Randomness

It seems as if time is always running away from me. I have so many things on my plate and not enough time to give each of the things or people I love my attention. This is never truer than canning season. Thank goodness it is almost over. I have some apples left and some tomatoes to make into spaghetti sauce. I will be glad when it is over but it is such a good feeling to walk into my pantry and see all of those jars beautifully filled with nutritous things that will feed my family for the coming year! I believe it was President Uchtdorf that counseled us to create something in the Relief Society Broadcast a few weeks ago. It is truly rewarding creating those gorgeous jars!
I won't be sitting on my laurels though. My next project is already in progress. After years of dealing with all the clothes that are involved in a family of our size I have decided we must change our home and how it functions. We will be remodeling the downstairs to include a family closet. The laundry room and the room currently housing my hubby and I will be changed in to one very large room that will house all of the clothing and linen in our house. I have been reading alot about "super families" (that is what families with as many kids as we have or more are called) They seem to all be doing the family closet thing. I am excited to think that childrens rooms will not be a place where clean clothes become dirty clothes before they are even worn. I am thrilled that bedrooms will be able to be played in and there will be less of the stairs or the bathrooms being used as play rooms. (Yes, I frequently find legos and hot wheels and barbies and baby dolls in the bathroom.) It is going to take alot of work to accomplish this. First, the house has to be cleaned sufficiently to be able to move Hubby and I out of the current room and into what is currently the junk/office room. The demolition and rebuild has to happen in 4 days. This will be done the weekend of Duckling #2's birthday/ordination. And then the reorganizing of all the clothes and the changing of the habits will have to begin. I know this will be a challenge but I think it will be very worth it! I will post before and after pictures later.
I didn't get to listen to as much of conference as I wanted to for a couple of reasons. My children were extra obnoxious and would not stay quiet and I was trying to can about 20 lbs of chicken and make salsa during the saturday sessions of conference. What I did hear was truly inspiring. I didn't take notes for obvious reasons but I do remember that I heard alot of counsel to live on less and be happy and content. Maybe because that is what I needed to hear. But the one talk I really loved was the talk that was by Elder Bednar (I think) he spoke about prayer. I really need to work on that so I think for the next six months until the next conference that will be my spiritual focus. I need to be praying more and not only praying but praying for the people that I love. I will let you know my progress as I work on praying better.
I am very concerned about the state of our nation. I feel that our country has been headed down a wicked road for many decades. We have forgotten what this country was founded on. The christian priciples that created our constitution are now looked at as out of date by some people in our country. On "The View" last week one of the women talked about how we are the only democratic country that still practices Christianity as it's main religion. This blows my mind! How can the founding principles that created this great country be the thing that is now holding us back? I don't think so! What holds us back is the fact that so many of us have chosen a path af great wickedness. Women are choosing not to raise children that they create, they find it easier to dispose of the consequences of their choices to have sex whenever they want. The sanctity of marriage is in trouble as state after state is trying to allow same sex marriages. Drugs and alcohol take control of so many lives. Instead of work and service and compassion we have people committing crimes to satisfy wants and addictions. Selfishness is what rules most choices. I am sooo sad for what I see when I look at our country as a whole. The economy and the Presidential election also worry me.
BUT!
I see beautiful things in my own neighborhood. I see people concerned for the welfare of their neighbors. I see acts of service and kindness all around me. I see families striving to do what is right and strengthen their own homes. I see friendships and the pure love of Christ as I watch people share their abundance and help others with needs. I see beauty and when I look at these things and these people I know we will be okay.
If you have read all the way to the end of my randomness, Thank you! Please comment on my post and leave me your own thoughts on randomness. To all my friends and family who show me how beautiful life is every day, I love you.