Let it Rain

photo by: Capture Queen

The other day I was reading in the Ensign Magazine and a small excerpt from a reader really made a huge impact on me. She said...

"Our stake president encouraged us to start a “Let It Rain” journal. He said that personal revelation is like rain. It comes drop by drop, and if we would create a reservoir for it, so to speak, in our journal, we’d be surprised at how much the Holy Ghost prompts us every day. He advised us to write in our journal any questions we might have and pray about them. When I tried this, I was astounded at how much personal revelation I had been overlooking." - Kersten Campbell . You can read her whole experience here on page 69.

The truth of this just hit me at the time. I have a regular journal that I record the happenings in my day, things I've been thinking about. I have a scripture journal were I record things I learned... but to me this was a different approach. This was a place where I would record questions about things I was thinking or worried about personally or with my family. Thoughts that randomly come, ideas about my problems. Spiritual promptings or answers. It was as she described... my own personal reservoir of personal revelation for me. I found a notebook, and started...

photo by: _StaR_DusT

I started writing down questions or insights that I had about my family, my kids..
I started writing down scriptures that struck a cord.
I started writing down thoughts of people that I should visit, contact, or help.
I started writing down random thoughts that seemed to come out of no where during the day.

I started seeing answers.
I started seeing promptings of things I should do in my life.
I started to see that the solutions that I've been trying to come up with on my own over time and apply (which weren't working) be narrowed down to specific ideas, actions and things to do... I didn't seem to be wasting as much time because these ideas DID work.
I started seeing my weaknesses and realizing the need for the Savior and his role in helping me overcome them.

I have started to see what I have been missing this whole time. Imagine a whole life of doing this. Imagine how much more I could be as a person... more efficient, more effective as a mother, as a disciple, as a wife, as a designer and more in tune with the spirit.

I also had this scripture jump out at me which was shared in a scholarship and faith symposium that my husband and I attend last week.

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings and he shall direct thee for good."
- Alma 37:37

"IN ALL THY DOINGS" hit a strong cord... I've started to see this more as I've written down questions regarding all the doings of my life.

How can I design so that I am not spending lots of time and have it be more productive?
How should I plant my garden, or what is the most efficient way to use our tiny space to get the most harvest and storage for our family?
How can we live more simply, not be so wasteful and be more frugal?
How can I help Mirian be more happy?
What are my weaknesses?
What should I eliminate from my life that is taking up too much time and is not important?
What commitments should I say yes to and which should I turn down?

Every thing... all my doings....all my thoughts. I am seeing now that the more I ask these more specific things in prayer rather than a vain repetition, and start writing down thoughts, answers, scriptures, ideas that come into my head, and start creating a reservoir to gather it that the Lord is directing me, directing me for good. What an incredible blessing.