My Talk - In Case You're Interested

So Sunday I had to give a talk in church. I've included it here in case anyone was interested. :) I think it went pretty well, I mean no one gave me dirty looks or disgustedly got up and left...so I'd say that was pretty successful. :)

Making Your Home A Sanctuary

In a world of chaos and turbulence we are given few choices where we can find refuge; the two most important options are the Holy Temple and the Home. Fortunately we live very close to several temples but at some point in your life you may find that you cannot make it to the temple because of distance, family circumstances or illness. We cannot live in the temple and many are unable to attend the temple daily so it is vital to create a sanctuary in own our home. The home is second in sacredness only to the temple as defined in the Bible Dictionary (‘Temple’, 781): The temple is “A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.” Creating this sanctuary involves three very important areas: Spiritual, Physical and Emotional. If one of these areas is ignored the walls of your sanctuary has holes which can be infiltrated by the world. By addressing each area you can create a safe haven where you, your family and friends will enjoy and feel the Lord’s presence within those walls.

Many people address the area of Spirituality quite well because for many it is one of the first things that come to mind. It is vital to create a Spiritual stronghold where we are reminded daily of Christ. There are several ways to strengthen the Spiritual hardiness of your home although I’ve only concentrated on three: prayers, pictures of Christ and the Temple, and entertainment that invite the spirit. Having family and personal prayer each day creates a conduit between each individual with our Father in Heaven. Praying together creates family unity where the gratitude and needs of the entire family can be vocalized with one heart to Him. Individual prayer allows each of us our one-on-one time with Heavenly Father where we are able to talk to him plainly about our concerns and joys. Pray daily as both a family and an individual to help strengthen not only your own spirituality but the spirituality of your home. Pictures of Christ and the Temple remind us each day of covenants we have made or intend to make with our Heavenly Father. These can also remind us of the Atonement and all that Jesus Christ has done for us. Keeping these pictures in various rooms in our home allows us a gentle nudge during struggles and adversity as well as the reminder of how much He loves us and wants us to succeed. The activities we engage in for entertainment can add or detract to the spirituality of the home. Because of the wide variety of options it becomes imperative to choose activities wisely. Some widely accepted entertainment options available include movies, television, books, games and the internet. These choices surround us everyday both within the home and without, choosing activities that uplift and create positive feelings in you and your family is imperative to keeping your sanctuary strong. While television and movies have a rating system that we can use to make wide choices books, music and the internet do not. It is important not only to be choosey when selecting these activities but to be aware of the media and games your children are being exposed to outside the home at school and with friends. Making good choices in the home make it much easier to make good decisions outside the home. All it takes is one song, book, website, movie or television show to chase the Spirit from our homes. An interesting experience that my husband and I had a few years ago was when my little brother, Brian, and his girlfriend came to Utah for a visit and so we asked them to stay with us. During the first evening, Clint was upstairs working on something and so my two brothers and Brian’s girlfriend were chatting downstairs. Brian asked to play us some music that he said my mother and sister enjoyed and so I agreed, knowing that the music he listened to was generally not uplifting. While the music was playing something in our home changed, I couldn’t figure out what had happened but soon thereafter the three of them left to do something and Clint came downstairs and asked me “What happened?” I told him Brian had played us some music and then house felt weird, he told me that as soon as the music came on he felt the Spirit of the Lord exit our home. It still surprises me how different my home felt, it is a feeling I never want to experience again. Spirituality is an extremely important aspect of creating a sanctuary but it is not the only one to remember when setting out on this course.

Many people forget the second area in creating a sanctuary in their home. The physical state of our homes can create an atmosphere of peace or pandemonium. This is sometimes the most difficult area to address because those we live with affect the physical space within our walls. Our homes should be a reflection of the Temple and there are three main things which can achieve this goal including getting rid of clutter, keeping the home clean and free from dirt and grime, and realizing the importance of these simple tasks. When the home is in disarray it affects all aspects of our lives including our spiritual well-being. Having a home free from clutter, both visible and hidden, is essential. Elder Daryl H. Garn, of the Seventy, states that while building temples “contractors are told that all rooms in the temple will be finished and painted. That day in the temple, every room was painted white. Even the storage rooms and mechanical rooms were white. There were no dark places in the temple. (Ensign, October 2007, 23-25). This same philosophy should be incorporated into how we take care of our homes. Creating a clutter-free home requires time and dedication from each member of the family. It is important to start with one area, or if needed, one pile. Make final decisions about each item before moving on to the next. This task can be overwhelming if you have a lot of areas with clutter but you must finish this project or the clutter can multiply and take over. Keeping your home clean is another important aspect of creating a sanctuary. Creating a daily task list can keep this important part of keeping your home clean under control. This seems simple but sometimes the simple solutions can be the hardest to keep up with. In the July 2007 issue of the Ensign, Shirley Kline says “Everyday events in our home can seem so simple that we overlook their importance—like the children of Israel who were smitten by a plague of snakes. To be healed they had to just look at the brass serpent on a pole (see Numbers 21:8–9), but because it was so simple, many did not do it. “Because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41). Everyday activities in our homes may be simple, but because they are simple, frequent, and repeated, they offer important opportunities to build individuals and families.” (Three Tools to Build a Sacred Home, 44–47)

