Amber - Third thing

 Yay I get to add a third thing onto my focus section.  I really like doing my prayers early, it is so much easier because I'm coherent and I can get what I need into it.  It also makes it easier at night, I can crawl into bed without struggling to say a long prayer before.  I also feel better when I plan for the next day.  I don't always follow the plan but it helps in the morning to get going, it also helps during the day if I feel distracted, I can check to see what was important for me yesterday and then decide if I should to that instead or if it can wait.

Ok I'm adding the next thing on the list, so here is the list again.

1. 8:30 I say my repentance prayer.

2. I make a plan and prepare for the next day.

3. 10:00 I get off of all electronics.

4. 10:30 I go to bed.

5. I get up at 6 am and do my morning routine.

6. I add the rest of evening routine.

That would mean I get off of electronics at 10:00, however if I do that then I'll probably be going to bed soon after so I'm actually going to add number four as well, they are kind of the same thing.

Monday:

* Today I started 3 Nephi.  There were a couple of things that stood out.  In chapter one some of the Nephites thought they didn't need to keep the law of Moses any longer.  However Nephi soon corrected that.  He said that not one jot or tittle shall pass away until it is all fulfilled.  Applying that to us today means that no matter what society says or how the world changes God's laws still apply because he hasn't changed them.  If there is ever a change in the commandments or the way the church does things it will be the Lord who says it is time for that not the world.  Sure the world might be ready for it when it happens but that is because the Lord has made it so.  He always prepares his people and his church for the changes that are coming.

• Already day one and I've failed completely.  I heard the alarm but was distracted.  I may practice reacting to the alarm again because I've gotten lazy.  It works because it is building those pathways in your brain so that it becomes automatic.  Unfortunately I've also built the slow reaction pathways simply by not reacting right away.
• Alas I was up late and crawled into bed without a plan.
• I didn't get off of the computer until late, though I did stop myself at some point before I wanted to so that is better than nothing.
• I didn't go to bed until 12.

Tuesday:

* I read "Ensuring a Righteous Judgment" by James R. Rasband from last conference.  It was super good, all about the atonement. My favorite part was his description and expounding of how Alma the younger felt after he remembered about Christ and repented of his sins.  One thing I'd never thought of was how he had felt so bad that he had led others astray.  Once he remembered Christ and felt that redeeming power he was filled with joy.  However Elder Rasband pointed out that he would not have felt complete joy if those he had harmed were not taken care of.  So not only was Alma forgiven of his own sins and saved but Christ had the power to help those people as well.  Elder Packer said "The thought that rescued Alma...is this: Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ."  Alma couldn't fix those he had harmed but Christ can.  It is that which brings comfort that we all need.  What we cannot do Christ has already done, He always makes up the difference.

• I was 20 mins late but I did say my prayer.
• I also planned for tomorrow
• I got off the computer, in fact I didn't get back on after prayer so it was quite early.  However I was watching TV with grandpa and then on my phone in between getting ready for bed.  So partially successful here.
• I actually got in bed before 10:30 but had to get up and do something else I forgot to do so I was in bed a little after 10:30.

Wednesday:

* I read the battle between the robbers and the now Nephites (since the Lamanites and joined the Nephites they were all called Nephites).  It was a sad battle because it wasn't strangers trying to take over another nation.  It was former friends and family, many of them were their children who had dissented over.  However I liked the way the Nephites prepared for the battle.  In chapter three is states that they all gathered together in one body and that they listened to their spiritual leaders.  I'm often trying to do everything alone because I should be able to.  However we were never meant to be alone.  Obviously we can't do it without the Father and without Christ but it is also better if we help each other out.  I'm now trying to let more people help me (hence writing in this blog) and it does actually help.  Having a family is more than just a smart way to reproduce and raise children, it is a place to unite against the powers of Satan.  Just like the Nephites if we are alone we are easy to surround and pick off. 

