The Busyness of Life

This is the only picture I've downloaded into my laptop's photo album since the beginning of June.  I have a lot in my phone, but since I walked into the pool this morning with said device in my pocket, I'm not sure I'll be blogging those pix.  Grrrrr!

This is the latest picture of Grandma Goodman with her El Paso, Texas grandchildren.  Soren is two and the spitting image of his dad when he was two, Dailan is 6, Grandma is ??, Kylamarie is 4 months, and Magnus is 4.  Lively children, full of love, being a grandma is the best!

Here are a few of the 4th Year YW after our first practice hike at Catalina State Park.  A few weeks later we were told Mt Lemmon was closed to all campers and hikers until measurable moisture, so no Stake Girls Camp this year.  What a disappointment and even a sad time for me!  I really had to ponder on this because I had a distinctly strong impression last year that I was to do the hike again even though I was resistant to the idea.  To make a sweet, long story short I got my answer "why" while standing in the cultural hall waiting to leave with the Ward YW for their camp.  And what a blessing to be invited to our Ward's camp in Virden, New Mexico!  Heavenly Father really does know what's best for all of us!  I've got to learn how to be more trusting.

I've run only a couple of races in June, both 5Ks, but interesting and different.  The first one was running the hills around Colosal Cave on the far SE side of the valley.  We got a free pass into the cave which we did that day.  It has been a dry cave for 10,000 years so not as dramatic as Kartchner Cavern, but still very interesting.

The other race was downtown Tucson with almost 1800 people running.  When you get that big of a group the energy is tangible, and even though the race was in the evening I thought the heat was an advantage.  All my joints felt loose and bendable!

I have had lots going on the past month, and one of the craziest things ever to take up more time is the sprint triathlon I'm doing on Saturday, that's right in 5 days, at Ft. Huachuca.  I've only done one other tri and that was almost 3 years ago.  It is an 800 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 3.1 mile run.  Again my goal is not to drown, keep the bike upright, and finish whether walking or running!  I will report next week!

My Life

I always do a lot of self analysis at the beginning of each new year, trying to figure out where I've been and where I'm going. I was blessed with a few personal weaknesses, some I've been able to master and some I'm still working on. Truthfully, I would like to be able to say I've mastered them all because they rear their ugly head too often in my life. But, what reason would I have to get out of bed each morning, if I didn't have something to work on, something to humble me, something to call upon my dear Father to help me with. So I do.

1976

2009

I read a great talk by Robert L. Millet in the January 2, 2010 Church News about the quest to become like Christ. One point he made that struck me was Self-denial. I quote this talk: "During His mortal ministry, Jesus called upon those who followed Him to deny themselves, to use personal restraint and moral discipline, to take up their cross (our weaknesses) daily (Luke 9:23). 'And now for a man to take up his cross,' the Master clarified, 'is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldy lust, and keep my commandments.' (JST, Matthew 16:26)"

Brother Millet goes on to say: "But it becomes painfully apparent after a while that sheer grit and will power can only do so much; that dogged determination has its limits; and that doubling and tripling our efforts may well prove in the long run to be both physically exhausting and spiritually counterproductive. ... the sweet promise that if we lay our burdens at His feet He will care for us; that is, if we can learn to trust Him, rely upon Him, and have complete confidence in Him (we call this state of being faith), he will do the worrying, the fretting, and the caring for us."

Life has taught me quite a few lessons in the past 33 years (the span between the two pictures), and although I probably wasn't listening during Life Class 101 as much as I should have since I've had to repeat some lessons, I am determined this new year to be yoked to my Savior, to let Him carry my burdens, and to believe that He will.