Little Acts of Service

Today I had the most wonderful experience. My husband has been extremely sick for the past week and has had to keep his distance from both me and our 2 month old son. Thus, I was left to care for our little guy entirely alone, round the clock, for going on 7 days now (I have no family in the area to help out). It has been a tiring and trying week for me. Apparently my exhaustion was visible because a new sister in our ward promptly came up to me at the end of church and said, "You look so tired. Can I bring you dinner tonight?" All week I had been praying that I would make it through and that somehow I could get help if I needed it. This sister had never met me, yet she was so in tune with the Spirit that she recognized my need for help.

I swallowed my own pride and accepted her help. It was so wonderful to be able to come home and relax (even take a nap) all afternoon because I knew that dinner was taken care of. And dinner was of course delicious. Better than anything I could have whipped up.

This sister's act of service got me thinking that I need to be more observant when I am around others. There will always be someone in need and it is our job to serve them in any way we can. I only hope that someday I can return the favor! I am so grateful for our church and for the built in support system we have in our ward families. The church is true. If you ever doubt this then just look at the love members have for one another through their service to each other.

Jumper Cables

A few months ago I tore {an article} out of the {Mormon Times}; I knew I wanted to share it with you marvelous ladies, but I didn't know when. Now I do.

In it, {Jerry Johnston}, gives suggestions of how we should improve our Spirituality. He talks about how in every other area of self-improvement, such as learning a new skill, we focus on what we can do to make ourselves better; we spend time practicing inwardly. However, spirituality is different; the best way to draw closer to Heavenly Father is to look outwardly and serve each other. He continues (emphasis added):

Just as flowing water is cleaner and brighter than standing water, when the Spirit moves through us into the lives of others, it cleanses and brightens us as it passes through. When we try to well it up inside of us, the Spirit stagnates. It grows stale. We become like the Pharisees -- obsessed with our own worthiness and spiritual well-being. Don't hoard the Spirit like electricity in a car battery.

Be the jumper cables. Let it pass through you.

When you bless the lives of others, you will get unseen benefits.
Worry about others. Let God worry about you.

I think this is why it is 'easy' for so many of us to enjoy every aspect of motherhood. It's not about us; it's about them (including our husbands). I've noticed the difference between the days when I try to live this principle and the days I don't. When I put my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and friend first, I somehow have more time for myself. I'm able to recharge and start all over again.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, just like in everything, was the best example of this principle. He was, and forever will be, the most spiritually in-tuned person to live on this earth. He looked to serve and teach others first every day. Other than his last prayer in Gethsemane, did he ever think of himself first? And even then, he immediately followed his request with 'thy will be done.'

Even though our focus is on others, we become better wives, sisters, friends and mothers. We become what we've been all along: a daughter of God.

Get A Life

Wow, what a long week. Sometimes by the end of the week I am just so tired and so worn out it is hard to be able to focus on the spiritual side of things. It becomes so easy to be bogged down and to find the negative aspect of things rather than keeping an eternal perspective. With that in mind, I found a beautiful quote given by our beloved prophet which if followed is a cure all for whatever ails you. It will lift anyone out of the rut of the weekend and help us all to prepare ourselves to take the sacrament again on Sunday.

"The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it' (Luke 9:24)."I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives."

Thomas S. Monson, "What Have I Done for Someone Today?" Ensign, Nov. 2009, 85

If we will but lose ourselves in service that pervading gloom will dispel, and we will be much happier. The eternal perspective will be easier to see, and I believe the atonement will be able to work in our lives much better because we stop focusing on ourselves and our own petty problems and loose ourselves in the lives of others, thus making our lives more full.

So get out and serve somebody today! It can be children or husband, but if it is someone so close to you, do it with a smile and with a remembrance of why you are doing it: because you love them and the Savior!

