Week 8 Focus - Temple Worship
We live in a wonderful time when temples are beginning to dot the earth. What must the ancient Saints think as they view this dispensation! In ancient Israel only one man, the high priest, a descendant of Aaron, could pass through the veil of the temple into its most holy place and only on one day a year. We have the opportunity and blessing of being in the Celestial room of the temple as often as we desire. Every nationality, men and women, can pass through the veil and enter this most holy place. What wonder must the ancients feel as they see thousands of women daily entering into the temples and sitting in its most hallowed places? How blessed we are, not only to have a temple in our midst but to be able to partake of all of the ordinances of the Holy Priesthood and to be the recipients of the blessings that follow participation in those ordinances. As we enter the temple filled with gratitude for this great blessing it will enhance our temple experience and leave us open to the teachings of the Holy Ghost.
D&C 58:9
The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that He would prepare a feast of the finest things, “Ye a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all nations shall be invited.”
During his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of this feast in a parable:
Luke 14:14 - 23
Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him,” I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused”. (Too busy)
And another said,” I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” (Work to do)
And another said,” I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” (Family responsibilities)
So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt (the lame) and the blind”.
And the servant said, “Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room”.
And the Lord said unto the servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel (urge) them to come in, that my house may be filled”.
Sometimes our lives become so busy that we realize it’s been quite some time since we’ve been to the temple. We know the feast is waiting, and we sense our need for its spiritual nourishment, but there is ground to see and oxen to prove, family responsibilities, and we ask to be excused. Yet the parable testifies that the Lord truly desires that his house be "filled."
Here are some questions we might ask ourselves as we attend to temple worship:
When you go to the Temple what do you want to have happen?
What can we do to better prepare ourselves to receive the feast that is available for us in the temple?
Prayer is an important part of our preparation.
Mosiah 18:12
‘O Lord, pour out thy spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart. And when he had said these words the spirit of the Lord was upon him’.
Anciently sacrifices were taken to the temple. With the death of Jesus the law was fulfilled and blood sacrifice was no longer required but Christ said that there was still a sacrifice that we needed to make.
Do you remember what it was? What is our sacrifice today?
A broken heart and a contrite spirit.
3 Nephi 9:19 - 20
And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.
What does it mean to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit?
Remorse for sin and in a spirit of repentance.
How would taking a broken heart and a contrite spirit to the temple enhance our temple worship?
D&C 136:33
For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite...
According to the dictionary enlighten means:
1. to give information or understanding to; instruct; edify.
2. to free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition.
3. to give spiritual or religious revelation to.
4. Poetic, to shed light on, illuminate.
5. Impart skills or knowledge to.
6. To make clear and more comprehensible.
7. Clarify mysteries.
In the temple the Lord opens the windows of heaven, not only to pour out blessings upon us but to let us look in.
There are many ways to prepare our minds to receive the Lord’s teaching, but I think the best of all is to go to the temple hungering after insight and knowledge.
How do we get the most out of the Temple ceremony?
We must be alert, and attentive,(devoted) and reverent.
Reverence isn’t just about being quiet. The dictionary uses words like, respect, awe, meek, humble, adoring, submissive, and solemn.
If these words reflect our attitude, we are prepared to receive.
Perhaps we could ask ourselves these questions as we ponder the covenants:
What can I do to better keep this covenant in my life?
What are some things I need to change?
Do I have feelings or attitudes in regards to this covenant that are not in harmony with God?
I think as we ponder we will realize that there is always room for change. As we ponder and ask the Father to make known our weaknesses and enlighten our minds, the spirit will speak to us, we will know what we need to do to better keep the covenants we are making, by so doing we will improve and our lives will be blessed.
The Lord tells us that his house is a house of learning. He desires that as we leave we be filled with knowledge. Because we are taught through symbols in the temple, it is sometimes hard to understand and receive all the truth the Lord desires we obtain. We must learn how to learn through symbols. Much of our ability to receive the power of the temple depends on what we do when we are outside its walls. Christ suggested a formula for temple worship that can help us. We find this formula in 3 Nephi 17.
Jesus had spent the day teaching the Nephites and Lamanites at the temple. It had been a full day, and at its conclusion he said, "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time" (3 Nephi 17:2).
As you leave the temple are you ever accompanied by that feeling? You just don’t understand all you’ve experienced and been taught.
The Savior understands our weakness and teaches us what to do. We are not to be discouraged, doubtful, or apathetic.
The Savior tells us to do five things: "Therefore, [1] go ye unto your homes, and [2] ponder upon the things which I have said, and [3] ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and [4] prepare your minds for the morrow, and [5] I come unto you again" (3 Nephi 17:3).
Many times we only do the first of the Savior’s suggestions—we simply go home. Yet, if we desire that our next incoming to the temple be more powerful, we must ponder upon our temple experience. (Which means to deeply reflect.) We must show the Lord our desire to receive the full benefits of his teaching by sincerely asking him to help us understand.
D&C 43:34
Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.
We can study the scriptures with the temple in mind. The scriptures bear testimony of the temple. As you do this what seemed to be simple scriptures like:
3 Nephi 14:9-10 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. -will have added meaning to you.
Why is it of utmost importance that we return to the Temple as often as we can?
“The process of purifying and sanctifying is accelerated in the temple.” Joseph B Wirthlin
What are the blessings associated with this wonderful feast?
D&C 97:12-16
Behold, this is the tithing and the sacrifice which I, the Lord, require at their hands, that there may be a house built unto me for the salvation of Zion—
For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices;
That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth, the keys of which kingdom have been conferred upon you.
And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it;
Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.
Isaiah speaks of the protective powers of the Temple.
2 Nephi 14:6
"And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge (a fortress), and a covert from storm and from rain"
And if that isn’t enough our church leaders have told us that our loved ones would be protected from evil influences.
Can we afford to go just every month or two?
