Putting Faith in 15 Minutes (by Heather)

If someone described me in two words I think they would be these:  Mother and Mormon. 

Oh there are definitely other words that would describe me and my siblings have probably yelled at or teased me about each one…but let's not focus on those….I really try not to remember them. 

      DAZER               HIDEOUS FEET

Big bum             Not one of the ten smartest in the family

Brace Face

              …and it felt, kinda funny

Why would these two words best describe me? 

Anyone who knows me, knows I have 4 little kids because they are almost always in tow. 

There are very few places I go…or can hide…without my kids.  

But that's okay, because I really love my children. They are amazing and such an adventure!  

                   

 I am a stay at home mom, and I truly love it! We are not wealthy by any means (you may remember this post) but we decided that when we had our first baby, I would quit my full-time job with nice salary and benefits, and become a stay at home mom. We make A LOT of financial sacrifices for me to stay home, but it is worth it for sure. I find being a mother to be inherent in my whole being.  Motherhood brings me so much joy and is so natural and fulfilling and fun…unless I don't get my quiet time. And then…motherhood, or being a child of mine, turns into a very, very bad experience for all around...or within the sound of my voice. And I don't want that, and neither do my kids.

So I try and make a point to avoid the situation where I turn into a monster scarier than my kids' worst nightmare because I haven't gotten some down or quiet time that was kid-free. 

I make it a point to wake up at least 15 minutes before my kids every day. 15 minutes. That is the difference between an amazing day or a day when I say to my husband, "I would trade you jobs any day of the week! I can't take this anymore!!" And that says a lot, because he deals with pussing feet every day!

So why 15 minutes? Why would that tiny amount of time make a difference? And what could I possibly do in that small amount of time that would make or break my day?

Nah, but that would be nice.

My 15 minutes have to do with the other word that describes me and brings me so much joy: Mormon. Most people know that the term "Mormon" is a nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in God the eternal Father and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. We believe in the Bible and also the Book of Mormon which is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know these books are true. I know if I study these books, they will bring me peace and happiness. 

So there you have the answer, what I do with my 15 minutes.

If I wake up at least 15 minutes early, and usually it's closer to 25 minutes earlier than the kids, then I have the time to study my scriptures without any interruptions. To focus on something other than breaking up fights.

I can read an article from the Ensign (a church publication) or start to prepare my lesson or a talk for church or read a General Conference talk that (although I was "watching" it as it was given) I didn't quite get to hear the whole thing (or any of it) over the noisiness of my sweet children. Yes, 15 minutes of drawing closer to God in the morning, that makes or breaks my day. 

I also love that when my kids come out of their beds, I'm not only in a good mood from studying the scriptures and other uplifting and inspiring material, but my children also see what I am doing and it impresses on their young minds the importance of scripture study and putting God first. Studying the scriptures is more important than 15 minutes of extra sleep. Starting my day in that way and helping to ensure that I don't ruin my kids' days with a grouchy mom attitude - yes, that's definitely worth more than 15 more minutes of sleep.

I'm glad that the two words that describe me best aren't: "Bad mom" or "kinda Mormon"…those 15 minutes make the difference. Maybe if I doubled the time the two words would change to: "good mom" and "Faithful Mormon." I need to try that...