Do Something More!

Right now it is shower time. Adam is asleep and Rebekah is watching a movie. So I need to take the chance. However, It is also a great time to write.


I just watched an overview about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Satints. The Mormons. My church, or rather the church I belong too. I really like how they (It is by our church) presented it all. I had just been reading in my scriptures about planting the seed of belief (Alma 32). But my thoughts turned to the church organization and how it has proven since 1830 when it was organized to be a good seed, by the growth and goodness of the members, organization and teachings at large.  Then I came and watched this video. And I felt again how it as an organization is a good seed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o-ByARPf9w&feature=player_embedded

I especially loved hearing how the President of the Red Cross, explained that in disaster relief it is critical to mobalize large groups of people quickly, and no other organization is as good at mobilizing large groups of people quickly as the church.

We are a small number here where I live and I am not sure we could mobalize a large group of people, but the few active members here do a lot. And when we work with other organizations to promote good causes we can do even more.

There are so many good people, so many good causes. I wish I could do more.

On Saturday Daniel and I watched *On the Lord's Errand* for our date. We invited the kids who wanted to stay up to watch with us. I was touched by how time and again President Monson has been the Lord's instrument in serving others. I want to be better at that.

I feel like I am entering a new phase in life that will enable me to do more of this.

Yesterday, I was blessed to be on the Lord's errand.

In the beginning I was thinking about going to Visby early and just start knocking on doors where there seem to be apples ripe and just falling to the ground. I thought we can ask if they have excess and if we can pick apples. (our trees aren't ripe until October and our plums are done and there are hardly any pears this year). Then I thought about Eric Carlson. His wife died earlier this year. They are like the rock of our branck having been here and active for decades. Even when it was only them. I had long planned on visiting him with the kids during the warm season so the kids could run around outside but he could still have company. But summer was crazy and it never happened. He has apple and plum trees. And if they had as much fruit this year as he had last time I saw then he definantly has an excess. What if we go after I pick up the boys and give him some company. That felt right. So I called him. I wasn't excpecting that it was a bad fruit year. Nor that his apple tree is also an October one. But the wheels has started turning so I said we could come anyway and pick up the little that was on the ground. I thought maybe we can help him rake leaves or something. (Our leaves have started to fall and that is a chore the kids enjoy.) After getting of the phone I realized we will get hungry for dinner if we stay more then 1/2 hours. Yes! I can make dinner now and take it with us. I can share with him. He can have a cooked meal today!.

So I made pie crust and then made the filling for a taco pie. (kind of like a quiche). I just had enough time to cook it. He had also answered that he liked tomatos. So I grabbed all our tomatos that the kids had picked the other day. He could have as many as he wants. (More are growing). All the while I was thinking about how my grandpa is lonely and I can't visit him. Erics only child died as an infant so maybe we should adopt him as our grandpa. Not just at church on Sunday either.

It turned out great. He liked the pie and the company. I enjoyed it. And so did the kids. So now we will try to go back in a few days with Daniel this time. If we go earlier we can do some real service. (Yesterday he showed me around the yard. So now I have 3 things that he wants done that I know we can help with.) There were a few plums ripe and more should be then. So we will also pick some plums. :) He can't eat to many of them because of his diabetes.

I think I will try to visit him more often. He can be our grandpa here. And hopefully those who are able to visit my grandpa can do it there.

On the way home I was reminded of one of my favorite songs lately. *Have I done Any Good*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIeA_5yYgB4

I love this arrangement and music video I have watched it many times. It inspires me. My brain is full of ideas and my heart is full of desire. I hope that I can be stronger then the weakness of my flesh and that in the process I can teach my children the joy of serving others.
 

Deposits, Withdrawls, Investing: Budgeting Life Wisely

So when we think of a bank deposit we usually think of money. But I am realizing that everything in life has its own type of bank system and we either deposit or withdraw.

With the money, we understand that if we don't put money in, we can't take it out. Now in our society their is a borrowing system for money, and we pay interest when we use someone elses money to buy things for ourselves. You often pay much more in the long run. And if you get in the habbit of spending someone elses money you can acquire huge debts. You are a controlled by financial situation. A slave to paying bills. If you avoid this and only spend your own money you controll the money and it works for you instead of the other way around.

Obvious.

Well transfer the principles to other areas of life. Say physical health. (Since this is my major concern these days.) Just say the body is the bank account. Anytime we do anything it is a withdrawl. When we eat, drink water and sleep it is a deposit. Now Exersize is actually like an investment. You spend energy (your physical money) and if you do it wisely it  will have a good return. The best way for this investing, is compound investing, or regular investment of exersize.

If we neglect watching the overall balance then we can get in the negative for our health account. Then anytime we do make withdrawls it is more expensive because we are spending what we don't have!

For me, I think, I SHOULD be able to do this or that without getting tired, or my big one, a migraine, but I am on the red, so it is more expensive. So I am trying to make wise investments as I continue to make little deposits and withdrawls.

I am starting to intellectually get this, but my emotions are still stuck in the I should be able to do everything I want to do. Why can't I work all day?  Well I know I will get a migraine, and restless legs and short tempered, but I want to go go go.

Just like I am learning to budget my money better I need to budget my health better.
I can't withdraw the weeks energy for one day in the garden. Yes I can do it today, but what about tomorrow?

So I need to budget my energy. Don't give it all in one day. 15 minutes a half hour... drink water, and rest. When I rest I inadvertantly check my balance, then I realize how tired Í am and if I am up to more, if it is wise. Then if I am wise I will consult the weekly budget to see if I should keep going.

(This budget system applies to relationships with kids, spouse and more. Am I putting in the regular deposits to stay ahead and ivest against the difficult times that do come?)

whose?

So I am stealing the computer from the kids. If Joseph were in the room he would be mad at me, because he thinks that it should be his computer time but he has to wait for the Ella and Isak to take their turn and I got distracted starting it up. So I better not be long.

I have been writing blog entries in my head many times while lying in bed with a migraine, but I don't have the ability to stare at the screen during those times. I don't have a migraine right now... but I am actually worried one will come, since I slept so poorly last night. Another reason not to be long

Anyway, the point was a blog entry... right? But now that I am here I feel I am wasting time, because I can't think of anyof the profound entries I composed in my head over the last month.

Well, my brain is still on scratch so I m going to insert a link if you want some new words for scrabble not to mention an crazy vocabulary.

http://www.byutv.org/seethegood/post/On-the-tip-of-your-tongue.aspx

A new day

Today is a new day. I can actually sit at the computer (allbeit Adam is requiring me to hold him while I type and that puts strain on my aching hand arm bones and my migraine tension muscles. so I shouldn't do this much longer.) I was down with a 2 day migraine but it tapered off the rest of the way during the night. yeah. I feel good.

Today is Family Love Day (ie Valentine's Day with the focus on the whole families love). The plan is the Love throne wearing our crown and sharing what we love about each other, smoothies, and painting our family missionstatement key words.

I had hoped to make a small Valentine gift for each member, but that was before I was down for 2 days. So we will see. I mean, dishes are backed up and I still have to prepare meals. So I need to not expect too much of myself. The most important thing for me today is holding the Family Love Day tradition. So with that in mind I am going to make sure I know where the crown is. (I saw it two days ago so I hope it hasn't disapeared into the black hole again.)