we're in the teens now ... nineteen

'Wherever He Leads Me' by Greg Olsen

today is the first day of Passover - Passover Thursday as Elder Holland put it ... i'm thinking alot about the real meaning of Easter this year ... (since my 11th goal ...)


goal #15 - i will stand as a witness/companion/representative of Him ... which means: 'at all times, in all things and in all places' - do what He would do, say what He would say, be what He wants me to be. He made this great sacrifice for me ... this is the least i can do for Him.

only 20 days?!

goal #14 - i will take a 'timeout' when i need it ...

(today i'm a little stressed - but it will be over in a few hours!!

and everything will work out and be fine ... it's crunch time!)

21 - late

goal #13 - i just love it when someone compliments me for a job well done, and i find that my kids try to do better when i compliment them ... so that is my 13th goal - i will compliment people (my kids, especially), sincerely compliment someone - more than one person - everyday!

goal update: how's my progress, you ask?

ok ... so first i better list them (there are SO many now! what did i get myself into?)

1: exercise at least 5 times a week. Not so much … but I’ve done at least 3x a week … I’ll get there!
2: write down everything i'm putting in my mouth for the next 32 days. I did it for a week … then spent the weekend in front of the tv and ate a bunch of crap … I’ll do better.
3: drink.more.water. Got this one down!
4: i will read my scriptures daily ... even if it's just one verse. Doing really well at this one too!! Yay me!
5: early to-oo bed and early to-oo ri-ise … Um … This one is a tough one too … but I’m committed to do better!
6: daily meaningful prayers. Hmm … this one needs work too …
7: i will smile and laugh more. I’m doing better here but still working!
8: break my bad habit and start hanging more pictures. Need to send them to Costco and order the prints – I have the frames!!
9: "Come what may, and love it." It’s daily … work in progress!
10: sign more. Yes, signing more!
11: learn more about what i know, know what i know and share what i know. Workin’ on it!
12: read from the pages of "Preach My Gospel" daily. Starting today!!

two two

(not to be confused with 'tutu' - cuz i'm no ballerina!)

goal 12 - in an effort to accomplish goal #11 ... i will be reading from the pages of "Preach My Gospel" daily. i recently read the title page and first presidency's message to missionaries ... ahh, to be a missionary again ...
but it got me thinking - "every member a missionary", right?! so why can't i read that message as if it were written to me? and why can't i take all these 'missionary' lessons and teach my own little 'investigators' in my own household? and then 'share what i know' with my friends and neighbors!?!

so there you go ... if you don't have a copy - get one! they're only $6.00!! let's read it together!

twenty-three days

goal #11 - today is Palm Sunday ... today is also Conference Sunday ... today my goal is more of an inward commitment to think about my Savior on a more regular basis and allow the atonement to work in my life more fully. after spending the day at the feet of the prophet and apostles, i feel an urgency to learn more about what i know, to know what i know and to share what i know. i think i'll start by downloading conference on my zune and listening to it while i'm exercising and then read the conference ensign from cover to cover when it comes ... i think i'll even mark it up while i study it and internalize these last two days of great council.

24.

love is spoken here - in ASL!!

goal #10 (double digits, baby! an update on how i'm doing on all these many goals is in the works!) as some of you may know, we are a bilingual family - well ... most of us. our babies learned to sign to alleviate some frustration as well as communicate with their aunt Ann, who is deaf. it's great to be able to 'silently' communicate during sacrament meeting, across a crowded room, and through a window without shouting. andy is an interpeter and working to get certified and start interpreting for a living (along with his real estate appraising work). in an effort to be more fluent we are going to sign more at home. hopefully it will help the decibel level around our home as well.

twenty and five

goal #9 - become more like Elder Wirthlin's mother ... and "Come what may, and love it."
if you haven't read it - do, if you have - read it again! it's a good one!

two.six.

goal #8 - i have a terrible habit of taking pictures, (i even have a bunch of them taken by a professional - thanks mon!) and then they just sit on my computer ... never.get.printed. or hung until they are out of date!! i'm going to break that bad habit and start hanging more ... it will help me with yesterday's goal - i'll definitely smile more with stuff like this around!

no joke ... only 27 days to go.

happy april fool's day!!

with that in mind ... i think my 7th goal needs to be something fun/funny - i will smile and laugh more. instead of hollering at my kids, i will laugh with them - instead of spanking, i will tickle them into submission.

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle
Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on. ~Bob Newhart
Seven days without laughter makes one weak. ~Mort Walker
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cumming

wish me luck ... or laugh at me ... we'll see if it works!!