Lessons I am learning as I work my way through December...

I went and had my hair done today, and I was talking with Melissa who does my hair in details about the 17 second rule.  As we visited, even though she had read some of what I had written, ( I realize it is December and people have better things to do then read my blog) I told her about the application and things I was learning as I had applied it over the past 8 days.  

One thing we discussed is I've discover that in certain situations it is harder to redirect, and that is when you have to have a pre made up list of ways to do that.  I made a list in the beginning like go for a walk, or sing a song, but hadn't thought about specifies, and the wrong song could be loaded not in a good way. Some ideas that I came up with today...
 First I need a happy song, and decided on "Oh what a beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma.  Not only are the words of this song happy, but I have a personal memory of Taylor playing the role of Curly his senior year and starting the show with this song, 

Makes for a  double happy. 

 Another I thought of is remembering Rachelle playing basketball and the 3 pointers swishing.

 It would always give me such a rush when she was on her game. 

 I thought of MarShae playing Meg in "Leading Ladies last year and how funny that show was.

Rachelle hugging MarShae with Marielle in the background

Sterling and MarShae...

 I remember our surprise when she won the award of Best Actress at the Area One Act play competition. 

 I then came across a picture that Sterling had drawn of a scene straight out of our backyard about 20 years ago. 

When I saw it I just smiled.  Smiled at the memory of Sterling and Ben always doing something crazy.  
Also remembering him drawing for hours as a very little boy when I needed some quiet time. 

Another is my grandchildren and their exuberant greetings whenever we are together. 

I love watching Ryan with his children...

 This entire list is something that I can think, without getting up or going anywhere because often the memories come when I am in a group setting and it would be awkward or wrong to get up and leave.  

On another note...
I found myself crying tonight at the Temple for the first time in about a week.  It felt good to just let the tears come.  It also felt different.  I wasn't exhausted afterwards, and felt peaceful as I was coming home, my burdens felt lighter. 
 I love an example from the Book of Mormon that was shared with me tonight by our temple president. It's a story about when the brother of Jared went up into the mount and found a large rock that he then moltened into 16 smaller stones. He needed light for a barge he had been instructed to make to travel across the ocean.  He then took the small stones up into the mountain and asked the Lord to turn them into lights for their voyage. 

 I thought how sometimes in our lives we have a huge rock that we are trying to carry around with us. If we break it down into manageable parts, and then take each one to the Lord with faith that he will turn them into lights for us,  literally enlightening our minds, or lightening our burdens one little piece at a time, the burden is so much more manageable.  

I will end with a picture of Madeline in front of the Houston Temple.

I am grateful to have so many pictures of her...