This Day

In my Institute class I had the students write down before Conference any questions they had in their lives. One of mine was:

"How do I choose to spend my time when there are so many good things to do and so little time?"

The conference talk that answered my question in part was Elder Eyring's talk "This Day." I had never thought about how procrastinating the little important things today directly relates to procrastinating the day of my repentance eternally (duh!). Very humbling thought for me.

So here's a plan of action from Elder Eyring for every day to avoid that deadly procrastination bug:

"A morning prayer and an early search in the scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day. We can know which task, of all those we might choose, matters most to God and therefore to us. I have learned such a prayer is always answered if we ask and ponder with childlike submission, ready to act without delay to perform even the most humble service."

And a searing critique of any self-righteous feelings I have about "helping" the branch members "step up" and start running the branch on their own without expatriates helping:

"Complacency can affect even the seasoned adult. The better and the longer you serve, the more likely that the tempter can place this lie in your mind: "You have earned a rest." You may have been the Primary president in your little branch twice. Or you may have worked long and hard on your mission and sacrificed so much to serve. Or perhaps you were the pioneer in the Church where you live. The thought may come: "Why not leave the service to the new people. I have done my part." The temptation will be to believe that you will return to serve again, someday."

We did lunch after conference on both days. Loads of people came, even people who don't normally come to church. Probably because it was Easter, but we'll take what we can get. On the 1st day we fed about 60 people for about $30--Chinese takeout. Then Sunday several families brought rice with peas and carrots and yogurt salad and everyone gobbled it all up and then an Easter cake Isaac and I made for everyone.

Johnson John, Rebecca John, Nisha John, Nixon John

The boys were rather reverent for all four sessions in the dark chapel--cutting, coloring, drawing, pasting and picking up on some talks in the process. Isaac was so excited to be there in his calling as audio-visual specialist to get the TV, DVD player and speakers working properly. Russell cut up little pictures of the prophet & apostles over and over again, pasting them in interesting ways. And Graham has been sick with some sort of fever thing for several days so he did lots of cuddling and sleeping.

Here's the boys trying out our new cabinet in their usual hilarious way.

So I got lots out of the conference--more than I have for several years, I'd say. I think a big part of it was that I had to practice all that I've been preaching to my Institute students about preparing yourself physically and spiritually and then taking notes, etc. Being a CES teacher is bringing me loads of blessings. So lucky am I.

So off I go to try to make the most out of THIS DAY.