Living an Abundant Life

Life is challenging. At times I feel like the circus act where I am spinning plates on top of poles. As I was thinking about how some of those plates have fallen recently for me I thought of the First Presidency message of Jan, "Living the Abundant Life". President Monson defines it as "a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings".  He went on to describe the ABCs to help us all gain the abundant life.

Have a Positive Attitude

Believe in Yourself

Face Challenges with Courage

I definitely need to improve on those accounts.  I also searched for "Balance LDS" and found this article about Julie B. Beck, "Go to the Lord for Help with Balance" 

"“When we make covenants, we promise that everything belongs to the Lord—our time, our abilities, everything we have is His. That means we have to go to Him to know how to balance all that.”"

Another article is "Seeking a Balanced Life"

He give four areas of priorities: our love for Heavenly Father and His Son, our care of our families, our service to the Lord, and our life’s temporal work.

I am encouraged by the testimony of President Hinckley,

“… How do you balance them? I don’t think that is difficult. I served in many capacities in this Church. I am the father of five children, who were young and growing up when I was serving in those various capacities. … We enjoyed life. … We just did what the Church expected us to do.”

Elder Hallstrom also said,

"When we are out of balance, we have a choice. We can delay making changes and experience the tragedy of a failing family or the sorrow of losing our own spirituality; or we can be attentive and continually nudged by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to make necessary adjustments. Seeking balance among the essential responsibilities of life is preparatory to salvation."

...

"For many, properly caring for the family is the first area of compromise when other demands arise, since the results of neglect are not always immediately apparent. But nurturing the husband-wife relationship and building a spiritual home require men and women of vision and commitment."

I am sure the Lord will help me balance my responsibilities in the four areas of priority. I must seek His wisdom and ask for the courage and strength to carry it out. 

Pictures on Silence

On Sunday, we had Ward Conference. I loved listening to our Bishop and Stake President. The best part of the meeting for me though was when we ended the service singing "I Know that My Redeemer Lives".


"Without music, life would be a mistake." Friedrich Nietzsche

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." Victor Hugo

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Plato

"A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." Leopold Stokowski

"Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable." Leonard Bernstein

"Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite." Thomas Carlyle

Quotes were found compiled here