The final area is the Emotional well-being of your home. In 1984 President Spencer W. Kimball stated “The responsibility for each person’s social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests first upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof.” (Liahona, First Pres. Message, And The Lord Called His People Zion). Although each individual is responsible for his or her own well-being it is our responsibility to teach them while young how to accomplish that. As children grow it is essential to help them feel like productive and important members of the family. This can be accomplished through involving them in simple tasks such as folding laundry, sorting clothes, easy cooking tasks, picking up their toys, sweeping, as well as a variety of other responsibilities. In our home Gweny, our 2-year-old, is in charge of giving the dog treats as well as helping me sort laundry and stir food. She feels accomplished as she completes each job and looks forward to performing it later. When I try to do one of these tasks she runs up to me or the pantry demanding to do it herself. Not only is she learning responsible behavior but she is also learning the value of work and the important role she plays in our family. It is also imperative to encourage children as they try new things and gain experience. As new experiences unfold expressing your feelings to your children helps them know that you are interested in their lives and value them. One way to accomplish this is sitting down to a family dinner and making this time together an event. Making sure that each member of your family is emotionally fed is vital to the strength of your sanctuary. When even one person doesn’t feel supported the sanctuary suffers and other aspects may soon begin to fail.

Strengthening the sanctuary of the home is accomplished through small steps in each of these areas. Perfection is not demanded but it is expected that we all give our best effort as we strive for this goal. Our homes should offer refuge from the world, create peace and harmony within our families and ourselves, and allow us to feel the guidance and love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. I know that if we address these areas our homes will become a sanctuary, our families will be strengthened and we will become closer to our Heavenly Father than we ever thought possible.

AWOL

I have been gone from my blog a long time but am now back. I have missed writing it and have let other things get in the way. It might take me a while to get back into the swing of posting every day...or at least once a week...but be patient and I will. I am also thinking I will start a weekly blog for the family where I will focus on what we do so that you can keep up with that. This one will simply be my tangents about whatever. Like right now I can hear Gweny upstairs taking ALL of our DVDs off the shelf...crap.

I'll write more later. Promise.

Creating A Sanctuary At Home - My Personal Eyeopener

So a member of the Bishopric called a few days to ask me to speak in Sacrament meeting this Sunday. I joked but eventually accepted (of course) and then he gave me the topic: Creating A Sanctuary At Home. I smiled to myself as I heard the topic and immediately thought of my home...definitely NOT a sanctuary.

After hanging up the phone I looked around my house and noticed the piles of paper, toys and other clutter preventing my home from being a sanctuary. Then what did I do? I avoided working on my talk AND cleaning the house. Over the next few days I pondered this topic. How does one create a sanctuary? I think that there is a multi-faceted answer and it is my goal to figure it out. I hope that on Sunday the message the Lord wants others (and probably most of all me) to hear is conveyed. I know that this is an important aspect of life and realize how difficult it can be to keep that sacred feeling within our homes.

I will post my talk on here once I figure it all out and let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.

Special Mommy Moment

A few days ago I had the most Special Mommy Moment ever! My friend Tiffany had been watching Gweny while I was at work and had convinced her to stay up until Clint and I got home. After getting home I picked her up and took her upstairs to go to bed. I changed her and we went through our routine, in the middle of one of her "night-night songs" she puts one hand on my face then looks at her sippy cup and puts it down on her changing table. She then put that hand on my face and looked deeply into my eyes forcing me to look at her. Then very seriously she says "I ya ya", I smiled and with a tears in my eyes I reply "I love you too". She smiles and then grabs her sippy cup and gives me a big hug.

It's moments like this that make all the "bad" times worth it. I love being a mommy more than anything and am SO grateful for my little girl. I think it's so important to write these moments down so that we don't forget them. Think for a minute on all those little moments that you've had with your special one(s) and write them down in a journal or on a blog. Cherish them. You'll want to reread them when your special darling isn't being such a darling.

End of Semester Chaos

The end of the semester has finally arrived, I have my last official class period tomorrow and then finals next week. Right now I'm buried in 11 credits (3 classes) worth of homework and papers to grade. It's been an interesting 15ish weeks and I'm very glad it will all be over in another week and a half. I'll miss my students but I'm really looking forward to Christmas break and my New Year's resolution...ORGANIZATION. This semester has left one impression upon me - chaos. I have felt more scattered and disorganized in the past 15 weeks than ever before, unfortunately my students probably felt the brunt of that.

