Sunday Thoughts

I LOVE that our church is at 11 this year however you would think that would help me be able to get to church on time today but we are making progress on the promptness end of things. I at least made it to work at 2:05 yesterday instead of 2:15.

Back to my Sunday thoughts. I read a GREAT article in the Ensign. It is the first one that caught my eye. When I get the Ensign I always read the First Presidency message first and then I flip through the magazine to every article in it and then I read the ones that catch my interest first and then go back and read the others. The article that caught my attention was called "Make Your A Great Life" by Elder Paul V. Johnson. I think that through your life experiences certain things touch you in different ways at different times. I believe that because of recent family events this article really struck me and made an impact on me. I think it is because the Lord knows what we are going through and gives us things that we need at the time to help us through or to help confirm to us that we are on the right path.

"Your future is not determined by the conditions around you. It is determined by your faith, your choices, and your efforts. Yes, you live in challenging times, but so did Mary, Moroni and Joseph Smith."


"How will you face your challenges? Some people complain and blame circumstances or other people for their problems. They won't let go of bad feelings. They portray themselves as victims and become bitter. They seem to spend so much time and energy justifying themselves and pushing off responsibility to others that there is no energy left to go forward with their lives. Others seem to live in the past and dwell on how things used to be. They are so unwilling to leave the past that they don't turn around to face the future that would be bright if they approached it properly. Some people dream about the future but don't do much to move into it with power. They don't realize that what they do-or don't do-now will profoundly affect their future."


"People who go to work with faith, knowing the Lord will bless them if they do what's right, are the ones with a bright future." 


"Your individual future is either bright or cloudy, depending on you."


"If you live righteously, you will have access to the inspiration and strength you will need to triumph over any challenge you face. You will have the protection of a worthy life; guidance from the Lord through the Holy Ghost and prophets, seers and revelators; and the power of sacred promises that are yours because yo keep your covenants."

I thought it was cool that this was taken from a commencement address given at LDS Business College only because I went to school there and I thought this was a great article. I loved the message this article gave. We  are the ones that make our lives. We chose to either live it happy or sad, in misery or in comfort. We chose. Nobody can chose that path for us.

I love the story of Lot and his wife and it was because of a recent Ensign Article that I really understood it. The Lord commanded Lot to leave Sodom and Gomorrah because it was a wicked city. Lot's wife didn't want to leave but the Lord told her to not look back and guess what happened? She looked back and turned to a pillar of salt. This video made me laugh and made me look at the new year differently.

Enjoy.

New Year

I love this time of year. The newness, the feeling of being able to start anew and reflect on things that worked the past year and what didn't work and a chance to be able to correct things. Next week the kids start back to school and then in the following weeks Josh and I start back to school and our church time moves to 11 a.m.. I am so glad about that one.

Here are things that I want to work on this upcoming year:

• Spending less time on stupid facebook.
• Updating my blog more often with my thoughts and updates. I think that it is important to continue keeping a record of this stuff for future reference for me and for the kids. I am also not going to hide any feelings in the future and put things out there as it is. If people don't like it, too bad. I am tired of not having my voice heard about certain things. I try to teach my kids to stand up for what they believe in and what they know is right or how they are feeling and I should be able to practice what I preach.
• Continue reading the scriptures with the kids before school. My school schedule is a little better this semester with my first class starting at 9 a.m. this way we won't have to leave the house so early and the kids won't have to be at the school as early. We will have more time in the morning to make sure that our reading is done.
• Fold the laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. I have a bad habit of changing the laundry at the last minute and then I don't have time to fold it. So I am going to strive to make sure that I have time to fold the laundry and not just throw it on the couch for a later time. So far today I have accomplished this.
• Get back to the gym and work on my weight issue. Right now my goal is to attend the gym 4 days a week.I have gone to the doctor and got a refill on my thyroid medication (which is suppose to help with me being able to lose weight) and I am going in at the end of January for a complete physical and complete lab work to be done which should see if there is anything else going on. I feel like this is a step in the right direction to get my body chemistry working correctly so that I will be able to lose weight. I ran for 9 months last year and didn't lose more than 6 pounds and I am pretty sure it had a lot to do with the fact that my body chemistry wasn't right.
• Do a better job at keeping up on things at the house.
• Make sure I keep up on my school work. If I need help then I should ask for it and make sure that I get better grades this semester.
• Continue to attend the Temple as often as I can. Right now my goal is to attend a session every Wednesday afternoon. I am for sure going to go and do initiatories next week right before the start of the new school year.
• BE ON TIME!!!! This one is a HUGE one for me. I am going to go and buy me a clock since I don't have one hanging on my wall at my house. This way I will be able to know what time it is and not have to depend on the computer for the time. As soon as I get on the computer to look at the time I then get distracted with stupid facebook and other blogs.
• Do better on my own personal scripture study and personal prayers. Make time for this. Which leads me to my next one.....
• Have the self discipline to get myself up and going in the morning! This is another HUGE one for me since I am not a morning person. There are times when I wish I was a morning person but it is VERY difficult for me.

I have a lot to work on, but I know that I can do it and that I will be able to succeed.