Struggling

Struggling to feel the spirit.  Struggling to hear those SayGoBeDos.  I did have one a few weeks ago.  I did act upon it.  That was good.

I think I get distracted.  I think I just forget to pray for them.  I suppose that is Satan's way.  Keep us feeling so busy and stressed and discouraged.

Here's to recommitting!

Lisa P.

A SGBD To Not Act....WHAT!

I have been praying for a few weeks now about the daily leaning schedules of our children. I have felt overly active and away from home too much, plus I haven't been sleeping long enough each night and the lack of sleep isn't helping this feeling of having to much happening.
For two weeks I haven't felt any guidance through prayer until the end of last week. I had the idea of what needed to happen come into my mind. It was a SGBD except it came with the "Do" of "be silent and let your son figure this out for himself".
On Monday of this week, Eli decided he wanted to start seminary and focus on Key of Liberty and his writing class through Williamsburg Academy.
Two days ago he told me he felt he should stop attending the class that I felt prompted needed to end. I did not influence Eli at all while I waited for him to figure this out for himself. The answer for me was to be silent and know that God would take this at His pace and at Eli's pace so that Eli could feel the responsibility for his choices and the pressure associated with the choice. Though the class was/is a good choices, it's not the right or best choice for him or us right now.


Now where is that SGBD that tells me how to sleep until at lest 5am instead of 3amish????? Help....It's ok, I  keep praying that longer sleep will come and saying thank you for this experience. But it seems there is something for me to learn.

Chocolate and Balloons

Saturday I needed to go get milk. Avy wanted to go with me and said we should stop at Jade's house. Jade lives on the same street as our cow. Jade is three, too. Jade's mommy has a 1 year old and is 9 months pregnant with number 3. She is due any day now.

I think about how I felt two months ago. Waiting....waiting....hurting...crying....every day feeling like a week.... I just knew that Jade's mommy needed chocolate. So, we went to the store and got some nice dark chocolate (with sea salt--my new favorite.) We also picked up a balloon for each of her children.

We took our goodies to Jade's house. She wasn't home. So, we left the stuff on their porch. I called Jade's mommy when we got back home. She's still pregnant. I offer to watch her children early this week so that she can nap or whatever. Naps can sometimes be more important than chocolate. She says that sounds great.

So, I'm glad I followed this prompting and look forward to serving today or tomorrow.

I am also praying for promptings and to know how to best use my time. It is so limited right now with a newborn and I feel that I do not always use it wisely. Which direction should I go? What is most important for me to be doing right now?

The Lord always knows what's going on in my mind

Today is Sunday. Last Sunday I told my wayward daughter that I would be stopping by her house this Sunday morning to invite her to go to church with me. She told me that she'd probably say "no," and I told her that I'd be stopping by anyway at 8 a.m.

At 8:28 a.m. this morning, I finally got out the door. As we drove to church, I realized that there was no way we'd make it to church on time if we stopped at her house on the way, so we drove on. At 8:50 a.m. we pulled into the parking lot. I sat in the car, thinking, for a moment and then asked my husband for the keys, because I felt strongly that I needed to go find my little lost sheep, even if I was late.

Just after 9 a.m., I knocked on her door, twice, before she finally dragged herself out of bed to greet me at the door, shooting visual daggers at my face and telling me "no" when I asked if she'd like to come to church with me. I smiled, kissed her on the cheek and happily hopped back in my car and started driving back to church.

As I was driving, I noticed the time and felt distressed that there was no way I'd make it back to the chapel in time to take the sacrament. The chapel was still 10 minutes away, and it was already 9:15. You have to understand, I really, really like to take the sacrament every week. It's so important to me. As I was stressing over this, I wondered if the Lord would take into consideration that I was on His errand when I didn't make it back in time to take the sacrament. Soon, I realized this was flawed thinking, because the Lord would've gotten out of the house on time and done it before church.

* sigh *

As I was wallowing in my pathetic thoughts, a new thought hit me and hit me hard. I thought, "Look up and pull off at the next chapel you see." My answer to that thought was, "Uh yeah...there aren't any chapels between here and my chapel. I know because I drive this road ALL the time."  Then I saw the steeple and my mouth fell open. Where in the world did that church come from??? Surely, it wasn't there before!

