Resolution: Study Scriptures

It seems like I often make goals to improve my scripture study. Whether it's making it more meaningful, more frequent, or improving our family study, there is always some aspect that needs work. Here are some things I've found helpful as I, once again, examine my own scripture study efforts.

Frequency- Establishing Daily Study
In a 2005 Ensign Q&A, Henry B. Eyring said, "The only way you can be sure that a busy schedule doesn't crowd out scripture study is to establish a regular time to study the scriptures." This corresponds with the old adage "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail." It seems like a no-brainer, but I think back on how many times I have determined to read the scriptures, only to leave it until I crawl into bed at the very end of the day- physically and mentally exhausted and not prepared for study. If we want to establish a real habit, we have to carve out the time and be consistent.

Making Scripture Study More Meaningful-
If my scripture study has been off course and I am trying to get back to it, sometimes it feels difficult to have meaningful study right away. The introduction to the Institute manuals have some tips on improving the quality of our reading. Among other things, it suggests not being afraid to stop in your reading- delving deeper until you understand what your are reading, asking questions as you read to further understand, and writing down impressions as you study. I've heard Elder Scott mention the importance of writing down spiritual impressions more than once, promising that if we do, not only will we have access to that knowledge in the future, but that we will open ourselves for more impressions.

We are often reminded that scripture study becomes more meaningful the more we do it. This feels especially true to me. As the words and language become more comfortable, I come to enjoy reading and am far more likely to learn and feel the Spirit.

Family Study-
With different families come different practices that work best for scripture study. We have tried a few different things with our young family and I suspect we will try plenty more things as our children grow and change. As with personal study, I suspect that consistency is key. Elder Eyring says "For me...family scripture study works well only if your children know that you love the scriptures and they also know as individuals that you love them. Then whatever pattern you have will work. If scripture study is forced for either them or you, it doesn't have as much power."

No matter how difficult the path to better scripture study may be, we are promised it will be well worth it. President Hinkley said, "As you read, your minds will be enlightened and your Spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine."

A few resources from the tips page that may help in our scripture study goals:

http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.readthescriptures.com/
http://scriptures4kids.com/
http://sistersatthewell.org

And how could I forget! Our Relief Society has a scripture study group that meets every other week to share insight on an assigned set of readings. See the tab at the top of this page for the dates and reading!

Resolution: Read More

Book Club is coming up! On January 25th we'll discuss "The Glass Castle: A Memoir" by Jeannette Walls. Here is the description from Amazon:

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

You still have over two weeks to read it. Hope to see you there!

A New Year

In recent months, some of you may (or may not) have noticed that 'More of a Good Thing' has been on hiatus. My apologies if you have noticed. But with the new year comes a renewed sense of responsibility and excitement for this blog.

Most of us feel a similar sense of responsibility and excitement for our lives as we ring in a new year. This past Sunday, some excellent speakers discussed how resolutions can help us in our ongoing pursuit of improvement. We heard that when we make resolutions and earnestly work to achieve them, we are essentially repenting of our past weaknesses and trying to change for the better. We heard some great tips on how to achieve our goals including; being realistic/flexible, making a plan that will work with our lives, being patient, and understanding that setbacks are not failures and that sometimes we will need help from others, including the Lord.

There are some fairly consistent themes in the New Year's resolutions we tend to make. For our bodies, we want to eat healthier, exercise more, and perhaps manage weight better. Financially, we seek to be better with money- to save more, spend less, or get out of debt. In the quest for self-improvement, some resolve to enhance their education or employment or to spend more time with family and preforming service for others. As church members we add a myriad of spiritual goals to the list, scripture study, temple attendance, and more. No matter the specific resolution the goal is the same- to be better.

So what are your resolutions this year? Could you use some help? Could you give some help? This blog is the perfect forum to help one another in our resolve to improve. In the coming weeks, we will seek to truly share "more of a good thing" here. If you have a tip that has worked for you, please post in the comments or contact me to contribute. Stay tuned!

Lesson Recap

We had a great lesson by Julie F. We discussed Elder Oaks’ talk on “Desire.” Here are a few quotes from that talk:

“Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.”

Doctrine & Covenants 137:9 – “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”

“We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent. So motivated, we will seek for that condition described by the Prophet Joseph Smith, where we have ‘overcome the evils of [our lives] and lost every desire for sin.’”

“…it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life.”

Lesson Recap

We had a lesson on obedience from Katie K. Here are a few of the highlights:

By keeping God’s commandments, we prepare for eternal life and exaltation. Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why.

“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7).

