Welcome to a new year.

Last year I resolved to not resolve, just to make changes when I could see the need for change.

It turned out not too bad for me. 

I made several changes.

I am not going to spend my time wishing I made more changes or did or that better. 

Just make changes as they need to be made.

I quit eating deep fried food. 

That's a biggie for me.

The worse the food is for me the more I like it it seems.

I tried to learn more about Service. I have learned that when I serve, I think less about what is making me upset or unhappy but that I can begin to love whatever situation I am in and have more clarity in dealing with it. 

One day I was pretty upset about something that happened. I went to the church that evening for a Friday night activity. Dishes needed to be done and since I was not in a great mood and not feeling social, I went to do the dishes. Something happened to me while I was doing the dishes. I just felt better. Who would have thought that doing dishes would do that to a person? It was not the dishes that  made me feel that way, it was the simple act of service that lifted my soul and helped to give me clarity of life and that really, if we are not willing to serve, what are we doing? Are we in this life just for ourselves? Or are we willing to do simple acts of service. Then I came home. And I read this quote.

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.” ~President Gordon B. Hinckley

The timing of me reading this could not have been better. It was perfect for me and what I had experienced that night. I made it my goal to make that my motto for this year. I complain WAY too much so what I would like to do is when I feel like complaining, do some service. I think sometimes I get wrapped up in thinking that service has to be big. Nope! Sometimes it is as simple as giving someone a smile who you would not have smiled at otherwise. What if that was the only smile they had all day and they felt like it made such a difference in their lives. Sometimes it is big and does take up a lot of our time but honestly, the Lord makes up for it. He really does.


Then the other day, I was reading quotes and saw this one. It spoke to my soul, who I am and the changes I want to make in my life.


“I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.” President Thomas S. Monson

I LOVE IT! These 2 statements have had such a change in me. I have struggled for the past 12 years and not known how to change it. It's been a daily battle. One which I have not wanted to face so tried to face by not dealing with it at all.

(so not a good idea!)

So these 2 simple statements have changed the way I will look at things. When I am struggling with a situation or something I don't deal with well, I will try and give service. 

My hope and prayer with this being my goal for this year is that I will learn about myself. I will learn to push myself more than I thought possible. It is not easy for me ask people if they need something. There is some kind of small panic that happens inside of me and I get really nervous. I think it's the thought of being shut down, I don't know. Maybe I will learn what it is over the year. 

I have a feeling I will be pushed beyond what I am comfortable with this year but I feel strongly that THIS is what needs to happen. 

One of my other goals is that I will be able to teach my kids to be of service. L and M my oldest LOVE to give service. One time in the fall we saw someone on the street who had a sign. It said "Hungry, broke, travelling and cold" I am always leery of just giving money, I could probably not take him to his destination and we had just found mold in our basement so I didn't feel like I could invite him into our home. So I pulled into the DQ and got him a meal. L was so perplexed why I was doing that because he had just asked me to get him food and I said no, he could wait until we got home. He had also not seen the man since he was sitting in the back of the van. So I explained to him that since his sign said he was hungry, we would get him food. I asked L to get out and run it to the guy. When he came back, he was a changed kid! He said to me that if he had a million dollars he would happily give it all to him since L had everything he needed. A mom and dad, brother and sister, the gospel, a home and food. 

I am hoping to pass along the love of service to others. Getting it is always fun but giving it is WAY better!