One of the greatest desires of my heart is to have a home where my children can come and be refreshed and find peace and comfort.
I LOVE IT when they come home. I spend hours planning food & menus. It’s a feast every day. We love to sit around and eat and visit and enjoy each other.
When the forces of the world bear down on us like a hot summer day and we feel we cannot bear it any longer, the Lord seems to say,
Come home. Sit in the shade of my house. Feel the breezes of my Spirit. Be refreshed. Drink from my fountain of truth.
Come home. Retreat into the safety of my house of refuge, swim in my healing river. And then when you leave it will be with greater strength and you can face the heat of the day.
When the forces of life beat upon us like a mighty storm, when the flood waters of trial or the pelting hail of day-to-day irritations leave us cold, discouraged, and looking for shelter, the Lord seems to whisper,
Come home. No hail penetrates the shingles of my house. The flood waters cannot sweep away its foundations. No worldly wind can chill your spirit here.
Come home, sit by my hearth and listen to my truths. Feast at my table.
Be warmed by the love of your Eternal Father.
Let's not just go through the temple but let the temple go through us. If we can do this we will come away endowed with love and inner peace, secure in our covenants, enlightened by revelation and eternal perspective, trusting in promised protection, and feeling assured of the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and their great plan of happiness.
Our focus this week is to attend the temple.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week 7 Focus: De Clutter
Clutter creeps up on us slowly, until one day it’s completely out of control. This reminds me of a clever decluttering book by Don Aslett, “Lose 200 lbs. this weekend”. People are often surprised by the amount of excess they have tucked away. How many excess pounds of clutter are you storing? Is it weighing you down? Maybe it’s time to lose it by putting your house on a diet. Most people have no idea how much their clutter affects them. You may actually fondly believe yours to be an asset, or at least a potential asset, after it has been sorted through and organized. It is only when you start clearing it out that you will realize how much better you feel without it.
The dictionary defines clutter as:
1. A crowded, untidy, collection of things.
2. Disorder
3. Confusion
4. Litter
The word clutter derives from the word ‘clotter’, which means to coagulate – and that’s about as stuck as you can get. Clutter accumulates when energy stagnates and, likewise, energy stagnates when clutter accumulates. So the clutter begins as a symptom of what is happening to you in your life and then becomes a part of the problem itself because the more of it you have, the more stagnant energy it attracts to itself. The reason why clearing out the clutter is so effective is that while you are putting your external world in order there are corresponding changes going on internally too.
Here are 4 categories of clutter:
• Things you do not use or love.
• Things that are untidy or disorganized.
• Too many things in too small a space.
• Anything unfinished. (ouch)
I’ve adapted the following from,”Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui”, by Karen Kingston. Now I’m not big on anything Feng Shui. In fact I think most of it is a lot of gobbledy gook, but I have had this article on clutter for a few years and find that it is right on.
Having clutter can make you feel tired and lethargic.
Most people who have clutter say they can’t find the energy to begin to clear it. They constantly feel tired. But the stagnant energy that stacks up around clutter actually causes tiredness and lethargy. Clearing it frees up the energy in your home and releases new vitality in your body. Clutter drains your energy and dampens your very best intentions.
Having clutter can keep you in the past.
When all your available space is filled with clutter, there is no room for anything new to come into your life. Your thoughts tend to dwell in the past, and you feel bogged down with problems that have dogged you for some time. Clearing your clutter allows you to begin to deal with your problems and move forward. You have to release the past to create a better tomorrow.
Having Clutter Can Affect Your Body Weight.
A curious fact is that people who have lots of clutter in their homes are often overweight. After you have cleared the junk out of your home it doesn’t feel right to continue to put junk food into your bodies. Sometimes body fat and clutter are forms of self-protection. You hope to cushion yourself against the shocks of life, and particularly against emotions you have difficulty handling. It gives you the illusion of being able to control things and prevent them from affecting you too deeply. But this is an illusion.
Having Clutter Can Confuse You.
When you live surrounded by clutter, it is impossible to have clarity about what you are doing in your life. When you clear it, you can think more clearly, and life decisions become easier. Having Clutter Can Affect the Way People Treat You.
People treat you the way you treat yourself. So if you value yourself and look after yourself, people will treat you well. If you allow the junk to mount up around you, you may attract people who mistreat you in some way because subconsciously you will feel that it is what you deserve.
Having Clutter Can Make You Feel Ashamed.
Perhaps you have reached the stage where your home is so cluttered and such a mess that you are ashamed to invite people over and positively panic if anyone turns up unannounced. You can live in lonely isolation with your junk, but wouldn’t you prefer to have a good clear-out, repair your self-esteem, and regenerate your social life with confidence?
Having clutter can make you procrastinate.
If you have a lot of clutter, you will tend to put off doing things until tomorrow. The clutter stagnates your energy and makes it difficult to get yourself to do anything. After clutter clearing you are likely to surprise yourself (and everyone else!) by wanting to do things you have put off for a long time. People suddenly feel motivated to do the things they have been putting off for a long time.
Having clutter can cause disharmony.
Clutter is a major cause of arguments in families, among roommates and co-workers. We might well ask ourselves if our lifestyle is not impeding the progress of others, especially our family members. What are we teaching our children! If you know anything about metaphysics you will understand that all these people attracted you into their lives for a reason. But the clutter is a low level reason. Clear it out and then you will be able to get to the higher purpose of why you are together, which is more interesting than arguing about mundane junk!
Having clutter can put your life on hold.
Don’t let your life slip away. Sit down right now and make a list of all the things you would love to do if only your clutter were sorted, and let this be the inspiration for you to get on with it.
Having clutter can depress you.
The stagnant energy of clutter pulls your energy down and makes you depressed. Many depressed people surround themselves with clutter. Feelings of hopelessness are compounded by clutter and can be relieved to some extent by clearing it because you create space for something new to come into your life.
