TIME: Part I

 My Theory on Time: Work & Leisure

One of the best quotes I heard was from Kevin Miller, a Covey respresentative.  He said, "You cannot manage time, you can only manage yourselves."  That was an ah-ha moment for me!  Unlike money, we all have the same exact amount of minutes to use.  Similar to money, however, we have the power over how we use those minutes.  How we choose to fill those minutes is within our power.  I think the toughest part of managing ourselves with the limited time we have is balancing work with leisure, both being as important as the other. 

Value of Work
After Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord's instruction to them was this, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread (Gen. 3:19)."  The Lord also told them that "the ground shall be cursed for thy sake," and in Timothy we read that "they shall be saved in childbearing."  One implication of these verses is that the Lord knew only through hard work could Adam and Eve (and therefore us as well) truly obtain the blessings of eternal life without the sacred responsibilities of work given them  (see Strengthening Our Families, Dollahite, p. 178). 

In a work of "quick fixes" our modern society has begun to see work more as a curse than a blessing.  Many of us seek the Garden-like atmosphere rather than putting our efforts into the tasks placed before us.  Family work is sacred work. Believe me, there have been many times in my life when I have wondered if this really was true.  Was there sacredness in my girls arguing every morning when cleaning their room?  Is there sacredness in the mountains of laundry that need to be done weekly, sometimes even daily?  Lately I have been able to see the sacred nature of such experiences and tasks.  There was complete sacredness in the creation of the earth and as I pattern my home after the work of the Lord's plan, I too can find sacredness in my work.  As I catch that vision, I can pass the joy onto my children.

How do we do this? That is the real question! I have come to discover three vital ways of teaching my children the value of work.

1) Delayed gratification.   I was just talking to a friend about how letter writing has become a lost art.  She said something I'd never thought of.  I'll paraphrase, "With everything being instant these days, I want my kids to have that sense of having to wait for something."  You remember when you were a kid, just waiting for the mail to arrive hoping there would be a letter from your penpal or grandma or someone!  Randy Pausch has said, "Hard work is like compounded interest in the bank. The rewards build faster." Teach the children about delayed gratification.

2) Family work.  There will be another post soon about family work, so I won't say much here.  Oh how I remember the hours of yard work done by my father's side (or at least by his instruction!).  My dad loves and understands the value of getting your hands dirty.  Because of this love and understanding, he can create an oasis out of desert.  Our kids can learn the value of hard work best by working by our sides.

3) Challenges within their grasp.  Don't do for your children what they can do for themselves.  Give them the confidence that they can do anything!  Just the other day I asked my son (10yo) to change the lighbulb of our family room light.  At first he exclaimed, "I don't know how!"  My response was, "You've seen Dad do it.  I bet you can figure it out."  And guess what, he did.  Just today my 2yo wanted me to put some flippers on.  I told him, "You put them on, if you can't do it, you don't wear them."  Well, he figured out how to put them on and wore them with pride!  Giving our kids challenges within their reach gives them confidence that they can do anything, thus learning the value of work. 

Value of Leisure
Kathy Hirsch-Pasek & Roberta Michnick, authors of Einstein Didn't Use Flashcards believe that, "the concept of downtime seems to be a kind of heresy in the current cult of acheivement."  Do we value leisure time as much as work for our children?  One of the greatest realizations I've had is that leisure is not the opposite of work. It  is work combined with leisure that leads to the good life.  Aristotle once said that the ultimate purpose of leisure is "thinking or using our minds (Strengthening Our Families, p. 194)."  Thus when our children are young, playing is using their minds as they are capable and know how.  As we get older, our minds mature and we need to be inspired to think and use them accordingly.  Aristotle continues that there are four types of "ethical leisure:"  intellectual activity, creative activity, meaningful activity, and moral behavior. Planning our "free time" with these four categories in mind, our time can be better spent.

Again, here are a couple of things I've observed in my own little family on how to better value our leisure time:

1) Schedule and Plan for leisure time. We need to make blocks of time in  our days where our children are free to think and use their minds.  It is important to put it on the schedule just as a lesson or doctor appointment would be.  If your children aren't used to this kind of time, let them be bored.  Eventually, they'll catch on that Mom isn't going to schedule anything for them, they're on their own!  This is scary because we think if they're bored they'll turn into bums later on in life.  After a lot of turmoil on this myself, I have come to realize what a fallacy is that thought.  We still need to provide the tools or the boundaries during that time, but it is in that "free time" that their minds can blossom and grow into who they really are to become. 

