Little Lessons

Every now and then - While sitting at Church - The Heavens Open. The Clouds Part. And Angels and Glory Shine Down on my Little Family and keep my kids QUIET ENOUGH for me to HEAR the MESSAGE....

OR I am just in another state of BLISSFULLY UNAWARE while JT wrestles the 3 Tiny Monsters CLIMBING all over him and I am smiling up at the speaker...

Whatever the case- Recently I heard a Little Lesson that has CHANGED MY LIFE.

A few months back a friend was speaking and said something profound that I have to share. Jamie Stringham (that's right Jamie, a Shout Out in my Blog makes you Practically FAMOUS) was relating a story from the New Testament. (sorry, Jamie, I am going to butcher this - so you should leave a comment clarifying it!) I THINK it was the story of after Jesus' Transfiguration. He has this powerful and amazing experience and when they were done and came down from the mountain a "certain man" came to him and asked Christ to heal his son. Now Jesus could have said "I am really tired, can you bring him back in the morning?" But he didn't. We ALL KNOW how patient the Savior was and how we want to be like him. But this is where Jamie applied it to her life (and mine)

Jamie pointed out the Infamous Nightly Bed Time Routine. No, not the part where you brush the teeth, read the books, say the prayers and tuck them in. The part AFTER that. When they GET BACK OUT and begin STALLING. (in our house it can be anything from "I'm hungry" to "Did we Brush our Teeth?" which of course we did) Jamie pointed out how she can be more like the Savior at these times. Not getting upset or impatient, but being like Christ and loving our kids.

This has CHANGED MY WORLD! I went from totally FRUSTRATED, even ANGRY at the amount of EXCUSES that were taking place to a new level of PEACE. NOW when Riley gets out of bed-- I honestly tell myself that the Savior would have been patient. He would not yell, or get angry. Even IF He was tired. I find myself snuggling her back into bed, even singing another lullaby. I find myself even being GRATEFUL sometimes that she LOVES ME enough to want to keep stalling to be with me a little longer! I remind myself of something that my Pediatrician told me about her coming in during the middle of the night, to sleep in my bed - He said "I wouldn't stop her, someday she won't do that any more and you will miss it" She IS going to GROW UP . Someday she may be a Moody Teenager who does not want anything to do with her Mom singing her bed time songs! (and being 4 going on 15 I think that day is sooner than I realize) I want to be sure that the LAST THING RILEY THINKS OF BEFORE FALLING ASLEEP is that HER MOMMY LOVES HER. I don't ever want her to go to bed sad, or wondering.

I am sure the Savior COULD think to Himself "Come on, Katie, I JUST sang you that lullaby, or fixed that problem, or blessed you, or comforted you, and you are BACK OUT OF BED AGAIN?" But he doesn't. He just says "Come unto me."

Lucky Me.

i am an athlete??

I have NEVER been an ATHLETE. NO ONE has ever said"Katie? oh yeah, she's the athletic type". If you have known me longer than the last three years you are probably even laughing at the idea of me being an athlete!


Don't get me wrong - I really like sports. I have thought of myself as athletic-- sort of. I even played some sports in High School. Ok, Ok, I WAS on the C-Team for Basketball, and I spent more time running lines after practice for goofing off than I did playing time in the games. And I also played Soccer, but that was just a social outlet to hang out with my friends and a place where I could throw elbows and trip people without getting in trouble! (only if you call a million yellow cards and more time doing sit ups after practice for goofing off - NOT getting in trouble!!) I think we get the picture here. I was not trying to get in shape. I wasn't even trying to win. I was just having FUN.

I have always KNOWN I was not Athlete. Mostly for obvious reasons:

I am the weakest female on the planet. (lifting a cantaloupe at the store sounds like hard work) I do NOT think a Pony Tail is a HAIR STYLE. (I feel stressed out just writing that sentence!) I agree with Stacy and Clinton that Gym Shoes/Clothes belong IN the GYM and not out to lunch with your friends.

ok, just had to throw in their pic so you know it is NOT just ME making up these rules! :)


Anyways, I was never the type to just throw on some shorts and a t-shirt and go to practice. I feel all Icky if I try to mix Adidas and Nike! (and you KNOW true athletes wear "whatever FEELS COMFORTABLE" -- who's heard of such a thing??) I'd rather drink a Diet Coke than a Powerade. I am not a natural at slapping other girls' sweaty butts and saying things like "good game". (although I do think that is funny to do when I have the opportunity!) I don't Look Good with NO MAKEUP - in fact I still wear lip gloss and mascara to the gym. I don't go to Sports Authority for fun. And I obviously do NOT HAVE the BODY of an ATHLETE. (you know, like muscles and shoulders and flat abs) I have been fine with all of this.

i am who i am and i am happy with that.

But STRANGE things have been happening lately. It all began a few weeks ago- on my run. I was out to do 6 miles and ended up running a few miles on a trail with other joggers. I ran past another runner on the trail and then saw him again at the end of the trail when I was stopped to stretch. I heard him saying to ANOTHER ATHLETE "Good Run today, Huh?" I was happy for him and his fellow athlete to enjoy a "Good Run" together when I realized no one was responding to him. I looked around and realized I was the only one there. HE WAS TALKING TO ME! Granted, my hair WAS in a Pony Tail and I was wearing dorky running shoes which is usually a dead give away that someone is athletic, but hadn't he SEEN me on the trail?! Didn't he know who he was talking to?? At first I thought it was small talk. You know "nice day today" stuff. But he continued to talk about how "Good it FELT to finally be out for a GOOD RUN!" What?! That sounds like REAL "gu" drinking, "cliff bar" loving, spandex wearing Athlete Talk! I came home BEAMING! I had FOOLED an actual ATHLETE (I know this by his wearing an Underarmer shirt that did not match his Brooks spandex - oh yeah, and the fact that he was WEARING SPANDEX!) into thinking I WAS A FELLOW ATHLETE! I couldn't believe it. It must have been the pony tail, or maybe the shoes, or maybe my mascara and lip gloss had worn off during the run. Whatever it was - SOMEONE THOUGHT I WAS AN ATHLETE. I, however, knew myself too well to fall for that.

