Two of my favorite people after lighting luminaries at the cemetery on Christmas Eve.
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A little at a time, and day by day. I’ve had this little song in my head for a couple weeks. It’s a song I sang as part of a fireside group I was in during high school. (And yes, I still remember all of the words to all of the songs. As my husband is fond of saying, I would probably be smart enough to do something amazing like cure cancer if the space in my brain that is currently taken up by song lyrics could be freed up.) This resolution plan of mine is working out so far. And I’m really glad about that. Not that it’s easy every day, and not that I manage to do everything perfectly every day, but I’m glad to have found a solution that is working for me. And I’m re-learning something kind of cool – the more I do these basic things (exercising, studying my scriptures) every day, the more I want to do them. I’m pretty sure I knew that already, but it’s been fun to re-learn. And as I was reading Elder Bednar’s book yesterday, (If you don’t have it, go get it. And then make sure you actually read it. It’s changing my entire outlook on the Gospel and learning in such a great way.) I kept coming across a theme over and over again. He talks throughout the book about how important it is to choose to be agents who act and not objects that are acted upon. And in talking about the importance of teaching our children to be learners, he quoted John 7:17: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” In other words, if you want to know about something, you do it first. Then, the knowledge will come. As I’m doing, I’m learning. It can get a little overwhelming. There is so much to learn and figure out and do. So I will keep plugging away. A little at a time. What things are you trying to accomplish a little at a time? Image found here. 4 comments 
January 18, 2012 - 2:58 pm
I’m trying, little by little, to become amazing like you. Rob got me Bednars book for Christmas but I returned it thinking that I wouldn’t read it and already have so much study material at my fingertips. But if I want to be like you, guess I’ll go re-buy it! 
January 19, 2012 - 11:03 am
love this “if you want to know about something, you do it first” 
January 19, 2012 - 6:44 pm
Thanks, friend!
January 19, 2012 - 6:44 pm
You are so completely amazing. But I think you’ll like the book. Especially the ebook on Deseret Bookshelf. Some good stuff I’ve been loving lately: • My friend Emily Freeman has a new blog where she writes her insights as she and her family read the entire Standard Works this year. I’m not caught up to where she is in the reading, but the daily insights she has are so uplifting and really make me think. You should check it out if you’re a fan of her books - Daily Closer to Christ • I spent a glorious hour last week watching several videos from The Piano Guys. Musical artistry + outstanding video quality = WIN! Start with the video I’ve embedded below and branch out from there.
• If you’re a mom of young ones and feeling a bit overwhelmed by your day, you may really enjoy this blog post – Don’t Carpe Diem. (I really needed it on the day I read it. Long, looooooong day.) • Even though they lost the other day, take a moment and read this article about Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. If only all celebrities and athletes could do the same… • If I lived in the Salt Lake City area, I would TOTALLY be taking advantage of this. • And as a follow up to my resolutionary post from the other day, I absolutely loved this reminder from my Quote wall on Pinterest:  Source: Uploaded by user via Macy on Pinterest
Happy Monday! 5 comments 
January 16, 2012 - 7:12 pm
I love the Piano Guys – I posted about them too. 
January 16, 2012 - 8:35 pm
1. Kyle and I got stuck watching Piano Guys the other night on YouTube for well over an hour. My favorite is the one you posted! Ah! 2. I love Emily Freeman and can’t wait to take a look at her blog. 3. That Carpe Diem post just made me smile and laugh out loud. It’s so perfect. I can’t tell you how many times I have expressed similar sentiments- and on my blog- about being told to enjoy EVERY MOMENT. Haha. Thanks for a fun post. 
January 19, 2012 - 4:24 pm
This is my favorite quote: “Craig is a software salesman. It’s a hard job in this economy. And he comes home each day and talks a little bit about how hard it is. And I don’t ever feel the need to suggest that he’s not doing it right, or that he’s negative for noticing that it’s hard, or that maybe he shouldn’t even consider taking on more responsibility. And I doubt anybody comes by his office to make sure he’s ENJOYING HIMSELF. I doubt his boss peeks in his office and says: “This career stuff…it goes so fast…ARE YOU ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT IN THERE, CRAIG???? THE FISCAL YEAR FLIES BY!! CARPE DIEM, CRAIG!” “
January 19, 2012 - 6:43 pm
I loved that quote too. So funny when you think of a career in the same terms.
January 19, 2012 - 6:45 pm
Thanks, Stacie! Glad you liked it! I sent the Cello Wars video for Emily to show her Star Wars obsessed boys. Love it.
* On Sundays, I feature photographs of buildings and places that are sacred to me. If you are interested in seeing more LDS Temple photographs, click here. no comments We have a rule at our house – which I’m not always good at following – that if G-Man wants to watch a movie, we have to read three books together first. I invoked the rule today (I’m trying to be better about such things), and instead of letting him choose the three books, I went and grabbed three of the new books we got for Christmas. Including this one:
Zen Shorts had been recommended long ago by my friend Natalie, and I finally found it at a bookstore while simultaneously remembering that it was a recommended book. (Hooray for my brain!) G-Man and I read it this afternoon, and we loved it. And it had a great lesson for me today. One of those jump-off-the-page-this-story-is-for-you lessons. In the book, a panda named Stillwater tells parables to three siblings to help ease tensions between them. The last story was for the youngest brother, who had been angry with his older brother all day. Stilwater tells the boy a story called “A Heavy Load.” The story is about two traveling monks who happen upon a young woman being carried in a chair by her two servants. It had been raining, and the woman couldn’t step out of her chair without ruining her robes. And since her servants were carrying her packages, and carrying her chair, they couldn’t help her get out of the chair without getting her and the packages wet. So there they all stood. The younger monk notices the woman and walks by. But the older monk quickly picks her up, puts her on his back and transports her across the water and puts her down on the other side. The woman doesn’t thank the older monk, but instead shoves him out of the way and departs. Now, to quote the end of the story:
I’m a carrier sometimes. I try not to be, but I am. This story was such a good reminder to lay some of those things down so I can continue on my journey without that weight. Are there things you are carrying that are unnecessary emotional burdens? Let’s agree to stop carrying them for a while, shall we? Happy weekend to you all! 1 comment 
January 13, 2012 - 3:33 pm
ahhh, goosebumps!!! i just love love love that book so much. in fact, i keep a paperback copy on my desk and just whipped it out to read over my favorite of the stories, the farmer’s luck. best book ever. the other zen books are great reads, too, but this one is definitely the best. so glad you liked it! |
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