ohhh sundays

I've always loved the Sabbath.
It's great to have an excuse to listen to beautiful music, spend time with people I love, cook lots of good food, and not do homework (that's been my favorite excuse for the last 6 years, if we're being real here!)

Then I had a baby, and my perception of Sundays has changed quite a bit. My morning goes something like:
Head pops off pillow, brain is like:
"Oh no. It's Sunday. IT'S SUNDAY"

Nash is old enough now that he won't sleep through every meeting like he used to. Instead, he misses his morning nap and fusses super loudly unless we are holding him juuuust right. I spend half of relief society feeding him, burping him, changing him, and cleaning up the inevitable 5 spit ups that happen immediately after he's done eating. The rest of relief society is spent running back and forth from my chair to the piano so I can magnify my calling, while simultaneously handing my babe off to a willing woman, praying the whole time whilst fumbling through a song "Please don't start crying. Please don't spit up on her...." Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Sunday school and sacrament meeting are no different. Singing songs, playing with toys, shushing, standing up and down and back up again, and "pass the wipes" and "here's the blanket" and "where's his binky" and the list goes on. And then we rush home from church to feed the baby, attempt to get him down for a nap, and then visit teach and make dinner and bake a treat and call our families and catch our breath somewhere in there.

The crazy thing to me is that I KNOW I'm not alone in this busy Sunday routine. Every parent with a young child or children knows exactly how this is. It's so hard! As I sat in the mother's room yesterday, rocking my boy to sleep for what felt like the tenth time, hot tears of frustration and defeat rolled down my cheeks. I kept thinking "I can't do this every week! I'm not getting anything out of these meetings! I leave church feeling more flustered and disheveled than I did when I came!"

And then I'm reminded of the sweet remark made in the General Women's meeting on Saturday night. It's not so much about making it to each of the meetings on Sunday.
What matters is my faith.
And faith I've definitely got. I know that attempting to make it to church on time, and playing the piano, and singing primary songs to my son while I sit by myself in the hall, and trying to retain at least 5 seconds of spiritual enlightenment, and doing my visiting teaching, and spending time with my family, are the things I should be doing.

And if I have to spend the majority of church sitting in the foyer for the next however many years, well I'll be darned then I'm going to keep doing it! Because through all the frustration and frazzled moments, I know I'm not alone. I know I'm getting the help I need. I love my family, and I love this church, and I know this is all what I should be doing.

peace

Did you watch the Christmas Devotional on Sunday?

We actually got to physically be there, and although I'm still unthawing (it was SO COLD!), my heart is still so full of warmth.

I loved Elder Nelson's talk. Everything he had to say really resonated with me because it's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. This semester, Christian and I have frequently discussed our difficulties, and my desire for them to feel a little easier. Not necessarily for them to be taken away, but for us (or mostly me) to have the capacity to bear them a little better, to feel happy and content even when things are HARD. What I didn't realize until last night, which Elder Nelson so beautifully reminded me, is that I've really been seeking peace. And the Savior is absolutely key to that. He can help us feel that peace, whether we are sick or lonely or experiencing loss or anything else in life. He is the Prince of Peace, and the only one who can truly give that to us. I've been longing for more of this in my life, so starting at the beginning of December, Christian and I started doing the most awesome advent calendar, solely for the purpose of seeking Christ more this season.

(find it here) 

Being short on time and money, we aren't doing anything fancy with the calendar. It's just printed and hanging on our fridge. The simplicity of it is awesome though, and although we aren't very far into it, I can already tell it's molding my heart in a way I so desperately need.

 I'm thankful for the reminder that no matter the circumstance we are in, the Savior is the Prince of Peace for EACH OF US. He is in control of our lives, and He can gives us what we need. Even if it's simply just peace. It's up to us to seek Him out and ask for it. 

We may be 10 days into December, but I encourage you to listen to Elder Nelson's talk, and print the calendar and use it for the 15 days until Christmas. If you are looking for a way to invite Christ more into your life this season, this is a wonderful way to do so!

on making changes

I very often find myself analyzing my life, and realizing there is a lot I want to change, and it's usually fueled by the desire to change Brooke, more than circumstances or people around me.. 

Sometimes I'm unsure what exactly that change should entail. 

I think: 

"Well, I know I can be better. I just don't really know where to start."

Does this ever happen to you?

Today at work, I was listening to a wonderful talk by President Hinckley called "The Women in Our Lives". 

This passage really struck a chord with me and helped me realize something very important I can be working on, all the time! 

If every husband and every wife would constantly do whatever might be possible to ensure the comfort and happiness of his or her companion, there would be very little, if any, divorce. Argument would never be heard. Accusations would never be leveled. Angry explosions would not occur. Rather, love and concern would replace abuse and meanness.

Christian is the dearest person in my life, and I can't imagine how I would feel if I treated our relationship this way. I'm sure it would be amazing. This also got me thinking about the way I treat others around me. Certainly I can't give everyone the kind of devotion I give my husband. 

I can, however, do a better job seeing them the way the Savior does. I can do a better job loving unconditionally, being judgement free, and looking for opportunities to serve each day. 

Just some thoughts if you are feeling like you could use a bit of a personal overhaul. 

I think the world needs more of this kind of love. 

things of beauty

It's about to get WAY nerdy up in here, but this was too good not to share. 

You've been warned. 

So maybe I've mentioned before, but for my whole life I've always LOVED animals. 

It verged on obsession all through my childhood, and to be honest not much has changed ha. 

Along those same lines, I also love nature and everything pertaining to it. For as long as I can remember, I have felt such a pull to these things. It's such an integral part of me that it almost feels engrained into my spirit and spirituality. 

