Kick in the Pants

Nothing like General Conference to get my mind focused on what I should be doing as a wife and mother and church member. Twice a year in the LDS church we have the ability to listen to our general church leaders teach us about the gospel, about Jesus Christ, and about how we can be better and do better. A few talks really stuck out to me.

Elder Oaks' talk on Good, Better, and Best. What hit me (and probably many of my friends) was how we can spend time online or doing other "good" things (reading the paper, reading good books, etc), but that the time can be BETTER spent doing things with our family or of an eternal nature. And how even serving in our church callings, while GOOD, can become bad if we put so much time and effort into it that we are neglecting serving our family and neighbors. Combine this with the talk about how we are never guaranteed a tomorrow and it makes me want to be the "fun" mom that I aspire to be in my head. The one who has fun activities planned, who doesn't spend all her free time glued to the computer. :)

Elder Eyring's talk about writing down how we have seen the hand of the Lord in our day to day activities. How we have benefited from the service of others. He said that he was realized that he needed to write those things down so his children could read about them when they were older and know how they had been blessed. I thought about this blog and how I am trying to write down the "big events" that happen, but I don't take time to write down the little things. I need to do better at that.

And Sister Beck's talk about being "Mothers who Know." About how we have a knowledge of the gospel and about eternal families and we have been brought up with righteous principles and knowing about the importance of families and so we should be the BEST mother's out there. When I first heard that I felt very overwhelmed. But it is true. Sometimes I have a tendency to rationalize my way out of things because there is SO much to do (read this hilarious poem on Jodi's site that hits the nail on the head) and there is no way I can get it all done, so why try. But that isn't an excuse. I need to try. It is better to try and fail than to meet Christ after my trial on earth is done and have to explain why I didn't even bother with family scripture study because Brian leaves too early and gets home too late and two of the kids can't sit still and quiet for more than 30 seconds anyway.

So, onward and upward. Less computer. More scriptures. Fewer Excuses. More Repenting. And more looking for the blessings of the Lord in my life. He loves me. He wants me to be happy.