• So I ignored my alarm, I think I'm going through another depression wave and I'm beginning to recognize it early on.  What that means is I'll be able to push through and do stuff anyways or at least do some of the stuff.  Now I did actually say my prayer but it wasn't until I went to bed.
• Same thing here, I did it last minute before lights out.
• I did actually get off of the computer before I wanted to, it was around 10:15 so actually pretty close.
• Right after that I got ready for bed and if I had done my prayer earlier then I would have made it by 10:30, as it was I got in bed about 10 mins late.  This energy healing is making a huge difference in my ability to follow through on my goals and in my desire to do them.  It was like I had no control over my body, like I was being held back by something.  Now I feel free to make the choice and when I make it then I actually follow through.  It even feels easy to follow through now.

Thursday:

* I woke up pretty tired even with over 8 hours of sleep.  The truth is I've been sick and have been aggravating it with fruit snacks.  So really no surprise that I might need more sleep.  I did actually read but my brain is foggy and I didn't get much.  3 Nephi 5 talked about how the Nephites dealt with their robber prisoners.  It says they first preached the gospel to them and those who would repent and promise to never kill again they freed.  The others were punished according to the law.  I wish we would do something like this with our prisons.  It would help a lot of people and probably lower the crime rate.

• I played with Chase instead of doing anything else tonight.  I should have known it would be in the middle but Chase had a limited amount of time and afterwards I forgot and then it was bedtime.  Though I will say I didn't go to bed until after 11.

Friday:

*  Oh boy I woke up with a nasty headache.  I finally got something read, it turned out to be a conference talk "An Especially Noble Calling" by Joy D. Jones.  The thing I got out of it was this little quote "The Lord's loving influence through the Holy Ghost helps us know His priority for our progression.  Heeding personal revelation  leads to personal progression."  I liked the emphasis on His priority rather than ours.  It is much easier to progress when we have His help so it makes sense to focus on what he wants for us.  After all it is better than what we want.  However I have found that many of the things I want to do are things he wants as well.  You have to trust that he will let you be you and that he knows what you will like best of all, even better than you.

• I heard my alarm and went and said my prayer.
• I didn't plan my day until right before bed, but I did do it.
• So I made the mistake of starting something at 9:30 and didn't get off until about 11:30.  I don't understand why I think things will only take a short time when they haven't in the past.
• I didn't go to bed until after 1 because I found a book to peruse.

Saturday:

* Despite the late night I got up at 7 so right now I feel good.  It usually hits me tomorrow but we will see.  I read 3 Nephi chapter 6.  Every time I read this chapter I am astonished at how quickly the people become wicked.  For years they were united, repentant and trusting in God and their religious leaders.  They had the incentive of being wiped out by the robbers but they seemed to be quite faithful.  Within three years their started to be contentions and it snowballed so quickly that by the next year all of the church was broken up except for a few people.  The scriptures point to the riches and education the people received which came because of the peace they had.  I would like to be able to be faithful when I don't have things making me be.  In the past I've generally had something forcing me to turn to the Lord and I would like to not need that to remember.  I don't want to stop growing but I'd like to be more involved in selecting my challenges rather than just facing the next thing that comes up.

• I didn't do anything today.

Sunday:

* I found 3 Nephi 7 to be good and short.  The thing I'm sharing is something Come Follow Me mentioned.  It said to look for ways Nephi was a good disciple but I liked the other righteous of the Nephites.  It says there were few of them but those few testified of their own experiences.  Nephi himself seems a little out of reach in some ways for me because he is the prophet and does give up everything to follow God's commandments.  I am not quite in that position nor have I practiced my commitment to quite that extent.  However the people who were righteous were just normal people living their lives and what they did was testify of their own witness and their own experiences.  This I can do and by so doing I'm in the right way.

• I had a prayer but I'm not so sure if it was what I'm aiming for.
• I didn't plan because I saw what I planned last time and thought I just use that.
• I was on the phone until right before bed.
• I went to bed at 10:15.

I feel less successful this week but have been more sick and little bit depressed so I'm hoping for a better week next time.