(Am I a flower child, or what?!)

 I adore natural history museums, nature documentaries and tv shows, books, newspaper articles.... basically anything that can fuel my intense desire to learn about God's creations, both living and non-living.

Thankfully I have a husband who encourages this and participates in it with me. 

(In case anyone ever doubts that we are soul mates...)

Well, last week he told me about this documentary he saw on netflix called Crimson Wing, and we watched it together on Sunday.

YOU GUYS.

It was seriously the best movie I have seen in a long long time. 

The music was incredibly moving. 

The cinematography is mind blowing. 

And come on... the movie is about FLAMINGOS! 

Their story is so incredible, and just.... 

AH. 

I can't say enough good things about this movie. 

If you have Netflix, go watch it like.... yesterday. 

Or at least watch the preview and be amazed.

Sometimes I wonder why I love these things so much. After years of pondering, I've come to the conclusion that learning about Heavenly Father's creations bring me much closer to Him. 

It invites the spirit into my life, it helps me better understand His power and love for us, and for me specifically. If he can govern this huge flock of flamingos in the middle of Africa to live like this, imagine how invested He must be in OUR lives. 

It's absolutely amazing.

If you are looking for more ways to invite the spirit into your life and feel closer to God, I highly recommend starting with something like this. 

Truly this world is beautiful and amazing, and stands as a gigantic living testimony that He lives, He knows who we are, He knows what we need, and He loves us dearly.

bursting

It was a weekend to end all weekends. 

I was feeling SO MUCH BETTER, which was an automatic high point.

(modern medicine is SUCH a blessing!)

We got to spend every single day reuniting with dear friends and family, including our favorite DC married friends, Christian's mission president and past companions at his mission reunion!

General Conference was exactly what I needed, as I'm sure it was for many.

I'm so thankful we can fill our spiritual cups to the brim every six months. 

I've resolved to be more kind and loving, especially to the children that Christian and I are constantly interacting with. 

As babysitters/pseudo parents, and primary teachers, I've realized this is something tremendously important to be working on. 

 

Now we just need to chug through these last few weeks of school, and Christian and I will be enjoying our one year anniversary (!!!!!!!!) on the beaches in Miami, and soaking up all kinds of sun and fun with our families. 

My motto until finals are over:

Just keep swimming..... 

Just keep swimming....... 

Just......

Keep......

Swimming........

"the gospel in action"

What a beautiful and inspiring video.
This IS what the Savior taught, and how amazing to see it being LIVED by those helping with the hurricane relief.

This helps me realize how much acting out of LOVE can make a difference in people's lives. 
And I don't know about you, but I do want to make a difference!
A line from a Josh Groban song keeps playing through my head as I write this:
"It's up to us to be the change..."
So I'm going to let this video inspire me to be better, take the words of this song, 

and do just that.

I'm so thankful for good people in this world. 

SO THANKFUL.

Not tryin to eat this every day

It's funny how things work.

Take this common occurrence for example.

I like to think of life as a pie eating contest.

So there you are, eating the most fantastic peach pie, and it's just REALLY good. 

I mean the best peach pie you ever did eat.

And you are happy.

And the pie is good for you too, like you aren't worried about the amount of sugar or preservatives because it just feels like the perfect thing to be eating at the moment. And you just somehow know it is exactly what you should be eating.

And then, right when you least expect it, the chef of life, also commonly referred to as the Heavenly Father, hands you a big ol' slice of his best humble pie. 

Yeah, you know the kind I am talking about.

And you have been so stuck on eating that wonderful peach pie for long enough, that you just can't stomach the thought of that humble pie. 

But you know that in the end, the humble pie will probably make you feel better than you can imagine, because everyone know humble pie has a lot of hidden benefits right? And seeing as how the Lord is the chef and has probably included a lot of REALLY great ingredients, it will be good!

But unfortunately it doesn't negate the fact that while it's going down, it's going to suck. (scuse my french) Because remember that peach pie you had been eating was a really wonderful thing too. And sometimes peach pie is hard to give up.

Especially when the taste of those wonderful peaches lingers for a while.

So you sit there.

And stare that humble pie down.

Willing it, with all your heart and soul, to erupt in a glorious flame of smoldering pie-death.

Either that, or you just wish you could run in the opposite direction.

Ultimately you just long to keep eating that peach pie. 

Because that would be the easy thing.

But sadly, that isn't how life, or the Lord, works.

He gives you the humble pie and waits for you to eat it.

And eventually you do. 

Because you trust Him.

And it does give you a stomachache for a while.

But in the end, the Lord knows best.

And boy, that humble pie changes your life for the better.

Even if you can't see it right from the start.

"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares us for whatever life brings. Faith in Christ prepares us to deal with life's opportunities-- to take advantage of those we receive and persist through the disappointment of those we lose. In the exercise of that faith we should commit ourselves to the priorities and standards we will follow on matters we do not control, and we should persist faithfully in those commitments whatever happens to us because of the agency of others or the timing of the Lord. When we do this, we will have constancy in our lives that will give us direction and peace. Whatever the circumstances beyond our control, our commitments and standards can be constant... Do not rely on planning every event of your life-- even every important event. Stand ready to accept the Lord's planning and the agency of others in matters that inevitably affect you. Plan, of course, but fix your planning on personal commitments that will carry you through no matter what happens. Anchor your life to eternal principles, and act upon those principles whatever the circumstances and whatever the actions of others. Then you can await the Lord's timing and be sure of the outcome in eternity."

-DALLIN H. OAKS

Bring it on, Humble Pie