A Few of My Favorite "Little" Things

Last month I bought this framed art with a saying by Robert Brault. It seems to say perfectly something I have felt most of my life--probably due to the influence of my parents. As I have struggled with different challenges over the years, I have come to value the little things even more. I've decided to take a moment to post a few of my thoughts I usually save for my other, more private journal. I hope others can relate...

Whether we realize it or not, most Americans choose to live a very fast-paced lifestyle. It's a part of the culture of our time, and I am no exception. It is very difficult to slow down and simplify. In part I feel it is because we have become so accustomed to the technologies that allow us to do so much more in so much less time. We sometimes feel like we should be able to do it all.

I also feel like we need challenges to grow--both spiritually and physically. We may look at other people's lives and think, "Man, they have it so easy." But for them, it's probably doesn't seem "easy" at all. In the absence of "real" challenge, we will create our own challenges (though we may not realize it), because we need them. It's in our nature; it's a big part of why we are on this earth: to face the challenges, learn from them, and become better.

Finally, I believe in a few basic principles. God is real. Satan is real. God wants our eternal joy and happiness. Satan wants us to miserable "like unto himself." In this age, one of the cunning tools Satan uses to keep us miserable is to keep us so busy that we lose sight of what we are really doing. In our minds we are saying "I believe in __________" , "my family matters the most" or "these things are important to me", but our actions don't really show it. We place our true vote for what we believe in and what matters most to us by the way we invest our time and energy.

So, I have been doing a lot of thinking about where I really spend my time and energy. It's kind of hard. It's like budgeting or accounting. I may have a perception of where I'm at, but when I run the reports, I'm sometimes surprised by where the actual numbers fall. I am trying, though; and I'm learning more everyday.

I know I have labors to perform and responsibilities I cannot neglect. I just want to have a little more joy in the journey and, for me, that comes from knowing that whatever I may be working on, my heart is in the right place and my labors are pleasing to my Heavenly Father. For me that requires a lot of prayer, pondering and reflection.

I have plenty of fears. I want to spend more time focusing on my faith and enjoying the little things in life that make me so happy. So I am going to be posting some of my favorite "little" things. It may seem kind of cheesy, but it's my way of remembering what matters most to me and taking time to enjoy it. I don't want to be miserable!