Having clutter can create excess baggage.
Do you make mountains out of molehills, create dramas unnecessarily, get upset at imagined slights? Learn to lighten up in your physical environment and discover that you can lighten up emotionally too, and enjoy life much more.
Having clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life.
A major clear out is absolutely essential if you want to have true joy and happiness in your life. These feelings are the experience of great energy flowing through your body and this cannot happen if your channels are clogged.
Having clutter can make you disorganized.
Being disorganized wastes time, this is frustrating, and makes you feel like a failure. Many people stay disorganized as a long standing protest against parental discipline enforced when they were young. To continue this all your life only sabotages you. It is very empowering to take control of your home and do what you want to do, instead of allowing unresolved issues from your past to run your life.
By mentally changing your approach and having realistic goals you can actually start living clutter free. It is important to give yourself time though; you will achieve the best results with a consistent system, complimented by new habits.
Imagine waking up to a serene, uncluttered bedroom, choosing an attractive outfit from a tidy, well-organized closet in which everything fits and is clean and pressed and ready to wear…
Imagine getting out the door on time because you haven't had to search for your keys, find school permission slips, or look for the bills you forgot to mail yesterday…
Imagine sharing a meal with your family at the dining table... without having to move piles of stuff first...
Imagine relaxing in your living room… where there's room to sit on the couch and you can find the TV remotes because you have cleared out all of the clutter…
Imagine that friends stop by and you open the door to invite them in … without cringing with embarrassment at the condition of your house...
What’s a Realistic Level of Clutter?
For most of us, especially for parents of small children, it’s not realistic to maintain a home in perfect order every moment of each day. While it’s inspirational to thumb through catalogs that show beautifully furnished rooms or walk through a wonderfully un-cluttered model home, holding oneself to such high standards of neatness may not only be unrealistic, but can cause additional stress. For example, if you find yourself nagging or resenting other family members for the minor messes that they make to the point that it strains family harmony; you may need to relax your standards. But knowing the toll that clutter takes, how much clutter is too much?
While we know that piles of clutter can cause stress and a perfect home may be unrealistic for some people, the level of tolerable clutter may vary from person to person.
Here are some guidelines to follow to help you decide where you should draw the line on clutter:
• Company: Do you like to have your home neat enough to have drop-in company? Are you happy to be company-ready after 15 minutes of cleaning?
• Organization: Is your home organized enough that you can generally find everything you’re looking for without having to search?
• Stress Level: Can you truly relax in your home, is it a haven, or is it an energy drain?
Some Tips: There are many books and even websites dedicated to helping you de-clutter your home, but here are some basic steps that work well:
1. Going room by room, divide your things into four boxes: things to donate, things to throw away, things to keep, and things to store. If you don’t need it or love it, consider getting rid of it.
2. Go through your box of things to keep and find a place for everything. Make it a logical place that’s in the same area where it’ll need to be used. For example, keep keys by the door.
3. Finish one room before moving on to the next.
If you can only do it in "baby steps," Flylady.net has a good system that can help.
I enjoy being a fly lady.
Organize What’s Left: As you find places to keep what you’re keeping, be sure that you’re storing things in a way that makes sense and looks nice. For example, kids’ toys can be stored very neatly in tubs, which provide quick cleanup and keep toy clutter out of sight. Getting drawer organizers for your bathrooms and kitchen can keep drawers from overflowing with extra items. Having a filing system for papers makes it easy to put them away and find them when you need them. Putting a little extra effort into organizing your things now will save you time in cleaning up and maintaining order for years to come.
Create Beauty: Once you have your home de-cluttered and organized, you can add a few nice touches that can make your home the ideal haven for you to relax.
Keep A Schedule: This is a wonderfully organized way to maintain a clean house, especially for those who work best when they have a list of "to-dos" to follow. http://housekeeping.about.com/ has some excellent schedules to follow for daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning so you know what to do and when.
Watch Your ‘Hot Spots: Remember those piles that you just got rid of? Clutter tends to accumulate in the same places--the front door, the kitchen table--little by little each day. Flylady recommends that you focus on the areas where you tend to leave clutter at the end of each day so they don’t turn into big piles again. Put YOUR Things Away: Once you have "a place for everything and everything in its place," you’re ready for this important companion rule: When you take something out, you should simply put it back.
The scriptures tell us that we have three sanctuaries where we may stand on holy ground. The Temple, the Lord’s meeting houses, and our homes. All sacred space.
So this week our focus is to clear out the clutter in our lives. Spend as much time as you can but at least 15 minutes is required. Try doing more. Put yourself in the driver’s seat of your life and take control of all THAT STUFF by donating it, throwing it away, or organizing it — and get everyone in your home in on the act. Imagine walking in to a room where the tops are cleared off and there are no papers and mess scattered about. How does it make you feel? That’s the AAAHHHH feeling you get when you walk into a room and you can see the room and not all the stuff. Suddenly, order appears in the Universe, you can find things, the feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t omnipresent and you look forward to things; life is sweet again. Getting your home organized feels great!!!
Go to it girls!!
Clutter creeps up on us slowly, until one day it’s completely out of control. This reminds me of a clever decluttering book by Don Aslett, “Lose 200 lbs. this weekend”. People are often surprised by the amount of excess they have tucked away. How many excess pounds of clutter are you storing? Is it weighing you down? Maybe it’s time to lose it by putting your house on a diet. Most people have no idea how much their clutter affects them. You may actually fondly believe yours to be an asset, or at least a potential asset, after it has been sorted through and organized. It is only when you start clearing it out that you will realize how much better you feel without it.