2) Plan wholesome recreational activities with the family.   Try not to fall back on the "family movie night" every week.  Go outside.  Talk together.  Cook together.  Take a hike or a walk. Dump out all the legos and build stuff together.  Play a game.  Read together.  I think adults need to allow themselves a chance to step into the child's shoes for a day.  I had a friend who told me that she had played legos with her son all day.  This was in my more naive years of motherhood and I remember thinking,"What a waste of time," but for that son, it was probably one of the best days of his young life. 

3) Don't overschedule the family.  It is so common and easy to fall into the pattern of signing our kids up for multiple activities.  Or signing up for too much ourselves!!  One report says that "Among many measures of this disturbing trend [of overscheduling] are the reports that structured sports time has doubled, but children’s free time has declined by 12 hours per week, and unstructured outdoor activities have fallen by 50 percent (see here, footnote 2). Whether our goal be to get them ahead of the pack, keep them busy, or to create well-rounded children, we need to be careful to balance those seemingly worthy goals with that all-too-important time alone and with family.

In conclusion, a quote from one of my favorite books, "People are so foolish, they waste their time even though they have so little of it (Search for Delicious, Babbit)." Let's fill our time with leisure and work, both serving an equally valuable purpose. 


** To read another great article on this topic, see "The Joys of Doing Nothing."

Your Mission in Life is Now

How many of you saw this article in the Ensign this month?  My favorite part was where she talks about three principles in discovering our mission:

I found one way to recognize it by understanding three elements that were already part of my life:

      
       • A unique set of personal gifts.
       • A unique set of personal challenges.
       • Specific needs in the world that the Lord
            wants me to respond to.

Simply put, we fulfill our mission whenever these three elements intersect and we choose to act.

This summed it up in so many words I couldn't say!  I loved it!

Who Do We Want to Be

I wrote the following essay right after I had decided to make the final leap off the "conveyor belt" (though doing so really is an ongoing process).  Sometimes we get so caught up in the requirements, the grade levels, our kids falling behind, etc... This was MY answer for MY family.  I warn you:  it might be quite lengthy . . . but take from it what you will.  :-)

Who Are we to Be?

After a great discussion with my LDS book-reading friends I’ve been pondering some great questions; questions that have led me to learn what I really want (or need) in life, who I want my children to become, what it means to be excellent or smart or accomplished or beautiful. My goal is to simply use the knowledge and resources I have now to enhance my own education as well as that of my children. So, I need to ask myself some questions:

1) What does being excellent mean to me?
2) Who do I want my children to become?
3) What is my main purpose as a mother?

After the “what” questions, I need to ask “How”? How am I going to raise excellent children, lead them to where they need to go in order to become who they need to become, and how am I going to fulfill my main purpose of being their mother.

What does it mean to be excellent?
It’s a little ironic that just as I’ve been pondering these questions the very first Christmas card of the season arrived in my mailbox. Of course, it is from one who I would label their children as “excellent.” The letter contained long lists of each child’s achievements. Though these talents must be mentioned and celebrated, and I am glad to know what they are doing in their lives, it just brought again to my attention how much emphasis we put on the outward achievements our children accomplish. Does this make them excellent? I admit I have been found watching the activities of other kids and thinking, “My kids don’t do that, I must be doing something wrong.” I think I have done somewhat well in keeping my children guarded from doing too much outside activities at one time, but the pressure is there to create that “excellent” child.

One sister in the book discussion mentioned that we need to look at the characters of our children rather than simply their activities (or outward talents). This statement led me to ponder the many lists in the Gospel of characteristics we need to develop. Examples would be President Hinckley’s “Be” list, the characteristics of divine nature found in 2nd Peter, the characteristics of a little child found in Mosiah, the 10 Virtues also proclaimed by President Hinckley and the Beattitudes. All of these examples have their overlaps, of course, but there is a lengthy list. It is important that we take the time to evaluate our own progress in obtaining these characteristics, as parents and as a family whole.

