Getting out of my own way!

I've still been reading, intermittently. On chapter 12 i think. I've reread back a couple of chapters when it's been a couple of days in between reading. I have noticed I sleep so much better if I read before i go to bed and if i dream, the dreams are pleasant. I'm trying to write a few thoughts down on what i read too. I see things so much differently now and get different meanings than i did just a few years ago...expected i know. My attitude about life is better too, not that it was bad, I have been on the spiral up from hell. Guess i would say my wallowing moments are less and less and last shorter and shorter. This is good! The trek into the wilderness and the struggles they have with listening to the spirit and discerning what to do is so like our lives today isn't. It can be rather difficult if we let it be to weed through the crap and focus on the good. I don't know about you guys but my biggest obstical has ALWAYS been myself! So here's to getting out of my own way!

a great Novel

so i've been a slacker, but i decided to make up for it today. i had a plan for today, but it all fell apart early, so i began to clean the house which was long over due (i made a to do list) fed the kids, and nursed daniel to sleep. i decided i would make the most out of his nap, and i got 3 things done on my long term to do list! yay!!! it's only because daniel took a 3 hour nap! and kathryn was pretty decent too.

but i've been thinking about how i still haven't read hardly 1 chapter in the Book of Mormon and i thought i remembered having the Cd's, so i looked, and i found them! i decided to start out with the title page and go from there. so i listen and follow along in my book...it goes so much quicker for some reason!!

one thing that caught my attention was in the Testimony of Joseph Smith at the beginning of the Book of Mormon, when the Angel Moroni appears to him the first time he tells him about the gold plates and the Urimum and Thumim, and says when he gets them he can't show them to anyone, except those the Lord commands him to show to, for if he did, he should be destroyed. wow. that's pretty powerful. can you remember when someone would tell us something in confidence, and tell us not to say anything to anyone, and it was HUGE...how hard was it to keep the secret? and to think if there was a "if you tell anyone you'll die" that's huge. not that Joseph would show just anyone, but there were lots of people trying anyway possible to get their hands on these plates, and that's such a huge responsibility. i mean, of course that is nothing new for all of Joseph's life he had that kind of responsibility to bear, but just taking it piece by piece. this time that i read through the Book of Mormon, i am really trying to put myself in their shoes, and see what they didn't get a chance to write down. read between the lines if you will, and see how i would feel, and just generally relate it to my day and my life. would i do what was commanded if this happened in our day?

So of course in the first chapter of 1 Nephi, Lehi has a vision and reads and sees the destruction of Jerusalem and prophecies about what he saw and read to the Jews, basically telling them how wicked they are, and bringing to light all the horrible things they do. so can you imagine someone walking the streets calling out all the bad things you do, and telling you that you'll be destroyed because of your wickedness? i just picture alot of people offended. so i can understand that they had to flee because he made the Jews mad by telling them these things. but can you even imagine in our day being persecuted to the point where we have to run away and hide in the woods...leaving everything we own behind, except the bare essentials like food and water, clothing and tents??? because Lehi's family was very wealthy, so they left behind alot. it is so hard to imagine that. it sure makes me feel a lot less tied to some material possessions. i mean, i guess that was the Lord's point, none of it means anything anyway, it won't get you your salvation. but the world has always, from the very beginning been about wordly possessions. so it's hard to be in the world but not of the world. 

you know. this time around, i feel like instead of this being scripture, it's a deep novel, that has a unique story to tell about people who aren't much different from you and I. so i can understand why things happened the way they did, and hopefully, i can learn from these people's mistakes. that's the reason the Lord gave these books to us! easier said than done right?

1 Nephi 1-4

So, I read the first 4 chapters of 1 Nephi...this is one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. So much strength it must have taken to leave their home...reading between the verses you can almost feel the struggle. I cannot even imagine. And then to Kill someone. It would be so hard to follow that prompting...and not to worry about the consequences...to not think your crazy...i mean can you just imagine being prompted to do that today? WOW. I can actually see this story as I read it. What a great spirit Lehi and Nephi must have had, had to have, to follow the kind of guidance they were being given. I know I've had promptings I've received in my most spiritual times that I would never had listened to were I not in tune. There's so many things to worry about in this day...yet we shouldn't live with an impending sense of doom. It's such a fine line to be prepared for whatever is to come and trust in our Heavenly Father and not become a stressed out depressed mess worrying about it. Reading their story reminds me just how amazing the Gospel is and how much I want to be as close to my Heavenly Father as possible so I can receive the promptings to keep my family protected and as happy as possible. And so I can weather the rough times I know we will encounter to make us stronger.

