A New Year!

Happy New Year!  I have been so glad to have a new year begin.  It has meant a chance to start fresh and make goals to become better.  My resolutions this year have been pretty simple:  1) Exercise a little every day.  2) Daily record a simple prayer and any thoughts or impressions that may come as I am pondering at that time.  3) Discover thrift shopping in the areas around my home.  4) Be better at budgeting and making my dollars count.

So far, I have been pretty good at the first two and I am still excited about the third.  Connecticut has some great secondhand stores, or so I've been told, but for some reason I haven't taken the time to check them out properly since I've been here.  I have plenty of things that my growing family needs and I think that #3 will help me with #4.  

Overall, I am loving the opportunity I have to move forward and have a renewed desire to "joy in the journey".  I shared a blog entry written by someone else on my Facebook wall called, "Drops of Awesome".  It reminded me that little things matter and brought to mind the following saying sitting on my mantel:

It is so true!  I took the time this last week to do several "small and simple things" and to be happy about the fact that they were accomplished.  One such task was replacing the burnt out light bulb in the dining room chandelier.  A simple task, but one that is easily left undone in the hustle and bustle of life.  It dawned on me that sometimes I am the easiest on myself when I am sick or have several pressing things to accomplish and on those days I am really proud of myself for just making my bed or getting dressed.  I learned that I don't have to be ill to be glad and happy about the fact that I made my bed.  Life is good and I can be happy about the little things, because the real source of my joy and happiness doesn't come from my accomplishments, but my knowledge that there is a Redeemer and that through Him I can be saved.  Such wonderful news!

Speaking of the gospel, the lesson manual for the class of ten year-olds I teach at church suggested an attention activity involving two boxes labeled with the words: "Choose Me".  

I decided to use the idea.  I sent one of the children out of the room and divided the rest of the class in half.  One group was supposed to try to convince the person who left to pick one box and the other children were supposed to encourage him to pick the other one.  When the child in the hall came back, things quickly got crazy.  One of the boxes actually ended up getting tossed into the hall while the kids kept trying their hardest to get the boy who had to do the choosing to pick the box they wanted him to.

Afterwards, we talked about how the boy felt.  He said he felt pressured, a little stressed and confused.  We then started talking about Joseph Smith and how he felt the same way back in 1830.  There was so much religious fervor at the time and people understood certain passages of scripture so differently, that in the end, he decided that the only way to find peace would be would be to do what is stated in James 1:5:  


"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  


Joseph decided to do something small and simple, to ask of God, and how great are the things that were brought to pass!  Because he did so, I get to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  I love what it teaches me about my Savior, my life on earth and my potential.  It fills my soul with joy!

I felt the Spirit strongly in our classroom today.  I think it has to do with the simple truths we were talking about.  I am sure that having a special young lady in my class who just decided to get baptized and was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost in Sacrament meeting today also helped.  She shared her own story of how she made that momentous decision and how happy she is.  I am looking so forward to talking about the gospel with her and the rest of my class throughout the coming year.  A special bonus is that I get to have Haley in my class, too!  I feel like I have the best calling in the world!

We have been having fun, too.  On New Year's Eve we went sledding.  I thought I would end my post with a few pics from that day.  All in all, life is still good and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.  I hope everyone has an "awesome" week!