ON TIME.

Last night I read scriptures to Hannah while she was in the tub. It was just she and I. Kate was long gone in her crib and Jimmy was at the hospital. I was tired and getting Hannah tucked away for the night couldn't have come sooner. It was one of those days.

I am going to assume that we all feel a bit overwhelmed at times. Or a lot of times. Or maybe even a lot of the time. Whatever the case may be, motherhood brings those feelings.

Yesterday my beef was with time. At eleven in the morning I looked around to a disaster of a kitchen and wondered what exactly I had accomplished up to that point. One of three of us was dressed for the day and I had yet to check any of my to-do items off of my list. It felt like we were surviving.

My kids eat, nap and they are usually pretty clean. My dishes mostly get washed and the laundry is usually done each week. I serve in my calling, and I try to exercise, and that about rounds up my life. Oh and I write here on this blog.

The problem is, I want to do a lot more. I have ideas and plans and don't seem to get to them. It frustrates me sometimes. There never seems to be the time to do anything beyond the day-to-day living. These thoughts led me to remember a conversation with my sister-in-law, she was feeling much what I feel. She recommended Sister Beck's 2010 Women's Conference talk.

It is an expanded version of her talk given in April 2010 General Conference entitled, "And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit."

In it, Sister Beck shares:

"Years ago I began using a system that works for me, and maybe it will work for you. There was a time when I needed to prioritize, and in one of those sacred meetings between me and the Lord, He gave me three categories that I have worked from, and they have been a guide in my life. The categories are the essential things, the necessary things, and the nice-to-do things. I started writing those things down. I asked, “What has to go in the category of essential?” What things must be taken care of, and if I don’t take care of them, the blessings of eternal life won’t be mine nor will they be my family’s" 

Later, she expounded on each category, I'll share my synopsis of the things she mentioned. All of our lists will be a bit different.

Essential Things: 
Revelation
Scripture Study
Personal Prayer
Making and Keeping Covenants
Service
Temple Attendance
Sacrament Meeting Attendance
Repentance
Sharing the Gospel

Necessary Things:
Homemaking
Keeping a House of Order
Supporting Your Husband
Smiling
Self-Reliance

Nice-to-Do Things:
Crafts and Hobbies
Recreational Reading
Movies
Travels
Lunches with Friends

She then shared:

"To walk with the Lord, we have to know what is essential, what is necessary, and what is nice to do. There is a lot to do, but I find that it is amazing how much I get to do on my nice-to-do list. The Lord blesses us with those mercies, but only if the other priorities are in order." 

What a wonderful reminder that was to me. Much of the things I want to accomplish fall into the nice-to-do category. While they would be fun to do, they are not essential at this time. I appreciate the wisdom and counsel of our leaders and felt renewed as I reviewed Sister Beck's words.

One more quote from her General Conference talk that rang true to me:

"A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently. "