Sabbath Impressions

**I was going to close comments on this one, as it is more of a journal entry than a regular post, but of course you are welcome to read it if you like. I have sometimes read through posts and came to the "comments closed" at the end and felt like I ran into a wall, which is why I'm leaving them open, but I certainly don't want people to feel they should read or respond to this post**

I missed the General Relief Society Meeting last weekend, and had been meaning to watch or listen to it all week. Greg was awesome enough to know that I would not have found/made the time and he downloaded it for us to listen to on the drive to church today. He didn't even ask, he just knew. I am so grateful.

As we drove through the countryside, villages and towns, I listened, drinking in the view as I "feasted on the words." I'm so grateful for the Relief Society and was uplifted by the words of encouragement and reminders of purpose that were spoken by those great ladies.

When sister Allred spoke about temples, I felt a little of the love that I feel from my Father when I am in His house. I remembered that there is no place on Earth where I feel His love for and awareness of me as I do in the temple. Gazing outside in wonderment at the brilliant, fall leaves I could almost see the love he has for me. We passed fields of beets, cauliflower and cabbage with their sage colored leaves, fields littered with orange and salmon colored pumpkins, and some covered with a flood of bright yellow flowers. As I observed the cottages along the road and those off in the distance I had a strong impression. This overwhelming, unbounded love I knew my Father had for me, He also has for the inhabitants of those humble little homes. Of course I knew this before. I have always known that God loves His children, but it became so real to me at that moment that I could not stop the tears. I was filled to overflowing, and I vowed that I would try harder to love others more unconditionally, forgive their faults, and remember how their Father feels about them.

Then came the hymn Now Let Us Rejoice, and the tears kept coming with phrases like, "We'll love one another and never dissemble, but cease to do evil and ever be one." And the ending phrase, a representation of the Great End, "And Christ and his people will ever be one."

After that, Elder Uchtdorf entered with a little comic relief. He had Greg and I laughing out loud about his wife's apologies with her presentation of dinner, “I’m afraid I used a touch too much ginger,” and especially the, “Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf.” I'm sure a lot of women do this, but I rarely present a meal without first naming all its faults. I talk about this in an old post. Glad to know Sister Uchtdorf and I have something in common. I'm also glad for her husband's talk to set us both straight and encourage us to have joy in creating, and recognize our strengths instead of dwelling on our weaknesses.

At church it was fast and testimony meeting and I bawled my eyeballs out again while I shared my love for my family, the gospel, the scriptures and my Savior. Periodically throughout my testimony I turned around to ask Greg for help with a word, (he was on the stand) as I forget 50% of my vocabulary when I'm speaking in front of people. Once I was in the middle of a sentence about how he (Greg) is such a strong support to me. I forgot the term for support (and they don't use indefinite articles like "a" in Polish) so I had said essentially, "He is very strong" and I turned to him to ask for the word for support, but before I could even give him the word to be translated, he provided me, in a very loud whisper, with the word "physically." More great comic relief in a deeply spiritual meeting.

Our lesson in Relief Society was about the Sabbath day. I keep waiting for the day when I magically desire to do lots of intense scripture study and read some of our many wonderful gospel related books on the sabbath. It keeps not coming, but I decided to try and bring it a little faster by not blogging on Sunday, unless the posts I'm reading or writing are spiritual in nature. Baby steps. I don't really have many sins of commission on the sabbath day, but there is far too much o-mission. I like the idea that my Pearl of Great Price teacher shared when I was in college. The sabbath is a day of rest--from regular weekday activities. That doesn't mean that we should be lazy. On the contrary, the Sabbath is a day to weary ourselves with study of the word of the Lord. So, Lisa, it's not just a day to not watch TV or listen to popular music. It isn't a day to lie around the house and do nothing. It is a day set aside for the Lord because he wants us to draw near to him. I need to be better about wearing myself out with study. There are all kinds of things I still have to learn. Get learning, Lady!!!