So, I pulled into the first open spot I saw and started running as fast as one can run in 3-inch heels. The chapel wasn't like any I'd seen before which is why I must not have noticed it before. The building didn't even look like a chapel to me, except that steeple sticking out of the top of the trees. Then I thought, "It would be just my luck that this is a Baptist or Presbyterian church." I double checked the side of the building as I "raced" through the parking lot and felt relief as the words "Latter-Day Saints" flashed by. I just wanted to make it in time, at least, for the water.

I flew through the door with my ears straining to hear where they were in the Sacrament Meeting when to my dismay, I hear a language that definitely isn't English. I've cruised right into a language branch. Because I can't tell where we're at in the meeting just by listening, I poked my head into the meeting and realized there are NO seats available in the back, but they are just finishing the prayer on the bread. So, I decide to stand in the foyer and hope they serve in the foyer in this branch. They do.

After the sacrament, I race back to the car and fly back to my chapel. I walk in just as the bishop is opening the testimonies to the congregation.

I sat and realized that despite the trip across town and back and the non-English stop-off, I actually didn't miss any of the really important parts of church. The Lord made it possible for me to run His errand and still make it to all of the important parts of the meetings. It never ceases to amaze me that He is just SO aware of me. He makes me feel like the most important person in the world. He makes me feel like this earth life revolves around me. The neatest part is, He can make everyone feel that way if they let Him.

Many thanks...

Last Saturday night we were camping at our property. I and the girls were having grilled toast with jam as the men of the home went to the Priesthood session of general conference. As we ate, I looked around t the mountain sides with their colors of autumn, and wondered how much longer would we be able to camp. Somewhere in this thinking process, the idea came into my mind to clean up our site tomorrow. I didn't think more on this until Sunday morning when Gove began to ask what we should do. I started talking about how peaceful it is and how I sleep a little better in the fresh air. Suddenly Gove says we should pack up and then I remember the thought I had the night before. We started packing, we didn't miss either session but we did close up for the season.

Our family sat at the dinner table this Wednesday night with grateful hearts and a wonderful example of listening to a prompting to act. Now there is some amount of snow and our tent and outhouse would have been damaged if we decided to not listen to the holy ghost.

We had a nice discussion about working on the Sabbath, listening to say go be do's and being thankful for the wisdom of a loving Heavenly Father who guides when you can't see anything wrong because it's to far out there.

Acting on a thought...

The first of this week, I felt I should take a quick meal to the gal of my last posting at this site. She wasn't home. I left a quick note and thought nothing else of it. A few days later I received a thank you note. It was what she needed that evening.

I just followed the thought.

Did it.

I made the phone call. Left a message. Followed-up with an e-mail. It should have been done months ago, but at least it is done now. Yeah!

How come that was so hard? :)

Testing the site.

I just signed up on the right hand side to receive emails when there is a posting. Testing it right now.

...hmmm not working so far.

Hey, it works. I received an email at about 11am with all the post from the day before. On my moblie phone, it looked very nice.

Good luck

Thanks for getting me started!

 Here are some of my recent SGBD's:

 1. Exercise for just 20 minutes a day, not counting stretching. Sounds wimpy I know...but that was my SGBD!  Would you know that I am now LOVING exercise again! I had got out of the habit and it's been years  since I've actually enjoyed it. I trade off days between cardio and weight training and my little 20 minute effort has resulted in less chiropractor visits, better sleep and more energy.

2. In a past conference talk we were told to turn our sympathies to action. That council comes to my mind often when I feel sympathy for another person's situation. Often I can't come close to solving anything and I often feel my offering is less then adequate, but according to the council received in conference, I need to do something.

The impression to do came to me when I was talking to a neighbor and hearing about her financial troubles. I felt impressed to buy her a Grocery store gift certificate. I had a certain amount come to mind. I told my husband about my thoughts but didn't mention the amount. He came up with the same amount. The amount wouldn't come close to what she needed but it could say, 'We love you and God is watching over you'.

