Spring Break and Service

Today is the first day of spring break for the grand kids and the six month anniversary of my hip surgery. It's always fun to have a change of pace and even though it's hard having the kids home all day, they are old enough to be lots of help. Hopefully we will be able to do some fun things and not just work around the house and on projects. Spring always brings feelings of a new beginning for me. With April Conference and Easter it always makes me emotional to think of the sacrifice our Savior made for us. Sundays seem to give me some time to reflect on my life and the things I need to do better. As a mother and grand mother I want to be an example of what to be like, but at times I'm afraid it turns into more of a what not to be like. That makes me sad, but it is what it is. The Relief Society lesson yesterday was really good about service. She gave a great quote by President Kimball where he says: "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." It was an emotional meeting for all of us sisters in the class. Who hasn't been touched by a kind act of service by someone who has been prompted to help us? After Kamber passed away we were all so heart broken, I didn't know if I would be able to keep it together. It affected my health, my marriage, my ability to think clearly, and many other aspects of my life. I remember Jenn telling me of an experience she had with her Bishop as they talked about how devastated they were and what they could do to overcome the deep feelings of sadness they were having. I remember her telling me that all her Bishop told her to do that would help them was, "serve, serve and then serve some more." In the lesson yesterday it talks about all the blessings we receive by serving others. It increases our ability to love and that makes us less selfish. It also helps us when we think of the problems of others our own problems seem less serious. I have been so sad about the devastation in Japan, but helpless of anything I could do. Hopefully as a family we will find opportunities to serve those around us as President Kimball said, "We become more substantive as we serve others-indeed, it is easier to "find" ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!"