Well, I WAS going to go to bed, Amy.

I read Amy's blog tonight and then watched Cindy and her elf friends dance. I was going to go to bed but suddenly felt an urge to write something in my own blog. I'm not prepared to write about another of my children. I have to find some cute stories in my journal first. Talking about the weather and politics and such is not appealing (and those subjects may be a bit boring right now, anyway). What should I write that would make it worth reading? Hmmmmmm.....

I know! I've wished that there were some kind of list of things we should or should not do in order to feel we were right in the eyes of the Lord. You know, a list we could check off as we did each one, or as we acquired certain traits or developed certain talents. For example, 1. Never tell a lie. 2. If you ever tell a lie, be certain to repent immediately. 3. If you lied a long time ago and didn't ever repent, go buy some fresh lambchops and cook them very, very well on your barbecue grill and then offer them to the missionaries.

Really, I don't mean to make light of what really is something very important. I WANT to do what is right. I WANT to please Heavenly Father. I WANT to know I will one day be worthy to stand in His presence. I have spent far too much time worrying about mistakes already made or mistakes I might make today or tomorrow. I want Him to give me a list just like He gave Moses and the wandering Israelites (the Ten Commandments). I am a list person. I make lists of everything I want to do the next day or week or month. I make lists of what I need to buy. I make lists of what I want to do for my family for Christmas. I make lists of activities I want to do for piano lessons or scouts meetings. I make lists of lists. Now I just want a list of what I have to do in this life in order to feel I have accomplished the reasons I am here on the earth.

Well, last night I found a list. It jumped right out at me as I was reading scriptures. At least, I felt it was a good place to start. If I can follow this guidance from the Lord I just might have a chance. I found my list in Doctrine and Covenants Section 4.

Here are some of the things I noted in my journal:

Embark in the service of God.
Serve Him with ALL your heart, might, mind and strength.
Thrust in your sickle with your might.
Have faith, hope, charity and love.
Have an eye single to the glory of God.
Develop these: faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence.
Seek after the things of God ("Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.")

Now I have to get to work becoming and doing all these things! I'm certain I've lived more than half my life, so time's a-wasting! I've got a lot to do!

(Elder Bednar's conference address about prayer was extremely helpful to me in regards to my personal prayers. It also is a kind of checklist for me and I feel my prayers are already becoming more meaningful as I consider and apply what he taught.)

Now I'm going to bed. And going to bed for me includes washing my face, brushing my teeth, putting on my pajamas, having prayer, writing in my journal, reading from all five standard works (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price---I LOVE reading them all at once! I never before enjoyed the scriptures as much as I do now; you should try it sometime!) and I also read from the Ensign Magazine. (I've not been very good at taking advantage of the wonderful material in the Ensign, and finally figured out that if I attach it to something I know I will do every day then I'd get it done. So I started making it part of my scripture reading.)

Oh, wait! I can't go to bed yet! I have some bills I determined I was going to pay TODAY, and I've only got one hour left! Then I can rest in peace.