Happy Anniversary!

I just wanted to wish a VERY Happy Anniversary to the best parents in the world! I hope that your time together has been as wonderful for you as it has for all of your crazy kids.

The Simple Life is not so Simple and What Century is This?

I I have come to realize that the simple life is not so simple. Let me explain. Beau gave a lesson in priesthood about a year ago and one of the points made in the conference talk (which somehow ended up taped to the refrigerator) was this: "unencumber your life." I think of this often and have taken it to heart because I know that one of the greatest tools the advarsary is using in this day is 'noise.'

I first thought of this concept sitting in my statistics class. Statistics 101. In statistics, the definition of noise is something extraneous--uncontrolled variables which cause errors in the distribution of data. I came to understand the idea a little more concretely in physics, which defines noise as: "a disturbance, especially a random and persistent disturbance that obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal." Basically, "noise" in this sense is meaningless, irrelevant and superfluous information.

As my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown, I have come to recognize that from all directions Satan is sending "noise." It is there at the grocery store in creative packaging, it comes to my mailbox, it blares through the radio, and violates through the tv. Our 'culture of youth' teems with messages of superiority and inferiority.

We live in one of the wealthiest nations in the entire world, yet we are made to feel inferior unless we have a certain gismo, drive a certain car, wear a certain style of clothing, listen to a certain type of music and eat a certain type of food. Its no wonder that the very being who in the beginning wished to deprive us of agency wants us to all be alike, but not only this...he cunningly makes us want to be like "everyone else."

As a result of this ssi, (spiritual space invasion), we are cumbered down with ideals and, more often tangible objects that are meaningless, irrelevant and superfluous. These "random and persistent disturbances obscure the clarity" of an eternal perspective. The perspective that focuses on returning to our Heavenly home clean, and surrounded by nothing else but...our FAMILY.

Satan is clever. Satan uses "things" to steer our minutes, moments, days, and lives away from the literal quiet moments in which the spirit can whisper absolute truth.

Okay, off my soap box and on to the real purpose of this post. The simple life. As a family we have been trying; to simplify. to unencumber. So I have to ask. In regard to physically decluttering, where do you draw the line between the letting go and "I'm going to need this someday", "we have to prepare" attitude. Despite what my husband may say, I am very critical of what comes into my home (both tangible and intangible.)

Ironically, today in Relief Society we talked of Elder Ballard's recent conference talk about 'the simple life' (of which I have listened to four times). He discusses Thorough's experience on Waldon Pond and the true necessities of life: food, shelter, clothing and fuel (particularly spiritual fuel).

Lately I feel like we have been living the simple life. Last week, I chopped the firewood for the stove. I wash my dishes in an old porcelain sink because there is no dishwasher. Also last week we ran out of hot water and I found myself heating water on both stoves for the boys bath. For family home evening we hand cranked our own flour and made bread and Grandpa's Saline's whole wheat pancakes. (To add to this simple life feeling, this beautiful old home we live in has original 1920's wood floors, trim, and decor; and, in our town, there is no Walmart and people gather on downtown street corners and converse in front of the window shops.) But let me just tell you--the simple life is NOT SO SIMPLE! It is rewarding, but it is HARD WORK. We have it SO easy!

The challenge of our day is not to chop firewood and grind flour. The challenge of our day is to remove the 'noise' that is clouding a perfect and eternal perspective of where we came from, why we are here and what we should be doing to get where we are going. It is to unencumber ourselves of ALL the noise that is distracting from progress toward that perfect end--a celestial family.

So I guess I am writing this to me, to remind myself to "simplify, simplify, simplify."