I haven't posted my thoughts lately, so you'll get just a little look into my mind right now. I have been thinking about my mission --TEN years I have been home! Argh. That seems so long ago, yet I still think I am young. It was great. I loved my mission. I loved my companions (yes, all of you), and I love that I am still in contact with so many of them. I love the people I met --Familia Canales, Familia Cabrera, Jorge and Luz Parodi, and her mother ("ya vienen las chicas), Jenny, and so many more. I loved that I was immersed in the gospel every day. I loved that I had an actual HOUR (at least) to STUDY (escudrinar) the scriptures. I loved the time that I learned what FAITH actually was. How it worked, the real, deep, stuff. Doctrine and Covenants 93. What an eye opener. I loved it all. I am so glad I was able to go. I would like to go again--knowing the things I know now, and serve better.
I'd like to be a missionary now. And I can. I can share with my neighbors. We are actually taking our neighbors, the Juarez family, to the Draper Open House tomorrow. That will be great. I think I'll feel like a missionary again.
I would also like the time to study that I had before.
When I was up in Idaho for Christmas, Brother Smyth taught the Sunday School lesson and he mentioned that in his mission, his president challenged all new missionaries --in the first six weeks of their mission, to read the Book of Mormon THREE times! WOW. But he said it was so nice because he could easily recall and cite things since he had just read it three times. Well, I was inspired. Not to read it three times in six weeks, but I challenged myself to read it one time through in the month of January. I thought it would be nice to start off the year having read the BOM. I am proud to say that I have kept on task. Halfway through the month and halfway through the book! It has been nice. I have noticed a change. I think I am more calm, less angry, happier. I hope it has made a difference. It has been hard. I am interrupted often. I haven't been to exercise cause the kids have been sick, so I have a bit more time to read (Unfortunately, I realize that exercising at 9 a.m. (Jazzercize) is hard, and I get lots more done if I don't go. Now I have to find a new exercise routine earlier in the morning). In any case, I am happy with it all. I hope I keep up with it throughout the month, and then continue reading daily though the year!
4 comments:
That's an awesome goal, and awesome that you are keeping up with it. The last time I read the Book of Mormon all the way through (consecutively) was when President Hinckley offered the BOM challenge a few years back. It did feel good. Thanks for inspiring me to make a new goal for myself!
I can so relate to your feelings of being home for 10 years as well. There is no experience that can match that of a mission! I miss so many things about it, but I think there are some aspects of it that we can recreate in our homes if we try hard enough! Enjoy the openhouse, that's awesome!
come to 5.30am jazzercise!
i cant believe you were still a missionary 10 years ago...i feel so old...
I've been home even longer than you. Sigh. I miss the time to study too, and the familiarity I had with the scriptures. I love that we're studying the D&C this year, and we've started the BoM again as a family. Also encouraging Ethan to read it on his own.
Good luck with the missionary work!
I need to remember that! I sometimes feel like I missed out by not serving a mission. I will some day though.
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