Goo~

even on goal setting i'm having a hard time balancing it all! i love the background! 

well, i am very excited about the scripture reading, just recently kathryn has found a book of mormon (missionary copy) and she sits and flips through it and asks me to read it to her. she carries it in our car now for the rides. so i am trying to pull john in with me because he has an abundant knowledge of scriptures and points out things i never recognize. i haven't gotten much of a start, so i'll post about that later this week. 

i have a few goals i'd like to jump on! i agree with you both, i'd also like to loose some weight, and i have a gym membership for the next 2 years we pay for and i never go! i will start out 2 times a week, hopefully to pick up to 3 times a week. it has free nursery for 2 hours, but only at certain times, so i need to get a bag ready and go! if nothing else, i can let the kids play somewhere new so i can have free time to myself! i need to weigh myself to get a starting number. 

i also have a goal to wrap up and finish unfinished projects before i start anymore, and that is what seems to be clogging my time! i will classify this as a general to do list, and my goal is to complete at least one thing a week. some are like, paint daniel's name on the wall, or sew the button back on john's pants, or repair john's saddle bags for his bike...things that can be accomplished within an hour? but others are like finish the quilt i started, and finish the dress i started sewing, go through my digital pictures, etc. that may take a week in itself. so we shall see how that goes. HERE'S TO FINISHING WHAT I STARTED!!! 

my other goal is to make some bows, diapers, etc. to sell and make at least 50 dollars by the end of the year. it's a fairly conservative goal, this is the major thing i am hopefully going to focus on as soon as some other projects get finished so i have room to work!

is that too many goals at once! ah...maybe it is. i always seem to do that. well, i need to make better use of my time anyway, and be more productive. i'm getting better at sharing the load. that was one goal i have already accomplished. now if i could just keep  it up. 

One More Thing

I almost forgot to mention I need to learn how to use my camera. Actually take time to read the book I bought with the silly thing over a year ago and make something beautiful. I've talked about taking a leisure class, but never got around to it. Well if we have 2 cars by the spring, I'm taking a class @ LSU for Digital Photography. It's been a passion of mine since I've owned my little point and shooter that took 110 film. hehe we've come a long way in the world of technological advances. I just need to practice and learn.

Ready Set Go!

Jolie I think you've given us a good start. I too need/want to read scriptures. It's something I've struggled with for years and think it would be great to do together. I'm going to start in the Book of Mormon also, TODAY. I'll share the progression and insight I get from reading.

I went to work out with a trainer today. I'm measuring my waist at 31" and frankly that is pathetic. So my goal is to go twice a week at least and work that waist of my down to its size. Enough about that mess.

I need to start scrapbooking now that I've cleaned my room up. I think I can get caught up on my LSU book by the end of the year and start on our family album where I left off in 2006. I'm pretty behind, but inspiration doesn't come to me all day everyday for this stuff. It's a mood thing for me.

Let's get started!

The sky's the limit! Lets start a couple of challenges or goals. For scripture reading let's start at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Read for yourself, find a buddy or if you have a spouse or kids, read with them...the prophets teach us family scripture reading can really bring people together. Let's try to all post at least once a week on our thoughts from our scripture study. Set your own goal for scripture study that will work for you; be conservative at first so you can reach the goal easily, then as we get in the habit let's set some higher goals on time or amount read each week. Share your progress.

I could lose a few pounds, but more than that I want to get back to the gymn regularly. I know it will help me sleep better, and it is good personal thinking time, not to mention releasing endorphins that will help lose weight and sharpen the mind. My goal is to go two times a week for a least 30 min each time. I weigh 149lbs. today, i want to lose 5 lbs in the next month, which is reasonable and healthy.
I am going to monitor gymn days and time, weight, and measurements of waist and hips.

I have a few other odds and end stuff that I NEVER get too. I want to start a percentage contest on things checked off to do on a daily list. This will help me be better organized and help me with task completion so hopefully I don't have 20 things going at once that never get completed. I am going to be realistic and careful with what I list to do every day. I am going to put at least two things on my list that I know for sure will get done. So my goal is to get at least 75% completion of tasks every day. Like 3 out 4 things done, 6 out of 8, 9 out of 12 etc...

If anybody has ideas of how to refine these or wants to add to please feel free...perhaps we can create tables or charts to our blog updates to show progress.

Love to all....here we go!!!