Up and Doing

I love Captain Moroni's admonition to "begin to be up and doing." There are so many people that need help. Sometimes I feel we should move to a third world country or to a new place in the mission field. That we should do some amazing, huge thing! That might be wonderful in the future. However, right now I struggle to get my visiting teaching done well. It is a constant effort to keep up with seven, soon eight children. They must be fed, clothed, washed, educated, and trained in the ways of the Lord. I feel it a challenge to get to the temple once a week. In fact I've only gone nine times this year so far. Extended family and aging grandparents need attention and time. I find so little time for family history, missionary, and humanitarian work. But I must try harder. There is much to be done. I must stretch my every resource. I must increase my energy and pray for guidance and strength. If I could just do what was already in my capacity and reach it would be some amazing and huge thing. And I would have proved myself ready for more. I love working in the Kingdom of God! I will be more devoted. I will be up and doing!

Need Some Change

Every once in a while I feel like I'd like something dramatic to happen. I'd like Jaremy to change jobs, move, start something completely new. But usually when I get this feeling it's because I'm not in the mood to carry on with my top priorities and goals. Sometimes I just need to remember why I set them or spice them up a bit. I could just throw out my to-do list and look for a job for Jaremy in some exciting place and escape into a little dream world. Or I can just get to work on the things that are really important and that will really happen.

Sometimes it's good to drop the to-do list and spend a bit dreaming or weighing options. But this can quickly turn into not doing what needs to be done and wasting time and life. So one has to be careful not to spend much time looking for excitement and dramatic change. Most of the time it is best to stick to the essential goals and really accomplish things in an ordinary, sometimes mundane way. Once you start working diligently enthusiasm comes back into one's soul.

I'm grateful Heavenly Father has helped me recognize my boredom is sometimes laziness and work shirking.

Temple

Yesterday I was blessed to go to the temple in the morning. At 4am when my alarm went off I felt slothful and was ready to reason my way out of going. But I prayed Heavenly Father would help me to be more faithful. So the Spirit reminded me of some important things. I asked myself some questions: Am I sleeping in a tent? Do I have to pull a midnight guard duty in the snow? Do I have to get up and pull a heavy handcart? No. No. No. So that's when I told myself to get out of bed and hop into my hot shower, cross the street to the temple, and sit in peaceful comfort. Wow! What a sacrifice!

Sometimes it's embarrassing how wimpy I am! So many have sacrificed everything and suffered terribly to build up the kingdom. Am I worthy to share the kingdom with such? I think not. I can bearly haul myself out of bed to go to the temple.

I'm so grateful for the example of early pioneers and latter-day pioneers. They inspire me to stand a little taller, take my callings and duties more seriously, and press on. I know I'm not even close to them in character and faith, but I'm better than I would be because of their dedication. Heavenly Father has blessed us with their stories of faith and fortitude.

Jaremy is Awesome!

I'm so lucky, okay, blessed to have Jaremy for my sweet husband. I'm so grateful we can work as a team. I don't know how either one of us could navigate life and raise our children alone. Heavenly Father has blessed us with eachother. He supports me physically, emotionally, financially, etc. He fills in gaps that not only I couldn't but was not even aware of until he filled them. He balances me and encourages me. He is my best and dearest friend. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father made it possible for us to team up and become eternal companions.

A Clean House

Order and cleanliness bring peace, calm, creativity, and productivity. The kids always help me so much. I'm so grateful for their willingness and capability. Our house gets clean and dirty over and over again throughout a day of meals, stories, projects, play, and living. But for those brief moments when everything or most everything is in its place I can take a deep breath or two and enjoy it. Heavenly Father has blessed me with lots of help in the form of my sweetest, dearest friends my children and husband.

Family Council

This evening we have worked on memorizing scriptures as a family. We have a list with a scripture, passage, or poem for about every week of the year. If we all memorize all the passages on the list we will go to San Diego at the beginning of next year. Fun! I love working together and personally to memorize.

We also held a brief family council to discuss our morning schedule for the coming school year and our workout schedule. Tomorrow we are jogging 5.5 miles. About a week ago I jogged (Jaremy calls it wogging - half waddle, half jog) 4 miles for the first time in my life. I am excited, especially considering I'm 5 months pregnant.

Heavenly Father has blessed me with an awesome family. Together He has blessed us to be able to do amazing things. And I hope we are only scratching the surface of what we will accomplish and become in the future. We want to build His kingdom and serve His children more and more.

Tony Grove Campout

We went on our annual Tony Grove campout with the Butler family the last few days. I barely said my prayers and didn't read my scriptures for three days we were there. Not a good thing! Reading the scriptures and really praying invites the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, understanding, tolerance, kindness, etc. Without the Spirit as my constant companion I became judgemental and frustrated with those who have chosen different lifestyles and values than I have. I really need the Spirit in my life every minute so I don't fall into traps of criticism and fault finding. It's been so nice to be home and be back to a somewhat normal day so I can read my scriptures and pray more easily. Although that is no excuse for not finding a way while camping. I have to repent of my neglect of spiritual things and my critical feelings and words. I'm grateful for repentance. I will be better!