Who do you Want Your Children to BE?
Years ago, when my oldest (now 10yo) was one, my husband and I sat down and created a family mission statement. First we made a list of our priorities and then I formatted it similar to the mission statement of the Young Women organization in the Church. Over the years I’ve gone back to see if there’s something that needs to change based on how our family has grown, but I can’t do it. This statement is who we want to become, individually and as a family. On our priority list we have strengthening our talents to help others, missionary work to spread the gospel, loving to learn and seek knowledge both spiritual and temporal, and developing those characteristics that most reflect our Savior’s. This is a general statement, fit for the whole family. I am now working on creating my own personal mission statement (thank you Mr. Covey) and I believe the Thomas Jefferson Education idea of a “Six month Inventory” of each of our children serves as a great foundation for the mission statements of our children.

Right now I can think of three words of who I want my children to be: Individual, Leader, and Follower.

I want my children to understand the principle of agency in the sense of how much power they have over who they can become. I want them to become confidant within themselves as individuals, not simply from outward praise and by pleasing others. I want them to recognize themselves as the great individuals they truly are inside. I hope that they can learn from both their strengths and their weaknesses, not in comparison with those around them. I want them to build a personal relationship with their Savior.

I want them to lead their lives in such a way that others will want to follow. I want them to serve, to give, to love. When I think of a leader I don’t necessarily mean president of any organization or group, I think of someone others would want to be with and to follow.

And of course, I want my children to be followers of the Savior. As we were reading in the New Testament this week for devotional we read of the account of the fishes in the nets. At the end of that great story, the disciples leave their nets and follow Him. I posed the question then to my children (and inwardly to myself), “What is the Lord asking you to leave to follow Him?” I want my children’s testimonies to be pure, sure, and their own.

What is My Purpose as a Mother?

In re-reading President Ezra Taft Benson’s excellent talk on motherhood, I was impressed by this quote by President Spencer W. Kimball, “When you have fully complemented your husband in home life and borne the children, growing up full of faith, integrity, responsibility, and goodness, then you have achieved your accomplishment supreme . . . and you will be the envy [of all] through time and eternity (italics added).” President Benson went on to list ten things we can do to fulfill our mission as mothers, to better raise our children “the Lord’s way.” Pray with them, be their friend, be at the crossroads, love them, read to them, and more. There are two goals I feel I now have as a mother.

First, I need to focus on my own growth and education so I can then give more to the education of my children. If mothers aren’t seeking, reading, and learning themselves it gives them little to draw from when their children ask those amazing questions. I have found that when I focus on my own personal growth I’m also less judgmental of others around me. I’m looking inward instead of outward on how to improve our home life and in the world. I’m much less critical of how my children choose to use their time, or far less concerned about their level of learning compared to their peers’. To do this, I need to first place the Lord in my life. I find that serious, daily scripture study is the key to minimizing my anxieties and puts the weaknesses of myself and others in proper perspective. Elder Bednar said in an article Feb. 2010, “There is a hierarchy to what we need to learn, some things are more important than others.” That quote struck me because I have lately been “stressing” over all the many books I have by my bedside, itching to be read. I’m yearning to learn everything and overwhelmed that I cannot learn it all. Understanding the hierarchy of learning helps me to prioritize “every needful thing.”

The second purpose for me as a mother is to be a mentor, guiding my children toward their life’s mission. It’s not hard to look at my children and know that each one has their own very distinct and individual gifts, talents and weaknesses! One discussion topic brought up this week was how we need to allow our children their individuality. My purpose needs to teach them correct principles so they can govern themselvesThe way for me to ensure that I am focusing my thoughts this way are by, again, building my relationship with the Lord and turning my children likewise.

One of my favorite books is entitled, “Raising Up a Family to the Lord,” by Elder Gene R. Cook. I love the idea of “raising up.” In a recent presentation on marriage, the couple released a helium balloon to the ceiling indicating that sometimes we just need to let go of the petty and the past in our marriage. As the balloon rose I was impressed that we also need to raise our voices to the Lord and leave matters in His hands. Our God wants to direct us, He wants us to succeed, He wants us to turn to Him. If we can learn this most important principle as mothers, we can more fully lead our children to the Savior. We can lead them home, and there is no greater achievement of excellence than that!

Family Education Moment: Mythology Party

Every once in awhile (sometimes a LONG while) we do something fun at our house and it usually involves the word "Party" (our family theme song:  Crazy Frog's "We Like to Party").  Ever since my son read the Percy Jackson series, he has been begging for a Mythology Party.  It finally happened yesterday.


