Just some thoughts maily for myself but wanted to share......for any who's interested. :)
Recently I have been reminded of the importance of keeping the spirit with me throughout the day (all day) I had been struggling with loosing my patience with the kids (don't we all) getting frustrated, being tired and basically being idle. My sister-in-law was here for a couple weeks awaiting the birth of her new baby and we had the chance to chat a few times. She really reminded me and is a great example to me and keeping the spirit with you through out your day and finding time to bring it into your life. For a while, a long while I was lazy about the gospel. I had young babies and I used them as an excuse. Now, my baby is almost two. I no longer have the excuse that a baby is taking all my time. The older my kids are getting, especially Carly who is now almost 4, the more I realize that this is the time to really teach them and help them understand the basic principles of the gospel. You would think that after being raised in the church it would be a natural thing to know that, but like I said before I forgot or didn't want to face that my kids are getting older and to a point where they can understand. I was being lazy (which I think is my biggest weakness, there's a confession for ya!)
One of my new years resolutions this year was the read the scriptures daily. I did great at first but then started to slack off until a couple weeks ago when I realized that why would the Lord bless me with the desires of my heart when I am not willing to give of my time to him and the gospel?? Maybe that's the wrong way to look at it because I know the Lord loves me and wouldn't punish me but if that thought is what changed my attitude about reading the scriptures then I'll take it! I was reading yesterday and came upon a scripture in Mosiah 23:21 it says "The lord seeth fit to chasten his people: yea, he trieth their patience and their faith." I never really thought of that, I knew the Lord gave us trials to make us stronger but it hit me when it said he "trieth their patience and their faith" That is one of my biggest struggles. Patience. I am not a patient person, when I want something I want it now. Much like all of society today. It hit me big time. Certain things in life don't come when you want it. You need patience, your faith needs to be tested. I look back at my marriage. We have never really struggled with much, physically or temporally. I am grateful for this, everyday I am grateful for that! (we basically had our needs met and beyond temporally and physically but I was lacking spiritually) I kept wondering, why am I so blessed when I am so apathetic towards the gospel and living the gospel. Why would the Lord reward me for doing nothing?? I then realized that maybe that was my challenge. To be grateful for what I have. A lot of times when things are going great we forget that Lord has his hands in things. Maybe my challenge was to show the Lord that I am aware of his work in my life and to show my gratitude for all of the many little things and big things that I have been blessed with. Show him by actually doing what I am suppose to be doing, reading the scriptures, praying daily (all day sometimes!) full filling my calling, teaching my children the gospel, attending the temple. I needed to be doing all those things to show him that I am grateful!! What an eye opener! I have now made a few new goals and hoping that the adversary doesn't get the better of me. One thing that is small but can really make a huge difference is music. I love music, call me silly but my favorite part of General Conference is when the choir sings. It brings me to tears almost every time they sing. It's so powerful and uplifting ( and I'll be honest, it reminds me of Utah, they always show views of temple square during the song) I then thought, if it affects me so much during conference why not bring that spirit to my home any day of the week. I have recently just started having music playing during the day. When I feel my nerves coming to end end I'll pop in some primary songs, or piano music or some other church music and it totally helps. Plus, the fact that Carly loves to sing a long to the songs she knows. It really has been a great help in bringing the spirit into my home, which is the ultimate goal right??
Anyway....I have gone all over the place with this post but really, I wrote it for me. So I can be reminded of what I need to do. (plus it's 6:00 in the morning and I can't sleep so I figured now is a good time to jot this down)
6 comments:
great thoughts, we all need to be reminded of those things. And I agree music really does help, me anyway. I know that the Lord know us individually knows our strength and our weaknesses and he helps us work on them by putting little road bumps in our lives, sometime those bumps seems like mountains but through Him we can overcome. Great thoughts. Thank you Love you
Thanks for the inspiration! I need to start doing more too, I've become a little lazy with the gospel with my children too.
Oh thank you for those thoughts, you have no idea how I needed to hear it. I have felt the same way exactly in the last couple weeks. I've felt so extremely blessed and then when things didn't go my way I felt abandoned. Funny, I got new scriptures two months ago and have failed to even open them, so bad. I bet if I put more time into that part of my life I wouldn't feel abandoned but have a greater understanding and faith, just like you said. Seriously, thank you.
And I am a big fan of church music, it brings such a good spirit into our home.
thank you! i needed to be reminded of that too.
one of my biggest struggles right now is patience too. cole is in a difficult stage where he tests me all the time to see how far he can go without getting in trouble, and some days i feel like i barely survive.
we had a lesson in relief society a few weeks ago that was so great on patience and how not being patient and getting angry is because we let ourselves get selfish. when i look at my life and the times i get angry with my kids it is because i'm being selfish and not patient with them.
i think i need to put something on my fridge where i can see it and be reminded of it all day long.
anyway, that lesson has made a big difference in the way i look at teaching/raising/dealing with/loving my kids. :)
thanks for this post.
We never have the TV on in the mornings before school. I always play the primary songs or something else that's soothing and that helps so much in the mornings when things can get a little crazy getting 3 kids off to school. I have recently discovered the amazing power that watching/listening to General Conference and other uplifting things during the day can bring. It's awesome isn't it? You must have gotten the lack of patience from me because I am really bad and am prone to throwing "mommy tantrums" every once in a while. Just know you're not alone. In one of my favorite talks by Julie B Beck, she said that if all the women in the church would stand strong and stand together, being examples, and teaching their children in the ways of righteousness, what an army of Christ we would have! It is so important to remember that our main job and responsibility right now as mothers is to teach our children the gospel. I have to give my kids a strong foundation because they are not going to get it anywhere else. I have to remind myself of this daily, especially with my crazy, busy schedule. But when I put this responsibility first, everything else seems to work out. Love ya, sis! :) We missed you this weekend. Can't wait to see you guys.
I like this :)
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