The dictionary defines clutter as:
1. A crowded, untidy, collection of things.
2. Disorder
3. Confusion
4. Litter
The word clutter derives from the word ‘clotter’, which means to coagulate – and that’s about as stuck as you can get. Clutter accumulates when energy stagnates and, likewise, energy stagnates when clutter accumulates. So the clutter begins as a symptom of what is happening to you in your life and then becomes a part of the problem itself because the more of it you have, the more stagnant energy it attracts to itself. The reason why clearing out the clutter is so effective is that while you are putting your external world in order there are corresponding changes going on internally too.
Here are 4 categories of clutter:
• Things you do not use or love.
• Things that are untidy or disorganized.
• Too many things in too small a space.
• Anything unfinished. (ouch)
I’ve adapted the following from,”Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui”, by Karen Kingston. Now I’m not big on anything Feng Shui. In fact I think most of it is a lot of gobbledy gook, but I have had this article on clutter for a few years and find that it is right on.
Having clutter can make you feel tired and lethargic.
Most people who have clutter say they can’t find the energy to begin to clear it. They constantly feel tired. But the stagnant energy that stacks up around clutter actually causes tiredness and lethargy. Clearing it frees up the energy in your home and releases new vitality in your body. Clutter drains your energy and dampens your very best intentions.
Having clutter can keep you in the past.
When all your available space is filled with clutter, there is no room for anything new to come into your life. Your thoughts tend to dwell in the past, and you feel bogged down with problems that have dogged you for some time. Clearing your clutter allows you to begin to deal with your problems and move forward. You have to release the past to create a better tomorrow.
Having Clutter Can Affect Your Body Weight.
A curious fact is that people who have lots of clutter in their homes are often overweight. After you have cleared the junk out of your home it doesn’t feel right to continue to put junk food into your bodies. Sometimes body fat and clutter are forms of self-protection. You hope to cushion yourself against the shocks of life, and particularly against emotions you have difficulty handling. It gives you the illusion of being able to control things and prevent them from affecting you too deeply. But this is an illusion.
Having Clutter Can Confuse You.
When you live surrounded by clutter, it is impossible to have clarity about what you are doing in your life. When you clear it, you can think more clearly, and life decisions become easier. Having Clutter Can Affect the Way People Treat You.
People treat you the way you treat yourself. So if you value yourself and look after yourself, people will treat you well. If you allow the junk to mount up around you, you may attract people who mistreat you in some way because subconsciously you will feel that it is what you deserve.
Having Clutter Can Make You Feel Ashamed.
Perhaps you have reached the stage where your home is so cluttered and such a mess that you are ashamed to invite people over and positively panic if anyone turns up unannounced. You can live in lonely isolation with your junk, but wouldn’t you prefer to have a good clear-out, repair your self-esteem, and regenerate your social life with confidence?
Having clutter can make you procrastinate.
If you have a lot of clutter, you will tend to put off doing things until tomorrow. The clutter stagnates your energy and makes it difficult to get yourself to do anything. After clutter clearing you are likely to surprise yourself (and everyone else!) by wanting to do things you have put off for a long time. People suddenly feel motivated to do the things they have been putting off for a long time.
Having clutter can cause disharmony.
Clutter is a major cause of arguments in families, among roommates and co-workers. We might well ask ourselves if our lifestyle is not impeding the progress of others, especially our family members. What are we teaching our children! If you know anything about metaphysics you will understand that all these people attracted you into their lives for a reason. But the clutter is a low level reason. Clear it out and then you will be able to get to the higher purpose of why you are together, which is more interesting than arguing about mundane junk!
Having clutter can put your life on hold.
Don’t let your life slip away. Sit down right now and make a list of all the things you would love to do if only your clutter were sorted, and let this be the inspiration for you to get on with it.
Having clutter can depress you.
The stagnant energy of clutter pulls your energy down and makes you depressed. Many depressed people surround themselves with clutter. Feelings of hopelessness are compounded by clutter and can be relieved to some extent by clearing it because you create space for something new to come into your life.
Having clutter can create excess baggage.
Do you make mountains out of molehills, create dramas unnecessarily, get upset at imagined slights? Learn to lighten up in your physical environment and discover that you can lighten up emotionally too, and enjoy life much more.
Having clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life.
A major clear out is absolutely essential if you want to have true joy and happiness in your life. These feelings are the experience of great energy flowing through your body and this cannot happen if your channels are clogged.
Having clutter can make you disorganized.
Being disorganized wastes time, this is frustrating, and makes you feel like a failure. Many people stay disorganized as a long standing protest against parental discipline enforced when they were young. To continue this all your life only sabotages you. It is very empowering to take control of your home and do what you want to do, instead of allowing unresolved issues from your past to run your life.
By mentally changing your approach and having realistic goals you can actually start living clutter free. It is important to give yourself time though; you will achieve the best results with a consistent system, complimented by new habits.
Imagine waking up to a serene, uncluttered bedroom, choosing an attractive outfit from a tidy, well-organized closet in which everything fits and is clean and pressed and ready to wear…
Imagine getting out the door on time because you haven't had to search for your keys, find school permission slips, or look for the bills you forgot to mail yesterday…
Imagine sharing a meal with your family at the dining table... without having to move piles of stuff first...
Imagine relaxing in your living room… where there's room to sit on the couch and you can find the TV remotes because you have cleared out all of the clutter…
Imagine that friends stop by and you open the door to invite them in … without cringing with embarrassment at the condition of your house...
What’s a Realistic Level of Clutter?
For most of us, especially for parents of small children, it’s not realistic to maintain a home in perfect order every moment of each day. While it’s inspirational to thumb through catalogs that show beautifully furnished rooms or walk through a wonderfully un-cluttered model home, holding oneself to such high standards of neatness may not only be unrealistic, but can cause additional stress. For example, if you find yourself nagging or resenting other family members for the minor messes that they make to the point that it strains family harmony; you may need to relax your standards. But knowing the toll that clutter takes, how much clutter is too much?