 When I gave her the gift this morning I had a chance to hear more of her story. I felt impressed to share what I learned with another friend and  a trail of promptings through other people spread through the neighborhood- which led to a way to get her some bread orders. (She sells homemade bread.) Our ward will be buying her loaves for the RS dinner and also our Christmas dinner. Stake leaders were notified so that other wards can use her for their parties as well. As it turns out, many people following SGBD's led to a way to help my friend way more then my original little gift ever will.

3. I was wanting more overgrown zucchini the other day, if you can imagine that! We usually have more then we can eat. This year however has been different because we have found more ways to eat it that we like and have been dehydrating some as well. I felt impressed to call an 80 year old widow in our ward and ask her if she had any overgrown zucchini that she didn't know what to do with. I am not comfortable asking for things and was going to push the thought aside to avoid the discomfort. I really didn't want her to give me zucchini out of generosity if she would have used it herself.  I thought of the need to act on SGBDs and decided to act on the impression to call.

Her response: "Do I ever! Two of them, big as a sailboat that I don't want to use! Bring your car because they are big!" It turns out that she felt very relieved because she hates things to go to waste. She had been trying to find time to call around to see who might want the zucchini. So , I saved her time, relieved her burden and blessed my family with zucchini!

To top it all off, this morning I find out that my friend who is very sick with her pregnancy is craving zucchini muffins! Now I have plenty of zucchini to make her some.

This is getting fun. Thanks for getting me going!

Was she alive? I didn't know until I followed a say go be do...

Last Thursday morning I was reading from the Book of Mormon to our children, when Jennifer E. called me. She was following a sgbd. How glad I am that she did so. It was what I needed to receive to help me follow on a nagging sgbd that I was ignoring because I was "too busy".

 For the last couple of weeks now I have wondered about a gal I meet through the protest earlier this year. I knew she was to have a baby this summer but I had not seen any post within the hs online sites with her name. I was actually wondering if something might have gone wrong.
Later that same Thursday while driving past her street, I said I had to go see and find out. I turned around and went to the front door. I wasn't even sure if they lived there any more. Luckily for me Michelle was there with a new baby boy just one month old.
What was neat about stopping and visiting, was that Michelle told me how she would like to visit and talk with me and I felt the same way. Sadly our days are busier then is rational but I see that I can have this good woman and her children over for lunch and enjoy an opportunity to talk about government and wonderful books we are both reading and learning from.

Thank you Jennifer for getting me going again.

Here We Go Again! Yeah!

Yeah! Jennifer has invited anyone who wants to, to revisit our SayGoBeDo Challenge. I am so ready for another 30 days of writing about my inspirations. I know we have some friends that are just doing it for the first time, too. I'm excited to hear what everyone is doing to follow the spiritual promptings in their life.

I have really been in a slump as far as inspiration goes. I think it stems from the fact that I received a SGBD about two months ago.... and, I haven't acted on it. Still. Oh, I have all sorts of lovely excuses. Mostly that I'm busy with a newborn... Can't find the phone numbers I need... yada, yada, yada....

(By the way, here is my little newborn, Talia...)

But, I'm ready to get back on track. A few days ago Jennifer mentioned wanting to start again and I knew that is what my life needed right now. I made a promise to Heavenly Father that I would make that phone call after the conference weekend. I've got both phone numbers written on a sticky note on my computer and I'm set to go. I'll let you know when it happens.

So, after I made that promise, I have received AND ACTED on a couple more SGBDs.

• Yesterday I felt I needed to go outside and talk to Reed. I found him in the back yard. We had a brief conversation. While out there I remembered that I needed to cover some important items with a tarp. I also remembered that our canopy needed to be taken down. We were supposed to get a storm. I took care of these things with Ivan's help and even though it hasn't rained yet, I am prepared when it does. What a relief.
• I was cleaning up the living room this evening and I know I was inspired to look in the crevices of our black chair. It tends to suck things up and never give them back. I found my dad's wallet! He is visiting from Georgia and had already left to stay at a different home this evening. Not only will he now be able to attend the temple tomorrow morning, but he will also be able to get on his flight back home on Tuesday. I'm so glad I found it!!

