Nigh

It’s an eerie sound. It’s lonesome. It’s angry. It’s a sound one doesn’t want to hear – ever. It’s a sound one doesn’t want to make. It’s a sound that is unmistakable. This sound neither belongs in your ears, nor in your heart, but we are allowed to make it. We are expected to make the sound should the occasion arise. It is understandable. It speaks more than we want to hear. The sound is chaotic, yet sounds the same to each listener. It is a sound that stops you. It is a sound that once heard, never leaves you. It should be reverenced, but we hear it on the television all too much. It is the sound one makes when they were just told they lost a child unexpectedly. I heard that sound today. Although I have heard it before, it was the first time I heard it as a nurse. I heard the ache, the anger, the sadness, the despair, the yet unspoken “I love you’s” and “I miss you’s.” It was hard to hear. It was alltogether too close to home. Although I had a very low patient load today, I feel I worked 2-12 hour shifts. And I didn’t even work with this family…just worked with others involved. From one end of the ER to the other, death resonated. It was definately hard.

It’s interesting to watch from my perspective. I have a strong understanding of the purpose of life, where I am, where I come from and where I am going. I have strong convictions of spirituality, religion, God, Jesus and eternal life – that we are immortal beings awaiting eternity while here on earth…growing, learning, serving and preparing. This life has many milestones – birth, death are the two major ones…but there are so many in between. Discover each one and when life becomes death…well, I have no advice. Right now, I only have this knowledge and testinmony that I can lean on. Those of us who are left behind have such a hard time with it…letting go. It’s hard. I hope that when my life finds death among it that I can make it through OK. In the meantime, I will count the milestones. See the magic. Live the life. Learn. Love. Laugh. Simply.

Mission

I have come up with my own personal simplified vision and mission statement, complete with values added. As I reflect on my mission statements now and from the past, they are some incantation of the new one now. Here’s the simple version: Return with Honor. Get Lost.

Here’s something to clear it up…

Vision
Return with Honor: I am a Spiritual being having a Physical experience. I am a Son of God, with a rich Heritage. I will Return home – with Honor. It is my honor to help others, and to be helped, to that end.

Mission
Get Lost: As I lose myself in the service of others, I discover my own life and my own happiness.

Values
Gratitude, Love, Service, Recreation, Gospel, Intelligence, Simplicity, Family

Lead, Kindly Light

Our family attended Stake Conference today. It was this stake presidency’s first one. It looked like it went very well. I was able to see the preparation involved because I am in the Stake Presidency…the Lord is mindful of our needs as a Stake and as individuals. We were ready to leave on-time and we were even early…surprise surprise! This time around, we didn’t stay at the Fairfield like we usually do. Money’s tight.

Kindly Robbed, Thank you.

Today, I was robbed. It’s been the fourth time I’ve been robbed of a perfectly good day. You see, I had my fourth migraine headache in 3 months. Albeit, it was a relatively minor headache…it did have the characteristics of my symptomatic migraines…Unilateral pain, nausea, mild photo-phobia and an aura. The pain was managed by 600 mg ibuprofen, followed by excedrin and acetaminophen and then finally ibuprofen again. I did not use my prescription to arrest the migraine because it was a mild, but persistent case AND I could not afford to be put out with drowsiness…we were driving home. But I paid for it. Migraines are really a pain. It’s gone, now – leaving me tired and moody. Next time, I will just use the script first.

I’ve robbed you, too, reader! Sorry I haven’t written lately. I’ve been bust simplifying my home, my life and my attention. Though my life is busy, I have been ever mindful of things that distract me and priority things that need my attention. Simply put…I’ve been deciding what’s important to me and getting rid of everything else.

Jigritz

A week in the life of Mike.

IN THIS LAST WEEK, I…
Just got off a 6 day straight of days off
Attended a wonderful General Conference
Picked up the Missionaries in Manchester, NH
Worked 3 days straight
Helped Laurette move into her new Assisted Living Home.
De-cluttered the kitchen
Did several loads of laundry
Repaired the kitchen drawer
Ran out of money
Did the ironing

TODAY, I…
Went to church
Made dinner (mmm)
Made tomorrow’s dinner (mmm)
Made lunch (mmm)
Made bread (mmm)
Went on a walk with the kids
Had FHE

Interrupted

My night was interrupted by this wonderful posting I found at Achorn Farm…

Here are my answers…

1. Where is your cell phone? fridge
2. Where is your significant other? couch
3. hair color? brown
4. Your mother? frank
5. Your father? conclusive
6. Your favorite thing? computer
7. Your dream last night? quiet
8. Your dream/goal? return
9. The room you’re in? office
10. Your hobby? fishing
11. Your fear? paper clips
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? traveling
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you’re not? mean
15. One of your wish-list items? iphone
16. Where you grew up? Maine
17. The last thing you did? brush
18. What are you wearing? suit
19. Your TV? off
20.Your pet? outside
21. Your Computer? apple
22. Your mood? focused
23. Missing Someone? steve
24. Your car? ugh
25. Something you’re not wearing? hat
26. Favorite Store? maine
27. Your summer? what summer
28. Love someone? well yah
29. Your favorite color? orange
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today

How Invigorating!

