A Good Reminder

Last week I fell back into some old bad habits. I was set to go out of town for work from Saturday to Wednesday. I knew it would be difficult to stay on top of my assignments for the week, as Saturday and Wednesday are both big days for my homework. I thought I'd be able to manage it though. I was driving with my bosses, and they have wifi hotspots on both of their phones. I figured I'd be able to do homework during the four hour car ride. I forgot that I get carsick when I read for any extended amount of time. Sure enough after I'd been on my computer for less than half an hour I started to feel nauseous. Needless to say I didn't get any homework done on either of those car rides.

When we got to the hotel I immediately tried to sign into the room's internet, only to find out it was having some issues. I contacted the front desk and they sent someone out. He changed the modem and it seemed to be working fine. Unfortunately right after he finished I had to leave to meet my bosses for dinner. When I got back it was having the same problem. And here is where my old bad habits kicked in. Instead of immediately requesting a new room so that I'd be able to do my homework without issue, I kept that room for the duration of my stay. Why?

As I looked back over the week I realized that I had not been reading my scriptures and praying as I had been in the habit of since starting Pathway. And I knew right there, that's what it was. I've had lots of years to get comfortable with not really trying very hard. The Becoming Project, started last semester, and the Christlike Attributes project from this semester, have both been instrumental in so much of the growth I've experienced over the last few months. With these projects and class assignments has come the required studying and pondering of the words of prophets of God, and even from the Savior himself, Jesus Christ. In order to do well in my classes I've had to put aside what I want to do, what I want to say, and how I want to react, and instead "try a little harder to be a little better."

To bolster my efforts in these areas I've had the daily ingesting of words of peace and wisdom, encouragement to keep the commandments and be more like the Savior.  I've had daily interaction with the Spirit as I've read, listened, and pondered the words found in the scriptures. I've prayed for strength to be more humble and to have a desire to be better. But I relaxed and got careless. And it showed. So this week's blog post is not so much about what I learned from a topic, but what I learned from not following through on the commitments I've made to study and pray.

I learned that I am just a woman, who on her own doesn't do all that great. I learned that I am so much better when I have the daily influence of the Holy Ghost to guide my thoughts, words and actions. I learned that there is a definite purpose to the assignments we receive every week, and that it is for our own good we're asked to do them. I learned that I am much happier and have more peace when I am reading or hearing often the sacred words found in the scriptures. I learned that I definitely want to be the person I am capable of becoming if I stay close to the Spirit by searching those books and praying to receive revelation and improve my relationship with my Heavenly Father.