The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: "Hey Laman and Lemuel, I think I get you a little more now..."

It wasn't many posts ago that I was writing about how hard the weeks had been...

about how I was having a negative outlook...

I was feeling short-tempered toward my family....

etc.

BUT then I stepped back!

I re-evaluated my priorities and found the strength to be kind...

see the good in my days.....

to be focused on Christ....

etc.

And then today as I was typing in the title of my blog it was going to read, "A rough week."

All I could think about were the many times this week I just couldn't focus on anything but the annoying and unpleasant happenings through the week. Realized I was being negative. Received spiritual upliftance and rejuvenation from my scriptures, church, and family,

and how today I felt determined, once again, to have a more positive week.

.... etc. ....

This is when it hit me.

I am more like Laman and Lemuel than I really ever thought I could be.

I constantly read about them and think, "geesh guys, and angel just spoke you and that only snapped you into line for a short time."

"The Lord just shook you to your core and confounded you to the point that you're willing to worship Nephi... and now you're binding him in cords?"

E.T.C.!!!!!!

See the pattern??!!

There is a constant struggle in this natural man state of ours to find strength/determination to tackle the tough obstacles in front of us each day, feel like we're succeeding, and then become trodden down under the crushing weight of Satan's obstacles that he has us jumping through all. the. time.

So then the question becomes, "Instead of judging Laman and Lemuel, like I often do. Or being ashamed that I'm more like them than I thought. I need to focus on, "How do I keep myself more like Nephi?"

How do I keep myself centered on Christ?

And that's where I'm at.

It was more of a rough week with the baby being a handful, but more than that it was a great week because of the fact that I'm blessed enough to be alive. To have a healthy body. Healthy children....

... you know where I'm going with this. And those really are the things that matter most.

Because of my constant bad mood this week, I was humbled by a comment Maddix made right before bed that was so sincere, caring, and vulnerable that it broke me inside (in a good way).

I was abundantly showered with compliments, praises, and service from both boys, who were always trying their hardest to lighten my burdens.. Mine... as the mom. My heart soared.

My friend and I got to coach Aaron's basketball game.

Travis and I got to coach Maddix's basketball game.

We kept up on scripture reading.

I started the New Testament, along with a scripture thought each day.

Travis and I had many opportunities to go exercise with friends, alone, together, and I think for Travis, multiple times a day:)

Travis got to take Maddix on a date.

We had many one-on-one moments with each child.

I began a monstrous project of de-junking our entire house/simplifying.

We've been eating WAY more fruits and vegetables, daily.

Travis and I got out on a date.

Etc.