The Lord has told us that through our obedience and diligence we may gain knowledge and intelligence (see D&C 130:18–19). We may also grow spiritually (see Jeremiah 7:23–24). On the other hand, disobedience brings disappointment and results in a loss of blessings. “Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled? I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing. Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled” (D&C 58:31–33).

Keeping Those Ankle Biters Reading Over the Summer

Do you like free things? Do you want your kids to read books? Check out this list that Emily T. found on reading programs sponsored by various businesses.

- I know you're not supposed to toot your own horn, but BEEP! Be sure to
check out the Mensa Foundation's Excellence in Reading Award Program at
http://mensaforkids.com/school_template.cfm?showPage=school_readeraward.cfm

- Half Price Books' program runs June 1st through July 31. If kids read 15
minutes a day, they can earn a $5 gift card. For more information, check
out http://www.hpb.com/community/fyb/. You can get the reading log at:
http://www.hpb.com/community/fyb/pdfs/FYBReadingLog.pdf

- PBS Kids Summer Reading Challenge: PBS/iVillage has a program that could
keep you busy all summer long. There are several aspects to it, and you can
find out more at http://www.pbs.org/parents/read/. Each week there will be
a special theme, and you can read more about that at:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/read/pdfs/themeweekschedule.pdf

- Borders has what they call the "Double Dog Dare Challenge." Kids who read
10 books and track them can get a free book. For more info, check out:
http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_doubledogdare

- Chuck E. Cheese has a number of awards that they will grant 10 free tokens
for, including reading (and no nose picking!). You can find them at:
http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php

- Barnes & Noble will give kids a free book for every 8 books they read.
They also have some parent information. Find out more at:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp

- Scholastic Book also has a summer program in which kids read and log in to
win prizes. Details are available at: http://www.scholastic.com/summer/

- Book It! will give your child a "prize package" for reading. There are
some fun things in it - check out their Web site for more info:
http://www.bookitprogram.com/summerbreak/docs/entryform.pdf. Be sure to
check out the Pizza Hut school year Book It! program as well:
http://www.bookitprogram.com/

- If you are on the east coast, TD Bank has a summer reading program:
http://www.tdbank.com/summerreading/. Commerce Bank will deposit $10 in
young savers' accounts when they read ten books.

- If you are in an area with H-E-B Grocery Store, they have a program as
well. The instructions can be found at:
http://www.hebuddy.com/content/pdf/summerreadingclub.pdf

- It may sound crazy, but Pottery Barn has a summer reading program, along
with other kids' events. Check it out at:
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/customer-service/store-events.html

- Old Spaghetti Factory offers a free kids meal to every child who reads
five books. Information at: http://www.osf.com/kids/rewards-of-reading.html

- Sylvan Learning Centers has a free reading incentive program for kids
through grade 8 that runs all the time. You can register and find more
information at: http://www.bookadventure.com/

- Kids 8 & up can be "reading warriors" with this special program built
around Erin Hunter's Warrior series of books. Information:
http://www.readingwarriors.com/rwshell.html

If you're feeling a little less cerebral or need some air conditioning, this
Web site lists places with free summer movies:
http://freebies.about.com/od/familyactivities/tp/free-summer-movies.htm

Lesson Recap

We enjoyed a wonderful lesson today on spiritual preparedness from Melanie Grachan. She based her lesson on two talks – “Preparation for the Second Coming” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and “Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Here are a few quotes and thoughts from her lesson.

Elder Oaks said that there are four matters that are indisputable to Latter-day Saints:

1. The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace.

2. At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous.

3. No one know the time of His coming, but

4. The faithful are taught to study the signs of it and be prepared for it.

Elder Holland said, “Collectively speaking—whether it is in our lifetime or our children’s or our grandchildren’s or whenever—we nevertheless have the responsibility as a Church and as individual members of that Church to be worthy to have Christ come to us, to be worthy to have Him greet us, and to have Him accept and receive and embrace us. The lives we present to Him in that sacred hour must be worthy of Him… I do know this: When Christ comes, the members of His church must look and act like members of His Church are supposed to look and act if we are to be acceptable to Him. We must be doing His work and we must be living His teachings. He must recognize us quickly and easily as truly being His disciples. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. once advised, our faith must not be difficult to detect.”

Elder Oaks asks, “Are we following the Lord’s command, ‘Stand ye in holy places and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly? (D&C 87:8)’ What are those holy places? Surely they include the temple and its covenants faithfully kept. Surely they include a home where children are treasured and parents are respected. Surely the holy places include our posts of duty assigned by priesthood authority, including missions and callings faithfully fulfilled in branches, wards, and stakes.”

Doctrine & Covenants 38:30 – “…if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”

by Emily W.