While we know that piles of clutter can cause stress and a perfect home may be unrealistic for some people, the level of tolerable clutter may vary from person to person.
Here are some guidelines to follow to help you decide where you should draw the line on clutter:
• Company: Do you like to have your home neat enough to have drop-in company? Are you happy to be company-ready after 15 minutes of cleaning?
• Organization: Is your home organized enough that you can generally find everything you’re looking for without having to search?
• Stress Level: Can you truly relax in your home, is it a haven, or is it an energy drain?
Some Tips: There are many books and even websites dedicated to helping you de-clutter your home, but here are some basic steps that work well:
1. Going room by room, divide your things into four boxes: things to donate, things to throw away, things to keep, and things to store. If you don’t need it or love it, consider getting rid of it.
2. Go through your box of things to keep and find a place for everything. Make it a logical place that’s in the same area where it’ll need to be used. For example, keep keys by the door.
3. Finish one room before moving on to the next.
If you can only do it in "baby steps," Flylady.net has a good system that can help.
I enjoy being a fly lady.
Organize What’s Left: As you find places to keep what you’re keeping, be sure that you’re storing things in a way that makes sense and looks nice. For example, kids’ toys can be stored very neatly in tubs, which provide quick cleanup and keep toy clutter out of sight. Getting drawer organizers for your bathrooms and kitchen can keep drawers from overflowing with extra items. Having a filing system for papers makes it easy to put them away and find them when you need them. Putting a little extra effort into organizing your things now will save you time in cleaning up and maintaining order for years to come.
Create Beauty: Once you have your home de-cluttered and organized, you can add a few nice touches that can make your home the ideal haven for you to relax.
Keep A Schedule: This is a wonderfully organized way to maintain a clean house, especially for those who work best when they have a list of "to-dos" to follow. http://housekeeping.about.com/ has some excellent schedules to follow for daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning so you know what to do and when.
Watch Your ‘Hot Spots: Remember those piles that you just got rid of? Clutter tends to accumulate in the same places--the front door, the kitchen table--little by little each day. Flylady recommends that you focus on the areas where you tend to leave clutter at the end of each day so they don’t turn into big piles again. Put YOUR Things Away: Once you have "a place for everything and everything in its place," you’re ready for this important companion rule: When you take something out, you should simply put it back.
The scriptures tell us that we have three sanctuaries where we may stand on holy ground. The Temple, the Lord’s meeting houses, and our homes. All sacred space.
So this week our focus is to clear out the clutter in our lives. Spend as much time as you can but at least 15 minutes is required. Try doing more. Put yourself in the driver’s seat of your life and take control of all THAT STUFF by donating it, throwing it away, or organizing it — and get everyone in your home in on the act. Imagine walking in to a room where the tops are cleared off and there are no papers and mess scattered about. How does it make you feel? That’s the AAAHHHH feeling you get when you walk into a room and you can see the room and not all the stuff. Suddenly, order appears in the Universe, you can find things, the feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t omnipresent and you look forward to things; life is sweet again. Getting your home organized feels great!!!
Go to it girls!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week Six Focus: Scripture study.
I have a great love for the Scriptures. From the time of my conversion when I was just 12 years old I have had a love affair with these amazing books. In fact they have become an addiction.
I have learned to love the language of the scriptures. I love the incredible people whose lives are recorded there. They have all blessed my life in countless ways.
I stand in awe of the great Old Testament prophets who gave so much that I might more fully understand the ways of God. I have been among the throngs of Nephites. I’ve agonized as I witnessed the death of Abinadi. I’ve trudged through the jungle with Alma. I’ve worked beside King Benjamin in the fields and sat at his feet as he delivered his great sermon, and Nephi became a treasured friend. The Pearl of Great Price has enhanced my understanding of the teachings of the Temple. In many verses of the Doctrine & Covenants I have inserted my own name for they were written for me and to me personally.
As I study and ponder the scriptures the spirit whispers that timeless question, “What desireth thou?” As I have asked questions they have been answered. I have not had visions unfold to my view but in the quiet moments of early morning my heart and mind have been enlightened and layers of meaning in the scriptures have been peeled back to reveal truths I hadn’t seen before.
When I was a young girl I would love to throw pennies into the deepest part of the Mildura swimming pool and dive down to retrieve them. It’s not pennies I dive for any more, but for the truths of the gospel. I have no desire to float around on the top of this great sea of knowledge that the Lord has seen fit to bless my life with. I want to dive deep, and find hidden treasures, and I have, but there are still fathoms beyond me that I have not reached, nor will I ever.
The blessings that have come to me through loving the scriptures are so numerous.
My understanding of my Temple covenants has been enlarged.
Having a love of the scriptures has seen me through difficult challenges. Through the scriptures I have seen that history repeats its self and the patterns that people have set throughout time still apply today. How these people handled their trials, their deliverance and the blessings that were given after the trial of their faith, inspire and encourage me.
I have always been touched by the words of the prophets, ‘Remember, O remember’. I remember better when I write. I can read the scriptures and enjoy them but when I write my feelings and what I learn I am touched to the core. My journals are a source of comfort to me.
As I study I am amazed at the love my Heavenly Father and the Savior have for their children. I am amazed by their patience and long suffering for all mankind.
The scriptures fill me with light, hope, comfort and peace. I have come to know that whatever measure of peace I have in my life is only equal to the knowledge that I have.
Through the scriptures I have come to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is as magnificent, beautiful, and as awesome as He is.
Here are 30 reason why we should have a blazing love of the scriptures. Some of these have been adapted from Gene R Cook’s book, “Why I love the scriptures.” Some of them are my own. I’ve long since forgotten which belong to who.
30 REASONS WHY WE SHOULD LOVE THE SCRIPTURES
1. They can give you answers to difficult problems throughout your whole life. They are full of patterns and answers to today’s problems.
