Don't know if I will continue this blog or not - and I didn't even realize how long it had been since I posted something. I'm thinking I need a new blog but am unsure if I can really set another one up. I didn't set this one up, so I have no experience at it, but Treasure Valley doesn't seem quite right any more. Here are my notes of the past couple of weeks - more for me than anyone else
First Sunday at church after arriving here Tuesday evening (Jan. 13, 2015) was really nice. It felt so good to be attending and know that we would still be attending in the same place in the weeks ahead:). Our new home teacher was quick to greet us and let us know he would be our HT; before leaving we had an appointment arranged for him to come over later in the day. The opening song was Welcome, Welcome Sabbath Morning - and it drew me back to the times of singing that in our family and, of course, family memories. This ward has a “theme” for each Sunday, posted in the bulletin and the theme was Are We Not All Beggers, following the theme of Elder Holland’s talk of the same name in conference. The talks were so good and it continued through Sunday School and Relief Society, even though their focus was somewhat different. RS topic was prayer and it was enlightening as well. I came home and read through Elder Holland’s talk again; I wish there were a way to keep these good words in my mind all the time! Only there seem to be too many good words and my mind gets full.
Monday, worked through most of the day sorting and putting away bags of things brought in from the motor home in addition to doing meals. Realized that I need to get back on my flylady schedule - modified to suit our new circumstances, home and surroundings - starting right away and then devote a scheduled portion of each day to the unpacking/sorting/putting away or else that will be all I do for months! For FHE did the conference talk, Are We Not All Beggers...so very, very, good.
Tuesday morning - made a beginning. Pulled out my control journal and found my old morning routine and am adapting it. Certainly have a long way to go before I can say I am doing the things in there in the right time frame, but its a beginning!
Ooh yes - made a resolution: no Facebook until I finish my routines each day:)!
Wednesday - worked on sorting, putting away the rest of the stuff from the MH - but - oops - remembered Thursday morning that we still needed to take the stuff out from under the bed! That motor home holds a LOT of stuff:)! The RS presidency came over in the evening to welcome me:) I have a map of the ward showing every house lot & number so I marked where they lived on it to give me a better idea of who my neighbors are. This is such a new experience - to live in a ward where nearly everyone in the neighborhood is a member of your ward. On Dunsinane, the ward boundary is 7 houses up from ours:). Of course living in a neighborhood is a new thing too - it’s been nearly 40 years since we lived in Scottsdale and we ‘ve been out in the country ever since until now:)!
Friday - fairly relaxed day. Doing my scriptures, prayers, exercise fairly well. Trying to re-remember my Tai Chi - it is coming back to me slowly:).
Sunday - sorry I left out Saturday - I know we got up and I know I was occupied the entire day:).
Today was a full day; Church was wonderful; the “theme” this week was The Sacrament - and the talks were amazing. Funny thing was the the topic in RS was also The Sacrament - and referenced a number of the same talks, but it was amazingly spiritual and inspirational-makes me want to study all of that over again prior to each Sabbath! I got to go to a Stake choir practice later in the afternoon as the choir is preparing music for an upcoming women’s conference. It has been a long time since I have actually been able to sing in a choir; my voice is not so great any more but I do love being a part of the music - and it felt wonderful to be a part of the music again:)! Once I was home again I started working on my medical history for our doctor’s appointment tomorrow and that took way too long!
Notes from our bulletin that I want to save: D&C 27:2 “For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory - remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.”
“During the sacrament, I find it helpful to ponder and perhaps even visualize in my mind, Christ, our brother and Savior, as he hung on the cross in Jerusalem, suffering such cruel physical torment and yet knowing that this was part of our Father’s plan. He loved and trusted Father so completely. In partaking of the bread, we are reminded that we too, will be released from the bonds of death. We will have our own personal resurrection when we can be restored to our eternal spirits.”
“Prior to his crucifixion, we know that Jesus knelt in Gethsemane and prayed so humbly and with such great compassion. He knew completely what had to take place and the importance of it and yet he did so willingly. We remember the agony and anguish he suffered by taking upon himself OUR sins. Through drinking of the Sacramental water, we can reflect on Christ’s atonement and that we must repent and be made clean so that we can remain in God’s presence forever.”
I haven’t really ever divided those two parts of the sacrament in the way that they were presented Sunday, first in our Sacrament meeting and then in Relief Society. The first, partaking of the bread, is a reminder that our bodies will be resurrected, we will stand before our God in those bodies. The second, drinking of the water, reminds us of the power of the atonement and that if we accept that atonement and continually repent as needed, we can be cleansed sufficiently to STAY with God:). Good thoughts for me. I also was struck by the word OUR; and thought, he was suffering not only for MY sins, but for every awful thing we hear so much of everyday all over the world, he was suffering for EVERYBODY’S sins at that time. It is totally beyond my comprehension.
Monday - worked in am on house stuff, nothing great... in the afternoon went to meet a new doctor; he will be our primary care doctor. He is in the University of Utah healthcare system and we are bring referred to a cardiologist in that system as well. Seems to be a good thing. Now we are working on finding a dentist. Then of course, an optometrist. All these “necessary” things!
Tuesday - have spent the day working on old routines, at least trying to re-establish them. Am a little too slow for my liking, but that’s life. Now, Jim is out shopping and I am hoping to get a few letters done.
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