Finally! A watercolor painting I'm doing that is turning out good. I am really enjoying this watercolor class. It's only going to be an 8 week course but it is giving me a good start in this medium. I am finding the teacher to be excellent. His style is really tight and detailed but every time he comes around to help me he does these wonderful little thumbnail sketches that are loose and flowing.
I am doing a painting of a tree that is in stark contrast to a dark river behind it. It's a very dramatic picture with dark greens and blues except for bright yellow leaves on the right side of the tree due to a setting sun (which is actually out of the picture.)
Like they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words." You'd have to see the picture
I was worried about painting the river and actually making it look like water. I did a smaller painting of this picture so I could work out all the problems on it before I did it on the larger, more expensive paper. On the smaller painting I overworked it so much that the river turned out to be "muddy." Not a pun. It's an actual term in water coloring. I find it hard to do it right the first time which is why I've always thought watercolors to be so difficult.
I had the teacher show me how to do the water on his paper and when I followed his instructions and example it turned out great, much different than the reference but beautiful. Instead of the dark, stark contrast the river is actually a very cool, light color but even more appealing to me. Now the tree is too harsh. I am going to see what the teacher has to suggest.
Anyway, it's a whole new experience for me. I am going to try my hand at this for the next year and see how it goes over time. Learning how to watercolor was one of the things on my 100 goals list. So, also, was spending a year doing something new and challenging. So I'm accomplishing two goals at once.
Getting up at 5:00 is something I am finding surprisingly easy. I don't have to drag myself out of bed every morning. The alarm goes off and I'm up without effort. And the "sleep withdrawals" are about gone now that I'm not getting back up due to the Ambien. The Lord is really blessing me so that I'm able to achieve this goal. I'm amazed at how much I'm enjoying the benefits of early rising. I'm loving the time studying my scriptures and writing in my journal when I 'm fresh. It really is invigorating as it promised it would be in the D&C!
Another great thing is that I've re-lost(?) the five pounds that I gained last month. Also, I'm starting to enjoy my mission and am getting more and more confident on the computer. And, last but not least, Joe has set up a small table in the computer room so that I can have all my books, scriptures and journal out and not have to have them in the way on the dining room table. He has moved his work computer up into the bonus room which makes room available for me downstairs. He has a nice long table up there for his puzzles, and we have put our family room furniture up there so it's a nice cozy place for him to be as well.
Life is good for me right now. Thanks Heavenly Father.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
General Conference: I'll try this again....
Last Sunday morning, early, I wrote a long post about all the wonderful things I heard in Conference on Saturday and then somehow lost it just as I was about to publish it. I thought maybe Michelle could find it for me so I didn't try to write it again. Turns out she couldn't find it so I am going to try it again.
As I look back over my notes, now, I don't remember all the thoughts I had when I wrote them. Still, I will do the best I can but I am really upset that that can actually happen when you are writing on a computer. Dang computers! I have a love/hate relationship with mine.
So the first talk, right off the bat, set the stage for my thoughts as Elder Richard G. Scott spoke about personal revelation. I was impressed with the suggestion that we need to write down the revelations and strong impressions we receive from the Lord. Then we should thank Heavenly Father for the things He is revealing to us and ask if there is anything more He wants us to know or understand. And then we should respond to and apply what we have learned.
Sister Matsumori said we should "provide a quiet time each day to facilitate the prompting of the Spirit." It reminded me of something someone said about President Kimball's advice that we "lengthen our stride." It was said that he didn't write out a long list of things to do. He started meditating each day as a way of lengthening his stride.
I have tried to include meditation as part of my daily routine of prayer and scripture study. Unfortunately I have fallen asleep each time I've tried it. I still find that I have not yet gotten over the "sleep withdrawals" from getting up at 5:00 a.m. If I don't do something that occupies my thoughts like writing in my journal or writing my notes from my scripture study I get very drowsy and practically fall asleep. Several times I actually have gone in the living room and lain down on the couch and slept for a little while longer. That has happened only a few times in the 7 weeks I've been getting up early so I don't feel too bad about it.
This usually happens after I have been up for a couple of hours already so you would think I would be wide awake by that time. Well, not yet, but I am persevering.
Back to Conference talks....
Elder Ted R Callister's talk said that even something as important as the restoration of the gospel was still only given line upon line, precept upon precept as Joseph Smith asked questions in prayer. So, also, will we receive line upon line, precept upon precept as we ask questions of the Lord in prayer. I realized that I don't very often ask questions in my prayers unless it's something important that I'm fasting about and I need to get an answer about.
