"Never Let ____ Become More Important Than ____"

Hi, everybody!

Wow, what a week. As you know, when the blog goes quiet, there's a lot happening in my life. In the past week both Jacob and I had some big church responsibilities: he organized a chili cookoff and I helped with New Beginnings, a special night for the young women I work with. Jacob also had a choir concert. I'm happy to report that all these things went well! In fact, all of them went better than I thought they would. There was a good turnout at the chili cookoff, the New Beginnings program was beautiful, and the children were remarkably well behaved at the concert.

What have you been up to lately? I'd love to hear.

I spoke for a few minutes at our New Beginnings night, and this quote from President Thomas S. Monson is part of what I shared. I am finding it to be wonderfully applicable in my life. When it comes into my mind, I get good perspective on what is important.

If you were going to fill in the blanks, what would you say?

"Never let ____ become more important than ____."

Books for Easter?

Hey, all!

Have you got any good books you like for Easter?



I want to get some good ones for our family to enjoy together. I'm not looking for Easter bunny type books, though I find those enjoyable. We have Happy Easter, Little Critter and Owen's Marshmallow Chick, and a few others that I enjoy. But I'm looking for something Christ-centered this season.

Last year I found Words of the Savior, and ordered that. We've enjoyed it, and I'd recommend it. It has quotes from the King James Version of the New Testament, usually one per page, and each is illustrated with a photo.

I like that we can open it up anywhere and read a quote from Christ. I like that the pictures help engage my kids. Around Easter time last year we had a great conversation about the page that has The Lord's Prayer on it. It is illustrated with a spread of vegetables. I asked the kids why they thought this picture went with the prayer, and they talked about how they thought prayer was nourishing to the soul. Benjamin's exact quote was "Prayer is the food to get to heaven." And we talked about how forgiveness is a gift; Levi's gem: "Asking for forgiveness is like asking for food!"

I wish the book had an index, though! It would be really nice to be able to look at a list of what scriptures are quoted in it, and flip to one. That's my biggest complaint with the book: No index, no table of contents, no page numbers. As you can see I used sticky notes to help me out.

Our copy got water damage when we moved last summer, but I'm still going to hang on to it.

I'd love to add a spiritually uplifting book to the family collection again this season. Let me know if you have any recommendations.
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p.s. Links above will take you to Amazon and if you purchase from there I make a small commission. At the moment though, Deseret Book has a better price on Words of the Savior. *wink* I got your back.

"The efforts of these days will not have been in vain"

Probably one of my favorite quotes of all time is this one from Gordon B. Hinckley:

Gordon B. Hinckley

"Resolutions are easily made and easily forgotten. But, in a year from now, if we are doing better than we have done in the past, then the efforts of these days will not have been in vain." 

To me, this quote means that I don't have to be perfect, I just have to keep trying to improve. It means that even if I'm taking a step backward now and then, I can still celebrate my steps forward. The full context of the quote is here.

Today I'm recommitting, resolving once again, to become a better person. One way that I would like to do this is to spend more time out of doors. Another way I'd like to do this is to get a little more exercise. So I think I'll start taking some walks. Let's say three 20-minute walks each week. I live in a very walkable area, but I forget to walk, because the last place we lived was so very unwalkable. Probably also because of winter. I think if I set the goal of walking 3x/week for the month of March, I'll get back into a walking groove.

What do you think of the quote? And are you making any resolutions right now? I'd love to hear. Leave a comment, below.

Seek Wisdom

Hello, friends. I hope you are having a lovely Sunday. Here is a favorite scripture of mine, from Doctrine & Covenants 109:7 Full quote and context.

Seek ye 

out of the best books 

words of wisdom, 

seek learning 

even by study 

and also by faith.

I love reading, and seeking wisdom in good books. I love learning by studying the world around me, by studying the interactions between people, by studying patterns and art and the responses of others when I ask them questions. 

I love learning by faith, which I think means learning by doing. Because when you do something, you're acting in faith that what you've studied and learned (if anything!) will work out. Some things are best learned by doing them, by moving forward in faith. 

I love wisdom. I've been fascinated by the concept of wisdom since I was a teen, and have read a lot about wisdom over the years. Wisdom is a special quality that's hard to define, but I think it encompasses knowledge and how to use it in good will for the best results. 

Wisdom is often personified as a woman in works of art, and thinking about the wise women in my life fills me with love. The wise and kind men in my life also bless me immeasurably. 

What books have you found that contain words of wisdom? Who are the wise people that have blessed you?

On Blessings

Hello friends!

This week I taught the young women at church. (I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) I had so much fun teaching this short lesson that I had to share it. The lesson came from this talk by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, one of our apostles. And the fun part came from this quote:

"Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.
His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings."

Before class I made a lot of tissue paper heart confetti (because Valentine's Day, and blessings, and because I have a heart punch). So we took turns throwing it on one another, with and without an umbrella. Let me just tell you, it is kind of disappointing to know that your friends are throwing confetti at you, but to not have it come down on you. It makes you say things like "Aww, it's kind of sad." And, after putting the umbrella down, it's so much fun to be showered with love. It makes you smile and laugh, and gladly pick up lots of confetti off of the carpet.  

I really think that the sentiment of this quote is true. I once went with some missionaries to visit a woman named Liz. I heard her wish that a particular subject would be brought up at church. When we left, she assured us she would be at church the next day. When I arrived in the chapel, she wasn't there. But what do you know? The desire of her heart was answered. Someone who wasn't at Liz's house, and hadn't heard about it, testified boldly of exactly what she wanted to hear. She missed it.  

I think God is good. I think he's trying his best to bless us and puts plans in motion to benefit us. And I think sometimes we miss out on blessings. Liz's story is the most memorable example to me, because I was so stunned by it. I was shouting "Where are you, Liz!?" in my mind, and looking all over the chapel for her, wondering if maybe she was there and I just hadn't spotted her yet. But I know it's happened in my own life, too, that fear or doubt or sin has blocked a blessing. I've definitely said to myself, "What was I thinking!?"

And I'm really glad that Christ makes it possible for me to repent and to close my umbrella. 

Happy Sunday!

Hello!

Things are going pretty well with the posting every day in February goal. Haven't broken the chain yet! Do you think I should turn that first post into an index post, just for this month? Or do you think we should just save the time and let the archive function in the sidebar suffice?

Since it's Sunday, I wanted to share with you a lovely scripture I read this week. I read scripture every day, two or three times a day. I always read on my own -- right now I'm studying the Old Testament. I always read with the family -- we're working our way through the Book of Mormon. I always read with Jacob -- we like reading the Ensign magazine, the lesson manuals and latest conference talks, and occasionally we read from what Latter-day Saints call "the standard works" or "the scriptures."

Anyway, lovely scripture comes from Exodus 15:26, King James Version.

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

This is God talking to Moses, and the children of Israel, of course. The promise of healing stood out to me for a couple of reasons. First, I have some friends enduring serious health problems right now. Second, this quote happens in the wilderness, after they've left Egypt. After the Egyptian army has been washed away in the Red Sea. The people that remain here are those who were obedient thus-far, those who weren't afflicted with the plagues, the boils, etc. So, what do they need to be healed from? Lots of things of course. Even those of us who don't struggle with health have issues and wounds that can be healed by the Great Physician.

When I read this, I felt the promise that I, too, could be healed by God, through Jesus Christ.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this verse, or other scriptures. I shared a few other scriptures I love in my post about the Book of Mormon.

I hope you have a beautiful Sunday.