April is the biggest month for birthdays in our extended family. It’s a good thing I am an empty nester with a flexible schedule so I have time to give attention to them. 😂 The post office has been a frequent haunt this month, as well as my car.
April is also the beginning of school year-end events. This week I got to cheer for Solomon. Tomorrow I get to be a proud mom as Daniel graduates from BYU. 🎓
The formula for accomplishing anything is to be consistent. I follow this formula in many areas of my life, but I can’t seem to be consistent with creativity or ideas. These are whimsical things. While I wait for the little muse to visit, I work on fundamentals like writing good sentences, even if the subject matter is a Sunday school lesson or a little blog post. Creativity may be stop and go, but I try to nurture my skills and devote consistent time to support it.
I like this quote,
Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.
-Pablo Picasso
Dear Reader,
This week I achieved 17 years of blogging. I’ve written here longer than I lived in my childhood home…or any home. I have blogged longer than I homeschooled our kids and longer than my years of formal education. This blog has been a kind of home for my thoughts, as well as an education as I have wrestled to compose over 2,600 posts.
Here are some things you may not know:
I want to quit writing this blog quite often. 😔
I almost always feel uncomfortable and insecure as I hit, “Publish”. 😳
When someone tells me something positive about the writing, I feel so wonderful. ♥️
Unlike the early years, this blog will only occasionally have family updates. Our children have their own lives now. 👩👨👨👨
I stopped monitoring to see if people were reading and this freed my mind to write what I want. 🗽
Almost every post goes through multiple revisions, yet I am sure you have noticed I retain plenty of errors. 😬
This blog doesn’t help me feel connected to others, but I think it makes people feel connected to me. It’s solitary work.🏝️
Whenever I want to quit, words such as, “Change your attitude,” “Don’t worry about popularity,” and “Keep going,” come to my mind. So, I keep writing for my family. 🪄
Thank you for being a friend of my blog. Once something is published and public, it takes a new life in the minds of readers. This is where difficulty and disappointment can enter, but also the potential for good. The writing is mine and has its own personal meaning, but when you read, it also becomes yours to take what you need and build your own thoughts. Truly, I hope that it helps you. I write because I love.
🩷A
We visited Paige’s family and enjoyed the best of times. We had to come home, but the echo of a little voice in Alabama ricochets in my mind in unexpected moments, and whenever I see a really good truck.
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.
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.
Here is a placeholder post to indicate that I tried to write a blog post this weekend, but sometimes, my thoughts are my own, and not to be shared.
Here is a picture of Richard and Tim skiing earlier this week. 😁
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.
Rejection is one of the greatest teachers in life. Mark is experiencing it as a missionary, and you can probably recall a time when you’ve been rejected. I think of a small rejection I faced just last week and ouch, it still hurts.
Rejection makes us see that we aren’t going to be chosen every time; we can’t all be the favorite; the gifts we prepare won’t always be appreciated; and sometimes, the precious things we share with people will be ignored.
Let’s remember that poor reception from others can’t obliterate our efforts. We haven’t failed if we have loved, sacrificed, and shown the courage to share. And if we are unable to accomplish the big things we hoped, let’s remember that our identity and our worth in God’s eyes have never been a matter of popularity, outward measures, or appearance.
…for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
What can we do when we experience rejection? It’s tempting to get discouraged, feel like a victim, or become angry. But Jesus knows a lot about rejection, and he met it with love and truth, whatever the personal cost.
Today, I am going to keep facing the winds of possible rejection and keep loving, serving, and sharing. I also take comfort that in some things, such as temple work, we see things as they really are:
There is value in giving, even if we don’t see an immediate result.
I sat with a wise friend this week and we went deep about life in our 50’s, this tugging, expanding, reinventing phase of life. There are many possibilities at this age, and an innate need to mentor, serve, and teach. Our friends scatter to many pursuits.
Balancing her concerns about current events and her desire to do something about it, my friend observed that the world doesn’t need more angry people, it needs more disciples of Christ. She’s decided that discipleship will underscore her service and mentoring in her 50’s and beyond.
I told you she was wise!