I thought Elder Kent D Watson's talk on temperance was good. He said that temperance is a gift of the Holy Ghost, that it's more than just moderation, it's being diligent and patient in pursuing goals. I can honestly say that I would never have thought of that.... Temperance and goals going together? He also said that being temperate will give us increased spiritual strength and self control. Great! I could use more self-control
I loved Elder Neil L Anderson's talk on Mercy; that the arms of mercy are extended to us if we repent and come unto Him, that the Lord will receive us; that his arms of love are extended "all the day long." The phrase "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" is beautiful. It is my favorite phrase from a hymn on my Ipod from an album called Sacred Classics. The idea that the Lord's love for us actually is shown in the palms of His hands. The best part of his talk was when he said "don't be discouraged if you have been struggling with he same sin over and over. You won't see your progress without patience" He likened it to climbing a mountain through a forest of trees. That you can't see that you're progressing until you get near the top where the trees thin out, then you can look back and see that you really have made progress. The last note I took from him was that repentance always meant greater happiness.
The haunting rendition of "Oh Divine Redeemer" was so movingly beautiful I could hardly stand to hear it end. It was my favorite song of the whole conference.
And the one talk that impressed me most, above any other of the whole conference, was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's. Given the circumstances of how it was delivered that will cause it to be forever remembered, Elder Holland's POWERFUL TESTIMONY about the Book of Mormon and the truthfulness of the Church was astounding. I loved this part:
I so look forward to General Conference. I promised myself I would only take one idea from each session to work on for the coming six months . I usually try to work on too many things and then get discouraged when I can't keep up with it all. As it turned out, I found so much in just the Saturday sessions that that is where I am taking my four ideas/goals from.
After going through my notes I've decided I will do the following things - write down my impressions from the Lord, meditate, practice temperance, and not be discouraged by working on the same sin over and over. Writing down impressions and not getting discouraged really aren't the kind of goals that take any actual work or effort so that should be easy. And I've decided that I will meditate on practicing temperance. :)
Practicing temperance is the only goal that I will really have to work at. Meditating is going to take some effort as well (but not as much as temperance) because I tend to fall asleep if I try to do it in the morning. I will have to write myself a note to do it in the afternoon. I am afraid I will forget if I don't have the note to remind me.
What a wonderful two days. I am so grateful that I can watch Conference on TV, what a miracle it is. I can hardly believe I am so blessed in my life with such abundance and prosperity. I do fear for our freedom, though. I must trust in the Lord about that. I wonder why we don't hear about that subject in Conference now days when we are so close to losing it. President Benson would have had a field day with what is happening now and that's putting it mildly to say the least.
Well, Conference was great and I am spiritually blessed to hear from a Prophet the things God would have us know.
As I look back over my notes, now, I don't remember all the thoughts I had when I wrote them. Still, I will do the best I can but I am really upset that that can actually happen when you are writing on a computer. Dang computers! I have a love/hate relationship with mine.
So the first talk, right off the bat, set the stage for my thoughts as Elder Richard G. Scott spoke about personal revelation. I was impressed with the suggestion that we need to write down the revelations and strong impressions we receive from the Lord. Then we should thank Heavenly Father for the things He is revealing to us and ask if there is anything more He wants us to know or understand. And then we should respond to and apply what we have learned.
Sister Matsumori said we should "provide a quiet time each day to facilitate the prompting of the Spirit." It reminded me of something someone said about President Kimball's advice that we "lengthen our stride." It was said that he didn't write out a long list of things to do. He started meditating each day as a way of lengthening his stride.
I have tried to include meditation as part of my daily routine of prayer and scripture study. Unfortunately I have fallen asleep each time I've tried it. I still find that I have not yet gotten over the "sleep withdrawals" from getting up at 5:00 a.m. If I don't do something that occupies my thoughts like writing in my journal or writing my notes from my scripture study I get very drowsy and practically fall asleep. Several times I actually have gone in the living room and lain down on the couch and slept for a little while longer. That has happened only a few times in the 7 weeks I've been getting up early so I don't feel too bad about it.
This usually happens after I have been up for a couple of hours already so you would think I would be wide awake by that time. Well, not yet, but I am persevering.
Back to Conference talks....
Elder Ted R Callister's talk said that even something as important as the restoration of the gospel was still only given line upon line, precept upon precept as Joseph Smith asked questions in prayer. So, also, will we receive line upon line, precept upon precept as we ask questions of the Lord in prayer. I realized that I don't very often ask questions in my prayers unless it's something important that I'm fasting about and I need to get an answer about.