HOW TO THROW A MYTHOLOGY PARTY:

* Drape white sheets, blankets and tablecloths all over your living room to represent Mount Olympus

* Talk about how mythology is used by many companies in naming their products:  Nike, Ajax, Midas, Saturn & Mercury cars, etc.   (I had saved a project from 7th grade on this, quite fascinating).

* Prepare a "Training of the Gods" obstacle course.  Of course, the kids are going to want to time this to see who is the fastest, so be prepared for some competition.

* Marshmallows - "The Fruit of the Gods" (??) - Using the BIG ones, have a marshmallow toss.  Put the kids in pairs to toss marshmallows into each other's mouths.  Expect this to turn into the "War of the Titans"!

* Finally - Decorate "Constellation Cupcakes" - frost the cupcakes and then decorate with mini-chocolate chips (stars). 


Maybe not a whole lot of education in there, but a whole lot of fun to INSPIRE the kids to learn more, right?! 


P.S. I need more pictures on this blog, I've decided. BUT I keep forgetting to take them. So, for now it's just words and more words! Patience.

Go Away Grumpies

A great children's song came into my mind today because I really woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.  While my husband kept telling me to, "Just be happy" and "Fake it, 'till you make it" and "Tell me you're happy,"  I was reminded of a quote I wrote down once, "There's nothing worse than being spoken to patiently when you're well and truly cross (Beauty Sleep, Dokey)."  Ha!  That is so true, don't you think?  Sometimes cheerful people make me even grumpier when I'm grumpy!  :-)  Fortunately, as the day continued (meaning, a shower and some breakfast and a good household cleaning!), the day turned a bit brighter. 

Sometimes we have a day, a week, a month, a year of "grumpiness."  It's during those moments that we start to wonder if we're really fulfilling our mission and living life with purpose.  We start to allow doubts and fears to envelope us.  It's times like this when I like to remember there is "opposition in all things" and not every day is going to feel blissful or purposeful.  A plaque my sister, Emily, gave me once says, "Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass, Life is about dancing in the rain."  Knowing who we are and what our "dancing in the rain" looks like helps immensely in seeing the rainbow through the clouds.

What do you do to send the grumpies away?

Agency: To Act and not be Acted Upon

'Tis one thing to be tempted . . . another thing to fall."  So says Lord Angelo in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure wherein we learn the fate of one seeking worldly power and glory. In short, Claudio is arrested by Lord Angelo, temproary leader of Vienna.  Angelo is strict, moralistic and unwavering in his decision-making;  he decides there is too much freedom in Vienna and takes it upon himself to rid the city of [immoral activity]. Laws against such already exist, Angelo is simply enforing them more stricktly.  And so Claudio is tried as an example to the rest of the city.  Now, he was correctly accused, however, the way in which Lord Angelo proceeded was all for the seeking of honors unto himself. 

This sounds all too familiar when we go to Doctrine & Covenants 29:36-39,

And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the ghosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; 
And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;
And, behold, there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell.
And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—

The War in Heaven
This battle in heaven gave us the opportunity to make a choice, to be agents unto ourselves.  In Doctine & Covenants 58:27-28 we read, "Verily I say, men should be aanxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;  For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

How do we obtain this gift of agency?  Only through Heavenly Father's plan as well as the choice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, "But, behold , my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever (Moses 4:2)." "He died to make men holy, " now it is up to us to "live to make men free" (Battle Hymn of Republic).

How do we do this, how do we "make men free?"  Elder Teixeira stated in General Conference, April 2009, "One gift that will help us navigate our lives is the gift He has given to all, the ability and power to choose.  Our choices have the undeniable power of transforming our lives."  Our choices are the key to making us truly free, spiritually and temporally. 

Liberty vs. Captivity
Recently in Sunday School the teacher asked us, "What would you teach your children as your last sermon before you die?"  There are several accounts thoughout scripture that show us the dying words of a father.  In 2 Nephi 2 we read a beautiful sermon, probably my favorite of all scriptures.  Herein we find Lehi's dying words to his son Jacob.   