2. They can make you sure and steadfast in your course in life.
3. They can teach you things that no man knows.
4. They can be the means through which you can prayerfully receive more revelation than any other way.
5. They can be an unshakable, unquestionable standard in your life, both for you and your family – a common standard on which to rely.
6. They can be one of the greatest aids of all in nourishing and teaching you and your family.
7. They can teach you how to return home.
8. They can be instrumental in your own conversion and in the conversion of numerous non-members and less actives throughout your life.
9. They can fill you with light, revelation, and truth. Their truths will frequently come to you as strokes of pure intelligence.
10. They can be one of the greatest single factors in helping you to raise up a family to the Lord.
11. They can cheer you up, lift your spirit, and give you hope, comfort, and peace.
12. Along with prayer, they can be the single greatest developer of you faith.
13. They can strengthen your commitment to God.
14. They can bring words of peace to your soul. They can reach to the depth of your soul. They are true nourishment to your soul.
15. They can have the effect of humbling you. They can continually bring you to a state of repentance.
16. They can bring peace to your family and largely remove contention.
17. They can teach you to have total, 100% confidence in their direction, absolute direction. They literally mean what they say.
18. They can alert you to, and protect you from temptation. They can give you power to resist.
19. They can give you vision and wisdom beyond your years – a more profound understanding of life and God’s purposes.
20. They can lift your sights to an eternal view and give you an eternal perspective on everything that may happen in your life.
21. They can lead you to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They can teach you how to be like them. They can teach you how to draw nearer to God. They can lead you to the love of God.
22. They can teach you of the pure love of Christ, and bring the spirit of charity into your own life, and with it, the ability to love all of God’s children.
23. They are the words of the Lord to you personally.
24. They reveal to you a multitude of hidden truths, so deep that you will never be able to uncover them all. The mysteries of God will be unfolded to your view.
25. They will be a perfect witness of God to you. There is no error in them.
26. They can be a way of rekindling your pre-mortal memory. They have a familiar voice, as a voice through the veil.
28. Within these volumes, the words of pure truth, will set at naught all the subtle teachings and half truths, false doctrines, and worldly teachings of men and the devil. They will give you the power to avoid deception and combat falsehoods.
29. Your understanding of your Temple covenants will be enlarged.
30. You will have a greater understanding of the atonement and what it means to you, not only eternally but on a daily basis.
This week I had to talk to about 60 Primary children encouraging them to read their scriptures. Sari came with me. I was wearing Melanie’s old tennis shoes that she wore in high school. My toes were sticking out the ends. They were as worn and used as any shoes could get. I made the comment that our scriptures needed to be as comfortable and as well worn in our hands as Melanie’s shoes were on my feet. Sari then gave a quote that will forever be my favorite and sums up everything.
“Scriptures that are falling apart are usually owned by someone who isn’t.”
2 Nephi 33:13-15 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come. And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, (the bible & Pearl of Great Price) and also my words, (the Book of Mormon) and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, (the New Testament & Doctrine & Covenants) behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day. For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.
I have a great love for the Scriptures. From the time of my conversion when I was just 12 years old I have had a love affair with these amazing books. In fact they have become an addiction.
I have learned to love the language of the scriptures. I love the incredible people whose lives are recorded there. They have all blessed my life in countless ways.
I stand in awe of the great Old Testament prophets who gave so much that I might more fully understand the ways of God. I have been among the throngs of Nephites. I’ve agonized as I witnessed the death of Abinadi. I’ve trudged through the jungle with Alma. I’ve worked beside King Benjamin in the fields and sat at his feet as he delivered his great sermon, and Nephi became a treasured friend. The Pearl of Great Price has enhanced my understanding of the teachings of the Temple. In many verses of the Doctrine & Covenants I have inserted my own name for they were written for me and to me personally.
As I study and ponder the scriptures the spirit whispers that timeless question, “What desireth thou?” As I have asked questions they have been answered. I have not had visions unfold to my view but in the quiet moments of early morning my heart and mind have been enlightened and layers of meaning in the scriptures have been peeled back to reveal truths I hadn’t seen before.
When I was a young girl I would love to throw pennies into the deepest part of the Mildura swimming pool and dive down to retrieve them. It’s not pennies I dive for any more, but for the truths of the gospel. I have no desire to float around on the top of this great sea of knowledge that the Lord has seen fit to bless my life with. I want to dive deep, and find hidden treasures, and I have, but there are still fathoms beyond me that I have not reached, nor will I ever.
The blessings that have come to me through loving the scriptures are so numerous.
My understanding of my Temple covenants has been enlarged.
Having a love of the scriptures has seen me through difficult challenges. Through the scriptures I have seen that history repeats its self and the patterns that people have set throughout time still apply today. How these people handled their trials, their deliverance and the blessings that were given after the trial of their faith, inspire and encourage me.
I have always been touched by the words of the prophets, ‘Remember, O remember’. I remember better when I write. I can read the scriptures and enjoy them but when I write my feelings and what I learn I am touched to the core. My journals are a source of comfort to me.
As I study I am amazed at the love my Heavenly Father and the Savior have for their children. I am amazed by their patience and long suffering for all mankind.
The scriptures fill me with light, hope, comfort and peace. I have come to know that whatever measure of peace I have in my life is only equal to the knowledge that I have.
Through the scriptures I have come to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is as magnificent, beautiful, and as awesome as He is.
Here are 30 reason why we should have a blazing love of the scriptures. Some of these have been adapted from Gene R Cook’s book, “Why I love the scriptures.” Some of them are my own. I’ve long since forgotten which belong to who.
30 REASONS WHY WE SHOULD LOVE THE SCRIPTURES
1. They can give you answers to difficult problems throughout your whole life. They are full of patterns and answers to today’s problems.
2. They can make you sure and steadfast in your course in life.
3. They can teach you things that no man knows.
4. They can be the means through which you can prayerfully receive more revelation than any other way.
5. They can be an unshakable, unquestionable standard in your life, both for you and your family – a common standard on which to rely.
