Church was really good today. In sacrament it was a farewell for a missionary and a homecoming for a missionary. We've had a lot of missionaries coming and going in our ward lately. In Sunday school we had a great lesson from 3rd Nephi. One thing that was mentioned was the importance of keeping a journal. I am so passionate about journaling, so I enjoyed that part. In relief society, Vicky gave a great lesson from President Monson's talk from conference, Finding Joy in the Journey. The focus was how we need to be happy with our circumstances now and to enjoy the now. Some of my favorite quotes from the talk are the following:
"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."
As hard as it is to remember, I am going to try to do better about enjoying my moments even if they are hard.
"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”"
"Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”"
The other night I was listening to Delilah on the radio and she had Glenn Beck on. He said something that was so simple but so eye opening. He said that we all seem to have expectations in life...we expect things to go a certain way or to have certain things, etc. So when our life doesn't turn out like that, we are sad and disappointed. And I am not remembering it as well as he said it, but instead of having those expectations, we just need to realize that whatever we have and whatever is thrown at us, that is our life...we should just accept that and be happy with what we are given instead of being disappointed with what we don't have or that things didn't turn out like we hoped. Anyway...it made an impression when I heard it although I am not retelling it well.
After church we came home, had lunch and finished decorating the Christmas tree. We started some before church and finished up after. My girls loved doing that, seeing all the ornaments and putting them up.
Ellie did well going to bed again. I think she loves her new bed.
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