drop by drop

Yesterday our Stake Relief Society put on an amazing brunch to celebrate the up-coming birthday of the Relief Society organization. The breakfast was delicious but nothing could compare in any way to the production of the Ten Virgins. Amazing, touching, inspiring... They did a fabulous job and I am forever grateful to them for all of their efforts and months of practicing. A parable that I understood on the surface but never really had a personal connection with is now very personal to me. I identified with so many of the different women portraying the 10 virgins... their struggles and strengths, their weaknesses and mistakes... How I long to be more like the calm woman who finds balance in the most important things in life and the one who constantly lifts the hands that hang down and strengthens the feeble knees. How I wish I was less like the woman who scurries about frantically working all day but feeling as though she never accomplishes anything.

My late grandmother used to counsel me when I was a teenager... how I wish I would have listened more!!! A reoccurring theme I often heard was how I could be, accomplish or become whatever I wanted to. She often talked about the power of our minds and how sending good thoughts or vibes out into the universe would bring good back to us. Though not of the same faith, I have gleaned so much wisdom from her experiences. I understand more now than I did 15 years ago and see the parallel in a parable that I've known for as long as I can remember. It's the parable of the mustard seed found in the book of Alma in The Book of Mormon. As I was thinking about the characteristics I so desire in some of the women portrayed in the Ten Virgins production, I would start to get a sinking feeling that I was so far from achieving that; it was nearly hopeless. Then the whisperings of the Holy Ghost would remind me that it all starts with a thought... a mere desire to believe... and become.... drop by drop... I know we can all become the great Women and Men that our Heavenly Father sees in us as we come to Him often and allow His spirit to fill our hearts and lives.

TODAY in CHURCH...

I really love our ward. I love that our Primary is so huge. It's always exciting! There's always something to keep us busy and on our toes! Today I presented sharing time. It was a lot of fun. The lesson was on how the commandments help us follow Heavenly Father's plan for us and that brings us happiness. The children had an opportunity to share a commandment they thought of and how that makes us happy. I had chosen several children from the Primary and they were starting to share in the microphone which commandment they had chosen and why it makes them happy to keep that commandment. During the middle of it, Ethan came walking up to the podium. I thought maybe he was just coming up to see me... but it turned out he had something to share, and he shared "go to the temple." It was so sweet. It just melted my heart. He turned to go sit down but I directed him over to get his bean to put it in the jar. I feel like I'm always running out of time during sharing time. My main struggle is that I'm not a very good judge of time and how long something will take, or how much time has passed. I skipped the last half of the sharing time I had planned because I didn't want to cut into singing time (as I often do... feel bad about that). The senior sharing time is always much more productive and I had a better idea of how to get to everything that i wanted to. We were able to get to the part of them making a banner of what they pledge or promise to do as a class to follow Heavenly Father's plan for us. They wrote down several commandments on their banner as a class and then one child from each class brought it to the front to share. I was really touched and inspired to hear them share the commandments that they planned to keep together as a class. I invited them to keep their banners in their binders so that they could remind each other each week of the promise they had made. I'm really grateful for Primary. It inspires me to be better and to be as our Savior invites, "as a little child."

After church while getting ready for lunch, We had an interesting conversation with Ethan... then again, Ethan's conversations are always interesting...

Me:

How was your class today, Ethan?

Ethan:

It was a little...long. Did you see that? You know.

Me:

But did you like your class? Don't you like your teachers?

Ethan:

ya...

Me:

What did you like about it?

Ethan:

Because my teachers were talking nice, not stupid.

Me:

Uh oh.

Ethan:

(little smirk... wanting a reaction)

Catherine:

Why'd you say uh, oh?

Me:

Oh, because Ethan said a word that wasn't very nice.

Catherine:

What word was it?

Ethan:

Stupid, but... (so nonchalant)

(then with conviction) I was saying they were talking nice!

moving out already??

Catherine:

"I'm moving to Hawaii. Did you know, Dad?"

Larry:

"Oh, you are? When?"

Catherine:

"When I'm a mom."