Day 19: Sundays

I enjoy Sunday mornings. I usually... not always, have a couple of hours of quiet time to myself. Mike comes home for an hour or so in between meetings and we watch Music and the Spoken Word together. He LOVES watching the choir (although he fast forwards through the organ solos). This morning I couldn't wake up, probably because I woke up during the night and tossed and turned for an hour or more. When I sat down to read I feel fast asleep. When Mike came home we watched the choir (he didn't fast forward through the organ solo today). Before I knew it, it was time to go to church... and I wasn't ready. I had left an ice-cream dessert in the mixing bowl to soften, but I still had to mix it and pour it into containers and put it in the freezer. When I turned the mixer on a huge glob of the dessert went flying out of the bowl and ended up all over me, the floor, the counter... pretty much everywhere. I started to clean up the mess and looked at the clock; fifteen minutes 'til church and I wasn't dressed, I had no make-up on and my hair wasn't done... and I had ice-cream and raspberries on me (not as bad as the floor and counter did). Mike was leaving to go back to the church and knowing how tired I was suggested I stay home and get some much needed sleep. I seriously welcomed the reprieve; although at the same time I remembered one of the goals I am working on in my Personal Progress book concerning the Sacrament. Mike left and I again looked at the clock as my Personal Progress goal did not leave my mind; 10 minutes 'til church... I can do this. Quicker than I've ever been, I poured the dessert into dishes and got it into the freezer, I ran upstairs and dressed, put as minimal make-up on as I dared and faked a hair-do and went to church. I walked in as Bishop Leger was opening the meeting. During the sacrament hymn I realized that my mind was wandering so I gently reprimanded myself, "this is the very purpose for which you came here today." I was able to focus on the sacrament and what I could do to improve myself this coming week. We had a wonderful list of speakers today starting with a new sister in the ward. She spoke about feeling the spirit in our lives. She mentioned that a few years ago she had started to journal how she felt the spirit in her life each day... even in the simplest of ways (inspired by President Eyring's talk). When she experienced some hard things in her life she was able to go back to that journal and read her own words and it helped her through her trial. We also listened to a stake high counselor and a member of the stake presidency and enjoyed a beautiful piano solo Come Thou Fount. The spirit was strong and I felt it as I heard things that I needed to hear and to be reminded of. I feel rejuvenated to face the week ahead. I am grateful that I "listened" today. 

Day 13: My Little Handbook

This is my little handbook of instructions; one "tool" that I use in my life. Although it says Young Women on the cover... I highly recommend it for "young women" of all ages because I don't think that there is ever an age limit for setting and achieving goals or working on self-improvement. This little book gives me eight values to focus on and to help me in my daily life:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice & Accountability

Good Works

Integrity

Virtue

I promise... it's a good thing.

Young Womanhood Recognition

For the past six years Caitlin has been involved in the young women's personal progress program of our church. Today in sacrament meeting, she received her Young Womanhood Recognition award, which is a result of setting and completing many goals and projects in this program. We are very proud of her for accomplishing this. I can't believe that she will be eighteen-years-old this coming week and leaving the young women's program. It has gone by way to fast. We love you Rosie!!