Finding Joy in the Journey
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 nonexistent 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.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 84–87
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 nonexistent 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.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.” Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 84–87
Upcoming Sunday Lesson: Chap. 25:Leading in the Lords Way
Happy Birthday To You
5th- Amy Evans
6th- Vicki Lynn Taylor
7th- Kathryn Duncan
Announcements*Relief Society Temple Trip
Please join us for a fun and uplifting trip to the St. Louis Temple! Meet at the church at 4:00 on Friday, January 23. We will travel together, taking as few cars as possible and sharing the cost of the gas. We will make a dinner stop on the way (You could bring a small cooler if you would like to pack your own dinner). The cost of the hotel rooms will be about $15.50 per person, with four sisters sharing one room. You may bring food with you to eat for breakfast on Saturday morning, or buy breakfast at the hotel. We will will attend the 8:15 a.m. endowment session on Saturday morning, then depart to return home, making a lunch stop on the way. If you are planning to come, please contact Diane Anderson at 499-0408 or andersonfamily@everestkc.net. Please note that Saturday, January 24 is also Stake Youth Temple Day at the St. Louis Temple, and some sisters may want to stay at the temple after the session to be with their youth in the baptistry. Please let us know if you plan to do this, so that we can make sure that everyone has a ride home at the right time on Saturday!
*Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Activity Thursday, January 8 at 7:00 at the church "Where there's a will, there's a way..." Join us for two helpful presentations as we start a new year. Cam Clark, an attorney, will be teaching us about WILL preparation. Greg and Rebecca Rasmussen, both accountants, will be teaching us helpful WAYS to mangage family finances.
*January Playgroup on sidebar
Visiting Teaching Spotlight: This a new addition to Sweet Talk. If you have a VT sister that you would like to "spotlight", or if you have an uplifting VT story you would like to share in the Sweet Talk or for a few minutes in Relief Society we want to know. We are going to try having a VT moment each month so it would be great to hear from as many of you as possible! :) Thanks! Please email Anna Geilman at annageilman@gmail.com if you are interested.
Lenexa Ward Relief Society Presidency
Sue Shipp RS President 307-0245
Diane Anderson 1st Counselor 294-7761
Lindsay Larsen 2nd Counselor 499-0791
Jill Jepperson RS Secretary 839-0389
Have A Wonderful Week!
