Cleanliness

People who know me well--or even just a little--know that I'm a little bit OCD when it comes to having a clean house. Yes, I'm a neat freak. There are some good things and some bad things that come with this characteristic. The bad things are obvious to my husband and kids. I'm a huge nagger about cleaning up, and I exhaust myself with so much. . . cleaning up. I get upset about the little messes my kids make, which is pretty silly. And our living room couches--I have to smooth out the wrinkles after they have been sat on. Now that is ridiculous. But I suppose there are some good things that come with this characteristic. Since I can't go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink or toys on the floor, we always wake up to a clean house. Once a week I sanitize the house top to bottom, so we usually don't live in dirt. And I LOVE to organize, so it's not too hard to find things, as everything has a place. I truly believe that I was born this way. My mom could testify. I have a hard time feeling peaceful, happy, or relaxed when I'm living in a mess. In Discourse of Brigham Young I love some of the things he says on keeping a clean house. It helps me feel a little bit better about my "disorder."

"I am addressing myself to the ladies of the Kingdom of God, to those who know how to keep their houses, furniture and beds pure and clean, who can cook food for their husbands and children in a way that it will be clean, tasteful and wholesome. The woman that can do this I call a lady. In this view I differ from the world generally."

"A good housewife, whether she possesses much or little, will have a place for everything she has in the house, and make her house orderly and comfortable, and everything when wanted can be found in its place."

Angels

One of the talks that I heard today during General Conference was on angels, "seen and unseen," by Jeffrey R. Holland. I loved this talk for many reasons. I have never heard anyone speak on this topic, and I gained a fresh perspective on people and on heaven. There have been times recently when I have really wanted to feel comforted and protected. I've been able to feel that comfort and protection through exercising my faith and through letting go of my fears. It's taken a while, but I've been able to feel at peace for the most part. It's possible that I've been watched over by angels. Maybe all of us are most of the time. This talk also helped me realize that many people who I see and talk to on a daily basis are also angels. There are people who are "angelic" in their kindness and selflessness, because they are on the Lord's errand. These people are often answers to many prayers. I think of my visiting teacher, who is so Christlike and who has talked me through a lot of my worries and struggles. I think of my mother and mother-in-law, who have selflessly and righteously served their families for so many years, never expecting or getting much in return. Now that I'm a mom, I'm starting to see just a little bit of what they went through, and I realize how often they had and still have to draw upon the powers of heavn. I think of a roommate--four years of college--who was definitley heaven sent. She helped me decide what kind of person I wanted to be, and she taught me to enjoy life, even when life was hard. I think of having children and how innocent and angelic they are. I think of righteous priesthood holders in my life, most especially my husband, my father, and father-in-law, who bring happiness to so many people by exercising the God-given power of the priesthood. I'm grateful that we're not so far from heaven, that these experiences can be real.

Time

"Dost thou love life?
Then do not squander time,
For that is the stuff life is made of."
-Benjamin Franklin

Ways You Can Save Time
by Alan Lakein, an Authority on Time Management

Try to find a new technique every day that will help you gain time.

Plan your schedule the first thing in the morning, and set priorities for the day. Make a list and tick off the important items first.

Have a light lunch so you don't get sleepy in the afternoon.

Consult your list of lifetime goals once a month, and revise them if necessary. Identify activities that you can do each day that will further your goals.

Carry blank index cards to jot down notes and ideas.

Delegate everything you possibly can to others. Use specialists to help with special problems.

Try not to work on weekends!

Give yourself time off as a special reward when you've accomplished important tasks.

Start with the most profitable parts of big projects.

Focus on projects that you are convinced will provide you with the greatest long-term benefits.

Examine old habits for possible streamlining.

Put "waiting time" to good use; relax, read, or do something else you wouldn't otherwise have done.

Don't waste time regretting failures, or feeling guilty about what you don't get done.

Remind yourself: "There is always enough time for the important things."