Mt. Vesuvius and Christmas Cheer

It's husband week! And so, like with all things, I am going to help my husband out by writting this for him. He's super busy, donchaknow. So I step in and help where he needs the help. Besides, I am not sure discussing the reason Mt. Vesuvius erupted (one of the most wicked cities in the world) would be a good topic for this blog. A little too technical nd a litttle too much speculation. And that was our big gospel topic for this week. Interesting, but nothing founded in docterine, so I will spare you all.

With Christmas fast approaching I have struggled with the Cheer we are all supposed to have. Life has been crazy busy, and I have had too many stresses to really get into the mood. I once heard the "fake it 'till you make it" advice and so have been trying that, but it isn't quite working.

Then today I stumbled across this wise counsel from our beloved prophet:

“In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. ‘It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.’ Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Then each Christmas will be the best Christmas ever.” — Thomas S. Monson

From reading that I learned I need to stop fretting over my stressors and get out and serve. As I serve others the joy that fills my heart will be better than any other and I can joyfully say "This is the best Christmas ever!"

I would invite you to do the same. Try it and see if it isn't true. You will be amazed!

Unselfish Service

Our moving process over the last month has been rather stressful. To top it off, each day I am becoming more and more pregnant. Every day tasks become extra difficult for me during the last month of pregnancy and the day came to clean the apartment. I really didn't know how I was going to do it: enter Relief Society.

Amazing women in my ward announced and sent two emails in the last few days reminding every sister who could to come and help clean this morning. Six sisters showed up and did not mind cleaning the residue of my family. PLUS, another sister with kids around Jared's age watched him so I wouldn't have to take him to an empty apartment full of chemicals.

With all this help, something that would have taken me all day (or more) only took an hour and a half. I am so grateful for the ward we live in and the amazing sisters within it. This experience reminded me of Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk from April 2009 conference, Unselfish Service, and I wanted to share a few quotes these sisters emulate in every way.

• Perhaps when we [face] our Maker, we will not be asked, 'how many positions did you hold?' but rather, 'how many people did you help?'---- you can never love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people. --quoting President Monson
• The only ways to save our eternal life is to love one another and lose our lives in service.
• The plan of the gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us above our selfish desires and teaches us that this life is all about what we can become.

My challenge to us all: find ways to serve! Nothing is too small to be know as service. No time is convenient to serve because we are all busy with our lives, but if we lose ourselves in service; the Lord will bless all involved!

Lift Where You Stand

Last year at Priesthood Conference, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared the following story:

Some years ago in our meetinghouse in Darmstadt, Germany, a group of brethren was asked to move a grand piano from the chapel to the adjoining cultural hall, where it was needed for a musical event. None were professional movers, and the task of getting that gravity-friendly instrument through the chapel and into the cultural hall seemed nearly impossible. Everybody knew that this task required not only physical strength but also careful coordination. There were plenty of ideas, but not one could keep the piano balanced correctly. They repositioned the brethren by strength, height, and age over and over again—nothing worked.

As they stood around the piano, uncertain of what to do next, a good friend of mine, Brother Hanno Luschin, spoke up. He said, “Brethren, stand close together and lift where you stand.”

It seemed too simple. Nevertheless, each lifted where he stood, and the piano rose from the ground and moved into the cultural hall as if on its own power. That was the answer to the challenge. They merely needed to stand close together and lift where they stood."

I found this talk titled "Lift Where You Stand" when I was looking up the phrase "magnify your calling" and it really helped me gain some perspective. Nate and I have been in our ward for almost four months now and we haven't received callings yet. Not even to be visiting or home teachers which is really sad. We want blessings, too, right?

Well, today I attended my FIRST Super Saturday activity ever, and I painted my wooden blocks, I hot glued my star, I sprayed my sparkle spray, and it hit me. My calling right now is to be a helpful and involved member of my ward. AND I LOVE IT!! I will love it when it gets more specific, but for now, I truly get a chance to do some of that sustaining and supporting I always raise my hand for. It's so great seeing how awesome people are at their callings without worrying about my own.

So, be grateful for your opportunities to serve and the opportunities to be served within your ward. And express your gratitude to those that make your ward work for you and your family.