With my new eyes and a new semester and year upon me I'm hoping to open a brand new chapter in my life. I'm 32 and I want to make some positive changes in my day-to-day routine. I want to make sure that I have time to be active and participate in the Turkey Tri next November. I want to make sure that my home reflects peace, love and harmony at all (or most) times. I want to have my classes organized and set up completely before the semester begins. Or at least mostly so that I have a small amount of prep work instead hours worth. Finally I just want things to be more smooth than they have been. I'm hoping that with Clint's help and the support of my family and friends these goals and ideas will be a reality.

20/20 Vision

My Tuesday consultation turned into a Thursday surgery appointment! That's right, as I'm writing this I'm over 24 hours post-op. My surgery was scheduled for 7:45 yesterday morning and Clint and I were on our way about two hours later with a brand-spanking new pair of eyes. :)

The worst part is the preparation. You learn all about the surgery and what they are going to do...like creating a corneal flap. Gross. Another part that was kinda freaky was when they are creating the corneal flap you go temporarily blind. Not a good feeling. When they did the laser part the smell was not pleasant either, but it's a cold laser so it's not really burning things like a hot one would...the smell is from the evaporation. At least that's what they tell me. So after two hours of prep, valuim, ink marks on my right eyeball (to identify my astigmatism), lasers, corneal flaps, blindness, massages and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies I walked away with new eyes. I could see across a room, a parkinglot and even the valley! I was EXTREMELY sensitive to light and very tired so Gweny went to play at a friends after Clint went back to work and I had breakfast and then a very long, much deserved nap. :) Yesterday I slept from 10:40 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

During my wakeful hours (4:30-10:30) I noticed some fogginess, a feeling like something was in my eye, itchiness, dryness and my eyes felt heavy. As the hours passed my vision continued to improve and the symptoms began to go away. By bed time the only thing I really noticed was that I had a few areas that looked like they were bleeding but since I had a followup in the morning I didn't worry.

This morning I had my first post-op checkup at 7:45 a.m. and after less than 1/2 hour I learned that my eyes were healing wonderfully and and I already have 20/20 vision and the "bloody" areas are bruises where they put this thing on my eyeballs to help guide the laser during the corneal flap creation step. The doctor told me that my vision will only get better and that the "bruises" will go away in about three weeks. How is that possible is what I want to know. The surgery has already exceeded my wildest expectations. My vision will take a while to calm down but I'm prepared for that. I notice when it's focusing between near and far but it's not that different from when I wore contacts. This was my first surgery ever and boy was it worth it. So I bet you are wondering if I would do it again? Absolutely! I have a feeling this will change my life. It already has. It's overwhelming to even think about how blessed I am to live in such a time that this is even possible.

You know the saying "Hind sight is 20/20"? Well maybe now ALL my sight will be 20/20. Thank goodness for people who think outside the box. God bless them for improving the quality of my life. GO TEAM HOOPES!!! :)

Setbacks

Thanksgiving weekend was great but I didn't exercise. I have my reasons. :) Tomorrow morning is my Lasik consultation and so I'm not going to exercise in the morning. It's interesting to me the different setbacks we encounter on our roads to success. I'm not just talking about weight management but career and personal goals too. Sometimes the smallest thing can change our own history for better OR worst. The people around us have such a huge impact on us, especially our parents. Even when we think that we are all grown up and don't need or want their approval something happens to make us realize that we do. Mine happened today on my way to work.

I called one of my parents (who will remain anonymous) to find out about some medical history I need for tomorrow. We spoke briefly about it then this parent proceeded to add unwanted input. "Cindy, the one you need to worry about the most is your heart because you so large." Thanks Captain Obvious. Way to throw cold water on my enthusiasm. That one comment ruined my day. It was like all the other good things I have going for me don't even matter, it's this one area that I struggle with just keeps getting thrown in my face. I realized today that no matter how hard I try I will never be quite good enough and this parent doesn't even realize it. That's the saddest part, it's one thing to be cruel and realize it but it's a completely different ballgame when that person has no clue how hurtful they are.

Luckily for me I have an amazing husband, three other very supportive parents, amazing friends and extended family. If I didn't have this support group my goals would seem dull and lifeless. Fortunately they help me maintain my focus and remind me that I'm a pretty neat person. I realize that I have things that are hard for me to accomplish but eventually I'll get there. Life is hard, I get that. I accept that reality. I just wish that weren't my reality. That's all.

So as Clint would say, "Tomorrow Begins Today" and tomorrow is a new beginning. Here is one more step on my road to success...