Answers to Questions

When Davis was a brand new baby, I was diagnosed with melanoma. It was a scary and uncertain time for Ryan and I. But it was also filled with a peace that I can't quite explain. I know Heavenly Father was watching over my family during that difficult time. Not coincidentally, my diagnosis came right around General Conference time. I have never clung to the messages of the prophets quite like I did during that Spring of 2010. Messages felt like they were directed right to me. Elder Oaks gave a talk on Healing the Sick and I felt like God knew my personal problems. Elder Hallstrom spoke about Turning to the Lord and I knew I wanted to be the kind of disciple that leaned on the Savior during times of trial. And Sister Beck spoke powerfully about personal revelation in a talk that I still refer to often because there is so much great counsel in it. 

Though my cancer was eradicated very quickly, I was able to hold on to the lessons I learned that spring about the value of General Conference. Because conference talks are so accessible these days, I have developed a habit over the years of listening to one conference talk each morning while I get ready for the day. I just push play on my phone while I'm putting on my makeup or picking out my clothes. It's amazing to me how well I can get to know the messages in the talks after listening this way. I can testify that on many occasions, the words of our leaders have come to my mind as an answer to a question I'm having or a doubt I may be experiencing. And it has helped me to help loved ones with the problems they face because there always seems to be a conference talk to comfort in times of trial. 

I know that if we take the time to come to conference with sincere questions, God will answer them. And as we study the talks and listen and re-listen, he will help to answer our prayers and the prayers of others through his inspired leaders. 

General Conference has Something for You

Cross Country

Both Maddie and Isaac are running on their school's cross country team this fall. I made them do it. They were not happy with me, but I felt that it would give them some good experience being part of a team, get some exercise, and learn a great life skill--being able to run a few miles. I think it's growing on them. They no longer whine about all the practices (or how it hurts to walk down the stairs with sore muscles) and they are eager to participate in the meets each week.

There is something special about the culture of running. Everyone cheers each other on and there's just a great team spirit--no crazy parents yelling angrily at coaches and stuff like that. Since running is an individual sport, it's a great way to teach our kids about racing against their own time and beating their own PRs. Isaac improves every week, I love watching him run. Maddie is one of the slower runners on her team, but she finishes every race. I was so proud of her today as I watched her push herself through the very last stretch and give it her all as she crossed the finish line. As she told me, "I didn't want to leave any fuel in my tank, mom!"

Beautiful Maine

Isn't this photo just the greatest? It screams "SUMMER" to me in so many ways. Now, full disclosure---if you know me well---you know that there are many things about Maine that I would change if I had a magic wand (i.e. eradicate all ticks, bring in a Target, a Costco, and move family closer), but summer and especially fall are so beautiful here. Like, "I'm living in a romance novel" beautiful. Put midcoast Maine on your bucket list. You won't regret it.

A Little More Compassion

Today in this moment I just feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my life. Life can be so challenging, and I try to imagine that everyone is doing the very best they can. It helps me love them more than when I judge them or try to change their behavior (even though the judging and wanting THEM to change is so easy to do!). I am discovering that when I am more compassionate with others, it helps me to be more compassionate with myself, and vice versa. And couldn't we all use a little more compassion? There is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that I recently read:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;...who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

Here's to being less of a critic, both to ourselves (especially to ourselves)  and all the others doing their best in the arena of life.

Essentialism

Essentialism, by Greg McKeown, is hand's down one of the most highly influential books I've read this year. I did a mix of listening to the audiobook and reading the text and found both to be interesting and applicable. A few of the big take-aways that I got from McKeown's book are:

• If you don't take control of your life/schedule/calendar, someone else will.
• Less is better. 
• Everyone is given the same amount of hours in a day. Decide what is most important to you and let your time spent be a reflection of those values.
• If it isn't a clear "yes", then it's a clear "no". Anytime we say "yes" to something, we are consciously or subconsciously saying "no" to something else. The idea that we can "do it all" is a lie. 
• You can multi-task but you can't multi-focus.
• Almost everything we do is nonessential. Weed out the unimportant stuff.
• Beware the bareness of a busy life.
• Ask yourself, "How do you want to be remembered a hundred years from now?"

"What if we stopped celebrating BEING BUSY as a measure of importance? What if instead we celebrated how much TIME we spent LISTENING, PONDERING, MEDITATING, and ENJOYING time with the most important people in our lives?"--Greg McKeown