Mondays

I think I like Mondays because it is not the start of the work week for me (usually). I only work one Monday a month. This way I get to do some fun things and make sure I am still relaxed when I start work on Tuesdays. It also helps me to get prepared for Young Womens.

I can tell you all about what happened on the weekend, too. Gary and I went to the Deseret Industries between conference sessions on Saturday. He was looking for some business books for his Columbia classes. I have been reading more because I love reading. (I had stopped reading for a while, but am now back into it and am glad I am.) Anyway, we found a lot of books. In fact we got $450 worth of books for only $36.50. Don't you just love the D.I.? I do! What great finds!!

My favorite talk for conference this year was probably Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk about God's expectations for us. He wants us to be perfect and experience ultimate joy. He said that the Lord chastens those whom he loves. He said the Lord chastens us because He knows waht He wants us to do and be. He has special plans for us and we must be willing to listen to that chastening and then act on it so that we can become who the Lord knows we can be and do what He knows we can do.

Chastening pursuades us to repent, refines us and redirects our course and our lives. He chastens us through our prayers, through the remembrance of our deficiencies, through our leaders, family, friends and neighbors. We should be willing to listen and to take a look at the things they say to see if there is any truth to it. If there is, we should make the change (repent) and redirect our lives.

Elder Christofferson also said that we should be self-correcting. If we notice that something is amiss in us, we should change. Like the scriptures say about removing the beam from our own eye before we try to remove the mote from someone else. We must start with ourselves.

Sometimes I know we wish we would not be chastened, but I am grateful for the times He has done this. I have always ended up being a better person for it and come closer to Him. Conference is always a great time and I am glad on this Monday that I can reflect on the words of the Lord through His Apostles.