A Day of Rest

It's a calm afternoon for me; everyone else is sleeping. Last week we stayed around Paris and then went to dinner at the Shirtliff's. This week I originally thought that we would look around some more, but I started feeling like even though we weren't spending money, the Sabbath was not really a day of rest for us that way. I felt inspired that the Lord would be able to bless us to have strength and be prepared for the rest of the week if we truly rested on this day. So we came home after church, had lunch and now everyone is napping. Later we'll have dinner--I'm trying out croque monsieur sandwiches--and ice cream--I thought that would be a good tradition here in France to make it like home a bit--and then call my family. It will be nice to have this day together, even in our small little home.
A few nights ago we read a conference talk about the Book of Mormon and I felt like I should start studying it in earnest again. I've been reading conference talks, selections from the D & C and, before we left Mesa, studying Isaiah. But I'm not sure how to go about it--I don't just want to read it cover to cover again, but my indecision is keeping me from doing it and not doing it, I know, has left me susceptible to irritation and meanness. In Relief Society today we studied personal revelation and I was reminded that we must come up with questions we want revealed to us, and not just wait for life's problems to present themselves. I think that is part of being proactive and creating like I wrote about a few days ago in my journal. I include that entry here for your benefit:
Last night Andy and read Elder Ballard's talk about young mothers. I love the counsel that he gives about enjoying the moments with children. There are too many ups and downs in a day to focus on "good day/bad day". It feels like a fresh start whenever I need one if I focus on the moments. That's going to be my focus here in France. I think that is a good goal, as small as it sounds, because if I can do it here, I can do it anywhere. In Mesa, I have so much help from my mom, Warren going to school, family nights with the Jennings, the luxury of sending a child to his/her room to play...Here we are all together, all the time. I have much less housework, yardwork, church work and other social engagements that take me away from my kids. This time is the perfect confluence of factors to really have meaningful family time. I could really teach the kids some neat things if I am just aware of what I want to do. So much of my life is responding to the current set of circumstances; I would like to create more.
So, along with my own pondering about a fresh way to study the BoM, if you have any suggestions, post them here or email me. I suppose this is part of my "studying it out" in my mind step to receiving an answer to prayer.
I hope today, almost over for me and just starting for most of you, is a day of rest for you and your families.