School is Out!!!

School is out for the summer!! I have never felt this euphoric about it before, not even when I was in school myself! I have so many projects around the house that need doing that I'm not sure where to start plus I'm actually excited to do them. I do not feel daunted that the garage, every closet, every cupboard and every room needs to be cleaned out and organized, instead I feel psyched that I can finally tackle all these messes that have been cluttering up my mind during the school year. Obviously I need to find a better way to balance work time/church time/home time/free time during the school year so that I won't always feel like I'm letting something go. But for now, I'm euphoric! I'm about to start some laundry going and the laundry room closet...good times!

Sunday Thoughts

We had a totally fantastic testimony meeting today which found me writing as fast as I could to keep up with the things being said. The opening hymn was The Star-Spangled Banner and the closing hymn was America the Beautiful. Singing those songs in a church setting is just plain powerful! Today was the first time I found myself thinking that the Fourth of July could be considered a religious holiday, and I really love that it fell on a Sunday this year.


Here are some notes from the testimonies shared today...

• The Lord prepared our nation for the gospel.
• The leaders of our nation were led by the Spirit.
• The gospel of Jesus Christ is about freedom, and we all have a special part in defending that freedom.
• The war in heaven was fought over freedom. Satan's plan to save everyone was at the cost of our freedom to choose, and those who went with him gave their freedom away.
• Freedom of speech means nothing if you have nothing to say or if you say nothing.
• Heavenly Father will not take away our freedom.
• We teach correct principles then allow others to govern themselves. We do NOT force or trick people into doing what is right.
• We have an obligation to know what we believe and why we believe it.
• The Lord knows who we are and what we need.
• Find out for yourself what you believe.
• If you need to simplify your life so you can figure out what's true, please do it.
• We need to protect our country with righteousness.
• “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” --Elie Wiesel
• Recommit yourself to being a wise steward with what you have been given. (This thought was given in the context of "Where much is given, much is required" and I thought it was an interesting way of looking at things. I haven't ever thought of my blessings as something I have stewardship over.)

This meeting was so good it made me want to stand up cheer! I loved all these thoughts on freedom, and I love how they tie into the gospel. Of course the gospel of Jesus Christ is about freedom, why didn't I ever think of it that way? Being obedient doesn't mean we don't have a choice. It is through obedience to correct principles that we find true freedom.

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: What a great Sunday! I love coming home feeling super-charged with the Spirit.