Gratitude #18

Before I start into my gratitude of the day I would like to say, "Happy Birthday Carolyn!"  That way if I run out of time and don't get on facebook today I will still be covered.

Today my gratitude is for Prayer and the Scriptures. 

As I have mentioned in previous posts in the last few months I had stopped doing some essential things.  I was still praying but I had gotten into a habit of repeating the same things for all prayers.  As I look back over it I didn't enjoy praying then.  I was in a hurry to get it over with so we could move on.  Now I love the prayers.  Especially my individual prayers when I get time to reflect on the day and all that our family has been blessed with.  Saying family and individual prayers has been a goal we have set as a family.  While Les and I were saying our individual prayers we hadn't started to have the kids do their own prayers.  We are starting a little slow.  We are only having them say their individual prayers at night before they get into bed.  as they get the hang of it we will also have them do it in the morning.  I think it is a great learning opportunity for the kids to learn.

As for scripture study I have made a fresh start with that as well.  Every morning Les and I try to get up before the kids (more often than not Sammi has been up with us) to pray and read together.  It is a nice time for us to talk together and to discuss the gospel.  After we read together then we each do our own studying.  It is nice to be able to read for how ever long I want without the constant inturruption.  It was one of the reasons I hadn't been doing it.  Everytime I tried the kids would come and demand my attention.  I had myself convinced that the only way I was going to be able to study my scriptures the way I should would be to wait until my kids were in school so I would have time to myself to do it.  I am now sure that if that was what I had done that by the time I had the "time" I would have filled it up with other things because that would have been my habit. 

I need to make prayers and scripture reading part of my habits once again.  I am grateful for the changes it has already made in my life.  I may not be perfect but I am working on being better.