On Becoming Spotless

Our mop bit the dust yesterday, just as I was about to clean the kitchen and bathroom floors. I quickly found myself on my knees, washing the floors by hand. From that perspective I realized how much needed to be cleaned. Suddenly I found myself not only scrubbing the floor, but also the baseboards, the cupboards, the walls, the refrigerator and the doors. In the end my knees were sore, but I was pleased with the deep clean I had accomplished. And to think that I wouldn't have even noticed the necessity of the cleaning if the broken mop hadn't forced me to my knees.

What a metaphor for life. My life is happy and relatively simple. I do my best to make good choices and strive to "mop my floors" regularly by reading the scriptures, having daily prayer, attending church each Sunday, etc. But through the routine of life sometimes I do just enough to keep the surface clean. Then a "broken mop" will bring me to my knees. This is when I am forced to see myself in a more magnified way. My weaknesses become apparent as I look at them at eye level. A fussy child brings a need for patience and gentle. Challenges in my calling remind me of the need to be long-suffering and temperate in all things. A busy life causes me to reorder my priorities so that I am putting what is truly important at the top of the list.

Sometimes it hurts to look life from this perspective. I don't prefer it, but I do appreciate the end results as I find myself able to be more willing to submit to my Heavenly Father's will and get that much closer to the person he would have me be.

My ultimate goal, after all, is to return to live with Him and my family for eternity. A couple of nights ago I read Alma chapter 7, a perfect chapter for this topic. In it, Alma is preaching to the people of Gideon and he explains to them what they must become in order to be spotless before God.

23 And now I would that ye should be ^ahumble, and be ^bsubmissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

24 And see that ye have ^afaith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

25 And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with ^aAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments ^bspotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.

My broken mops of late have cleaned me up just a bit, but I know that I am going to spend a lot more time on my knees before I am spotless. I am eternally grateful for the chance I have to better myself and for the atonement of Jesus Christ, for without I could never be clean.

Sunday Sanity

Confession. Sundays are not my favorite day of the week. Brandon is gone for meetings in the morning while I am trying to get myself and the kids in our Sunday best. It is the only day of the week when I try to spend more than about 10 or 15 minutes getting myself ready. The kids mutiny against this. Lately, Sunday or not, they have required my undivided attention. I must keep them busy or they will keep themselves busy and that is never a pretty picture. It usually involves running around the house, wrestling on any one of the three beds (all of which are supposedly off limits to that), or William teasing Marie which results in her screaming and crying.

So, during the week I usually plop William down in front of the T.V. Marie just hangs in my bathroom/bedroom with me and usually tries her hand at applying deodorant on her legs or toothpaste in her hair.

The problem on Sundays? The T.V. is off limits, except for the one Living Scriptures video that we got for free that only lasts 20 minutes and William was tired of it by the third week of having to watch it.

Thankfully I learned that I need to prepare all our clothes on Saturday night to protect the sanity of all involved on Sunday morning. Ironing clothes is not an option with a toddler and a preschooler scurrying around your feet.

Beyond that there is only so much that I can do the night before, so for those few selfish minutes that I try to take to, heaven forbid, shower, do my hair, and apply make-up, I have fallen in love with the fact that the church publishes the Friend on the internet.

Here is the link to my Sunday sanity, people .... Gospel centered puzzles and matching games.

Heaven on earth, I tell you. Heaven on earth.

Random Bullet Points of What's On My Mind

• I am officially addicted to "So You Think You Can Dance" (SYTYCD). I jumped on the bandwagon a little late and missed the first 3 seasons, but I am here now! The show makes me so happy and reminds me that in my next life I want to be a dancer.
• More on SYTYCD. I think that Brandon looks like Carlton Banks. Thank you, Kelly, for totally agreeing with me. Brandon can dance a lot better than Carlton, just for the record.
  
• And a bit more ... I was surprised but not disappointed that Janette went home last night. I like Kayla better.
• Moving on. Being a stay at home mom means that you can take your job wherever you go. This week I have fully felt the blessing and the curse factors of this statement. Our anniversary is three weeks away. We will be away from the kids for 24 hours. I need this break. The last time I was away from them for that long was almost a year ago. One day off a year.
  
• Oh yeah, back to SYTYCD. I think that Katie Holmes sings like a nasal 15 year old girl. The things you can get away with when you are married to Tom Cruise.
• The Saturday after our anniversary celebration I am participating in my first triathlon. I am OK with swimming. I am OK with biking. I am OK with running. I think I am excited. Maybe I am just crazy.
• I have decided what the kids are going to be for Halloween. Not a moment too soon, right? Hehe.
• It has been hot lately. The kind of hot that makes me really glad that I don't live in Arizona. The kind of hot that makes me crave swimming pools and beaches.
  
• I can't decide what I want the theme for William's birthday party to be in December. Let's clear up the air that I do not go crazy with birthdays. I like to keep them simple. I love that other people can throw incredible extravaganzas, it's just not for me. However, this will be William's first party that he invites friends to. I need a theme. Thinking, thinking, thinking ...
• Do you know anybody that wants piano lessons in my area? I have a couple more openings.
• We are taking the kids to Disneyland in September. Can. Not. Wait. Yippee!
• William has officially watched his cartoon quota for the day. Adios!
  

Where's William?

ksl.com - 50 finalists audition to sing at Dodger Stadium on 'Mormon Night'

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My sister is the one in the teal dress. You know, the cute one with the stunning voice. More importantly, though, watch carefully and you will see William (and me!) behind Carol Mikita when she is talking.

Edited to add: You do know that I don't really think that William and I in the background are more important than my sister in the spotlight, right? Just had to clear that up for the good of all humanity.

Williamese

As Sara jokingly threatened to throw William in the water fountain:

"It's OK, Sara, you don't need to throw me in. I can get in myself."

3 Years Ago Today

William -- July 21, 2006

No particular reason for this post, just in the mood to reminisce. Happy Tuesday, all!

Me? A Runner?

My sister and I ran another 5K on Saturday. It was for our local Heritage Days and because of that a few ward members saw me crossing the finish line.

Today at church one of those sweet chicas said to me, "I didn't know you were a runner."

I just laughed. My father-in-law has done 19 marathons and countless 5Ks and 10Ks. With three 5Ks under my belt, I have a long way to go before I would ever consider myself "A Runner".

Regardless, I love the sense of accomplishment I feel as I run these races. I've come a long way from the pudgy little girl with asthma who couldn't even run a mile, that I used to be.

The human body is an incredible creation, isn't it?