So, that is about it. I loved the conference story that Pres. Monson shared about Peter Mourik and the temple dedication. That is the goal, right? Act on those promptings no matter what. Are they hard? Yes. Are they inconvenient? Often. But, oh how beautifully the spirit can work when we listen!

--Lisa

B12 SGBD Project

I'm so excited that so many of you are interested in joining me in this adventure! As mentioned before, please feel free to invite anyone you feel inclined to invited to join us. Thank you, Nicki, for letting us reuse this fabulous page that you created.

My first official SGBD was today during General Conference. My thoughts kept returning to my oldest, prodigal daughter. She'll be 20 on Thursday, and she's so lost. As I watched Conference, I kept thinking that I needed to either send that letter I wrote her a few weeks ago or call her up and apologize for the mistakes I made as a parent while she lived with me. I knew I needed to mean it or I shouldn't say it.

After the first Sunday session, I decided to take the kids for a little walk around the neighborhood to get the mental juices flowing, and, suddenly, it just hit me. I needed to text her and invite her to come watch the second Sunday conference session with us at the house. (insert mental pause here) WHAT?!? This is the kid that proclaims to hate me and the church every time either subject comes up. Yet, I'm suppose to invite her to spend several hours in the same room with me, sitting on my couch, being civil and watching the prophets proclaim the gospel? Are you kidding me??? (another slight pause)

Ok.

So, I sent the text. After a LONG pause (like an hour) she responded that she would love to, but she wasn't in a very good place in life and didn't feel that she was worthy to watch conference. I responded, "It doesn't matter where you are in life. Just come home." Another long pause....and she replied, "Ok. I'll come over."

At 1:57 pm, she knocked on the door and to everyone's surprise, there she stood in our doorway. My family was floored, because I hadn't exactly mentioned that I'd done this. I wasn't sure that she would really show up, so I kept it to myself.

In the end, she stayed, actually watched Conference, played with my little kids after and ultimately visited with me on the couch for about an hour and a half. I apologized for all the things I could think of to apologize for, and I meant it. I counseled her in things that she needed help with, and she actually listened. Even if nothing with her changes right now, I'm so glad I followed that seemingly crazy SGBD moment.

In Progress

Yesterday I found myself thinking, "Why on Earth did I say that?" I then realized earth had nothing to do with it. I am grateful for what I am learning and practicing, so that I was able to say what Heaven needed said.

I know the thirty days is over, but I want to keep these goals fresh in my life.

Final Thoughts

I know it has been a while since I have posted and I know that the 30-day challenge is over, but I just wanted to express my closing thoughts.

I have really enjoyed this challenge to SayGoBeDo. It has really taught me to follow and act on those promptings I receive from my Heavenly Father. Sometimes it doesn't always follow through like I think it will, but I am learning a lot.

I am trying to say more prayers to ask for guidance. I am trying to not hesitate if I am prompted to do something. I am learning to be a woman of action. It is a blessing in my life. Even though I haven't been posting, I have been listening and acting on several promptings. And, I have really loved getting to know each of you a little better. Your words of wisdom have inspired me to be a better person, so thank you for that.

What a great challenge and I hope to be able to only improve and live as I should. May the Lord bless all of us on our journeys through life.

-Lisa Pratt

This is not the End

Although my final post, this is not the end. I value what I have learned through this challenge and what each of you have shared. Thank you for organizing, and allowing me to join you.

These last couple of weeks I have felt "deaf" to what I needed to do. Well yesterday, meeting with the school, felt like the final step had been taken to begin the closure. In hind sight, I have been overly anxious to be done with this healing process, but I was rushing others too much. Each needs to go through their own steps and processes one step at a time.

At our CES class this morning we talked about being yoked with our Savior and, while at our side, He will never walk faster than we are able. As we yoke up with our family members and friends, we too need to walk at their pace.

The message I feel, "Be Still and Know that I Am." I am grateful that I have been "stilled", so I can again "know". I don't know how else to sum up where I am now, and why my absence the last couple of weeks.

I am anxious to keep finding the peace as I say go be do!

Thanks again to all.

