Come, See the Miracle

*Disclaimer* As I study the scriptures, little thoughts and questions fill my mind.  Think of this post as a bit of a book report on the associated verses, telling what I got from them.  Especially as I try to imagine what Laman and Lemuel were thinking.  Really, who could know what these guys thought?  This is in no way a pronouncement of Church doctrine.  I'm just a girl trying to increase my understanding. ;) I read a little of 2 Nephi chapter 10 in the Book of Mormon this morning as my scripture study.  Verses 20 and 21 really caught my eye: 20  And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon a...

This summer started with some incredible optimism, as I looked ahead to a world full of possibilities.  As May and school came to a close, I planned to spend great time with my family, teach a couple of Genius Bootcamps, and then spend the month of August getting ready for a full-time teaching job that I just knew was on it's way.  But, not everything turns out as we plan. Read here for details. As the summer wore on, I felt like I was in a slump.  My kids were having a grand time in their summer play, and I did take the opportunity to volunteer my help for the production.  I'm so glad I did.  It was a great show, they had an amazing time, and I made some new friends myself.  Go figure. ;) Once the play was over, however, I had time to think about how my summer was not going according to plan.  I had felt impressed to cancel the Genius Bootcamps I thought I would teach.  The youth conference I was coordinating was more of a challenge than I h...

Last October, as I taught Genius Bootcamp , I received some direction about what to do next , for which I was so grateful.  It led me to talk to the principal at my kids' school, which led to a job that has been a great blessing for our family.  It also provided me the opportunity to renew my teaching license, which in turn has opened up additional employment opportunities.  Andy and I have both felt that for us to reach our financial and family goals--that of following our church leaders' counsel and getting out of debt--that I need to get a full-time job.  Specifically, a full-time teaching job.  It is, after all, what my degree is in, and even just a few years of full time teaching will make a huge difference in our financial situation. So I applied for some teaching jobs.  With the teacher shortage I keep hearing that Utah is facing, I didn't think twice about whether or not I'd actually get a job.  That is, until I interviewed for one that I tho...

The missing music My 14 year-old daughter posed the most perplexing question this morning: "Mom, where did you put my band music?" Normally, keeping track of band music is not something I see as my responsibility.  But on Saturday, after her band performance, she was bused to an amusement park, and I was in charge of getting her flute and her music home.  Which I did.  I was sure.  Mostly.  The problem was, I had no actual recollection of where I had put either her flute OR her music.  Naturally, I assumed they would be together.  The flute was in its expected location.  So where was the music? I searched the area where the music is kept.  Nothing.  I checked her bedroom.  Nothing.  I looked in the van.  Nothing.  What about the three possible "drop off" locations (you know, the ones where EVERYTHING gets stacked, but where none of it actually belongs)?  Nope, nope, nope.  The music was no where to b...

So, I previously wrote about my experiences with visualization, and this amazing mental "journey" that I find myself on.  But I didn't write about the whole thing.  I only wrote up to the point where I learned that I am not quite as in control of this journey as I thought.  There has been so much that has happened beyond that point. I hadn't necessarily planned to share any of the rest of it, but this morning during my study time, an image that was so profound and instructive came to me that I wanted to write it all down...for my benefit, of course.  (If you, dear reader, find value in it, too, so much the better!) As I periodically checked in with this visualization, I found myself  in mountainous areas.  First, I faced huge granite cliffs that I had to climb.  I struggled to climb them, especially when I saw other people climbing and summiting their own peaks.  I didn't understand why things were taking me so long, and why I couldn't have t...

I've recently started participating in Miracle Mornings, as described in the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.   It's been amazing!  Several years ago I developed a love for early mornings, and now I have a routine that transforms it from a lazy hour of solitude to a purposeful hour of rejuvenation and power. But there is one part that I have struggled with, and that is visualizing.  Each morning, part of the routine is to be spent in visualization.  There are lots of ways to visualize.  But I've always struggled with seeing myself in real life situations that I haven't experienced yet. Thankfully, my mind is a powerful tool, and I have discovered that it's really good at creating analogies. So while I might have a difficult time visualizing what my life will be like when I accomplish such-and-such, I can visualize a symbol of that accomplishment.  In fact, I was a little surprised to discover that I already HAD created such a visualization....

I realized that a couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I lost my job back in June.  I mentioned that fact, but never told the story behind it.  So here is the story.  Not because you need to know every detail of my life, but because it is a cool story, and I learned a lot from the experience. I've heard about the importance of giving thanks, of feeling gratitude, even in difficult circumstances.  I've even taught about the importance of being thankful.  But what does it really look like? I've spent the last three years as an online English teacher.  It has been a great job that has worked really well with being a stay-at-home-mom.  But it's been a 9 month gig, meaning that during the summer months, when I wasn't actively teaching, I was also not bringing in money. Coming into summer of 2017, this was a concern. Teaching, however, takes a lot of prep work.  It's easiest if the prep work is all done in advance.  I was hopeful that I coul...