We first learn that "Men are instructed to know good and evil (v.5).  Without sorrow we wouldn't know happiness, without pain we wouldn't know true joy.  However, I find it interesting that there are two ultimate choices here.  "And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death and power of the devil . . . (v. 27)."  Two choices:  Liberty and Eternal Life or Captivity and Death. 
Reading this made me wonder what it would feel like to choose one or the other.  What would it be like to experience "captivity"?  Well,  couple of years ago I got two speeding tickets in one year.  One consequence option was to pay the full amount of the ticket to get it off my record.  One gliche.  If I happened to get another ticket in the next year both tickets would go back on my record.  And so for a year, I was on probation of sorts.  Any time I drove by or even saw a police car I would slow WAY down, I'd get all nervous and my heart would start beating really fast!  That's about as close as I could think of getting to "captivity and death."  There are choices we make in life that lead to such consequences. 

However, we learn from the scriptures the opposite feelings as we make choices that lead to eternal life and liberty.  As the people of King Benjamin listened to his words, they were "filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come . . . (Mosiah 4:3)."  And I love the words from John 16:22, "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."  No joy taken from you!  Now, that is liberty! 

We must be cautious.  Elder Hales states, "[The Adversary] does lie at our door . . . Every decision we make we are either choosing to move in his direction or in the direction of the Savior."  In other words, closer to captivity or closer to eternal life. And yet, we must also remember what Brigham Young taught us, "The Lord has given us the ability to overcome evil and cleave to the good."  We are agents unto ourselves.  We have all the power to choose.  Going back to Lehi's final words, we have the choice to "act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon, save it be by the law at the great adn last day (2 Ne. 2:26)."

Act Not be Acted Upon 
What does this mean?  Elder Hales tells us, "We must avoid being acted upon by acting for ourselves to avoid evil."  We give up our freedom to choose and are acted upon when we give in to the temptations of the adversary.  For example, am I choosing to live in misery and captivity because of the demands placed upon me by others (i.e. children, spouse, callings, etc.) or by my own negative thoughts regarding these sacred responsibilities?  OR am I choosing liberty and eternal life by freely choosing to serve and be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" because I want to become more like the Savior in this life so I can live with Him in the next?

Another example:  Am I allowing myself to be acted upon by media, others around me, my boss, and the half truths of the adversary in decided what I think, what I do, how I feel and ultimately who I am?  OR am I choosing freely to esteem God and obedience to His commandments above all others to determine my actions and feelings of self-worth?

In 2 Nephi 2:25 we are told, again from Lehi,  "Men are that they might have joy."  I love what Elder Hales has said regarding this scripture, "Sometimes we forget that our Heavenly Father desires that each of us have this joy."  Sometimes we think,  "Who am I to be happy when I have all these many faults and weaknesses?"  And yet we must remember to whom we look for that true joy and happiness.  It is through the "mercy of the Messiah" (2:8) and God's "matchless power" (Mos. 4:6-7) that we find joy. 
Conclusion
In conclusion, Elder Hales has said, "How we choose to feel, and think, and act every day is the way we get on the path, and stay on it, until we reach our eternal destination."  We must exercise our agency, this amazing and powerful gift, in righteousness.  We must answer as the Savior answered in the first of many wars:  "Thy will be done."  Only then do we experience that peace of conscience, that true freedom, that joy that cannot be taken away.   "Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be. . . . As we use our agency to follow [the Savior], His light will grow within us brighter and brighter until that perfect day."  "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty( 2 Cor. 3:17)."

Education is Experience

What do you think of when you hear this word: EDUCATION?  Many people equate education with degrees.  I once heard it defined as simply, "the training of the body and the mind."   Anyone can do that, whether given the opportunity for degrees or not.  In Proverbs we read that the "wise man is strong;  yea a man of kowledge increaseth strength" (24:5).  My definition of education is simply this:  EXPERIENCE.  I believe we all have the potential to be educated through the experiences we all have in life if we take and internalize what we learn along the way.  How can we be sure to do just that?

Education: The Desire to Learn
The first step to becoming educated is that we need to have the desire to learn. To learn means to change.  We must all be willing to change in accordance to the things that we learn.  Think about it, if you want to be a better cook you learn a new recipe or take a class.  This learning changes not only the way you cook, but you now have the confidence to become a better cook.  If you want to understand Shakespeare, you read his writing and learn how to decipher literature.  This learning thus leads to a change in how you read other works of literature.  Learning changes you.  Be willing to accept that change. 

