Wednesday, February 17, 2010

it's a mind, body, and spirit thing

I've already mentioned that last week we started the new exercise program, and I'm back on the diet wagon, but I wanted to mention something else I started anew again that same Monday.

The Relief Society sisters--women in our ward age 18 and up--had given themselves a collective challenge and goal to read the Book of Mormon all the way through starting January 1st and ending around General Conference time, April 6th or so. (The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and not a substitute for the Bible; we believe in and follow the teachings of both) Being that I'm semi-sequestered in the primary behind the piano, I hadn't heard about this plan until a couple of weeks into January. However, as week after week went by, I kept thinking I should jump in on the challenge and try to read the 530-some-odd pages before April anyway, because everyone was talking about the challenge.

At our Fast & Testimony meeting a couple of weeks ago (and for you non-LDS I realize I'm speaking a foreign language right now, my apologies, come to church with me and you'll find out what I'm talking about!) several sisters got up and spoke about the merits of regular reading and the growing testimonies because of it.

Now like my friend Heather said, it's not like this is a new concept...reading scriptures every day? We're supposed to do that anyway! But I'll be the first to say daily scripture reading had lost it's priority for me, for a time, and with that, daily prayer and all those good basics that, shame on me, I should have down. It's hard to feel the spirit if you're cutting yourself off from the most basic of communications with the Father. And how am I to develop a relationship with Him if I'm not talking to him every day? I mean, duh.

So I once again resolved to develop this good daily habit of reading my scriptures daily and praying, morning and night. I don't always remember--this morning for example, I said my morning prayer as I was driving to school, but I'm sure Heavenly Father heard me and appreciates my new effort. :)

Thus the goal for me is about 10 pages a day and I can finish it up by the first weekend in April, when I can watch and listen to General Conference and listen to the Lord's Prophet on Earth speak to us and teach us. Mostly and quite simply, I look forward to a renewed testimony of the Savior. Like my daily exercise, I haven't missed a day and I feel pretty good about that.

I'm thinking of it as a whole new me--mind, body, and now spirit.

11 comments:

leaner said...

Good for you, I love reading about your testimony and how much you love the church.

RS said...

Do you ever get the feeling that someone is talking about you...even though they don't say they are talking about you?

:)

musikmama said...

What a wonderful post.

Christine said...

Awesome! He hears us no matter where we talk to him :)

Anonymous said...

Love it. And boy, do I need a kick in the pants in that direction. Well said!

AZ HS Spotlight said...

Thanks for the great post Amie!

Dahlene said...

Yay Amie! It's a never ending struggle to do those things everyday on a consistent basis. Thanks for the reminder. We finally have the family prayer and scripture study down, now I need to work on my individual scripture time.

Anonymous said...

Good job Amie, on my mission I had the opportunity to counsel lots of couples with marital problems. 95%of them had stopped reading the scriptures and praying together. I'm sure there is a correlation there....

B

Anonymous said...

Good job Amie, on my mission I had the opportunity to counsel lots of couples with marital problems. 95%of them had stopped reading the scriptures and praying together. I'm sure there is a correlation there....

B

wittygal said...

Some how I get lost in world where the well being and eternal perspective for my children becomes more important than my own. And that is when I begin to end the good habits. I have to keep remembering that I am most important because not only am I teaching them to keep their own eternal perspective but you can't teach what you don't know.

jinxi~ aka angi said...

That is a great goal! Very do-able! :)