It's always tough getting back in a routine after a long holiday break. This time was especially rough because I'm starting a new position as Sales Manager at Brighton Homes along with my normal model home agent position. I'm excited for the opportunity and more excited for the health care benefits. Our healthcare costs were going from $1,000 per month to $1,500 per month this year so the timing couldn't have been better.
This past week my heart has been filled with gratitude for so many blessings. Above all of them are the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of my family. I love the peace that being obedient brings. I love the spirit that surrounds quality family time. I'm grateful for healthy and beautiful children and am forever grateful to be married to the woman I love with all my heart.
Heidi is starting to get used to her CPAP machine. That along with a new mattress seems to be helping her back some as well as her overall health. I'm so grateful my health is such that I have strength, energy, and the ability to take care of her and the family. I can't imagine being in constant pain. Last Sunday Josh Clark, who I home teach, asked me to give him a priesthood blessing. He's also been in severe pain with a bad back and rotater cuff. He's been getting only 2-4 hours of sleep at night. Unfortunately he's still in a lot of pain so my fast was dedicated to him. I hope and pray he finds relief soon.
It's funny how routines and work - or this case school - can actually improve your mood. Benjamin and Jacob have been harping, teasing, whining, crying complaining, and arguing with each other this holiday season. Now that school has started back up they are getting along much better, and this Sunday was a rare Sunday in that we were able to spend it with just our family. It was awesome! We played Uno, spoons, pull-off socks, home base hide and seek, and pulled out my latest Christmas toy - a slot car racing track. We ended the day watching 17 Miracles - such an amazing move about the Willie Handcart Company and their trek west.
Savannah received for Christmas the present she was begging and pleading for the last few months - her very own cell phone. While Mother and I were dreading it, we do feel like Savannah is responsible beyond years.
I relistened to Elder Holland's talk (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng) and love when an Apostle of the Lord expands scripture. In this case he talks about the man who has a disabled child and asks the Savior to heal him. When the Savior asks if he believes, he says "yea Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief." He does believe but acknowledges his belief is weak. Still, the Lord heals him. Elder Holland talk about the importance of leading out with your declaration of belief, not leading out with your unbelief. He also gives insight to how we don't have to have a perfect knowledge of the faith to move mountains to witness a miracle. But we have to start with faith, or belief. I love it. Sometimes I feel like I'm not worthy to ask for the miracle, or that my faith isn't strong enough yet. This was a great reminder that we can (and actually must) rely fully on the grace and mercy of Christ, but to offer up the faith and belief we do have.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Utah Utes - Foster Farms Bowl!
Utah Utes - Foster Farms Bowl!
Fun week! Benjamin and I flew to San Fran to cheer on our Utes against Indiana in the Foster Farms Bowl! I absolutely love spending one on one time with my children. We hit Ed's diner for a yummy breakfast, the pep rally on Tuesday, drove the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park, strolled along the beach, ate DELICIOUS Seniore's Pizza, passed the football around at the park, visited the Intel Museum, went swimming, and of course rocked the Utah football game, which came down to the wire but the Utes pulled it off!
Of course, we did run into our fair share of grief: After waking up at 3:45 am to catch our early flight, we arrived in San Fran only to realize I left my debit card at the SLC airport. We finally made it to our rental car which stunk of smoke but we were too tired to really care. During the pep rally someone broke into our rental car and stole my laptop, my suitcase with all my clothes, and Benjamin's kindle. Returned the rental car on Thursday at 7 am only to find out they charged me a $300 cleaning fee for the smoke smell! Unbelievable. Still fighting that charge.
Happy New Year - 2017
Happy New Year! Sunday, January 1, 2017
The Christmas season has come and gone, and our attention is turning to the New Year! Time to renew our goals and resolutions, and push for that continual personal and family improvement. I'll admit, I haven't been as excited to set new goals this year. I'm not sure why - I think part of it was that 2016 was such a great year in so many ways it will be hard to beat. But we had a good priesthood meeting today in which we talked of the importance of sincerely trying and putting forth an honest effort in improving.
I shared a quote in priesthood that my brother James shared with me from CS Lewis: "The right direction leads not only to peace but to knowledge. When the man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left within him...when a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less." (The Great Divorce).
Needless to say the lesson was just what I needed to motivate myself in creating this next year's resolutions. While tomorrow we will conduct a family night putting together our family's resolutions, tonight I will focus on my own resolutions.
Fortunately I had written down goals recently for my 40th birthday, so now I can just expound on those some:
New Goals:
Spiritual
1. Daily Personal Prayers and Scripture - 30 minutes
2. Daily Family Prayers and Scripture - 10 minutes
3. Monthly temple attendance
4. Weekly family night
5. 100% Home Teaching
6. Magnify YSA calling by getting to know all YSA in our ward
7. Daily reflection and improvement
Physical
1. Dinner with family each night
2. 60 minutes daily exercise
3. Weekly random act of service
4. Fried food no more than once per week
5. Daily vegetables and fruits.
6. Monthly one on one dates with Savannah, Benj, and Jacob
7. Lose 10 pounds to 185 lbs
Career
1. Excel in sales management position
2. 30 Minutes per day continued education (5 days a week)
3. 3 sales per month
4. Temporally secure
5. Build 2 spec homes
6. Purchase rental property
The Christmas season has come and gone, and our attention is turning to the New Year! Time to renew our goals and resolutions, and push for that continual personal and family improvement. I'll admit, I haven't been as excited to set new goals this year. I'm not sure why - I think part of it was that 2016 was such a great year in so many ways it will be hard to beat. But we had a good priesthood meeting today in which we talked of the importance of sincerely trying and putting forth an honest effort in improving.
I shared a quote in priesthood that my brother James shared with me from CS Lewis: "The right direction leads not only to peace but to knowledge. When the man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left within him...when a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less." (The Great Divorce).
Needless to say the lesson was just what I needed to motivate myself in creating this next year's resolutions. While tomorrow we will conduct a family night putting together our family's resolutions, tonight I will focus on my own resolutions.
Fortunately I had written down goals recently for my 40th birthday, so now I can just expound on those some:
New Goals:
Spiritual
1. Daily Personal Prayers and Scripture - 30 minutes
2. Daily Family Prayers and Scripture - 10 minutes
3. Monthly temple attendance
4. Weekly family night
5. 100% Home Teaching
6. Magnify YSA calling by getting to know all YSA in our ward
7. Daily reflection and improvement
Physical
1. Dinner with family each night
2. 60 minutes daily exercise
3. Weekly random act of service
4. Fried food no more than once per week
5. Daily vegetables and fruits.
6. Monthly one on one dates with Savannah, Benj, and Jacob
7. Lose 10 pounds to 185 lbs
Career
1. Excel in sales management position
2. 30 Minutes per day continued education (5 days a week)
3. 3 sales per month
4. Temporally secure
5. Build 2 spec homes
6. Purchase rental property
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