Friday Fragments

 I am going out tonight to meet one of my favorite bloggers, and possibly a few other bloggers. I admire these women – their strength, their testimony, their motherhood – and I hope to have a good time and learn a lot from these ladies. And there promises to be a good show and good chocolate afterwards. Yum. I like chocolate.
I was reading about scripture journaling this morning over on a link Heather posted, and I realized that I can scripture journal even with my youngest children. My mom homeschooled all of us, and even when we were really little, before we knew how to write, my mom kept a journal for us. Not of her words about us, but of our words – she would write down what we had to say. I recently read about doing this on a blog somewhere – that letting children who can’t write dictate things to you shows them that their words are important and can encourage them to start writing. Recently I have started letting the kids choose a picture from the Gospel Art Book and I will pull out the scriptures and read to them about the story, and ask them questions. We talk about faith, obedience, and other simple gospel principles my children can understand. Reading this blog post I realized that I can help even my preschoolers keep a scripture journal. I simply need to inform them of what I am doing, get a separate journal for their “scripture journal” and then write down their answers when I ask them questions about the stories we are reading. It’s simple, and not super in depth,  but it will help my children understand the importance of really studying the scriptures – before they can even write! I am super excited about this. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Speaking of the Gospel Art Book, I am mourning the discontinuance of the Gospel Art Kit, and have been for a while. I grew up on that Gospel Art Kit – we would pull pages out and read the backs of them for family home evening, devotionals, Primary talks, you name it. I want them for my kids, and I’m will to pay the $30, but they just aren’t making them anymore, which is a bummer. Does anyone know where I can find one? I’ve looked on eBay and the local classifieds (in Utah) but I can’t seem to find anything. I was sure someone might be selling one. But nothing. I really really want a Gospel Art Picture Kit. Badly. I’ve thought about just making my own with the 11x17 posters from the distribution center, which I will probably do, but first I’ll have to make a  box and dividers and stuff for them. And it will end up being more expensive. There were so many pictures in that kit! In the mean time, we just use the Art Book and the scriptures, which is just fine. Except sometimes I have to look up where the stories are because I don’t remember… so it’s probably good for me, too, right? 

We sold our trampoline yesterday. It was huge, and way too big for our backyard, so we sold it. The kids are going to be sad, but we’ll buy a new one next spring. It’s going to start snowing here soon anyway, and trampolines + snow = saggy springs. So it was about time to take it down anyway. It was also on a part of our yard that doesn’t have any grass, and we want to put grass in next spring. Home ownership is great… but there is so much to do!

I think is going to be my new theme song:

I have work enough to do, Ere the sun goes down,
For myself and kindred too, Ere the sun goes down,
Every idle whisper stilling With a purpose firm and willing
All my daily tasks fulfilling Ere the sun goes down.

I must speak the loving word, Ere the sun goes down,
I must let my voice be heard, Ere the sun goes down,
Every cry of pity heeding, For the injured interceding,
To the light the lost ones leading, Ere the sun goes down.

As I journey on my way, Ere the sun goes down,
God’s commands I must obey, Ere the sun goes down,
There are sins that need confessing; There are wrongs that need redressing
If I would obtain the blessing, Ere the sun goes down.

Every night when I go to bed I think that first line to myself: “I have work enough to do, ere the sun goes down.”  I don’t think I have really ever gone to bed thinking that I had done all there was to do. Sure, I have lots of evenings where I go to be feeling productive and as if I have made a difference in the world. But most nights I am just afraid that I haven’t done all I could do, and I really don’t like that feeling. What about when you have to choose between being productive, and spending time with someone you love? I know that theoretically you can be productive and spend time with the people you love, but in my situation, I often have to either choose being productive, or doing something unproductive with the person I love. This is a cause for a lot of my anxiety about not getting enough done. What do I do?

Linked up at Heather’s Five Things for Friday @ Women in the Scriptures