Closer to Christ - Days 73-79

DAY 73

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 11-13

DAY 74

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 14-16

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 14:24-27

Scripture thought of the day: 3 Nephi 15:9

Thought of the day: "With gospel perspective, we can know that when we endure to the very end, we are actually enduring to the very beginning. Thus, rather than viewing this virtue as delivering us expiring in exhaustion to a finish line, we are brought intact and victorious to a starting line." -Neal A. Maxwell

DAY 75

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 17-19

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 18:19-21

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 63:64

Thought of the day: "The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries - we place our order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lor as one man speaketh to another. 'Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord' (Isaiah 1:18). That is the invitation. Believe in the power of prayer - it is real, it is wonderful, it is tremendous." -Gordon B. Hinckley

DAY 76

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 20-22

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 20:8-9

Scripture thought of the day: JST, John 6:54

Thought of the day: "The sacrament and the partaking of those emblems is the very heart of our Sabbath worship. It includes a renewal of covenants with God. It caries with it a promise of His Holy Spirit to be with us. As we partake of the sacrament we can all stand on a level lane before the Lord. Each is accountable for what he does as he renews his covenants with the Lord in that magnificent and beautiful and simple ordinance of the gospel which carries with it such tremendous meaning." -Gordon B. Hinckley

DAY 77

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 23-26

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 23:81

Scripture thought of the day: Deuteronomy 17:19

Thought of the day: "Let us establish in our lives the habit of reading those things which will strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world." -Gordon B. Hinckley

DAY 78

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 27-30

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 27:13-14, 20

Scripture thought of the day: Hebrews 11:16

Thought of the day: "The test of the church is the kind of me it produces." -David O. McKay

DAY 79

Scripture study: 4 Nephi, Mormon 1

Mark and ponder: 4 Nephi 1:12

Scripture thought of the day: Alma 17:3

Thought of the day: "Is it too much to ask of anyone, any member of this church, that you actually fast for two meals a month? It will only bless our lives if we do so. I am satisified that if every man, woman, and child in the United States of America were to observe this great and marvelous practice, which costs no one anythin, not a thing, that it would take care of all the welfare problems of this nation. The Lord's way is a simple way that takes nothing from us, adds to our humility, to our spirit of worship, to our physical well being, and takes care of those in need and distress." -Gordon B. Hinckley

Sunset in Lake Point

Does it get any prettier than this?

We have amazing sunsets from our front porch. Gosh, I sure do love where I live.

We are alive and well this morning

My good news minute in Relief Society this morning: "I am alive and well this morning."

Last night we held an unplanned escape from our house at one in the morning due to carbon monoxide. Our CO alarm was going off and Tyler started waking all the kids to get them out of the house. I was tempted to turn the thing off and go back to bed but know that carbon monoxide is not something you mess with. Thankfully it was a warm night as we sat on the porch and then eventually moved to the van while we waited for the fire department to show up.

Two firemen did show up in their big fire truck all decked out in their gear like they were attending to a real fire; I was just glad they didn't drive up with lights and sirens but am extra sorry we had to get them out of bed for what seemed like a trivial matter.

After checking things out, no CO was found anywhere. If there was any it's possible it vented out when we opened all the windows. It could also have been a glitch in the alarm. But to be safe we slept with all the windows open. I was awakened this morning to sunshine, slight breeze, and birds singing (and the framer working next door). I was reminded that summer is here to stay for awhile.

Closer to Christ - Days 66-72

DAY 66

Scripture study: Helaman 11-12

Mark and ponder: Helaman 12:23-24

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 95:1

Thought of the day: "The process of perfection includes challenges to overcome and steps to repentance that may be very painful. There is a proper place for chastisement in the molding of character, for we know that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." -Russell M. Nelson

DAY 67

Scripture study: Helaman 13-14

Mark and ponder: Helaman 13:11, 14:8

Scripture thought of the day: Alma 34:33

Thought of the day: "Repentance through faith in the Lord's Atonement is the vital, lifelong process - not an isolated event - of coming unto Christ and being sanctified in Him." -George F. Hilton

DAY 68

Scripture study: Helaman 15-16

Mark and ponder: Helaman 15:8-9

Scripture thought of the day: 1 Nephi 26:8

Thought of the day: "Even yesterday's spiritual experience . . . does not guarantee us against tomorrow's relapse. Persisitence thus matters greatly." -Neal A. Maxwell

DAY 69

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 1-3

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 1:18-19

Scripture thought of the day: 3 Nephi 1:14

Thought of the day: "There is one supreme fact in the universe. It eclipses all other truths, all thought, all being, all emotion. God lives." -Utah Senator Jake Garn

DAY 70

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 4

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 4:10

Scripture thought of the day: 3 Nephi 4:8

Thought of the day: "When it comes to prayer, let's have no more empty statements and insincere but polite phrases. Be honest. If you're mad, say so. If you're confused, say so. And don't think anything is too small for the Savior's loving attention." -Cheiko N. Okazaki

DAY 71

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 5-7

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 5:13

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 127:4

Thought of the day: "Having daily access to the Spirit . . . is better than periodic miracles." -Neal A. Maxwell

DAY 72

Scripture study: 3 Nephi 8-10

Mark and ponder: 3 Nephi 9:14-15

Scripture thought of the day: D&C 76:5-7

Thought of the day: "We may never understand nor comprehend in mortality how he accomplished what he did, but we must not fail to understand why he did what he did." -Ezra Taft Benson

Summer Bucket List

A week into summer vacation and I've only heard the "B" word twice . . . "I'm BORED!" What they haven't realized yet is I've got a yard full of weeds that will keep them busy for the next decade.

