Amber

Good morning people.  I am feeling good about this coming week.  I didn't do well on my last week, I missed a few days and I don't remember the exact times but I didn't go to bed on time any of those days.  However I am feeling more of a desire to get good sleep and that is a necessary piece of the foundation of for making a change in anything.  Not on my list but I am also feeling this about eating sugar.  I am feeling less inclined to eat it and most of the day I usually ignore it.  It is going away without much persistent effort on my part.  Now I am still working on the bed time issue so here are the goals, same as last week.

 Goals:

• Planning meeting with God as soon as I am dressed and awake
• Alarm at 9:00- wrap it up and go get ready for bed.
• Alarm at 9:30- time to put it down now and go do my report meeting, afterwards do my routine.
• Routine includes electronic free time, cleaning up last minute things, getting dressed, washing my face, and either mediating or yoga or something really relaxing.
• Bed at 10 pm

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Rise Time	7	8	8	7	7:15	8:15	8:12
Bed Time	12	11:30	12:20	12	1:45	12:30	10:45

Monday:

* My thought today is quite short and is about the Spirit.  This life can seem uncertain at times and finding answers to things can be confusing and I sometimes forget how easy the gift of the Holy Ghost makes it.  Sometimes I seek elsewhere for answers but it is only when I also involve the Lord that I find the best answers.  We have the best source of truth in our Heavenly Father and he communicates through the Spirit.  The Spirit gives light to every person in this life, he is the one who enlightens us.  Verse 47 section 84 says "And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father."  The Father will always have the right answer and show us the correct path.

Tuesday:

* Another thought from section 84.  Verse 54 reads "And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received."  I consider the knowledge of the gospel one of the greatest gifts and tools of my life.  Of all things I would like to keep it and here are two examples of ways to lose it.  Unbelief is one that I've known before, when you turn a blind eye to truth you are also probably resisting the spirit of God because he testifies of truth.  Since it is he that enlightens us then you want to always be sensitive to the spirit so you can know the truth.  However I had not remembered that taking the truth you receive lightly, even if you believe it, will also cause you lose some of that light.  To me that means to say yes this is good but then not to do anything else about it.  Or to make excuses for yourself and not try to make changes.  Now that doesn't mean that we have to criticize everything we do if it isn't exactly right, for me it means that whatever one or two things I keep getting prompted to work on then I work on them and I leave the other things for later.  This has produced even more light and truth in my life and it gets really exciting to think that things will keep getting clearer and better than they are now.

Wednesday:

* I liked a quote from Elder Eyring.  In is talk "Bless in His Name", he is talking about serving and giving blessings in the Lord's way.  Sometimes we as the givers, they as the receivers, and others as the loved ones or interested parties want certain outcomes or blessings and that can influence how we serve and what we do and say as a part of that service.  Now that isn't wrong unless it keeps us from doing, saying, and serving as the Lord wants us to.  He knows what people need better than themselves or anyone else.  Elder Eyring always prays "to know what blessing the Lord has in store that I can give in His name.  And I ask to know how He wants to bless that person and not what I or the people standing nearby want."  He says that if he serves in that way then the Spirit touches their hearts and brings them acceptance and comfort no matter what the expectations were.

Thursday:

* Today's thought is again from section 84 and is one way I can be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.  In fact verse 91 says that "he that doeth not these things is not my disciple; by this you may know my disciples."  It is mostly talking about sharing the gospel but I have applied it to any of my callings.  Often I feel unprepared to do the things I'm asked to do and so I say no or I put it off until I am feeling better or have the knowledge or experience or resources to do it.  In this part of the section the Lord asks us to go without purse and scrip, without extra things or even without worrying about the future.  This is because when the Lord asks you to do something then the rewards are worth any inconvenience or fear we may face.  To be honest I don't think there is actual risk, the Lord says he will provide us all that we need when we step out and just do the thing no matter our position.  He won't task us with something beyond our abilities if we have the faith to just go do it, he will supply all that we lack, we will be blessed far beyond what we could have got for ourselves and we will bless others in ways we didn't know was possible.  For me that means my goals that I've selected with him, the callings I've been assigned, the things I'm prompted to do in conference or anywhere else, and the answers I receive in scripture study or at other times.  If you trust him enough to do out and do it even when you don't know how then he will smooth your way so that you can do it and you can see how.

Friday:

*Today has been a less than nice day, I am tired and slow and that always makes me frustrated.  I've put myself on a timer but I've also spent a longer than usual time reading scriptures and I've got nothing today.  Well nothing to share but I do have a question.  D&C 84:20-21 "Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.  And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh."  I don't understand how the power of godliness isn't manifest with ordinances.  Perhaps it is because I don't understand what the power of godliness is.  How does it differ from the power of God because I see that all over the place without ordinances.  Many people see the power of God in their lives who have never experienced any ordinances done by the proper authority.  Does anyone have any thoughts or insight into my problem?

Saturday:

* Elder Oaks priesthood session talk is about what Christ has done for us.  His Resurrection, Atonement, teachings of the plan and other things are invaluable and essential for continuing on in the plan.  However, it is also a personal journey and he provided a way for every individual, including basically experiencing each persons life.  This is all motivated by love, it is the reason he did all those things and the reason God created a plan in the first place.  Love is the way for all of us, "His plan motivated by love must be received by love."  This is how we know we are doing well and succeeding in our efforts.  Are we receiving the plan and the all of it's part with love and gratitude?