I thought Elder Kent D Watson's talk on temperance was good. He said that temperance is a gift of the Holy Ghost, that it's more than just moderation, it's being diligent and patient in pursuing goals. I can honestly say that I would never have thought of that.... Temperance and goals going together? He also said that being temperate will give us increased spiritual strength and self control. Great! I could use more self-control
I loved Elder Neil L Anderson's talk on Mercy; that the arms of mercy are extended to us if we repent and come unto Him, that the Lord will receive us; that his arms of love are extended "all the day long." The phrase "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" is beautiful. It is my favorite phrase from a hymn on my Ipod from an album called Sacred Classics. The idea that the Lord's love for us actually is shown in the palms of His hands. The best part of his talk was when he said "don't be discouraged if you have been struggling with he same sin over and over. You won't see your progress without patience" He likened it to climbing a mountain through a forest of trees. That you can't see that you're progressing until you get near the top where the trees thin out, then you can look back and see that you really have made progress. The last note I took from him was that repentance always meant greater happiness.
The haunting rendition of "Oh Divine Redeemer" was so movingly beautiful I could hardly stand to hear it end. It was my favorite song of the whole conference.
And the one talk that impressed me most, above any other of the whole conference, was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's. Given the circumstances of how it was delivered that will cause it to be forever remembered, Elder Holland's POWERFUL TESTIMONY about the Book of Mormon and the truthfulness of the Church was astounding. I loved this part:
In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created...tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as impostors and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that!They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
I could see Elder Holland was visibly shaken as he spoke. The feelings of the Spirit could not be denied in watching him. What an AMAZING talk!!! It makes me want to go out and say the same thing to the world. I am glad that he spoke it when all the world could watch and hear it and that it will be recorded forever. Angels will definitely quote from it.
I so look forward to General Conference. I promised myself I would only take one idea from each session to work on for the coming six months . I usually try to work on too many things and then get discouraged when I can't keep up with it all. As it turned out, I found so much in just the Saturday sessions that that is where I am taking my four ideas/goals from.
After going through my notes I've decided I will do the following things - write down my impressions from the Lord, meditate, practice temperance, and not be discouraged by working on the same sin over and over. Writing down impressions and not getting discouraged really aren't the kind of goals that take any actual work or effort so that should be easy. And I've decided that I will meditate on practicing temperance. :)
Practicing temperance is the only goal that I will really have to work at. Meditating is going to take some effort as well (but not as much as temperance) because I tend to fall asleep if I try to do it in the morning. I will have to write myself a note to do it in the afternoon. I am afraid I will forget if I don't have the note to remind me.
What a wonderful two days. I am so grateful that I can watch Conference on TV, what a miracle it is. I can hardly believe I am so blessed in my life with such abundance and prosperity. I do fear for our freedom, though. I must trust in the Lord about that. I wonder why we don't hear about that subject in Conference now days when we are so close to losing it. President Benson would have had a field day with what is happening now and that's putting it mildly to say the least.
Well, Conference was great and I am spiritually blessed to hear from a Prophet the things God would have us know.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Yawnnnnn
Well, I still haven't gotten through my "sleep withdrawals" yet. I almost fell asleep in a class on using wheat from food storage at our preparedness fair this morning and I was sitting on the second row in the classroom with no one in front of me. %) Hope the teacher didn't notice my head bobbing as I jerked awake.
I am really enjoying the time I spend in the mornings doing things like getting my journal caught up, my 12 generation pedigree chart filled in, studying the D&C in depth and having a meaningful prayer. I still don't dare meditate for fear of falling asleep again :)
I have read my 100 goals list almost every day and am amazed that I'm doing some of the things on my list without even trying. One of my goals was to not stress about accomplishing the things I have on my list. So far so good.
I need to remember to write my posts earlier in the evening. It's 9:17 and I turned into a pumpkin at 9:00.
Night all, sleep tight.
I am really enjoying the time I spend in the mornings doing things like getting my journal caught up, my 12 generation pedigree chart filled in, studying the D&C in depth and having a meaningful prayer. I still don't dare meditate for fear of falling asleep again :)
I have read my 100 goals list almost every day and am amazed that I'm doing some of the things on my list without even trying. One of my goals was to not stress about accomplishing the things I have on my list. So far so good.
I need to remember to write my posts earlier in the evening. It's 9:17 and I turned into a pumpkin at 9:00.
Night all, sleep tight.
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