Amber - Getting it all together

 It's taking me some time to adjust to the things I've added but I feel like I'm going to be able to get it all to fit.  Last week I heard a thing, someone was worried that they wouldn't be good at doing the new habit.  The advice they got was that they were running the old habit very well and there was evidence that they were capable.  All they had to do was change the habit and they would be good at the new habit.  So I am going to keep trying.  I feel really good every day and I have been waking up early enough so I need to just get to bed earlier, which means being productive during the day.

Goals:

• Alarm at 9:00- wrap it up and go get ready for bed.
• Alarm at 9:30- time to put it down now.
• Bed at 10 pm
• Rise at 7 am (alarm included)
• Have an activity every day that I look forward to having time to do.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Rise Time	8	7:30	7	8	7:30	8:15	8-9
Bed Time	11	12	11	1:15	10-11	?	11

Monday:

* This is a nice day, the sun shines and I feel happy.  I would like you to know that this is not because I've had wonderful things happen to me today.  I woke up from a nightmare and was shorted 2 hours of sleep.  I feel super tired and can tell I need more sleep but despite the extra daylight hours I'm super behind on my daily schedule.  I also woke up feeling sick and Grandma won't sit down for very long this morning.  If I focus on those things then I will get depressed but it is focusing on all the exciting and good things that has got me feeling like I'm on the top of the world!  The peace you can find amidst the trials can be an everyday thing and that makes me very grateful.  My thought is actually not this so on to D&C 63.  The only chapter planned for the week it is long enough that I hope to get many things out of it.  Today it is about signs.  The scriptures say signs are for those who already believe, they are not meant to be convincers or to prove anything.  People who don't believe can discount signs but when I see signs as a believer it solidifies my faith and brings me joy and hope for the future.  Signs that I have noticed are the miracles that happen in my life, and the blessings I get from following a principal.  Thus it makes sense that the believer would receive signs.  If you are the one planting the seed and nurturing the tree then you will be the one to get the fruit.  You put in the effort and you get the rewards.  To me anything of this nature is a sign that I'm doing the right thing.

• More weaving today and that's it.  Despite my happy outlook I barely managed to get my basic work done and nothing extra.  I think I am still sick.

Tuesday:

* Verse 23 says that "unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life."  This visual caught me and I have realized that I have experienced this on some level.  This is how my scripture study has felt at times, like a source of life and joy.  Like I have my own personal well and the water is delicious.  I find things that help me throughout the day and that lift me up when I am down.

• I didn't do anything crafty but did get some good work done with house cleaning.  Also Mom and Chad were here all day and I was feeling sick and tired so I think I did marvelous.  I did stay up playing on the computer, mostly because I was stressed about tomorrow.  I have a dentist appointment for a crown and a filling.  I am very excited to have that done and then I just a have a few more fillings and the crown setting and all will be well.

Wednesday:

* My thought today is in verse 37.  It was a little difficult to understand this verse but I may have an interpretation, tell me if you think differently.  It is talking about missionary work and says that "every man should take righteousness in his hands and faithfulness upon his loins".  Usually when you have a job to do you pick up some sort of tool to help you do the task.  Righteousness could be the scriptures and knowledge of the gospel and examples thereof, it could also be your own righteous acts, your faithfulness to the commandments, your own example to any who see you.  The loins is harder but could be having to do with the law of chastity.  This is something you need faithfulness for, to be faithful to both the covenants you make and to be faithful to your spouse.  It might mean something else as well but I couldn't think of it.  The last part I liked was the end, "declare both by word and by flight that desolation shall come upon the wicked."  The first is obvious that you share things by word, that is the norm when doing missionary work.  I like the other part, to declare by flight.  To me this means by action/example and could look like you fleeing or shunning the wicked things of the world.  Get out of there if it is a dangerous situation for your body or your spirit.  Don't be afraid to stand up for the right, this is a powerful way to do missionary work.

• No crafting but my dentist appointment went very well.  I can even chew a little on that side of my mouth which is something I haven't been able to do for 3-4 months.