Have a great summerT

My Final Post

I've been overwhelmed in my personal life. I've been feeling the feelings that are described in the hymns and scriptures. (i.e. Is there no balm?, Where can I turn for peace?) Fortunately, my parents joined the church when I was a child and raised me with great zeal in the gospel. I know the Lord loves me and that's what gets me through. I also know that this is where my SGBD's come from. I've had so many. Even though I am caught up with other items on my plate, I have not forgotten to be still enough to listen and expect guidance via SGBG.

During the last two weeks, I've had a lot of the common ones like make a phone call, send a note, send a text, spend time right now with a specific child, read this book, but my most memorable experience was with "the neighbors"...you know the ones.

I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to do something else other than bake the bread that, obviously, only worked on me. My neighbor is great at making her yard look lovely with all the things she plants in her flower beds. I stood on my back deck and looked at my backyard full of dandelions (which I happen to like because they are such a vibrant yellow) and figured that she probably finds my yard aesthetically unappealing. If I was an avid yard-person, I'd hate looking at my backyard. I am limited in what I can do, because I've chosen to rent. (My landlord isn't interested in me doing anything permanent inside and out.) I decided that my yard was my next weapon of choice in this saga.

I built some gardening boxes that just sit on top of the bald spots of the yard, filled them with dirt and planted some fruits and veggies I got at a nursery. Then it came to me that I should buy some deck hanging baskets for flowers and herbs. I figured she's like looking at my flowers when she and her husband sat out at night on their deck. I knew that I couldn't punch holes in the deck railings, so I researched the heck outta those deck baskets and found ones that simply slide onto the railing without any hardware. When I saw them, I knew she'd just love them.

My lovely deck baskets showed up on May 18. I was outside planting them when suddenly the neighbors came out their back door to head down to plant their garden boxes. The old man just looked at me with his usual glare and the woman actually spoke to me for the first time in the 18 months I've lived here. She said, "Where did you get those baskets? I like those. They are alright!" I caught myself staring at her with my mouth hanging open. I felt like I was in the movies. It was so silly. I quickly regained my composure and was able to answer her.

From there, she starts telling me where I can buy cheap fertilized dirt and about how sad she is that she's lost her favorite rose bush this year. As I continued planting my deck baskets, I was sneaking peeks at her planting her seeds in her garden. Then I remembered that I'd accidentally bought WAY too many onion starts, so I decided to offer them to her. She accepted.

The next day, my daughter came in with a very concerned look on her face and said, "Mom, something is going on. The neighbor lady just smiled and said hi to me."

Therefore, I've determined that the way to my heart is food. They way to her's is plants. I need to remember to speak the "love language" of those around me to get the results I'm hoping for. I already knew that, but I suppose I just needed a reminder course.

Thank you, Nickie, for including me in this project. What an incredible group of women you are. I'm proud to call you my friends.

Warmly,
Jennifer

Just Keep Trying...

I want to be a super follower of Jesus Christ. The reality of myself is that I fall short all the time or I get lazy and use my agency to ignore what I should do, ie. Prayers, scripture reading, making time to ponder what our Lord wants me to do today. I see I'm not giving time for listening for sgbd's. I think some will still come because I want to do these things perhaps if I adjusted more willingly....

Anyway, I'm trying to think about how wonderful Heavenly Father is, that he doesn't force me. Will I beat myself or force others? I'm trying to listen in this area better.

Good luck in all of your righteous endeavors ladies.

Thank you for taking the Say Go Be Do challenge.

Nickie

It's Not Really The End...

The sad news is that the 30 day challenge ends on Monday which is Memorial day and I imagine some of you are busy this weekend. I need to get outside and plant this morning. So, the good news is that the challenge has been extended until the 31st!

It's been a little quieter then I had hoped over the past two weeks. Yet I understand we are busy mothers and I feel, like Dina, that we are using our awareness more actively to recognize promptings.

My husband told me he had a sgbd yesterday to stop and pick up a boy in the ward who has some level of mental disability and invite him to come help he and Eli work on building a clay oven. Dillon seemed to enjoy the experience and is coming this morning too. This awareness of sgbd is spreading to others. I like using the term say go be do to describe my promptings. It feels right to me.