But then TODAY an even STRANGER and UNDENIABLE THING HAPPENED. I was out running. I was nervous to run because I have been having knee problems lately and I did not want to hurt it more than it already is. I took off, and about a mile in I noticed something STRANGE: I was NOT BREATHING HARD. In fact I had to stop to cross a busy street and my breath was NORMAL!! What?? Something must be wrong. I went ANOTHER MILE and STILL NO PANTING! What was happening to me?? I FELT GOOD! I felt like I had just stepped outside and could run all day! I kept going. By my third mile something ELSE HAPPENED. I noticed something ODD about my legs and feet. They seemed to be MOVING on THEIR OWN. I was not WILLING them forward, or sludging along- my legs were RUNNING by THEMSELVES. Now I am confused and shocked. I have heard of this HAPPENING BEFORE... but where? to whom? WHO was this happening to? oh yeah, ATHLETES! Suddenly I noticed a fluidity in my stride I had never felt before! There was no Thumping like and Elephant, or Struggling like a Walrus. My mind was not consumed in how I would get one foot ahead of the other - AGAIN. My lungs weren't screaming out for air or panting like a dog. I WAS RUNNING. The kind of run I have HEARD about. The kind of RUN an ATHLETE DOES!!!


i don't know what will happen tomorrow. i don't know if i will gracefully glide along for miles at a time or if i will slink back into the choppy, sloppy, akward run i have always had. what i DO know -- is that TODAY i am an athlete. (I STILL WILL NOT WEAR A SPORTS BRA AS EVERYDAY ATTIRE)

Wednesday WAX PARTY

Hey Ladies-
Some of you have been asking when the next WAX PARTY will be...

Since the next few weeks will be crazy - let's SIMPLIFY and have a WAX DAY at MY HOUSE!

WAX PARTY PLAY DAY
WHEN; WEDNESDAY APRIL 15th
WHERE: MY HOUSE
TIME: Anytime between 11:00 - 1:30pm
WHO: Anyone whose Brows (or lips, or chins, or whatevers) NEED me!

Feel Free to DROP IN or to STAY and let your kids PLAY if you like. Bring a Snack to share if you want to come for a Play Day - You know I will have some yummy, evil treat!!

If you DON'T need to WAX anything - you can still come and PLAY :)

a Work in Progress...

Every 6 months - when we have the opportunity to watch or attend General Conference I get that feeling that is time to try harder to be the person I want to be.

This weekend I thought about who I am TRYING to BECOME and I thought of something I wrote on my mission. It has been tucked in my scriptures for years and I realized it is time that it is written somewhere that I can not lose it.

My Mission Statement.

(One of the missionaries that I served with had a "mission statement" - not about the actual mission, more of a personal statement -and he let me read it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and went home to write my own.)

It is pretty personal. It is What I WANT for me. Who I WANT to BE. It is a Way I WANT to live.

That means: I am a Work in Progress and I still struggle with a lot of these things. But it may give some of you Better Insight into Why I do the things I do. And Why I want to change some of the things I do. (I wrote this on my mission, and I probably need to update it with new insights)

Enjoy.

My Mission Statement

I will help everyone feel IMPORTANT. I will use only GOOD WORDS that Build or Love. I will VALUE my Scripture Study Time as SACRED. I will FORGET myself and GO to WORK. I will TRY to APPLY every principle the Brethren teach. I will LISTEN to and Follow the Spirit. I will PRAY with ALL my HEART. I will pray for Humility, Charity, and More Faith. I will develop my Talents to HELP others. I will NEVER use HUMOR to HURT another. I will LOVE my FAMILY. I will Learn to BE a HEALER of HEARTS. I will be the One my Husband is Looking for. (check that one off) I will Remember my Covenants with the Lord. I will be More GRATEFUL. I will be SOMEONE that my FRIENDS can count on and trust. I will Raise my Children to Know their Savior, To Feel His Love, and to Praise and Worship Him. I WILL DO MY BEST. I will SMILE when I WANT to CRY. I will openly GIVE my HEART to my children and my husband. I will HONOR the Priesthood. I will ASK for HELP when I NEED it. I will find ways to SERVE. I will make others LAUGH. I will Teach PEACE. I will be an EXAMPLE of a Latter Day Saint. I will TRUST in the Lord and in His TIMING. (P.A. school??) I will be submissive and not murmur. I will Turn my WEAKNESSES into STRENGTHS. I will ASK for FORGIVENESS and Say "I'm Sorry". I will LISTEN more and TALK less. I WILL be SUNSHINE. I will Remember that the Gospel IS Life. I will Make my CHILDREN and HUSBAND my HIGHEST PRIORITY. I will FORGIVE those that HURT me. I will Leave others BETTER than I found them. I will be STRONGER than ANGER or FEAR. I will DREAM BIG and LIVE MY DREAMS.

Katie Nelson - Tyler

10 November 2002