My messages from God....Duty, Preparedness, Self-Improvement!

My husband and I (when my neck isn't hurting!:)

My children need a Mom!

Today, I've had a lot of neck pain.  In fact, I've never had whiplash, but I venture to guess it feels like my neck.  Which is spasm-ing, hurts to turn, and throbs to tilt forward.  Tonight I'm sleeping in a recliner chair, in hopes that restricted movement will help improve my condition.

Normally, with this kind of pain I'd stay in bed all day.  I intended to in fact. I could use it as an excuse to rest and watch movies and be waited upon!  But, as I knelt in my morning prayer (and trust me, I considered using my neck as an excuse not to kneel, but decided God would see through the transparency of my soul if I did that, because he'd know it was my desire to be lazy) I heard words to a hymn, "you can not bid the sunshine to lengthen out its stay.  Improve the shining moments. Work while the sun is radiant;Work, for the night draws nigh."  (See complete words here at the music site that I get them :)

My son spraying the sprinkler at the back window.

Because of that hymn, and other considerations for the future I am trying to prepare myself and my children for, I decided I would work.  Even if it was slow and trudging...and yes, perhaps a little begrudging, I worked all day.  It was a slow day of sorting, separating, folding, tossing trash, etc... but, in the end I felt like I had something to be proud of---even though it was just a very small success in the scheme of things.

My two crazy "SUPER Hero" boys leaping
from my bed to my recliner!

I heard a few other hymns today.  Another hymn came, as I looked off my back deck into my backyard.  I felt upset and overwhelmed that despite work my husband and I had recently done to clean up our yard, and send things to the dump, that it was now cluttered and littered from our younger children in their summertime adventures.  I discovered where my missing measuring cups had gone to, as well as my mop bucket, broom,  and many other objects that belonged inside my house!! And yet, there came the words of the hymn ringing into my ears:  "Victory, victory though him who redeemed.  Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.And I knew with the help of God, I can change and improve in my life! (See the words to this hymn: "Behold! A Royal Army" here.)

Out of the four hymns that not-coincidentally played into my thoughts today (including
"Gently Raise the Sacred Strain" 

Little M playing the harmonica.

 and "Today, While the Sun Shines") three of them specifically are about duty, self-improvement and preparedness.  Do you think that maybe our loving heavenly Father is trying to teach me to improve my world, so that I can bless not just myself, but also my husband and children?!   I do!


Doctrine and Covenants 64:33
Wherefore, be not ^aweary in ^bwell-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of ^csmall things proceedeth that which is great.

Alma 34:32-33
32 For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors.

 33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many ^awitnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not ^bprocrastinate the day of your ^crepentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the ^dnight of ^edarkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

(read also 2 Timothy 2: 3, 22 and Isaiah 1:16-18) 

For the sake of my children and posterity, I must change for the better.  I hope you'll join me on this arduous, sometimes exhausting, but heavenly rewarding journey.   I know through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ we can  do all things!

Christine

P.S.  Sorry, but none of my photos are edited today, so I realize they aren't as bright and colorful as usual. :P