Friday morning I awoke just after 5:30am and my first thought was that the bicycles need to be fixed. I told Gove this and he and the kids (mostly Eli) had a bike for each of us ready to go by 11am. I felt that Gove recognized this as a prompting and he was willing to help see it fulfilled.

My last post called Oh Boy, spoke of uneasy feelings. Later that afternoon I spoke with Mattia's dyslexia instructors to clarify the summer schedule and Tia's progress with other children in her class. At the end of our conversation I felt some of my tension/uneasiness dissipate. What a relief. I still feel the need to learn proper principles of government. I was stumped until last night about what it was I'm feeling to learn about government. It's the principles!

Ladies, I hope you will end this challenge will a post regarding what you have gained in understanding of yourself, following promptings and the challenges to do so. I don't know, just share your closing thoughts. It is my plan to make a booklet for each of us as a keepsake.

Thank you for participating.

-Nickie

Oh boy

This isn't an actual sgbd but I feel I need to just express this feeling that I can't figure out.  I'm sure it's something I will have to be prepared for and thus I won't know any time soon but maybe I can be looking.

Here it goes...

I have a feeling that I need to do something. I can't put my finger on it. I felt a couple of nights ago that I need to learn more about government. But I'm not sure that is what I feel right now. I feel like I need to go and do... something.

I've prayed about it this morning but no comfort for the feeling. It feels like tension in a way but not stress. Perhaps this is a sense of a need to do or MAYBE it's more like a need to become. Become what?, I ask myself.

I felt so uneasy with President Obama saying to Israel that they should have  borders similar to the 1960's. But I don't know why I feel uneasy about this. I feel emotional concerns for my country but I can't pinpoint what it is and I'm more sure that I don't even know myself because I haven't learned it yet.

There it is again! That negative thought " How can I do this when I don't have enough time." Ugh, I don't like having this feeling, so I'm going to get active with YASA stuff and see if it goes away. No, I don't want it to go away necessarily but rather if I can feel guided in some direction to take with this ball of feelings inside of me.

My Paper

Hi ladies! I hope you are all having a wonderful week. I am so excited to be a part of women who are actively seeking to improve.

I wrote a paper for a class I took and I would like to share it since it has to do with SGBDs and is a result of following one. Please don't feel obligated to read it all since it is rather lengthy, but you know how you take greater care to express yourself well when you have a larger audience. I needed that positive peer pressure : ) Thanks again ladies for who you are!

The Principle of Preparation

My eyelids pop open with the realization that today promises to be an impossible day. The tasks before me loom like an ominous, dark cloud and that familiar feeling of dread begins to creep into my being. My feet barely hit the floor before to-dos tumble around in my mind: home school, chores, morning routine, laundry, Liberty Girls, basketball practice, drama class, and the decision of what to make for dinner that would be easy, quick and healthy, knowing we have little food to work with because I need to go shopping. Just the thought makes me want to lie back down and pull the covers over my head.

We’ve all had those days where it is not humanly possible to squeeze in all that we think we need to accomplish. Yet there are people who seem to pull it off. Mr. Gilbreth in Cheaper by the Dozen achieves record time as his family prepares for an outing or when all twelve children are dressed, the morning routine done like clockwork. What is the difference? Why can some seem to accomplish so much in little time while others scramble to keep their heads on straight?

Some may argue that having systems in place ensure the Gilbreth family success with the to-dos in a family of fourteen. While certainly systems account for their time breaking records, I wish to explore an even more fundamental level of his accomplishments—preparation. In Webster’s Dictionary the word “prepare” is defined as “to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use or activity” and also “to put in a proper state of mind.” The motion study expert and father of twelve had to identify what end result he desired and then prepare a system that would answer that end. He spent time teaching and drilling the children to respond quickly when asked. His whole profession involved an in-depth study of the most efficient way to carry out tasks and then spent his time preparing his subjects to execute at that level.

