This summer I was blessed to join a great group started by Becky at PURPOSE DRIVEN MOTHERHOOD and we did a 90 day Book or Mormon Reading Challenge for summer. Here is the link to the great article that Becky wrote about it on her blog : HERE It's a great article. I was so excited! I was on fire and ready !
There was a great facebook group to go along with it and everyone was so encouraging! I decided to do this on my own, instead of as a family. We read Scriptures daily as a family, even if it's just a couple verses, but I needed something to challenge me. I needed to feast on the Word. As a mommy, life can get so crazy and go by so fast... was I really feasting on the Scriptures ? This was perfect... something I could do for me.
June 1st came... and I read my Book of Mormon. Then there was a family emergency and my husband and I ended up driving from Missouri to Idaho and back to Missouri , all within 3 days.. non stop driving. We didn't even stop for a full hour when we got to Idaho.. we loaded up my aunt and headed right back! Then June was non stop caring for my aunt and I didn't even have a chance to go potty it felt like. That was a crazy month.
July came and I was still trying to read even just one verse a day... I was terribly behind on the challenge but I wasn't going to give up! Then I became struck down with a rare disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia. It's the worst pain a human can withstand, the doctors told me. Guess what... light and reading were two big triggers for me. So not only was I trying to learn to cope with this awful new disease... but doing something that calms me down.. reading my Scriptures... just made it even worse! At that point, I really felt like 'someone' wasn't wanting me to read my Scriptures! But I kept trying. Even just one verse a day.
August came and my medicines began to work for the trigeminal neuralgia. I was starting to be able to be in the light.. haha... as long as I wore sunglasses, and I was able to read little bits at a time! What a blessing! So I kept on trucking with my Book of Mormon reading, checking in with the facebook group, knowing that I was so incredibly behind , but not willing to even think of stopping! Around the middle of August I began to feel pretty crummy. Then I was suddenly at the doctor on oxygen, with full blown pneumonia. The worst I've ever had. What the heck was going on with me this summer ? I had pneumonia for 6 weeks and at times, I was fighting for my life, fighting to breathe. I still read the teeniest bit of my Book of Mormon each day.. it was my lifeline.
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All of September I had pneumonia. It was truly a huge trial. But I kept trying. October came along and with it came the gorgeous colors and smells of Fall. I knew that I obviously missed the deadline for finishing my Book of Mormon in 90 days.. but I wasn't going to give up! Then we got news that we were going to lose our home. My husband and I bought this home when we were both 19. We've lived here for almost 14 years and it is the only home our children have ever really known. So October came with fear, anxiety, hard work, sacrifices, lots of prayer and I read my Book of Mormon daily. Multiple times a day... there were days where I couldn't put it down. It saved me from going crazy I think! At the very last possible moment... our house was saved. It was such a huge blessing.
Yesterday... over 150 days later... I finished the Book of Mormon. Now I've read the Book of Mormon many times. I love it. But this time was probably the best. I say that every time ! But, I think about how I had these massive trials this past summer and fall... non stop! The one thing that I could count on... was that I was going to read my Scriptures that evening. No matter what. Even if it was one verse. As I read, I felt like I was there, with everything happening in this fascinating, true story, I felt like I was right there in it. What a blessing and comfort it has been to me these past 150 days.
I truly encourage each parent to read the Book of Mormon each day. Yes, we need to be reading it with our families of course. We need to read all of the Scriptures, not just the BoM.... but sometimes, as parents, we need to do something special for ourselves. Reading the Book of Mormon each day was that something special for me. It got me through a lot this summer and fall. I will be starting it over again tonight. I can't wait.
If anyone wants to start the challenge with me... let me know! :)
What kinds of things do you do for yourself , as a parent, to feed your soul and spirit and keep you going ?
Let me know in the comments !
Happy Parenting! Love, JL~
1 comment:
Jaelle, Thank you for sharing your story with the Book of Mormon challenge! I am sorry you had so many intense trials over the last months, but I am so grateful that you had the strength, light, peace, and power of the Book of Mormon to look forward to each day and help you through! I was in tears reading your story. Thank you.
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