THANK YOU! I feel much better. Conference was quite wonderful and I feel like my cup is full again. So much of conference was directly aimed at me. I know…vain isn’t it? I am a firm believer that Heavenly Father knows our doings, our needs and our wants. And because he is such a loving father, he knows just what to do and when to do it.

Simplify. Pray. Serve. Grow.

I am finished with the layout changes to my site. How do you like it?

Great!

I am interviewing for a per diem job. I don’t earn enough money. It’s at a nursing home. What are your thoughts given my simplification project? I feel that I need to work more and be more smart with my money. We just don’t make enough to make ends meet most paychecks.

Full Worth

Just what is valuable to me? Some of my values are:

THE LONG LIST:
Time with my family (spending time with the people I love)
Time with my wife (spending time with the people I love)
Clean, uncluttered home (order)
Time to myself (time for me)
Nursing (supporting my family, service)
Living the Gospel (Gospel)
Service (Gospel)
Outdoors

THE SIMPLIFIED LIST:
People – family, friends, service, nursing, me
Gospel Life
Outdoors
Order

Web Resources:
Franklin Covey’s Mission Statement Builder (click view)
Time Thoughts

Elegance

My cup has been empty lately; each time I reach the bottom, I find that energy and momentum are added to my cup and I can go a little farther. I am just overwhelmed with everything I have to do. I don’t know where the energy comes from. Well, maybe I do.
There was so much talk today at General Conference about how angels bear us up. Angels we see in the form of people around us; and angels we don’t see in the form of spiritual personages. I HAVE been buoyed up by others around me AND by spiritual means. I just lack the energy to recognize it.
So here I sit, ungrateful for the energy I do have. Ungrateful for all the many blessings in my life and overwhelmed with the many distractions I am so easily given. However, I feel much better.
Prompted by Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk on simplifying – I feel the strong need to simplify. The Spirit spoke strongly to me about that. The four areas he cited are the things we truly need are based on Henry David Thoreau’s list. They are shelter, food, fuel and clothing (not in that order). Fuel was expanded to include spiritual fuel and shelter included living within our means.
So how do I simplify my life? I get the feeling that simplifying my life is rather complex. It takes time and consideration to simplify. It takes energy, devotion, etc. It takes convincing the others in my house to come along with me. I know that Elder Perry’s call to simplify doesn’t mean to stop everything you’re doing and devote your life to factoring all aspects of your life immediately…but simplifying does cause a bit of anxiety for me. So I make a goal right here and now…a simplicity statement to get me to the next level. The statement is this: I live my life knowing how and what to simplify. This is my new mantra.
Elder Bednar’s talk on prayer was exactly what I needed. WHAT INSIGHT! Thank you! I intend to give more information on this subject.
But back to simplifying (how’s that for ADHD?). I looked up a website or two about how to simplify. The list was 72 steps long. See where my anxiety comes from? I think this simplifying thing is going to be hard. Seems funny to say it, but it’s true. There’s so much to whittle away that it’s hard to know where to start. ADHD is great for nurses. There’s so much to do, so little time to do it, so many people to do it for and only so much money to go around. With so many distractions, ADHD is the only answer. In this case, with simplifying…I think it’s not a good thing. By the way, I don’t really have ADHD…or is it that I hide it so well and use it to my advantage.
I think that one of my character strengths is that I like to see things to the finish. I like things finished. I come apart when things aren’t done (that part’s not good). I have a hard time leaving a task undone. I think I need to develop this a little bit.
Back to the simplification thing. One of the first things that the simplification web sites say is to make a list of important values that are essential to you. Make it a short list – 4-5. Another thing is make a simplicity statement (a.k.a. gimmick). So I will work on those two things…Make a value list and make a simplicity statement. In the meantime, the rest of my life stays complex. Urgh.
Here’s the sites I found: zenhabits and project simplify.
Some side notes about the day. Caleb and Lundi really enjoyed the afternoon session of General Conference. The Spirit was especially strong when they were singing I am a Child of God with the primary children’s choir. It was remarkable to think of them singing with the children at the Conference Center. Next, they really liked Elder Holland’s talk. It was about angels…you really have to read it or listen to it to know what I mean. Anyways, the kids were totally into it. They loved his story and they felt the Spirit. I often cry when I feel the Spirit…those were two times I cried today. Also, Caleb came with me tonight to the Priesthood Session. That was special. He gave the opening prayer. I know he isn’t yet a Deacon, but it sure was neat to see Caleb totally mature and appropriate.
Back to simplicity. I think that this will be the focus of my blog for a while…how to simplify and my journey to that side of things. You may see my blog change as a result of simplifying. Maybe the blog will be simpler.