

My part in His plan is to learn and to return to live with Him again some day.

I don't need to do any BIG thing for Him.

I just need to learn who I am again (and again, and again).

He will tell me through the scriptures and prayer.

He will tell me through my obedience.
 
We are all on the same journey.

So, while I am walking this path back to my Heavenly Father I will help others on their path, too.  

It really is as simple as that.

Scripture Study

Since the first of the year, I have been following along a reading program for the Book of Mormon.

It gives reading assignments each day, a question to ponder, and a talk to go with the reading.

I have really enjoyed studying my scriptures this way.

I even bought a special notebook to write down my thoughts and keep notes in.

If a particular thought stands out to me then I've been hanging it on the wall next to my bed.

It's fun to watch my kids notice when I've put up something new.

And sometimes they'll even ask me what it means and we can have a good discussion about it.

A quote I've read recently from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Our motives and thoughts ultimately influence our actions." Oct 2006

I have noticed that as I focus on my daily study, I am beginning to spend a lot less time on my phone scrolling through various social media sites.

It really is true that if you fill your life with the important stuff first then the unimportant stuff begins to fall away.

Choice

Life has been crazy and chaotic.

Which equals to me being crazy and chaotic.

I finally realized the other day, that I have a choice.

I can choose to let what is going on in my life define me.

Or I can choose peace.



Just because life is full of stressors doesn't mean that I have to be stressed.  

I can choose.

In fact, for an entire day I kept repeating to myself:  It's a choice.

I can choose how to react to this stress.



Life will never be nice and easy; there will always be something to stress about.

But, I can recognize the stress and still seek for the peace that I really want.

It's a choice.  

Every day.

Every minute.


I choose peace.

Sacrifice

I have heard sacrifice defined as: 

Giving up something you want now for something better later on.

That sounds easier than it is.


It involves faith.

That my prayers are really being answered.


It involves hope.

That what comes next will really be better.


It involves charity.

The fact that I love God more than myself; so I will take what He wants for me instead of what I want.

Reality

What got done yesterday:

Made 4 batches of sugar cookie dough and 2 batches of frosting.

Created a dozen valentine cards with scrapbook paper, glue and glitter.

Cut out the cookies, frosted them, and put them onto plates to deliver to friends and neighbors.

Delivered around 7 plates of cookies.

What didn't get done yesterday:

Any dishes.

Any laundry.

Any cleaning.

Any type of valentine for my man.

Hardly any school work.

Making dinner (we had pizza).


I thought it was a great day!

Karma

My first missionary companion told me that the kids in her family always slept in their parents' bed until the next kid came along.

I laughed.

I said, "How did the next kid ever come along with one sleeping in the bed?"

Man, I was funny.

Seven kids later, it's not so funny.

Most of them have ended up in our bed at some point.

The problem with number 7 is that there is no other kid to come along and kick him out.

Karma.

Being Nice

I really like being nice.

I try to be nice to everyone.

But, sometimes I whine about having to do something nice for someone.

So, the question that I've been asking myself lately is:


"Am I only nice when its convenient for me?"


It shouldn't be.

So, I'm working on it.

Because I don't like whining.

And I like to be nice.

Adopt-a-Highway

So, I was traveling down the highway the other day and saw that Quilted Bear had adopted a section of it.

My immediate thought was, "where are all the cute things?"

You know, like vinyl lettering on the guardrails? quilted road signs? etc.

If my highway looked like me. . . (instead of me looking like a highway) . . . I'd have some basketball hoops, kids artwork, book titles on the overpasses, candy bar wrappers everywhere, and more grass.

What would your highway look like?