6. They can be one of the greatest aids of all in nourishing and teaching you and your family.
7. They can teach you how to return home.
8. They can be instrumental in your own conversion and in the conversion of numerous non-members and less actives throughout your life.
9. They can fill you with light, revelation, and truth. Their truths will frequently come to you as strokes of pure intelligence.
10. They can be one of the greatest single factors in helping you to raise up a family to the Lord.
11. They can cheer you up, lift your spirit, and give you hope, comfort, and peace.
12. Along with prayer, they can be the single greatest developer of you faith.
13. They can strengthen your commitment to God.
14. They can bring words of peace to your soul. They can reach to the depth of your soul. They are true nourishment to your soul.
15. They can have the effect of humbling you. They can continually bring you to a state of repentance.
16. They can bring peace to your family and largely remove contention.
17. They can teach you to have total, 100% confidence in their direction, absolute direction. They literally mean what they say.
18. They can alert you to, and protect you from temptation. They can give you power to resist.
19. They can give you vision and wisdom beyond your years – a more profound understanding of life and God’s purposes.
20. They can lift your sights to an eternal view and give you an eternal perspective on everything that may happen in your life.
21. They can lead you to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They can teach you how to be like them. They can teach you how to draw nearer to God. They can lead you to the love of God.
22. They can teach you of the pure love of Christ, and bring the spirit of charity into your own life, and with it, the ability to love all of God’s children.
23. They are the words of the Lord to you personally.
24. They reveal to you a multitude of hidden truths, so deep that you will never be able to uncover them all. The mysteries of God will be unfolded to your view.
25. They will be a perfect witness of God to you. There is no error in them.
26. They can be a way of rekindling your pre-mortal memory. They have a familiar voice, as a voice through the veil.
28. Within these volumes, the words of pure truth, will set at naught all the subtle teachings and half truths, false doctrines, and worldly teachings of men and the devil. They will give you the power to avoid deception and combat falsehoods.
29. Your understanding of your Temple covenants will be enlarged.
30. You will have a greater understanding of the atonement and what it means to you, not only eternally but on a daily basis.
This week I had to talk to about 60 Primary children encouraging them to read their scriptures. Sari came with me. I was wearing Melanie’s old tennis shoes that she wore in high school. My toes were sticking out the ends. They were as worn and used as any shoes could get. I made the comment that our scriptures needed to be as comfortable and as well worn in our hands as Melanie’s shoes were on my feet. Sari then gave a quote that will forever be my favorite and sums up everything.
“Scriptures that are falling apart are usually owned by someone who isn’t.”
2 Nephi 33:13-15 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come. And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, (the bible & Pearl of Great Price) and also my words, (the Book of Mormon) and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, (the New Testament & Doctrine & Covenants) behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day. For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.
Our Challenge this week is to read at least 30 minutes day.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Week 5 Focus: Keep a Journal
Throughout our lives, we have feelings and experiences that can keep our testimonies strong and give us courage in difficult times. But in order to remember them, we need to record them. Otherwise, these feelings will fade in our memories, and we may eventually forget them completely. A journal is a place to record experiences, thoughts, feelings, and events as they occur in our lives.
In 3 Nephi 23:6-13 Christ told the people in the Americas that there were important details missing from their records—the Savior was very concerned that the Nephites had not recorded some of the prophecies they had received. He expected the people to keep accurate and complete records.
President Spencer W. Kimball once said: “Every person should keep a journal and every person can keep a journal. It should be an enlightening one and should bring great blessings and happiness to the families. If there is anyone here who isn’t doing so, will you repent today and change—change your life?” (Ensign, May 1979, p. 84)
He also said: “Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.” (New Era, December 1980)
Elder Henry B. Eyring explained this further in the October 2007 General Conference:
“When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.
He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: ‘I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.’
I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: ‘Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?’ As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.
More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened. “
A journal is so personal that each of us can decide just how we are going to write our own. Here is a list of some things to think about that might be useful to make it successful and worthwhile.
• DO remember that you are writing a journal for several reasons: for your posterity, for a record of your life, as a marker for growth and progress in your life, as a source of inspiration for yourself and others.
• DO write with a black ball point pen. Pencil and colored pens will fade or smudge over time.
• DO always date each entry with month, day, and year and sometimes even the time of day.
• DO set aside a block of time either daily or weekly to write like a Sunday afternoon.
• DO keep your journal handy or take loose pieces of paper with you on trips that can be added later.
• DON’T ever, ever think, “I’ll never forget this day, this person, this lesson, or talk”…40 or 50 years is a long time and you might not be able to remember your phone number let alone who Bobby was in the third grade.
• DO always use a person’s full name at least once. The best thing to do is make a list on the back page of your journal with the full name and a brief reminder description.
• DO write a couple of sentences about a special lesson, talk, or activity to help you remember it.
• DO take a note of medical history, both personal and family. When did you have your tonsils removed? Or, what was it like when your older sister had a baby?
• DO take a note of family events, vacations, weddings, deaths, and special activities.
• DO write about good and bad days. It can be a source of inspiration and comfort for your descendants to see that you were human, too.
• DO talk about how you feel about what is going on in your life.
• DO tell about the funny or embarrassing things that happen in your life, like running over the skunk and stinking out the car on a trip, or having your skirt tucked into your nylons at a church dance.
• DO collect and save important papers, poems, etc.
• DO make a record of music you listen to, movies you watch, books you read, and what you think of them.
• DO write a letter to yourself on your birthday examining what you did with your past year and making goals and wishes for the coming year.
• DO take notes of the prices of things, how much is a CD, a gallon of milk, stamps, a candy bar, ticket to the movies…
• DO record typical outings with your family and friends. In 100 years they will love that you would spend Saturday’s walking around the mall with your friends.
