The Eighth Day

Today I had an interesting thought pop into my head.  I was thinking about Monday and how, in general, I like Mondays.  Perhaps it is because I don't 'work outside the home' that I can enjoy Mondays, but I think I like them for the same reason I like January.  It's new!  A new week, a new year...the feeling is the same to me.  It's refreshing to think that here is a brand new week, where I can make my lists and get things done.  In January I clean out the house and have no mercy on closets, toy rooms, and any other item left in plain sight.  On Monday I wake up and attack the house. It's usually pretty bad, no matter if we cleaned it all day Saturday or not.  It's back to schedules and routines and nap times.  But this is all beside the point.  It was my one interesting thought that I wanted to share...

What did the Lord do on the Eighth day.  On His Monday morning.  We know he worked really hard days 1-6 and then he rested on day 7, but what do we know about DAY 8? 

 I am just guessing here, because it doesn't spell it out for us in Genesis, but I'm guessing he got up and went to work.  He had just created a beautiful world with people in it, and now it was time.  Time to keep things running smoothly, time to be there for Adam and Eve and their innumerable posterity. Not time to bemoan his fate at having to keep up the whole world now. 

On Saturday I went to a sort of workshop for women.  There were 4 break out sessions, and you could choose one of 5 classes in each session, each session having different classes to choose from than the last.  I chose to go to "Be the Best You" for my first session, and there I learned one of the most valuable lessons of the day. While I won't get into the details of her class, I loved the one sentence that I came away with:

                                All that is necessary, is to begin.

How did the earth get created?  By beginning it.  Ever heard the words, "In the beginning..."
 It all had to start somewhere.  Whatever it is we want to be or do we just need to begin it.  Then! Well then we follow the pattern of the Lord...work, work, work, work, work, work, rest, work, work, work...

Nothing is going to be handed to us on a silver platter.  I am not instantaneously going to be a concert pianist or a published author, or have my scrapbook pages published in any magazines, or win mother of the year (though I might win it if it's said super sarcastically!).  But...I can begin to practice playing the piano better in public, I can begin writint a few stories for my kids and publish them myself, and I can make my scrapbooks the best I can and who cares who else likes them.  And I can focus more on doing the things I value in being a mother, instead of just wishing it into reality, which never really works. The important thing is that I do these things and begin.

Our home seems to have had lots of contention lately.  I have known for a while now that if we were more consistent in our Book of Mormon reading as a family that we would be able to call down the blessings of heaven.  Elder Marion G. Romney said:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).

So, Saturday night we BEGAN.  And it felt good, as beginning always does.  Beginning brings hope and satisfaction and a desire to keep going.  What's more fun than the beginning of a vacation?  Not much!  And what if we could somehow take that same enthusiasm for our life and the things we want to accomplish and instead of getting all overwhelmed and worked up, we were excited for what was coming.  Even if it is Monday morning!

So think about what you want to do, then make your plan (small attainable goals, here people) and then BEGIN!