Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts

Sunday, October 25, 2009

20/ 20 HINDSIGHT

I hate going to church.

Almost each and every Sunday, I am racing out of the front door at the last possible minute (or on days such as today, 20 minutes later that that), usually wearing whatever was the closest to the door in the closet, having frantically stuffed my two bags with what I think I am going to need in church.

And I tear up our dirt road - me, the resident who is OBSESSIVE about people driving ANY speed on our roads that raise ANY dust, who normally is creeping along at about 8 mph and continually staring at her rear-view mirror to ensure that I am not leaving any sort of cloud behind me - I go hauling truck at about 30 mph, HUGE swirls of tan clouds being kicked up by my tires.

I hit the highway, pressing the speed limit as close as I feel I can (and for me, that's about 3 miles over - I am also compulsive about not driving too fast - why get a speeding ticket, EVER, when all you have to do is drive the allotted amount - and don't mind having drivers continually passing you with angry hand gestures).

I skid into the church parking lot, being forced to park at the far end of the lot (people don't start leaving church until after the sacrament is passed), walk as fast as heels and an A-line skirt will let me, try to slip into the front church pew without attracting attention (yeah, like that's possible), and catch my breath.

And three hours later, without fail, I walk out of church incredibly thankful that I came to church, I was taught, I learned, and I feel hopeful for this coming week.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

MY SISTER'S KEEPER

I have to reason myself into attending church services. As in almost every single Sunday.

My nice warm bed can smoothly sweet-talk me into staying under the comforters (my husband takes the dogs out and feeds the horses for me on Sunday mornings, bless him) and remaining unconscious until late afternoon.

And it isn't like I hate church. I always learn something - and yes, normally something that I've heard 3,275 times before but still need to more fully incorporate into my life - and I get my spiritually weekly fill that I so desperately need, as much as I hate to admit it (note to self: review lesson on humility once again).

However, today, after dragging my sorry behind to services, I heard an remarkable suggestion just before church ended.

The lesson was about living in peace and harmony with others. And the teacher freely admitted that when she had first reviewed this lesson a few months ago, she realized that she needed to mend some of her own family relations to be able to teach this lesson.

So she challenged us to mend any strains we might be having with family members.

Which prompted me to call my sister tonight for the first time in a long time.

And I'm glad I did. Because it turns out my brother-in-law decided that they needed to sell their home in Pasadena and move back to Michigan. And she was packing.

And I probably wouldn't have known about it for quite a while.

Thanks, Heavenly Father, for getting the message to me, and I'm sorry I make it so difficult sometimes.

I'll try to do better from now on.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

DAY FIVE

Proposed Schedule for Sunday Morning:

0530 - Awake, shower, shave legs, blow-dry hair

0545 - Study scriptures for Sunday School lesson

0600 - Fix family breakfast of pancakes, eggs and fresh fruit

0700 - Read "Bible Stories For Children" and discuss

0730 - Let grandchildren rinse dishes and load dishwasher

0800 - Leave house for church




What Actually Happened Sunday Morning:

0530 - Hit 'snooze' button.

0545 - Hit 'snooze' button again.

0600 - Decided to skip shower. Will wear extra long-skirt.


0800 - Awake from unintended sleep. Children already awake.

0815 - Dress children in church clothes before breakfast.

0830 - Take church clothes off and let them eat breakfast naked.

0845 - Frozen waffles eaten only partially thawed. Milk to drink.

0900 - Rinse granddaughter covered with milk in kitchen sink.

0915 - Dress both children. Change own outfit due to milk spills.

0945 - Load children in SUV.

1000 - Redress granddaughter due to diaper leak.

1015 - Redress grandson due to spilled juice.


1030 - Take children back instead and turn Wii games on for them.

1045 - Take Vicoden - go to sleep on couch.