spinning

Do you live a life that reflects your priorities?  I try to...and I sometimes do, and sometimes I struggle.  My #1 is my relationship with God.  I feel like my outward religious practices reflect that really well.  I go to church every week.  I worship in the temple.  We pay our tithes and offerings.  I serve in my calling and try to treat others the way that Jesus would.  I think that people who know me know that I am a Christian and that being one is important to me.  My private religious practices often match up..that's where it's a little easier to get lazy, or busy.  Either way Satan doesn't care if it's lazy or busy as long as I forget.  Personal prayer, personal scripture study, kind thoughts, humility, etc.  Sometimes those things need my attention.

A close second is my relationship with my family.  My husband, children, grands, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. Family is super important to me and those relationships bring me so much joy and purpose.  

I enjoyed being with Rob last week.  We did normal things but it's nice to have a partner.  It's been a challenging year because he lives in MD and every time I go to see him it means I am leaving Grace, who still is living at home and is my child.  I am not looking forward to an empty nest. I do look forward to living with my husband and paying one mortgage!  I do look forward to the times we can all be together and I prioritize phone calls, trips, and prayers with and for the kids. Next month I get to take a trip to see the kids, to go to Marshall's baptism, and to celebrate Poppy arriving soon!

While I was in MD Grace had her all county concert.  She was a soloist and thankfully Sandy recorded it and I was able to hear it.  I would have loved to go in person.  It's been a tough year for Grace and she's had to grow through a lot of adversity and trials. 

Blake got the priesthood while I was gone too, I would have loved to be there for that.  I even miss Lincoln a little. 

 day date with my man

School has been a lot.  I am in VA this week.  The campus is beautiful and I love going to class in person.  I feel like I am learning so much and enjoying getting to know the other students and instructors.  It's called an intensive and it is intense.  We go to class from 8am to 4:30 ish every day and attend lectures and work in triads and practice core skills.  It is exhausting and a little scary and also really meaningful.  It's been really fun to see where everyone comes from (all over the US and one from South Africa), it's been interesting to hear everyone's why for becoming a counselor, and it's humbling to hear their stories and vulnerable to share mine.  I love that it's an evangelical school.  Evangelicals are so unabashedly exuberant about their love for Jesus (as a group) and I love that.  I love that we pray together and that the Bible is a textbook for life. Here's what I mean, I might say that I felt prompted to do something, or that I was inspired to ____________. They would say "Jesus put it in my heart to ______________". I love that. 

I love that there is so much good in the world and that we can find it in all people and faiths and cultures. I long for the day when Jesus comes back and Redeems us all, for when He rules and reigns and we can all be one people.  I think we will be surprised by how much we have in common, and how much He loves each of us.   ...and some people will be surprised to see that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His restored church and that by joining it they will not lose anything but will only be added upon.

Anyway, then after class I have hours and hours of work for my other classes so I go to bed at 10ish and sleep hard...except for the weird dreams.