Word of the Year...

I saw a post on Tip Junkie that said that many bloggers have a word of the year that helps them to sum up their goals and resolutions for that year. Many people chose organization--let me just tell you that just hearing that word makes me want to throw up. I have to keep telling myself--there is a time and a season, and six young children is not a time to be organized. I am putting that one off until next year (again). Someone I read put clean--can you believe that? Who in their right mind wants to clean all year? I don't even think I could be friends with that person! Lots of people put optimistic or positive--which I think I usually am for the most part. (Part of the reason for that is that I'm just a little nuts too, so it makes it easy to be positive!) Some other words were brave--which I think sometimes I might need help on, like when it comes to being a missionary. Faith--which is a great word to focus on all year. Lots of women chose family--which is of course the center of everything I do. But my word this year was inspired by a friend who dropped off a sweet card for new years (thanks Heather!) and on it, it simply said, "Find Joy in the Journey...Now" President Thomas S. Monson. Sharing our New Years resolution with you." My word for the year is:
When I heard President Monson give this talk, I realized that I am guilty of just what he was talking about. So many times in my life, I have found myself wishing that my kids were older, or my house was cleaner, or my life was quieter, or my husband was nicer, or my life was less chaotic--THEN I would be happy. THEN I could have joy in my life. What happens is when you have this mindset--you don't appreciate all of the little things that Heavenly Father blesses you with, and you fail to notice the tender mercies in your life that happen almost daily. This is my goal for 2009--to live in the moment, to love my family more fully, to truly find JOY in this journey of life...NOW! These are some of my favorite quotes from the talk. You can find the whole talk HERE.

"Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

The ancient Roman philosopher Horace admonished, “Whatever hour God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily.”