Daylight Savings Time

It's early November, the first Sunday of the month, so that means tonight most of the United States will be setting their clocks back one hour. In theory that means we get an extra hour's sleep....in reality it means I just stay up an hour longer.
Which brings me to my thought for the day....well, more a question really. Why is it called Daylight Savings Time? I mean it's not like you can gather up the extra light and put it aside for a long, grey winter afternoon when you could really use some extra sun. Nor can you set that time aside in some other-worldly bank account to be drawn upon the next time your family is having company and you just need another hour or two to get everything ready before they arrive.
So, what then are we saving it for?
I would suggest it be used immediately for one more game of dodge ball in the backyard as dusk is falling on a late July evening. Or perhaps to enjoy just a little more time walking under a red-stained, arching Wyoming sky. Use your extra hour to give a few more hugs to your kids, tell a couple more friends how much you cherish them, or roast a couple more marshmallows.
That hour should be enough for another walk around the block with your significant other, for the construction of one more snowman with a snow angel beside him to keep him company. Use that valuable 60 minutes to consider the wonder of this world we have and the glorious Father and Elder Brother who gave it to us.
However you use that hour that's been saved, make it count.
Probably not the government's reason why we have Daylight Savings Time, but that's how I'd like to use it.

Counseling with Councils (and the Lord)

    For those of us in the LDS faith, this book by M. Russell Ballard is a standard read.  I was given another copy last week by my stake RS Presidency. In all honesty, I didn't welcome the "gift."  My life is really full right now....I'm kinda being consumed by what has been called the minutae of modern life.
    So, I wasn't relishing the thought of diving back into this book.  And I didn't.
    Last night we had our first presidency meeting in more than a month.  With two full-time and one part-time working moms and the last mom working the hardest of all being pregnant and having two pre-schoolers, it is sometimes problematic getting together.  After the prayer, I showed everyone the book and we all agreed it was a good one and had read it before.  We then turned to our agenda, which was quite long. 
    The first two items on our agenda each time is a devotional and a discussion about some part of the leadership manual we received last fall. And here's the part that shows how closely the Lord attends to us.
    The devotional was from Elder Bednar's conference address, The Spirit of Revelation.  At the time I was struck by the power and comfort of his words.

    My counselor quoted two phrases from his address: "But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances."  And then proceeded to explain how she knew as a presidency we were drawing on this promise--that we are all striving to do our best to live the gospel and as a presidency we are being guided.

    It was a wonderful moment to be comforted not just by the words of one of the Lord's ordained leaders but also by the comments of a woman I love and admire.  The Lord, through her, let me know I can do what He requires of me.

    That would have been wonderful and sufficient...but then my other counselor, whose turn it was to lead the discussion from the manual turned to the exact page and paragraph that had been on my mind for the last few weeks.

    So, when I think about counseling with councils from now on....I will remember this meeting when I was uplifted, comforted and clearly saw the Lord's guidance in action as I met with those He guided me to choose to serve with me.

Still a balancing act

Months ago I wrote about the chaos of my life.
I hoped things would settle. They have, in a way.
I wished I would learn to deal. I have, sort of.
I dreamed of a time when I would feel like I have a handle on things. Well...there, I was most certainly dreaming!

Four months later, I'm....
.... in the midst of planning a wedding because my daughter's budding relationship did not crash and burn.

.... learning the requirements of a new job, since the economic realities of 2010 defunded my old one. .... designing a harp costume for a children's theater production of Jack and the Giant.

.... still trying to make phone calls and keep up with the lives and needs of the women at church.

.... mourning the loss of a charming, loving friend--my mother-in-law.

.... wishing I'd trained my children better so that my house would occasionally be visitor-ready without me rushing around cleaning like a maniac for 24 hours.

.... expressing gratitude for a wonderful husband, who loves me despite my many (and rather annoying) flaws.

.... wondering why I keep thinking life will ever be less exhausting, frustrating, overwhelming and challenging than it is.


Bottom line....I chose this. Every bit of it. I may not have been able to see the big picture or all the consequences when I started out. But when given the choice for easy, I opted out.

So with all the wonderful things of my life--children, husband, gospel--comes also the challenges, the stresses and the disappointments.

And, on the big scale I use to weigh things, everything considered, I believe I'm doing well.