Keeping Up With Life

When we lived in Virginia while Doug was going to dental school I was asked to teach early morning seminary for a year. The high school kids came to our house every morning at 6:30 for an hour. At that time I had two little boys and a husband who was never home (so it seemed) and I was very busy with regular life. But it was one of the best years. It was great because we were studying the New Testament and I got to study the life and teachings of Christ every day in preparation for the next morning's lesson. It was great because I feel like Heavenly Father really blessed me to be able to do everything and keep my sanity safe and my house clean and everyone fed and clothed and loved.

I have really good memories of that time.

I really believe that when we do the Lord's work He blesses us in all sorts of ways. Sometimes in ways that we don't expect.

I'm really counting on those promises and blessings as I spend the bulk of my days and nights doing the work of the Relief Society, either mentally or physically. I'm constantly thinking about what is needful if I'm not actually doing something needful. And I'm seeing blessings come to me and to my family. Maybe because I'm trying my hardest to live so that I'm entitled to have His spirit with me more constantly it has allowed me to see His tender mercies more obviously. And it really is a better way to live my life.

One of the things I did that year when I taught Seminary was to have a "day off", a day when I could do what ever I wanted to do and not feel pressure. I arranged my schedule so that I didn't have to do housework or grocery shopping or pay bills or laundry or ANY of that necessary stuff. On my day off I could read or sew or do something more special with the boys or take a nap, and not feel one bit of guilt about it! It wasn't a true day off, because I still had to fix meals and take care of my children etc. etc. etc. But for a few hours every Thursday I had this delicious sense of freedom to do whatever I wanted to do (within reason, of course).

I have again declared Thursday as my day off. It isn't a whole day off, but for a few hours on Thursday I indulge myself. It has actually been harder to do this time around, but I'm getting better at it (except I do have laundry going right now...).

So what have I been doing with my day off? Well, last week I had a fun lunch with some of my girlfriends.

And I'm also working on a digital book for an on-line class I'm taking called Me: The Abridged Version. My first completed page:

So there you go. If you're wondering (Mom) what I'm doing with my time: if I'm not doing something with/for my family, I'm probably doing something with/for Relief Society. But on Thursdays I'm probably writing some interesting tidbits about Me.

It's going to be a fascinating book...!!