Take the Bait (Not a very fancy title, my dad is a fisherman so this is what comes to mind. Love you Pops!)


(Disclaimer: Please excuse any and all photos that have been taken with my phone. I am not a photographer in any way, nor do I have the patience to sit and edit pictures-that is my mother's talent ;)
This was the first year that all of my children stayed home during their Christmas break. Usually they are off to a cousin's or Grandma's, but not this year. It was so nice to all be home together with no piano or ballet or any of the other usual activities that keep me sitting in my car for endless hours. I truly enjoyed every minute. It seems my kids are growing faster all the time and I feel the time I have with them is slipping through my fingers. I am grateful for circumstances that kept us all together this year, right up until the New Year!
Which brings me to my post today. I love New Years! I love the whole Holiday season, from the gratitude that comes from Thanksgiving, to the month of focus on the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, with a closing of it all in celebration of what is to come. I am always a little sad for it all to come to an end. However, just outside the sadness lies the luring sense of motivation and rededication that keeps me looking forward and wanting to make the best of what comes my way. After a little moment of mourning I take hold of the bait and begin to look at what actions I can take to do a little better in spirit, relationships and home. Generally all of what I want to accomplish falls into one of these three categories. (Keep life simple where possible, right?)
In choosing my resolutions I like to look to the most recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for direction from the prophets. I feel this is a good way to take the council they give and actually use it for good in my life. Usually one or two messages stand out above the rest and these are the ones I set as a theme for my New Year's resolutions. I figure that my Heavenly Father knows me best, He knows my potential and what He wants me to become, so I turn to Him for direction on what needs correcting in my life. This process has served me well in the past and helps me not to feel down on myself and all the things that I haven't done. Instead He lifts me and encourages me with love. I always feel His love when I am setting any resolution, New Year's or other. This is because God wants us to progress. He has much in store for all of His children. He has much to give. We just need to turn our hearts to Him and the rest will follow.
So take the bait. If it has been placed there by God, it will always lead to good.

Comments

  1. FayeCrowtherPhotographyFebruary 1, 2014 at 7:26 AM

    Such a lovely post by such a lovely person! Love you Em! Enjoyed the read! Great ideas! You're always an inspiration! ��

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fine Tuning a Listening Ear

Image
    The last chapter of 3 Nephi begins with the word hearken. In fact, several times throughout these last chapters of 3 Nephi, the people of our day are given warnings and told to hearken. Throughout the Book of Mormon we are called to attention with such words as hearken, listen, give heed, and behold. When we come across one of these words, it is wise to slow the pace and pay attention. Bishop H. David Burton spoke of hearkening to the word of the Lord in General Conference: "Perhaps the greatest obstacle to our ability to hearken courageously to the word of the Lord involves our egos, vain ambitions, and pride. It seems that the proud find it burdensome to hear and accept the instruction of God. We are told in Proverbs that “pride goeth before destruction” ( Prov. 16:18 )."  I have been consistently, almost daily, reading the Book of Mormon for over a year now. I took part of a Relief Society challenge and read the entire Book of Mormon last fall, then I began
Read more

"If we acknowledge Him now, He will lovingly acknowledge and gladly admit us then!”

Image
  I have come to the part in the Book of Mormon where a reversal of roles has taken place. Those people(the Lamanites) that had once been taught, now become the teachers. Many of the Nephites had become prideful and ignored their own prophets, so the Lord sent a Lamanite prophet, Samuel, to warn them to repent and prepare for the coming of the Lord. The Nephites didn't like what Samuel had to tell them. A miracle was brought about as Samuel was divinely protected from the arrows of the angry Nephites. In thinking about these chapters I am amazed at how a righteous people, in a matter of a few short years, had come to a wicked state as to seek the death of a servant and prophet of the Lord. How can we protect ourselves from falling prey to the destruction that comes when we are stuck in the pride cycle as described in the chapters of Helaman? One of Samuel's purposes of teaching the Nephites was to remind them of the coming of Christ. Why would teaching about the Savior, Je
Read more

Spiritual Anesthesia

Image
Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments allows Satan to deceive us, and we forget the light and truth we have previously learned. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency described this dangerous condition: “One of the effects of disobeying God, seems to be, the creation of just enough spiritual anesthetic to block any sensation as the ties to God are being cut. Not only [does] the testimony of the truth slowly erode, but even the memories of what it was like to be in the light [begin] to seem . . . like a delusion” (“A Life Founded in Light and Truth,” Brigham Young University 2000–2001 Speeches [2001], 81). It is always good to be aware, even when it is painful, of the areas in our life that need adjusting.
Read more