Turning A Corner

I can feel that I'm turning a corner. I don't ache at all anymore. The congestion in my head is breaking up. This is a mixed blessing. It means the relentless headache and feeling like explosion is imminent are gone, but replaced by constant blowing my nose and wiping my runny eyes.

Everyone just left for church without me. I don't do very well with this. I paint myself into the corner of no-win situations with my self analysis: Am I really sick enough to stay home? Should I just 'suck it up' and go blowing and hacking the whole time? I mean, what would the pioneer women have done? They got up and walked everyday regardless, right? Just where is the line? And where is mine with God? It matters greatly to me that He thinks it's okay. The more you find reasons to stay home, the easier it becomes, until the reasons aren't really legitimate anymore. I've seen so much of this in my lifetime and it has always frightened me. Fabulous people that I love have taken this path. Maybe that explains it.

But the truth is, I'm still not well. I would be exposing everyone else including myself since my resistance is down right now. And with the swine flu scare, everyone is very sensitive to sickness and germs. I know it's the best to stay home, but..... (you see how I get!)

Today is the Woman's/Visiting Teaching Conference. It is during the last 2 hours of the time block. I've been a part of the planning and executing of this conference. And now I'm not going to be there! I am soooooo sad about that. And I won't be there to soak it all in either. These are some of my most favorite things about our church. I would wither and die without this nourishment. I love these kinds of special conferences. I have never come away not feeling strengthened and ready to take on what ever the world throws my way, (until it's thrown, haha)

The theme for this year is The Living Christ. At the end, the RS presidency is going to challenge each of us to memorize the complete Living Christ declaration! When the president first told us about her promptings to issue this challenge we all looked at her in the meeting and thought she had flipped her lid. But then she explained the inspiration she had received: In these troubled times we need to be more deeply anchored to Christ and our testimonies unwavering in Him and His mission. Of course.

There are 10 paragraphs in the Living Christ. She chose 10 women from all different stages, callings, and places in their lives, to memorize one of the paragraphs. Then at a certain time at the end of the program, the first woman will stand from her seat and recite the first paragraph, the 2nd will do the same, and so on. I was asked to do the last paragraph. The one to sum it all up. I have worked so hard on this. And now I won't be able to do it. Boo hoo.

This experience has been a good one. I've found that I can still memorize, the spirit has taught me, and I feel closer to the Savior as I've practiced this and decided for me, where the emphasis belongs.

So here's my part on the program:

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained apostles, that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God.

He is the great King Immanuel, who today stands on the right hand of His father.

He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world.

His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

Thanks be to God, for the matchless gift of His Son!

And now I'm going to challenge my FAMILY and YOU to memorize this declaration one paragraph at at time so each of us can become more firm in our lives with this testimony.

What d'ya say?