This is my presidency. I think I look a little wilted in this photo after a busy season, but all of those smiles come from teaching Primary.
Last week, my presidency completed our round of ward conferences for 2023, where we ministered to the needs of Primary leaders and children. I was also given the assignment to speak in three sacrament meetings for these conferences.
My presidency and I were able to teach hundreds of children during their Primary meetings. We also visited each Primary president to listen, encourage, and provide guidance.
It is a blessing in my life to be on Team Primary.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
I discovered a list of journals that Joseph Smith kept for different purposes. Knowing this about him makes me feel some companionship in my quirky habit of keeping several journals at once.
He kept a journal of observations. He kept a personal history and kept track of his letters. He made sure that the things discussed in Church councils were recorded. He kept a record of the names of the faithful and wrote tributes about many people.
This is my current stack of journals, and each has its own topic. I think that they’re important in my process of becoming, whether or not anyone else benefits from them.
The magic hour for conversations with Mark is between 10 and 11 pm. This has been true for most of our kids, and I read somewhere that teen circadian rhythms shift several hours beyond usual bedtimes. Late nights simply don’t feel late to them.
We try to be available for conversations late at night and early in the morning before school. This is also when we pray together.
I hope the rhythm of prayer will continue for our children long after they grow out of the funny rhythms of their teen years. I can think of no better comfort and help than prayer.
This is the poinsettia that I bought in early December. I have never had one last this beautifully for this long!
I like to use the phrase, “Every day is Christmas” when I think about my blessings. Recently, I found this great quote,
As a child…[I] thought Christmas came once a year. “As an adult, I now realize that it is Christmas every day. Because of the benevolence of our Heavenly Father and our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, we are the recipients of a continuous flow of heavenly gifts—every day. Heavenly gifts too numerous to mention.”
I will never get tired of seeing all of these faces, even if it’s only possible through a video call because of distance.
Utah, Guam, Alabama…these are places we never guessed we would be. Our family is open to change, and this has enriched our life experiences. Sometimes, despite loving a place or a situation, we have left because we felt led to do it.
I have learned to not identify myself by where I live or even what I do. It can all change very quickly.
December in AprilBack to work after a few days off for wisdom teeth removalMy dad and RichardEggs ready with scriptures and candy before we added glow sticks for a night Easter egg hunt for teens.CousinsSpring Lake at night
It occurs to me that I spend time chasing after things that are already mine.
I look for measurements of my popularity, but I already know that I am loved.
I work to prove my value, but my worth has always been intact.
I seek joy in habits that don’t bring me joy, yet I knew how to have it long ago, dancing on the lawn as a child.
Joy comes after effort, but I don’t need to work so hard to find things that I am already carrying in my pocket. I no longer dance spontaneously on the front lawn, but the essential formula remains: Joy comes from just letting go.
Our lives feel like they are on pause in this endless winter with so much snow that our canyon is closed.
We watched general conference all weekend. For us, this looks like Legos and blocks on the floor, blankets on the sofas and chairs, a whiteboard and markers for making summaries of talks, and so many snacks. Every crumb of snacks that I poured into bowls was consumed. I made cinnamon rolls and broccoli soup, and served a key lime pie and lots of other things. We walked each day to restore ourselves after the stupor of watching television.
I write this on a scheduled lazy morning. We are expecting another pile of snow today. (Happy spring break to us!) I can’t get excited about this week of snow and the removal of Mark’s wisdom teeth. In fact, I dread, dread, dread the wisdom teeth appointment. (Snuggling deeper into a blanket) Maybe if I think about Easter and make some plans that will help.
I am also watching another flight for Tim. He is always chatty and energized when he gets a transfer, which for the Micronesia Guam mission means an oversea flight. Richard watches YouTube videos analyzing plane crashes for enjoyment when I am not around. He knows that I don’t need to feed my mind any more death scenarios. I will be glad when the little green dot on the website lands in Guam later today, which is tomorrow for Tim.
I had several unconnected conversations with friends last month that led me to pick up my orthodontic retainers and wear them again. Never stop wearing your retainers is my piece of wisdom for today. There are lots of retainers in our lives, not just orthodontic ones: Date nights, repentance, the sacrament, finding God in prayer, finding Jesus in scripture study… Never stop with the retainers.
I have a quilt to finish, but I think I will wait to shop for more fabric. My stack of books is growing. Last week I was a little sick, and one night I went to bed discouraged by what I hadn’t accomplished. But then I felt the impression to consider all I HAD accomplished that day, despite all. Sometimes we just need to make a backwards TO DO list, and simply list what’s DONE. For me, this is the ultimate self care routine.
Many years ago, I wrote a post about this little 2″ x 2″ tile that I pulled from the floor during the demolition of my parents’ cabin. These very old tiles were so fragile, and my efforts to extract them mostly ended in them crumbling to pieces. It took a long, careful effort to dislodge this one. I wrote how the process of removing this tile was like helping people make changes in their lives. I displayed this tile to remind me to be patient and gentle with others, but I was definitely overlooking a beam in my own eye.
Later, I found this quote, “For you, I would keep working on me.” This challenged my reason for having this tile on display. I realized that I should think of myself as the stubborn tile.
I still display this tile, but it is no longer just a reminder to be loving and patient with others. It reminds me to keep working on me, and that it is God’s hand that lovingly frees us.