EXperiment Upon the Word
Scripture or gospel study is vital for learning.  I have a friend who recently increased her time in the scriptures.  Of this she said, "I have thought about what you said about studying scriptures for an hour. I was doing just a few minutes then moving on to 'learning books.' This past week I have been spending up to an hour in conf talks or scriptures and I have seen a difference. I am calmer. More able to absorb the 'learning' stuff."  Putting God first in our lives helps us to see the lessons in life He needs us to learn. 

Participate
Connie Sokol once said something that really struck me.  She said, "I'm not worried about working mothers so much as I am about the stay-at-home mothers who are mentally not there."  She was talking about how we need to participate in life, in general.  Getting involved increases your educaiton.  Whether it's through PTA at school, organizing a homeschool group, doing mommy-swap preschools, scouting or becoming politically involved in your community. The experiences you have increase your education in teaching, leadership, and simple life skills. 

Education from Classes Near You
Most areas have a college of some sort where you can take classes.  Take a class.  For a less expensive option, one thing I've enjoyed participating in are the classes offered by the Community Center in our area.  There are many choices and options here.  Fitting them into your schedule is the tricky part! 

Read! Read! Read!
I can't say enough about reading!  I have told many people that I am happiest as a mother when I've got a good book in my hand!  Some people may feel guilty taking time to read when there are so many other things that "need" to be done.  It's true, we do need to take care of our responsibilities.  However, reading not only gives your mind some nourishing food, it also sets the example for your children to dive into learning themselves.  Plus, there are many way to read daily.  It is not uncommon for us to have a book on CD in the car for our trips around town.  Reading can be a pleasure hobby or it can be the one way you choose to learn new things.  Either way, reading is inspiring and increases your educaiton.

Internet
The internet has opened up so many options for us!  With the internet, it's almost impossible NOT to learn.  Even if it's just learning how to maneuver through websites or create your own blog.  :-)  Through the internet we can keep up on current events more easily, we can search any topic of interest (but be sure it's from a good source), we can listen to good and uplifting speeches and music.  The possibililties are endless, just use it wisely.

Education of Heart & Spirit
By this I mean having good social groups for you and your family.  I have participated in a couple of books groups that have strengthened me.  I have done mommy preschools and park play days.  Women need friends!  That's all there is to it.  If we are surrounding ourselves with great people, we will only want to elevate ourselves.  "Ead day we are increasingly aware of the fact that life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature.  There is need for another education without which the substance of our secular learning may lead only to our destruction.  I refer to the educaiton of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit - - these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another (Hinckley)."

Need to Serve
How do we become educated by serving others?  Remember, to learn is to change.  As we serve our fellowmen and love our neighbors, we learn the most important lesson of all.  We learn how to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Getting outside of ourselves increases our abilities to learn and to grow.  Another aspect of this principle is that as we learn more, we are better able to serve. 

Children: Learning with Them
We have been encouraged to create an atmosphere of learning for our children.  This the my favorite part of learning!  Confession:  I did not like to read children's books and rarely read them to my children until my oldest was 5 years old.  Homeschooling did that to me!  I became suddenly aware of the amazing lessons in those books.  Watching the example of my children in their learning increases my desires to be more fascinated with the process of learning.  Kids get so excited about the smalles things:  rolly pollies in the garden, bubbles, getting their hands messy in their latest art project, and more.  Create a learning environment in your home and you can't help but learn yourself!  As another note, you can't help but learn when your kids ask those "hard" questions, like "Why is the sky blue?"  :-)

Enjoy
Enjoy living.  Enjoy YOUR life.  Enjoy your own hobbies.  Children are great, and they need much of our time.  But we cannot forget ourselves in the process. One thing I do regret in my life is that I didn't take more "fun" classes in college. To this day I still want to learn calligraphy.  Discover something you love to do and make time for it in your life.  Enjoy the cultural arts.  Find out what plays and musical performances are coming to your area and attend them.  Take your children or go alone!  So much enrichment can be added to our education. 

EDUCATION is EXPERIENCE!  What kinds of excperiences are you having in your life?  Make them count.  Everything you do now is preparing you for something else.  Our spirits yearn to learn, to grow and to change.  I will close with words from Abigail Adams, once our first lady, "When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the Heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into Life, and form the Character of the Hero and the Statesman  (Wisdom of John and Abigail Adams, R.B. Bernsetin)."