Thursday:

* In my energy work I've been doing stuff on finances and that is probably why this stuck out to me.  In section 63 the Lord tells his people that they need to obtain land by money.  He said that was the way he wanted them to do it rather than by bloodshed.  I have often tried not to focus on money because the Lord can give you better things and can provide you with everything you need without money.  That is true and it was true then, he could have given them lands by many other means but he asked that they do it by using money.  Money itself is not an evil thing, in fact you can do many good things with money and all good things come from God.  Money is good and God wants us to have it to provide the things we need and want.  So yes the Lord can give you things without money and he often does but he usually uses money to bless your life, either directly to you or through someone else.

• No crafting again.  I had a terrible time going to bed today, I was feeling very tired but also a little deprived because I overworked myself so I stayed up playing.

Friday:

* Verse 14 says that there were adulterers and adulteresses among the church members, some who have turned away and others who have stayed.  In verse 16 it says to look on someone to lust after them is committing adultery in your heart.  Just to entertain adulterous thoughts could label you as an adulterer.  Then in verse 15 it says to let these people beware and repent quickly because their works shall follow them, their folly made manifest, and judgement shall come upon them.  This can be applied to any sin or frankly even just negative thoughts.  Entertaining thoughts about how you would like to beat that annoying person up, how nice it would be to stay home from church today, or looking at yourself in the mirror and saying how ugly you are all lay the groundwork for the actions of treating that annoying person unkindly, skipping church, and abusing yourself or letting others abuse you in some way.  The Lord warns us because he loves us and gives us the sure way to get off the path we are headed on when we entertain such thoughts, this is to quickly repent.  However, the opposite is also true.  If you are striving to obtain something good or develop a good habit then thinking good and positive thoughts will lay the groundwork for that good thing and action will follow.

• I ate some stuff I shouldn't have and I ate a lot of it.  Now I am feeling sick.  You'd think I would know better but that didn't stop me.  I am noticing a lot more things in my life that I need to change.  Maybe that happens as you change one thing.  Between my scripture study and my energy work I'm learning a lot of stuff that is helping me get closer to my goal.  I still need to get my evening in line but I feel really close now

Saturday:

* I read a talk from Sister Reeves given in 2017 about being worthy of our promised blessings.  At one point she talked about the power of repentance and then listed a bunch of other powers.  Scripture Power, Prayer Power, Temple Power, Covenants Power, Sabbath Day Power, Prophets Power, and Virtue Power.  I'd never thought of it quite like this but really what power do you want to use today!  The Lord has given us powerful ways to help ourselves and they aren't just good ideas they actually give us access to his power.  All we have to do is do our part and he is bound to fulfill his promise.  Pray and you get power, study scriptures and you get power, fast and you get power.  

Sunday:

* I didn't read but still had a spiritual experience today.  It started off quite distressing with me miscalculating the time I needed to get to church.  Church had moved from 11 to 10:30 but for some reason I was thinking we had to leave at 10:30.  I thought I had plenty of time and was wondering why Grandpa was pushing us and starting things early.  I did Grandma's hair, teeth, and makeup and then went to do my makeup.  I did it pretty quick and then went off to go to the car, that is when I realized it was almost 10:30.  I felt quite upset because I could have easily made it in time, done things faster and cut things out.  It wouldn't have been so bad because we got a nice parking space, a comfortable close bench, and made it before the sacrament started.  The problem was that Grandma and Grandpa are greeters and they couldn't do their job today which I know they enjoy because of my mistake.  I was upset for most of sacrament meeting and had to really talk to do some talking and explaining to myself to get over the mistake.  I really wanted another take to get it right.  I could have fixed it if I had another chance.  The problem is that isn't how life works, we can't save and go back to redo it.  It has happened and will always be there.  This is why we can't ever pay for our own sins and become clean.  Those sins will always be on our record, this is why the Savior is so important.  It is impossible for us to remove them or cover them up but the Savior can take them from us and cover the costs.  He puts his name on the mistake and as far as judgement is concerned it is as if it was never ours in the first place.

Alright so this week has been pretty bad with the sleeping.  I've been overwhelmed with the cleaning and I'll confess the energy work has been taking it out of me.  I feel pretty exhausted.  However, I'm making a few changes so I hope next week to be better.