As I've said before, I love and hate Sunday's. I love going to church and being uplifted and to feel of the spirit. I hate fighting with my children during Sacrament meeting and feeling like I'm being watched from all sides. That has gotten better since I bring nothing with me to church for the kids.
I think I must be the only one in all of Mormondom that can't keep a clean house on Sundays! No matter how much cleaning I do on Saturday or how much preparation I make my house still manages to become complete disaster! I try to keep up on simple daily tasks, but to no avail. Yesterday, Sunday, I asked Isabel if she would please do her chore, which was to load the dishwasher. She was quick to respond, " But Mom, I learned in church that Sunday is a day of rest and we aren't suppose to do any work!" In her mind that includes chores. I agree with that to an extent. But if we don't lift a single finger on Sundays then that leaves a boat load of crap to be done on Mondays and then I'm left playing catch-up for the rest of the week. Oh the agony of it all. So I end up being the one to pick up after everyone, clean up, tidy up, and simply get fed up! I'm pretty sure the Lord didn't have in mind for me to get my undies all in a wad on Sunday's either!!! And the worst part of it all, I'm the only one bothered by the mess!!! Ugh!! What's a mother to do? Shrug it off, and keep on keeping on with a smile. Right? If I'm the only that is bothered by the mess then I guess I'll just keep tidying up all my lonesome, and do it with a smile. Yeah, right. There needs to be a happy medium. And so I'll keep on searching for that happy place.
On a lighter note:
Sunday was Ward Conference. Sacrament meeting went well, although it went long. Isabel was quick to notice the time and quick to vocalize her agony of having to sit there for an additional 10 minutes. She's always been the one not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking. We need to work on that.
My favorite meeting was Relief Society. Mindy Hammer did an amazing job with the lesson. Seriously, I need to take notes from that woman. She's a pro at teaching. But what struck me the most were a few of the Testimonies born by a few of the Stake Relief Society Presidency. I'm sorry I can't remember their names, but what they said was most important.
I think it must have been the first counselor that said the first profound thing for me. She remembers sitting with the Stake President and asking him what it is that he would like them to convey to the sisters in the Stake. He simply told them to tell us that what we are doing is Enough. As she said that a tingling feeling came over my whole being as confirmation to me, that indeed, what I am doing is enough. As women in our Mormon society we have a tendency to compare ourselves to those around us. We constantly are putting ourselves down for not doing as much as another sister, or not being like someone else. We aren't intended to be like someone else. We have completely different talents from each other, and that's how it's suppose to be. So we can bless each others lives instead of torment each other. Which leads into I think it must have been the Secretary. Her message to us was to love ourselves for who we are now, today. Which I LOVED!!! When we are confident and happy people are drawn to that. I want to be confident, and truly happy. And that reminded me of a scripture that I read the other morning found in Alma 29:3 ... for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hat allotted unto me. This can have reference to so many different aspects of our lives. For me, it's being happy in my current state. Who I am now, and that is a mother, a wife, a daughter of God who is striving to progress down the pathway of Happiness. I'm not required to be perfect, I just need to progress. To learn, to grow, to experience hardship and to triumph over them.
It was a good Sunday. Despite the messy house.
9 years ago
4 comments:
I've found my kids do better with limited entertainment options, too. I allott a notebook, a Friend magazine and some pens. Wassup with moms getting overworked on Sunday? I feel your pain.
Messy houses are plain annoying and yet, getting frustrated and having your mood ruined by them and therefore having your mood affect your feelings toward your family make it not worth getting frustrated. It still happens though. Glad conference was so inspiring!
I laughed at Isabel's comment about not doing work on the Sabbath and having it be a day of rest, because when I was younger and had to help out with chores that were on Sunday I asked the same thing. Mostly when it came to watering the horses and cows. I thought it was work and that I should rest. My parents had to teach me that it was a day of rest, but that we could not leave the animals without food and water.
The thought just came to my mind that you should explain to Isabel that our homes are suppose to be like the Temples, which are clean and always taken care of, so that the Spirit can dwell there. It is so much easier to feel the Spirit when the house is in order, including the dishes loaded into the dishwasher.
hey! amy told me about your blog and i wanted to say hi. i think this is the first time i've seen pictures of grace and she is such an edwards! so so so cute. gosh, all your kids seem so grown up.
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