The definition “to make ready beforehand for some purpose” calls to mind another large family on the other side of the globe. Imagine for a moment that you are in the countryside surrounding Salzburg, Austria in the early 1940s on Easter Sunday. “This morning, when the families walk to church, you see them carrying bundles large and small. On the Sunday of Sundays even the food which will be on the table later for sumptuous Easter breakfast is blessed [by the priest]. The father carries the big ham, the mother, the artistically baked Easter bread with raisins popping out all over, and the children are entrusted with the basketsful of Easter eggs and little dishes of salt.” In The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, Maria Augusta Trapp details how all this food is then blessed by the priest.

In our day and age we would scoff at all that extra work while chiding to “keep it simple”. However the longer I consider the Catholics in Austria, the more I realize the “extra” work they did was a form of worship, a way to adore the Lord for His ultimate sacrifice. They spent the beginning of Easter holidays in “feverish” spring cleaning mirroring the internal cleansing that occurs during Lent. Everything they did during the Easter season symbolized their adoration for the Lord.

The Austrian Easter ceremony caused me to reflect on the scriptures. What does God have to say about the topic of preparation? The entire mission of John the Baptist was to “prepare” the way of the Lord. Why was his calling so important? What would cause the Lord to say to the multitudes about John, “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist…” (Matthew 11:9-11)?

These questions lead to more which in turn lead me to the answer for which I seek. What if John the Baptist never came? What would have happened when the Lord came into the world? I can imagine that the people would not be, using Webster’s words, “put in the proper state of mind.” There is that theme again, anticipating or preparing for the Lord is part of worshipping him. The people needed to know he was coming so they would be ready to accept him as their Savior.

Another prophet spent a good portion of his life preparing. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world…” (Hebrews 11:7) Not only did he build the physical structure, he gathered two of every animal, seeds and food, not to mention preparing his family for the impending journey. Noah showed his great faith by acting when the Lord commanded. Each act of preparation must have been for Noah an act of faith, a way to worship God.

Just as God commanded Noah, He has given us commandments that if we heed can allow us to show our faith in Him. In Doctrine and Covenants 85:3 it states, “He may tithe his people to prepare them.” How is living the law of the tithe preparation? By sacrificing we learn to a small degree to be like the Savior who sacrificed His life. We will also be prepared to live the law of consecration. God teaches his children in Doctrine and Covenants 38:30, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” We can find comfort in preparing for emergencies, storing food, saving money for a rainy day and doing our family history. Many of God’s commandments share an element of preparation since the scriptures tell us that “this life is a time to prepare to meet God.” (Alma 12:24) By preparing we can show our love and devotion to God. We are promised that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

We get a glimpse of these blessings in the temple. Everything we do in the temple has to do with preparation. The ordinances help prepare us and others to return to live with our Heavenly Father. Once while living in New York I arrived just in time, but rushed to a temple session. My mind was racing with everything I needed to do before I could enter the endowment room. Later as I sat pondering how I treated a trip to the Lord’s holy house, I was struck by my lack of devotion. My mind was not clear and ready to worship or receive much needed revelation. I vowed to be better prepared when attending the temple. Around that same time, a sweet, elderly sister taught us how to care for our temple clothes. As I did as she had taught and washed my temple clothes, I was again struck at how even preparing to enter the temple is a form of worship.

Formally worshipping the Lord in the temple obviously shows our faith and devotion, but does the principle of preparation apply temporally? How does the Gilbreth children executing record time in anticipation of an outing show adoration to the Lord? Everyone is given the same amount of time in this life. We are stewards over that time. H. Jackson Brown, Jr. counsels, “Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” By using the time we have been given wisely, we can in effect show our respect to the Giver of the gift.

Attitude and awareness are the defining elements. The manner in which I prepare a meal for my family, prepare clothes by doing the laundry, or prepare my children for bedtime can show my adoration and faith if I do so with an attitude of devotion. Making time for each activity throughout my week creates space: space to love and play with my children, space to pray, space to hear and act upon promptings. This space can potentially eliminate impatience, hurrying, tardiness, frustration and the destructive effects to relationships and our personal state of being these negative experiences can cause. By using the time God has given me in an efficient way, I can show my gratitude and respect. I will become an instrument in the Lord’s hands available to His inspiration and guidance. No longer will I crawl back in bed defeated, I will welcome each day with peace and confidence. It’s about time.