Eternal Choices

I have been thinking a lot about how some of our choices in life have a greater impact than others. I guess that goes without saying. The choice of what you eat in the morning doesn't matter near as much as the choice of who you marry. Anyway, the thing that I have been really thinking about lately is the fact that there are only a few choices that a person makes that truly have ETERNAL consequences.
In my humble opinion the first eternal choice would be about membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was born to a part member family. My mom was a member as were my maternal grandparents. My dad on the other hand was baptised but not active. My mom took me to church but never forced me to go. I was one of those teenagers that went to church, but I don't think I ever really had a testimony of my own. I made some choices in high school that I am sure didn't help my efforts to gain a testimony and I struggled a bit. When I made the choice to become an exchange student and was sent to Australia for a year, I looked at it as an opportunity to find out some answers for myself. I was away from family and friends so the only real influence I had was what I would seek out. I made the choice to read the Book of Mormon and actually think about what I read. To look up , study and ponder things. This was the first time I had really put some effort into finding a testimony for myself. When I got to Tasmania, I made the effort to find a Branch so that I could try and get to church. I couldn't go every week, but I made sure that I would study and read every Sunday. Guess what, by the time I finished reading the Book of Mormon, I had truly gained the testimony I had been seeking. I made the Choice then and there that when I got home I would not waver and that was the best Choice I could have made. I have gained such strength and comfort over the years knowing what can be ahead of me.
The next choice I made that I know has eternal consequences for me, was choosing someone to marry. I knew that I wanted to be married in the temple, I wanted that eternal marriage so that I could be assured that I could have my family together forever. I tried to make sure that I dated guys that could make that wish come true. It is funny how Heavenly Father will put us in the right situation to make things happen if we will just listen. The summer job I thought I had in Fallon was given to someone else and I was able to get a job out of the blue in Wells, Nevada. That was were I needed to be to meet the person I was supposed to marry. The decision to say Yes to the marriage proposal from Cortney Dahl was pretty easy. Heavenly Father had put me there so I actually didn't argue with him this time.
The third eternal decision that I have faced was to have children. This choice was a no brain er, of course I wanted a family. I am so grateful that I was able to have children. I know that sometimes a husband and wife don't have children in their home, but I am sure that for the most part this isn't a choice they make, and that they will be blessed with an eternal family of choice spirits that need great moms and dads. Anyway, I have come to realize that the choice to have children is a great responsibility. As a parent you always feel responsible for your children's eternal welfare. I know that they have their free agency, but it is my job to make sure that they have the tools and knowledge that will help them make the choices that will get them back with me in the end. Each day, I worry and weigh my efforts, so that I can be an example to them, so that they can make the eternal choices they need to make in their lives. This is definitely one of the on going choices in a persons life. I know that my mom worried about me until the day she passed away. I hope that the choices I make in my life are up to the task of being a good influence in my children and now my grandchildren's lives.
My son, has made great choice lately. He has made the choice to be of service to the Lord by accepting a call to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He will be serving in the Maryland Baltimore U.S. Mission. I am so pleased that he made this choice. He will be a great missionary, because he is a great person and has a testimony of the gospel. I will miss him, but I am making the choice to be supportive and excited right along with him.

A Little Success

OK, here it is the first of April, now a person could make a whole bunch of choices today and then when they don't follow through they can just say it was all an April Fools joke. I am not going to be one of those persons. This past week has been pretty good, in the follow through with choices department. I have finally kept up with the diet and eating better dept. The drinking of eight glasses of water is about killing me,(anyone need to know where the best restrooms in Fallon are, just ask) but everyone keeps telling me that after the first week or so your body will get used to it and things will even out. I sure HOPE so. I have also been fixing better meals and eating earlier in the evenings. I feel better when I can eat around 5. It also makes it so a person can go outside and work dinner off a bit before going to bed. Guess what the exercising is finally off the ground too. I have been able to get on the elliptical for a few minutes a couple times a day. I read in the "17 Day Diet" that if you will just exercise just 15 to 17 min a day it will make a different. So that choice is less overwhelming than 45 min. Trying to make it longer each time. Now that the weather is better I am going to get on the bike. Trying to make the choice of whether to try a garden again this year. Our water is so salting that I think that is what is killing everything. Might try the container gardens that the girls keep talking about. That way I can bring in some different soil, and run the water through the compost tea maker we have. Again more of those choices to make. It has been a while since I have done a complete deep clean of our house including shampooing the carpets. So I have made the choice that I am going to try and get this done this spring. I figure if I take one room and de-clutter, clean and spruce up stuff and then at least shampoo the living room and dining room (minus moving the china hutch, or maybe I will just to clean it out) I will be doing good. So since I have had success on follow through lately, lets all keep our fingers crossed that this choice will also find success. I have been working on getting our financial situation on better footing. Made the choice to try and get our house refinanced. Hope it all goes through because I was notified today that our payments will be going up 200.00 a month. yuck Keep your fingers crossed.