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.
In my recent study of Exodus, I’ve focused on the symbols of Jesus Christ in the Passover, Moses’ ministry, and the means by which the Lord redeemed the children of Israel,
Providing huge miracles and wonders,
Supplying daily bread,
Making water sweet,
Leading them to an oasis for rest,
Raising up a prophet to point them to the Lord,
etc.
This morning I had the idea to place our small Covid-era sacrament trays in my scripture study area. Symbols of Christ surround us in all His creations, and I’m not sure where this visual reminder will lead my thoughts and feelings this week, but we’ll see.
Exodus= from Greek, meaning, “the road out”.
Spiritually, it connotes an escape from bondage to freedom through transformation.
Today was phase one of Daniel and McKenna’s move. Tim supplied the trailer, Richard supplied the truck, and all the men supplied their strength. Well done!
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.
I have a glimpse of family life for your reading pleasure? today.
We saw my parents and extended family on Saturday for my Mom’s Easter egg hunt, then came home to welcome Tim and Queenie who spent the night at our house. Richard mowed the lawn for the first time this season on Saturday evening, and the lawn, blossoming trees, and tulips are beautiful. We stayed up late that night talking to Tim and Queenie about their adventures. Queenie will complete her bachelor’s degree this month and Tim is busy helping his friend Josh build a house and has some stories to tell about being a property manager. They made a trip recently to Arches National Park and Goblin Valley, which were firsts for Queenie.
We had a freeze a few nights this week, and Richard protected his apple tree blossoms with a tarp and heater.
We had our middle kids with us on Sunday. Add to the energy and events of Easter weekend the four sessions of general conference, which we watched while eating cinnamon rolls, Chex mix, and peanut M&M’s. We also visited Daniel and McKenna’s newly remodeled house where they will live after Daniel graduates this month.
Although we didn’t get a complete family picture this Easter weekend, we almost had one on Sunday during a video call. Richard played with filters to delight our grandson.
In my excitement to be with my kids and extended family, I oversupplied them with desserts. After our Easter feast on Sunday, we read passages of scripture around the table to complete our long tradition of opening eggs which hold tiny objects and scriptures. Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Until this year, I’d never “given up something” for Lent. I’m not going to tell you what I walked away from and I’m not hinting anything with the above photo. Initially, it was a difficult change, until just a few days went by and I experienced positive results.
The effects of this life change have been the quieting of my mind and the softening of my heart.
I see people in my faith working to have a more holy approach to Easter. Looking back over my first year of taking 40 days to prepare for Easter, I’m glad I made the effort. I’m a river of emotion about Jesus this week.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Unknown artist. I found this image in an April 2021 General Conference talk by Sister Reyna I. Aburto.
The Come Follow Me curriculum for Easter has a beautiful scripture activity under the heading, “Because of His Atonement, Jesus Christ has the power to help me overcome sin, death, trials, and weaknesses.” There is a list of scriptures to study, write about, and help you reflect upon the Savior’s power. It brought a lot of peace and reassurance to me as I did this.
Interested? Here is a LINK. (Once you click the link, you will need to scroll down to find the activity and its scripture list.)
In Exodus 1, we read about two Hebrew midwives who defied the order of Pharaoh to kill all male children born to Hebrew women. Their names were Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15) and they have spectacular meanings*:
Shiphrah🌟: “Brilliant,” from the Hebrew word that means “to shine”. It also connotes “pleasing, calm, composed, beauty or loveliness; a canopy under which peace and stability may be achieved.”
Puah 🪩: “To glitter,” also, “splendid, radiant.”
These women were lights in a dark time because they feared God more than Pharaoh.
Therefore God dwelt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared [revered] God, that he made them houses [households].
-Exodus 1:20-21
Here are two takeaways,
God dwells with those who love Him and serve Him. He blesses them well, along with the people they love.
Be a light to somebody today! Like Shiphrah, your light can be a place of peace and stability to a friend. Like glitter (Puah’s name meaning), your trail of righteous influence can remain long after you leave the room.
*Name meanings taken from the Abarim publications website. Emily Belle Freeman also contributed to my appreciation of this passage of scripture.
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.