• DO be honest about yourself. DON’T lie-even if no one else reads your journal you will read it later and be sad for not telling the truth to yourself and your posterity.
• DON’T treat your journal as some kind of holy thing that you can only put deep thoughts in. This is about your REAL life.
• DO pick up and write each night. If you forget one night, don’t give up, just catch up the next night.
• DO be merciful to others. DON’T write gossip or trash about others.
• DO add letters, cards, awards received, etc. to your journal.
• DO write about deaths, births, marriages, baptisms, and endowments; personal triumphs, failures and struggles and how they are met, personal counsel, promises, and blessings received and the circumstances surrounding them, important events, personal feelings, impressions, current local, national and world events that impress you or influence your life and last but not least, simple occurrences in your daily life.
Being creative will help our journals reflect our own personalities and interests. One young woman explained her method of making her journal interesting:
“I named my journal Lucy. It’s like my best friend. It’s kind of hard to talk to a page, but now I talk to my best friend Lucy and tell her my feelings.” (A Journal Named Lucy- Kathleen Lubeck, New Era November 1981)
President Kimball again said: “ Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life…What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?...Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events.” (New Era ,October 1975)
Elder Eyring finished his talk with these words. “Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him.”
Each of us are special to Heavenly Father and He knows the lives that we will bless because we are willing to take the time to recognize and record His hand in our life. Our posterity will be so grateful for each of us individually if they have a chance to know us through our journals. As Pres. Kimball said, we are each unique and have stories and perspectives that no one else in the world can compare to. This week our challenge is to write at least a few lines every day. Maybe the angels will quote from it for eternity!
In 3 Nephi 23:6-13 Christ told the people in the Americas that there were important details missing from their records—the Savior was very concerned that the Nephites had not recorded some of the prophecies they had received. He expected the people to keep accurate and complete records.
President Spencer W. Kimball once said: “Every person should keep a journal and every person can keep a journal. It should be an enlightening one and should bring great blessings and happiness to the families. If there is anyone here who isn’t doing so, will you repent today and change—change your life?” (Ensign, May 1979, p. 84)
He also said: “Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.” (New Era, December 1980)
Elder Henry B. Eyring explained this further in the October 2007 General Conference:
“When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.
He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: ‘I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.’
I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: ‘Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?’ As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.
More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened. “
A journal is so personal that each of us can decide just how we are going to write our own. Here is a list of some things to think about that might be useful to make it successful and worthwhile.
• DO remember that you are writing a journal for several reasons: for your posterity, for a record of your life, as a marker for growth and progress in your life, as a source of inspiration for yourself and others.
• DO write with a black ball point pen. Pencil and colored pens will fade or smudge over time.
• DO always date each entry with month, day, and year and sometimes even the time of day.
• DO set aside a block of time either daily or weekly to write like a Sunday afternoon.
• DO keep your journal handy or take loose pieces of paper with you on trips that can be added later.
• DON’T ever, ever think, “I’ll never forget this day, this person, this lesson, or talk”…40 or 50 years is a long time and you might not be able to remember your phone number let alone who Bobby was in the third grade.
• DO always use a person’s full name at least once. The best thing to do is make a list on the back page of your journal with the full name and a brief reminder description.
• DO write a couple of sentences about a special lesson, talk, or activity to help you remember it.
• DO take a note of medical history, both personal and family. When did you have your tonsils removed? Or, what was it like when your older sister had a baby?
• DO take a note of family events, vacations, weddings, deaths, and special activities.
• DO write about good and bad days. It can be a source of inspiration and comfort for your descendants to see that you were human, too.
• DO talk about how you feel about what is going on in your life.
• DO tell about the funny or embarrassing things that happen in your life, like running over the skunk and stinking out the car on a trip, or having your skirt tucked into your nylons at a church dance.
• DO collect and save important papers, poems, etc.
• DO make a record of music you listen to, movies you watch, books you read, and what you think of them.
• DO write a letter to yourself on your birthday examining what you did with your past year and making goals and wishes for the coming year.
• DO take notes of the prices of things, how much is a CD, a gallon of milk, stamps, a candy bar, ticket to the movies…
• DO record typical outings with your family and friends. In 100 years they will love that you would spend Saturday’s walking around the mall with your friends.
• DO be honest about yourself. DON’T lie-even if no one else reads your journal you will read it later and be sad for not telling the truth to yourself and your posterity.
• DON’T treat your journal as some kind of holy thing that you can only put deep thoughts in. This is about your REAL life.
• DO pick up and write each night. If you forget one night, don’t give up, just catch up the next night.
• DO be merciful to others. DON’T write gossip or trash about others.
• DO add letters, cards, awards received, etc. to your journal.
• DO write about deaths, births, marriages, baptisms, and endowments; personal triumphs, failures and struggles and how they are met, personal counsel, promises, and blessings received and the circumstances surrounding them, important events, personal feelings, impressions, current local, national and world events that impress you or influence your life and last but not least, simple occurrences in your daily life.
Being creative will help our journals reflect our own personalities and interests. One young woman explained her method of making her journal interesting:
“I named my journal Lucy. It’s like my best friend. It’s kind of hard to talk to a page, but now I talk to my best friend Lucy and tell her my feelings.” (A Journal Named Lucy- Kathleen Lubeck, New Era November 1981)
President Kimball again said: “ Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life…What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved?...Get a notebook, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events.” (New Era ,October 1975)
Elder Eyring finished his talk with these words. “Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him.”
Each of us are special to Heavenly Father and He knows the lives that we will bless because we are willing to take the time to recognize and record His hand in our life. Our posterity will be so grateful for each of us individually if they have a chance to know us through our journals. As Pres. Kimball said, we are each unique and have stories and perspectives that no one else in the world can compare to. This week our challenge is to write at least a few lines every day. Maybe the angels will quote from it for eternity!
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