"Forget Not...

...the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice."
-"Forget Me Not" talk given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

How can I use this council in my life, right now? If you've read or heard this talk, you'll know that he uses the example of staying up all night to embroider names on pot holders to use in a church lesson, versus staying up all night to help a child who is having a nightmare. Foolish vs. Good sacrifices. 

I am SO guilty of this, not embroidering names on pot holders but close enough. I've sacrificed lots of time/supplies/energy for my various church callings and other events. I'm happy to do it, but I need to find the balance between doing too much and wearing myself down and still taking the time but not going as crazy as I usually do.

Today I was stressing out and trying to finish various projects for Christmas gifts and our ward Christmas Party when I blew a fuse. In the middle of sewing gifts, hot gluing, ironing, etc. Great. After having no success in trying to fix it, I decided instead of stressing out and throwing my unfinished pillowcases to the ground, I would leave it for later. If I don't get those pillowcases done, it doesn't mean I'm a bad person, it doesn't mean my friends (who they're for) are going to like me any less. I can always finish it later and give it to them when they're done.

I'm going to try to be more relaxed and 'go with the flow'. I stress out far too much and I've realized this week as my eye has been twitching for over a week, a friend said it was due to emotional distress...I'm not sure I'm emotionally distressed but I am stressed. I also get this weird scaly skin on my eyelid when I'm stressed and it's baaaack. ugh. So I'm going to let go. Whatever happens, happens. If we don't have enough decorations for the party, well that's just going to be how it is.

A friend posted this list on Pinterest today after I blew the fuse:

instead of immediately starting another project I printed this list and went through each reference and highlighted my favorites in my scriptures. I especially read the "When you are stressed out" reference it's D&C 10:4, "Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end."

I feel superficial and ridiculous for allowing myself to get worked up over such silly things, there are real problems and real people suffering, I don't need to freak out about sewing a pillowcase.

On another note--

A friend on FB posting this as his status today:

I was also thinking of this today. Last night on my way to work I realized that I was in desperate need of gas. I've never had the blinking DTE screen show up and my gas gauge was below E. I apparently had zero miles before running out of gas.

Well, I was driving thru Ferndale and realllly didn't want to stop at 7-11 because there are some hooligans and ruffians (Tangled :)) who hang out there. So I didn't get gas. All night I was worried I'd become stranded in the early morning on my drive home. I had visions of calling my mom and making her bring me a filled gas tank on the side of the road. I said a quick prayer.

On my way home this morning, I prayed again. I REALLY didn't want to be 'stuck' without gas. It's cold and embarrassing.

I drove straight to Costco at 6:12am (NO CANADIANS!!) and was happily surprised that 1, I made it!! and 2 gas prices were much lower than they have been!!

As I was pulling out of the costco lot, I remembered that I had prayed several times to not run out of gas, amidst my internal celebrating I realized I needed to say another prayer. One where I didn't ask for anything but simply thanked Heavenly Father for letting me get to that silly gas station. I did.

I need to remember this more often.