Author: Angela

I write so my family will always have letters from home.

Still a Monday girl

Almost without exception, I know that if I put something on my To Do list on a Monday, I’ll get it done. Monday is a blank canvas, a clean slate, and fresh powder on the ski slope. I thrive in new starts.

Maybe you’re a weekend person or you thrive on a different day of the week.

When, besides Sunday, is my list the shortest? Saturday! It’s just a decision based on current priorities. I don’t plan to clean, shop, or organize on that day because I’m not alone. I like to be flexible and adapt the day according to who stops by and what Richard would like to do. You may be in a different season where house tasks are the right thing to do on a Saturday. That’s just not my stage of life.

Once I learned when I’m at my best and identified my priorities, my To Do lists became manageable. Oh, and in case you forgot this advice, I think To Do lists should always be written in pencil. With an eraser, an unfinished list becomes an instrument of grace instead of an instrument of shame.

Richard!

We celebrated Richard’s birthday this week. We love the way he gathers our family on vacations and takes advantage of every minute. I’m thankful for his kind and gentle parenting of our children and his delight in our grandson. He works hard in a difficult field and I’ve noticed that he takes a lot of calls from people who need his expertise. He also gets calls from people who want his advice on ATVs and he’s the navigator when his friends go on 4-wheeler rides. He is a planner and an engineer, through and through. He has a church calling that demands a lot of time and self, and in this service, he shows us what it looks like to keep covenants with God. We love him!

All the math

Sometimes we need to add things to our lives, and other times, the best thing we can do is subtract. This quote is so vital in the process,

Sometimes we speak almost casually about walking away from the world with its contention, pervasive temptations, and false philosophies. But truly doing so requires you to examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy.

As you shift your focus away from worldly distractions, some things that seem important to you now will recede in priority. You will need to say no to some things, even though they may seem harmless. As you embark upon and continue this lifelong process of consecrating your life to the Lord, the changes in your perspective, feelings, and spiritual strength will amaze you!

Russell M. Nelson, Spiritual Treasures October 2019

This quote identifies two important goals of mortality: to consecrate your life to the Lord and overcome the world. To succeed, President Nelson directs us to be intentional about subtraction.

Maybe you’re in a season of exponential demands. Perhaps you are in a season of multiplication, where you take on more responsibility or have another child. Or, you have to divide your time between heavy responsibilities. Perhaps you need to add something to your routine to make yourself stronger. No matter your season of life and its accompanying math, don’t forget the need for inspired subtraction.

Neighborly

Today our neighbor Shane saw that our driveway hadn’t been cleared since Richard was still at work, so he took the time to do it himself without announcement or fanfare. This isn’t the first time he has done this for us, and as always, I am so grateful for this good neighbor and friend.

So good.

I serve as a Sunday school teacher right now and I’m reading this excellent book as a supplement to my study of the Old Testament.

Also, this is very good. The hard cover, coffee table book, color edition is out of print, so I bought it used. Deseret Book will print a black and white paperback copy for around $30 but it isn’t the same experience as the original version.

I realize that my life and ideas don’t have the Sirens’ call of a TikTok video. As I read books like this, I grow less trendy, and more like those old men in the ward of my youth who couldn’t stop talking about the Abrahamic Covenant. I’m more aligned with them these days than any other mentors in my life, and I like that about myself.

This is also very good.

Rain + Sunlight

When we are young, we learn about rainbows.

Rain + sunlight = 🌈

We know the story of the Flood and the covenant that God made with Enoch and Noah. In the Bible, the rainbow is the token of that covenant. We know it so well that we might consider it a great story to tell children, but find little meaning in it for ourselves.

When I read a little deeper, though, I find a beautiful lesson about God,

The Lord’s tears for the wicked who will suffer are as the rain upon the mountains.

Likewise, when Enoch sees in vision the suffering of the wicked in the flood, he weeps and thinks that he will never be comforted.

The Lord weeps for the wicked, but He doesn’t want us to weep, but look to the atonement of His Son and rejoice. Will we allow Jesus Christ to carry the burdens of our sadness, fear, weakness, and sin?

Heaven’s tears are as the rain, and the Savior is the sunlight that can cut through our darkness.

A rainbow reminds me of the Lord’s covenant. It also reminds me of a God who weeps, who is just, merciful, and sends light to shine through the tears.

Tears + Light = 🌈

A just, merciful and loving God who weeps + the Light of Hope in Christ = A Fulness of Joy 🌈