Nesting....

Being in my 30th week of pregnancy, I often get the question thrown at me about whether or not I am nesting. This often happens when I get the urge to organize, purge, clean, etc.... for no good reason. I often get these urges whether or not I am pregnant so I find the fact that I am pregnant a non-issue and not the reason for my increased desire to get things "just right". Despite all of that, I will say that growing a life and taking part in creating another body for another spirit is an amazing thing. If this is what inspires me to find the time and energy (despite my growing belly and exhaustion) to do a little (or a lot) here and there to improve my home, then so be it. I welcome the challenge and I welcome the inspiration. If you find yourself "nesting", consider yourself blessed and go with it.

Music Appreciation

For those of us who have a serious lack of talent in the music department but also have a serious love of music, we absolutely love it when we stumble across a great musical resource. My husband first introduced me to a website several months ago that I have recently rediscovered. I've been struggling to find a station on the radio that I can listen to without finding a fault with it. Either the music or the DJ becomes annoying or down-right insulting, which really frustrates me since I find music very inspirational, energizing, and enjoyable when it's done well. Many have already discovered Pandora Radio, but if you have not had the privilege yet I would encourage you to check it out. Today I chose to create a station based on music from Rascal Flatts, one of my favorite Country music performers. The site then selected music from a massive Music Genome Project that is similar to the sound of the artist I chose and created a "station" full of music with a similar sound. So far I have enjoyed every song selected for me and am really enjoying the experience. There is an option to indicate a dislike for a song selected which will only make the station even more tailored to your taste. I've been washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen and can honestly say that good music makes the burden lighter. If you're looking for some inspiration, energy, and joy, consider creating your own station for a nice change.

A Powerful Message on Creating

There are times when something is said and it changes our lives. We may not realize this at first, but as we make choices we find the words replaying in our mind and influencing our behavior. I had the privilege of listening to a talk prepared for women by a leader of my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) that has changed me. This blog was inspired by this talk. I felt the need to create a place to express my thoughts and feelings on various things that my other online projects (www.crystalvoice.org) just didn't seem to fit. I strongly encourage you to watch this message and let the meaning really soak in and change you. It will be a change for the better, and a change that will benefit not only you, but all of the lives that you influence.

Create

You can read the entire message here.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign, Nov 2008)

I've never considered myself very talented at much of anything. My childhood did include many crafts and sewing projects as I learned what I had the mind and patience for from my mother. How I wish I could have that kind of time to learn today.... Life tends to bring more people and responsibilities that will require more time and energy doing the day-to-day tasks and not so much time for learning and developing our talents or pursuing our interests. But with these people come opportunities to serve others with what we have acquired. This sharing, this creating for others is what truly gives us a fulness of joy.