Touched by Ballard

General Conference was wonderful! We caught all sessions but Saturday morning. I always wonder if I should cancel all of our other activities (Alma 1:26 comes to mind), so we can participate in all the sessions. I know there are great blessings for sacrifices made and choosing God over worldly things, but three kids had their first soccer games of the new season Saturday morning. I felt that we had committed to that, so we had to go. Family comes first.

The talk that I enjoyed the most was by Russell M. Ballard . He spoke last before President Monson in the Sunday afternoon session. I must be honest. I don't usually enjoy his talks. Today, he was a different person. He shared part of himself. He became human to me. He also was empathetic, and I felt that he really cared about me.

Here are a few of his comments:
"If the simple things are being tended to, a mother's life can be most rewarding."
1. Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments.
"I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing...I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and and the getting it done a little less." -- Anna Quindlen
2. Don't overschedule yourselves or your children.
Families need unstructured time when relationships can deepen and real parenting can take place. Listen....Laugh....Play.
3. Even as you try to cut out the extra commitments...find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests...choose things that will enrich your life.
Water cannot be drawn from an empty well.
Don't get caught up in surfing the internet.
Turn to the Lord in faith and you'll know what to do and how to do it.
4. Pray, study and teach the gospel. Pray about your children and your role as mother.

I thought, after hearing these things, that I wanted to be able to hear it again when I didn't have the distraction of kids all around me. I decided that I'd listen to it tonight online. When I got into bed, Z beat me to it. He wanted to hear it too because of what it said to husbands.

I love the comments about turning to the Lord and that then I would know what to do. I also know that I need to choose the things that would enrich my life instead of just stuff.

Good for Elder Ballard! What a great man. A few conferences ago (April 2006) he spoke on having a "Gospel Sharing Home" . It was interesting that he invited us to relax and set aside our concerns and focus on our love for the Savior. He said we needed to have people in our homes to feel the Spirit there. Maybe he's building on this topic from last conference. Maybe he's teaching us how to be truly happy in our families, so that we can be better missionaries naturally just by the example we set of love for one another.