Inspired

Anthropologie has got to be one of the most fun stores to wander through and check out all of their little treasures!  A couple of weeks ago I was there and picked up this 5 year journal.  Each day it has a different question with room for 5 answers. Each year your answers will vary and I think it could be interesting to see how things could vary from year to year. 

I also decided that it could be fun to do as a family once a week and to talk about it.  The black and white book is now a family journal.  Today we talked about it at dinner and then afterwards passed it around and everyone shared their thoughts in the book.  We'll see how it goes, but I'm thinking if we keep it consistent the book could be a family treasure in years to come.

The prompt today said to write something that inspired you today. Today was a special Sunday where our area leaders came and presented messages to us at our church meetings.  I'd had a rough night and a rough morning, so my emotions were a little raw and close to the surface. Perhaps it made my heart a little more tender, but I was so touched by the messages that were shared today.  

Our choir was amazing today. Probably the best I have ever heard them and they sang one of my favorite songs Beautiful Savior.  I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I listened to the beautiful music and felt the sweet message. The president of our womens organization spoke briefly and shared a tender story of heartache and hope and how blessed we are to have our temples to go to and the peace that is found therein.  I silently committed to attend even more regularly than usual.  

During the last message of the day the question was posed to us: What do we need to do so that we don't wreck our lives?  I'd have to get into a long explanation of how the question came to be and why it was phrased that way but you get the gist of it.  What do we need to do to stay happy.  What do we need to do to stay on the path that will eventually lead us back home to our Father in Heaven? Lots of answers were shared, but most of them sounded too big and too grand, too idealistic for me in my current emotional place. Right now the idea of "keep an eternal perspective" as great as it sounds is a little overwhelming for me. The answer for me right now is plain and simple, just one of the basics.  My answer is to just be grateful.  If I can find the little things to be grateful for each day I will be reminded that my father in Heaven is aware of me and loves me.  This in turn gives me hope. Hope turns to faith, and faith brings about actions. Actions like service and temple attendance.  These things bring peace. Peace stills my heart and calms my troubles. It frees my mind to let go of the stress and tension and be the best me I can be.  But the big picture and all the things that precede the peace, the things that "keep me from wrecking my life", can be more than I can wrap my head around some days. So the goal is just gratitude. Daily gratitude and faith that the rest will come as I continue.

These are the things that touched and inspired me today and I was grateful for a prompt that suggested I get all down in writing.