A journal entry from this last week with some of the worthwhile things I feel I am learning in my continuing walk with God. :) Chin up everyone! Keep plugging (and praying! and reading scriptures!...)
Journal,
Yesterday, Heavenly Father provided me insight about my current goals for my family's health.
1. Just because I was raised with sugary and salty food, doesn't mean that I have to carry on that tradition. But it explains why I gravitate towards those foods for myself and my family. 2. I don't have to make unhealthy foods to make sure the kids eat "enough". On the whole, we eat far more calories than we need, so if the kids only have 1/2-1 helping of something, or even only the required bite, as long as they drink, they can be just fine. (They'll be all the more willing to try something healthy at the next meal.)
At the same time as this shift occurred, I was also able to align my inner compass again and Charleston easily ran East and West, from California to New York, Valley View from North to South-Canada to Mexico.
I have heard that when the spirit is enlightening one area of your understanding, it sometimes also enlightens other areas, just by association, just like light illuminates everything it can touch-an entire room.
The kids went swimming with their cousins again last night. They had so much fun!
Kristen, Joseph, Benjamin and I watched "The Avengers" together yesterday. I can still be a good example to my kids without pretending perfection. They need to be protected still, but they also need to be trusted and have experience choosing for themselves.
Benjamin picked serving Grandma Esther as his item of service before we watched the movie-so all of the kids gathered flowers from the ice plants and took them to her with a hug. They obviously felt good about the experience. She came over and returned one of the baseball gloves and later came over and played audience for Kim's and my new arrangement of mom's pioneer song. :) It has such possibilities!
Rebecca is getting the brunt of my new outlooks as a parent. Her consequences are direct and natural, and sometimes seem harsh-but they are life lessons and are free from my confusing meddling that only prolong the lesson needing to be learned.
For instance, she continually took her blanket out of her bed-she was told that instead of washing it continually, which was the initial consequence, that it would be thrown away. Well, her last piece was "thrown away" the other day. (After it was thrown away, I rescued it and am going to incorporate it into a blanket I will make for her eventually, but for now she is without it, but has a better understanding of consequence.)
Another example is that she was told she can not go swimming if she has had a poop accident...makes sense, right? Well, she didn't use the bathroom yesterday and instead had an accident. She (lovingly, with gentle reminders about how it came about) did not go swimming with her cousins and siblings last night, but all she could talk about was how she was going to use the bathroom and go swimming next time.
With the other kids I would have been heartbroken, I would have tried to shield them from the consequences of their mistakes. I hope, and think I an doing Rebecca more of a service than I did them. (And they, I think have been protected by my best intentions, and can now benefit from a healthier approach.)
Anyway, I am still trying to let God into every experience and have constant communication with the spirit-and live worthy of it. I am repenting of pride and selfishness, sins of offense and omission...recognizing those weaknesses is a lot more efficient than trying to pretend they are not there...
Ryan's last full day was yesterday. :) Family time!
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