Mari's Mind

I have just a few random thoughts I wanted to write down this morning. . . . .

Gas Prices: How will they affect you? Personally, I am grateful for our stroller. I am also grateful I don't ever feel "trapped" at home. I rarely take the car out, with the exception of an occasional doctor's appointment, etc. I walk, run, or take the bike. I have no desire to spend money on something that you never get back, if I don't HAVE to. I basically keep the car parked all week and then we drive it to church on Sunday. Charles takes his small truck to work (which is thankfully, ten minutes away). He will be riding his bike again, as soon as it is a little warmer in the morning. We usually fill up his truck once a month and call it good, the car we fill up even less. It is SO worth it to walk (when you can) and save money, and be good to the Earth. I think many people are going to struggle with the price of gas, and I believe it will have a domino effect on many aspects of life. I am grateful for the years of struggling through college with a family, we already know how to wade through the turbulent economy, and BE HAPPY ABOUT IT! It is amazing how much you CAN do without!

Time: How many of you have enough time? If you ask someone how they are doing, often you hear, "We have been SO busy!" We all say it from time to time. Time is precious, so valuable. I think sometimes we fill our time with so much mucky-stuff. I think people need to relax! I know so many mothers that insist upon running around from here to there -- taking their kids all around to different practices, activities, events, whatever. They first sign them up for these things, then freak out about how busy they are. I have a lady that I visit-teach and her claim to fame is that she "does so much." As an outsider looking in, I can see she is filling some sort of personal void, with unnecessary, time-consuming activities. I think many people do this. Sometimes, we all need to stop, find out who we REALLY are, draw close to the Savior, and move forward with peace. De-clutter life, go back to the basics, and find true happiness! There is PLENTY of time in a day. Calm, peace . . . RELAX. Don't be in such a rush to get old and die!

Friends: Friends are so important. Good friends help you to be happy. Bad friends help you to be sad. I am learning this concept daily with my sweet Sammi. Her closest "friend" is often the cause of much heartache. Why? Well, her friend is a stinker! I have met her, watched her, and have heard much about her. I have also met her mother (an EXTREME busy-body, she talks SO fast I can hardly keep up!) It is so hard to see Sammi struggle with friends. There are lots of other girls to play with, and she plays with them sometimes, but she started out the year with this one girl, and now things are a little sour. I try to help with advice, things to say to her friend if she is mean to her, etc. When I dropped her off at school today, I was so sad to leave her there. I am glad I was wearing sunglasses because it was hiding my tears! Sometimes, it is so hard. I freely admit it! Parenting 101 is a painful course to take! If only you could just keep them close to you, with your arms around them all the time, guiding them constantly and carefully through life. But you can't. You must let them go, and choose, and make mistakes. It certainly helps me understand how Heavenly Father must feel, as he lets each one of us go from His presence into the world -- knowing some of us will follow Him and return, and some will not. As a parent, my welfare is (of course) important to me. The welfare of my children -- that weighs heavily on my mind, heart, and spirit, at ALL times. What a tremendous and awesome responsibility! When our life on Earth is through, and we stand before God, will we be asked about our worldly accomplishments ( job, fame, power, etc.?) No! We will be asked about our families, our children, and how much effort and love we gave to them. Is it hard to be a parent? Of course! Is it worth the effort? ABSOLUTELY!!

Home: I believe it is time to bring it back home. Bring the mother back home, bring the father back home (after work), bring the children back home (after school), bring the love back home (ALL THE TIME!) We need more Mothers (and Fathers) who "know." As Sis. Beck so fabulously expressed last conference. We also need more families who have love! If every family would "bring it back home" then so many of the problems of today could be remedied (crime, abuse, divorce, poverty, keeping up with two-income families, failing schools) the list goes on and on. If father would go to work and provide for the family, while mother (admirably) stays in the home -- to raise the future generation of the world, then sending out respectful and useful children into the world -- what a wonderful world it would be! Okay, maybe it is not that way now. So, should we join the masses and do what the "world" is doing? Or, should we choose the road less traveled by, and stand for something, steadfast and immovable, regardless of what the world says?! Home and family -- what a marvelous solution to the World's troubles!!

Competition: People are scrambling for importance, prestige, power, and so on, and so forth -- forever. If only we could realize, truly realize, that the most important work is done within the walls of our own home, then we could be a happy people -- not a "Keeping up with the Jones(es)" people. When we are judged, I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Jones will not be standing next to us to be used as a measuring stick. Nope, they won't. So, why do we do it now? It goes way back, even before Cain and Able. Aren't we silly? What a bunch of gobbledygook! The opposite of competition is charity. If only the hearts of men (and women) were filled with charity!! What a lovely thought. Charity is a requirement to return to Heavenly Father. Can you imagine if having charity was required to be in politics or positions of power? If only kind and loving words could be spoken from the mouths of politicians and world leaders? What a grand thought! One day, it will be so! Charitable hearts will win over competitive minds! I better start practicing with "feeling the love!"

There you have it. In no particular order, my random thoughts for this morning! Now, off to my children . . . . . :-)

Mari :-)