My alarm went off at 5:00, and I made the conscious decision to sleep in another hour so that my brain would work well enough to do gospel study.
I think it worked, as I was much more awake at 6:00 then I think I would have been at 5:00, and I had a decent morning routine today. 😊
Headed to the gym to do a mega workout, and it started okay, but I ended up having to stop before I was even halfway through, when I went to do a chest press and felt a little tweak in my collarbone area.
I didn’t think it was anything serious, just a teeny tiny little tweak, but I’m glad I stopped working out immediately because the pain got worse and worse even though I had stopped working out.
I mean, I’m fine, nothing major, but it was definitely more than just a tiny tweak even though that’s what it felt like at first.
From there, I headed over to the temple, even though I was a couple hours early. I hung out in Rover and listened to gospel stuff, pondered, and was just still.
That was nice. 😊
Got myself dressed and headed into the temple early, spent a long time sitting in the endowment room, mostly pouring my heart out to the Big Guy.
Had some insights during the endowment, and for the first time in my life, choked up a bit during the very last part of the endowment before entering the celestial room.
What a beautiful day. 🥰
After the endowment, I headed over to the baptistry, thinking I was on the schedule, but apparently not? 🙃
Apparently, I thought I’d reserved an appointment but hadn’t actually done it, so they were right at the very beginning of the session when I got there after taking a few minutes in the celestial room to just be still and keep chatting with the Big Guy.
So grateful for the temple. 😊
They were pretty crowded in the baptistry, so though I wasn’t on the schedule, I helped out with confirmations until another young man who likely recently returned from a mission came in and was able to help.
Then they trained me to be able to work as the baptistry baptisms recorder, so though I’m not even a set apart temple worker, since it’s the baptistry, I can still do everything. 😊
So great. 🥰
Love being there. Love being able to participate. Love being able to serve.
Love working in the temple. 🥰
After the temple, I headed over to Walmart, night groceries, made myself a bean smoothie with great northern beans.
I think… Despite what Google says about them having a really mild flavor, they are definitely not beans I’m going to use much in the future. 😅
I think I’ll stick to black beans.
Still, I drank it, and it was cold and at least mostly palatable. 😆
I didn’t work at all on the drive home, and it was so great not to. I’m being true to myself, which means I’m also true to God, and… it just brings peace and happiness and joy.
I did look at my phone a few times because of some technical glitches trying to listen to the things I was listening to and probably should have pulled over, but yesterday and today have been significant and meaningful progress.
Stopped off at JH Keith Park on the way back, ran into Irene and her husband and said hello, and they told me about a music place with live music in town.
Lovely people. 😊
Played in my little soaking pool for probably an hour or two, listening to some talks and enjoying tranquility.
I mean, it was storming, and Heather and Hans were getting hail, but I only got a handful of drops, no hail, and just a beautiful storm. 😊
I made a little bit of progress deepening the little soaking pool in a couple of areas. I probably need to pick to make some really good progress. Shoveling a rocky bottom isn’t very effective, and the last two days I’ve been there, I’ve just been using my hands. 🙃
Nobody was home when I got home, at least not right away. I fed my three little apple cores to the horses, noticed that River was limping pretty good and tried to clean out his back hoof that looked like it was super packed full of crap from walking around on wet ground.
Heather and Hans got back, and I helped haunts get River’s hooves taken care of, loaded the groceries into the house, and bid everyone a good night.
Gratitude:
- I’m grateful that I decided to sleep in just a little bit, as I think it made for a much better day. Hopefully tomorrow I can get up at 5:00 and have it be a good time to get up.
- I’m grateful for the wonderful experience inside the temple.
- I’m grateful that I was already struggling with the mega workout, which made stopping the moment I felt the tweak in my shoulder much easier. 🙃 Had I not already been exhausted, I might have tried to push through, as The tweak was so minor that I might have tried even a single rep to see how I was going to do, but I didn’t even try a single rep once I felt the initial twinge.
- I’m grateful that my little cooler worked. It said it kept everything at 40°, and it didn’t completely drain down my battery, so that’s hopeful. It was a hot day today, and that cooler sat and baked in the hot van. Tomorrow is going to be even hotter, though I’m not going to need to use the cooler tomorrow. I think tomorrow is going to be close to 100? Anyway, grateful the cooler worked.
- I’m grateful that I’m getting my setup inside Rover better and better. Of course, if things continue as they’re going, I won’t be using Rover much before I fly out to New Zealand. I still don’t know why I’m going other than the little nudges from the Big Guy.
- I’m grateful I didn’t get any ticks today, at least none that I’m aware of. 😅
- I’m grateful the creation of my little soaking pool is going well. It is definitely warmer water than the regular pool. Would be interesting to get a thermometer to check the difference in temperatures.
Success:
- I didn’t work well driving.
- I’m working really hard at giving my whole heart to God. I’m hungry for my pride to be replaced with His perfect love–hungry.
Improvement:
- Despite it being a perfectly wonderful day, I noticed myself in two or three situations a lot quicker to annoyance then I would have expected for it having been such a beautiful day. Fortunately, I think it was mostly just flash feelings that I was able to take control of and let drift away on the breeze instead of having them actually be impactful in any meaningful way. 🥳 But still, an area of improvement that is available to me. Hopefully, one day, there simply won’t be any annoyance.
Thought of the Day:
…behind everything Christ taught—in every scripture, story, and parable—is the promise that with God, “all things are possible,” the promise that God’s power can wipe away every tear. We are to let go of personal desperation and seek rest in the Lord. So we come before Him with meekness and lowliness of heart to receive the blessings that come with His unceasing love. Our trust is to be like that of a little child, or a little lamb, which we actually are in His grand flock.
~ Patricia Holland
Hand of God In My Life Today:
That profound peace and light that passeth understanding. 🥰
Wishing a beautiful day tomorrow to a friend on her special day. 😊
Goodnight, my lovelies. 🥰
Lift the world.
Bring it on.
~ stephen
Lift the World 