Our summer seems to be quite full . . . of good ideas. We'll see what we actually get to, although I know if you don't plan it, it won't happen. Monday for FHE we did some preliminary planning.

 

A trip to the library ALWAYS commences our summer vacation and boy were we excited to go this year. The previous week Kiersten, Erik, and I made an impromptu stop at the Magna library to check out the new digs. Wow are we ever in love. The Hunter library was good to us but we won't be going back. We got home and talked up the new library so much that everyone wanted to see what it was all about. It did not disappoint.

Tennis club has begun (more about that later), I've run more this week than I have for a VERY, Very, very long time (I need to though; I've only got 12 weeks before my half marathon.), and this morning we rode our bikes 2.5 miles to Denny's for breakfast (It's something we've been wanting to do since Denny's opened up a few months ago.).

It did not disappoint.

A gecko was never in my food budget

I'm not really into the whole gecko thing.

Can't we just get a dog?

Preferably a yellow lab pup?

I found out this week when I was suddenly forced to buy food to keep the gecko from starving is that the crickets it eats have to be alive (no using the squashed ones in my garage) so that entailed also buying cricket food.

Are you kidding me?

I have to buy food for the food to feed the gecko.

So not only do we have a gecko, but we have live crickets in a bucket. Kiersten is now known as our little bug harvester.

I'm ready for this little love affair to end as she keeps begging me to hold Fermie.

I can't even go there.

I am just not a reptile kind of a girl.

Are you feeling a little overwhelmed?

I came across this article on LDS.org and had to breath deeply afterwards to not hyperventilate. It exhausted me to read it even though I knew it was fiction (but I also had a good laugh). Why is it that we as women feel we need to do all and be all to everyone. I offer no quick fix or solution, but I believe the key is surely in setting priorities and then having the self-discipline to act on those priorities. One of my mantras I try to live by is people are more important than things or projects, and by people I mean the people who are within my circle of influence on a daily basis (Internet acquaintances don't count in my world). So with that I often ask myself each day (usually in prayer) not only what are the most important things I need to accomplish that day but also who needs my help. When I put others first, the mundane annoyances miraculously seem to take care of themselves. Read on.

Mirthright: It Only Takes 30 Minutes a Day . . .
By Barbara Stockwell, Ensign, July 1982

A few weeks ago I read an article about the importance of studying scriptures, so I set my alarm for thirty minutes earlier every day. Then I remembered I should write in my journal every day, so I stayed up a half-hour later each night.

Then last week in Relief Society we were admonished to exercise daily to keep our bodies fit, so I got up a little earlier each day to jog. Later in the week, I read a magazine article that promised me beautiful skin in only fifteen minutes a day, and another one said that a half-hour a day of meditation could change my life. A self-help book told me I should spend at least thirty minutes a day visualizing my desires and repeating positive affirmations. I had to get up earlier to do this. 

Still, I was able to squeeze other activities into my already heavily scheduled day. I learned to do the pelvic tilt to relieve my lower back pain while driving to work. And I did my isometric exercises while at my desk. I cut my lunch hour in half in order to read the Ensign. In only half an hour a day I was able to finish it before the next one came … except for the conference issue. For that I had to stay up a little at night and read, after my goal planning was done. 

Another woman’s magazine said I could give myself professional nail care in only ten minutes a day. It also suggested that a foot soak after work would do wonders to relieve tiredness. I tried to do that while I was preparing dinner, but I got so relaxed I kept dropping the carrot sticks in the gravy. Dinner would have to be delayed a little, and that would push bedtime back about a half-hour. But it was all worth it; I was becoming a new woman. 

I learned in a class on success that the only way to make it in life is to write a “to do” list each night and then review it every morning to set priorities for the day. It only takes a few minutes and saves a lot of time in the long run. And did you know that if you spend only an extra forty-five minutes a day on housework you never have to get bogged down in spring cleaning? 

It is marvelous how many things can be done in such a short time, and I would feel negligent if I said I couldn’t find those few minutes. After all, is a few minutes a day for all that improvement too much to ask? I can always set the alarm a little earlier. 

But last night as I was setting the alarm after my prayers I realized it was time to get up and jog. Maybe I should make out a new schedule—it will only take a few minutes. …