Viewing 1 - 7 out of 7 Blogs.

I'm excited!  I got signed up for another online course from BYU!  This is the course I really wanted to study in the first place, but I had trouble getting into the course.  I finally did it this morning.  I'm taking a course about the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible!  It's something I've wanted to know more about for a long time, so I'm really happy to have the opportunity now.  Between this course, and the course about the Holy Land, I will really be busy studying the scriptures.  That will be good for me.

As an adult convert, I never had the opportunity to go to Seminary, so I guess I'm making up for that now. I have a real thirst for knowledge right now, for whatever the reason, and I'm excited to be learning so many things about this world, and the wonderful religion that means so much to me.  

Tags: JST Joseph Smith BYU Bible

I just recently had a birthday. I'm 62 now.   I received some gift cards and money for my birthday, and I spent it a couple of weeks ago on a brand new Mtn Sport 18-gear bike. 

My daughter and my two grand children had stopped by, while they were out shopping.  We decided to go together to Walmart.  While we were there, my almost 10-year old grandson, Cody wanted to go to the toy department. So we browsed around, and I wandered down to the bicycle section.  I found a beautiful purple and white bike.  I went back and told my daughter to come and see what I had found.  She and the children came back with me, and we looked at a couple more bikes.  I really wanted a beach cruiser, but found out I'm too short for the ladie's 26'' size, but my legs are too long for the girls 24" size. So, I settled on the one I had fallen in love with in the first place, the purple one, my favorite color. 

When Cody realized that I was getting a bike for myself, he said, " Mema, you're too old for a bike!"

Don't you just love the honesty of children!  What a sense of humor that boy has! 

The first time I got on it, I wondered about that a bit, myself, was I too old?  I was a bit wobbly, and a bit shaky, and out of breath, after only a 15 minute ride around the apartment complex.  But, it was fun. 

I think Cody will be glad I have it, too.  Now when he comes to visit me, he can bring his bike and we can ride together...even if it is only around the apartment complex.

Tags: Birthday Bike Grandson Humor

I've started something new, and I'm really excited.  I decided to broaden my horizons and get some more education.  I'm enrolled in a couple of Personal Enrichment courses from BYU.  I'm studying the history, cultures, and religions of the Holy Land, and American Politics and the Constitution.  I'm also taking a class on Study Skills and Time Management (believe me, I need that one, so I can schedule all the things I want to do).

I'm especially excited about the People and Cultures of the Holy Land.  I'm learning history, from Biblical times to the present, and I'll be learning about the religions of the Holy Land, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Samaritanism, Drusism, and Bahaiism.  I'll also be learning about the Arab-Israeli conflicts.  I'm waiting for my CD-Rom to arrive in the mail, so I can watch the videos that are included in the course.  The only text book is the LDS version of the KJV Bible.

I'm having fun just learning for the pure joy of learning.

Tags: Education BYU Enrichment Online

I guess I have a good excuse for being up so late, this time.   I've been out of touch for a while, because my computer was down with a nasty virus that wiped out my whole operating system. I just got it fixed a few days ago, when my son was visiting from VA last weekend.   He built my computer in the first place, he is a computer tech in the Navy, so he knew what to do.  He even put on a cool Star Trek screen saver,  an Enterprise computer console.   So, now I've been busy catching up on all my blogs, taking care of my virtual pets, changing backgrounds on MySpace, etc.   It's good to be back online! 

Tags: Computer Virus Navy Star Trek

One of these days I'm going to learn to keep the other part of the Word of Wisdom, as found in Doctrine and Covenants 88:124---"Cease to be idle, cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."    The Book of Mormon has some good advice on this subject, too, in Mosiah 4:27--"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and in order, for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."

There, in a nutshell, is a key to a healthy and successful life.  Basically, to me, this means moderation in all things, including blogging, web surfing, watching movies, or any other good thing that, taken to extremes, as I too often do, can become an addiction.   Like any addiction, the Internet can take over your time and your life before you are even aware of it.  Or, you may be aware of it, but feel powerless to control it. 

It is such a subtle thing, so easy to rationalize.  After all, we're using the Internet for good things, like networking, meeting people, missionary work, sharing creative talents, etc.   But, I get frustrated, and upset with myself when I miss out on the day.  Today was a lovely, warm Spring-like day, and I had errands to run, and things to do.  So, what did I do?  I did a little bit of housework and some laundry, and spent the day, long into the night, trouble shooting my computer and catching up on my blogging, spending time IMing my daughters, and visiting my Social Networks sites.   I never did get outside, never did get my shopping and other things done.   What is wrong with me! 

Now it's very late, I'm tired, and I'll have to be up early for church.   When will I learn.

Well, it didn't take long for me to break that resolution.  I had a very trying day at work yesterday, and I let the customers get to me. It seemed just about everybody I talked to wanted to speak to a supervisor, because they thought I didn't know my job, I was too quiet and non-communicative, they didn't want to hear anything negative about their situation, etc.  I was almost in tears at some points because they were making me feel incompetent.  Well, I guess I brought it on myself. I do have a tendency to be too quiet when I'm working, concentrating on the research that is required by my job.  When I'm busy on the computer, I don't like being distracted by small talk. But, I guess the customers take it as an insult, and feel  that I'm ignoring them (when the truth is I'm trying to find a solution to their problem).  Oh, the joy of customer service. 

Now, looking at my apartment, at the major clutter disasters, I feel completely frustrated and overwhelmed.  There don't seem to be enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done.  Of course, I did spend a lot of time on the Internet last night, as usual.  I feel torn sometimes between the mundane chores of life, and the creative side of me that wants to spend most of my time on the Internet working on blogs, designing web pages, etc.  I usually burn the candle at both ends and in the middle, and end up getting 6 hrs or less sleep per night.  That's alright on weekends, but when I do that during my work week, I turn into a Zombie. 

Oh, well.  I'm still a work in progress.  I'm not giving up yet.  And I refuse to take a ride on the guilt train....at least not a long one. 

Tags: Resolutions Time Guilt Joy Work

I've decided that this year I'm going to ditch all my traditional resolutions, and simplify things into just a few goals that I might actually accomplish because they are things I already enjoy doing, or might enjoy doing.  I'm not going to bog myself down with a whole long list of "shoulds"  and I'm not going to waste time and emotional energy berating myself and taking a long trip on the "guilt train."  Instead, I've decided that I will spend more time, not less, having fun. 

 I think the key will be to change my attitude, and stop complaining so much about the mundane trivia of life, and try to find more to smile about. Maybe I will even take the word, "hate" out of my vocabulary.  Too often, I complain, moan and groan, gripe and grumble about things I have no control over, such as cold weather, mean customers on the phone, having to get up and go to work on cold, rainy days, etc.   All my complaining doesn't change the situation, it just makes me miserable, and I'm sure people around me get tired of hearing it, too.   If I can just change my attitude, and smile at the rain, be more patient with my customers and co-workers, and stop despising my alarm clock,  maybe I'll have more energy to do the more important things in life, like practice my keyboard, improve my computer savvy, get a few more names ready for the temple work, declutter my apartment...who knows, I might even get around to writing that book that has always been somewhere on the dusty, dark shelves of my mind. 

I remember reading a great article in the Ensign once, by Russell M. Nelson.  It was about perfection, and not feeling bad if we aren't totally perfect now, because we are still learning to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus.  The quote that I have never forgotten was a paraphrase of one of my favorite scriptures:  "Adam fell, that men might be, and men are that they might have joy...not a guilt trip."

Happy New Year everybody!

Tags: Smile Happy Resolutions Fun Joy