Be Who You Have Always Wanted To Be

President Uchtdorf's talk in the General Relief Society Conference really hit home for me. I was not going to go to the meeting. The UNLV vs. UNR football game was the same night. For those of you who do not know, UNLV and UNR are huge rivals. Every year we fight for the cannon. Whoever wins the game get to keep an actual cannon on there campus until they either win to keep it or loose it. UNLV has not won in forever but this year they are blowing any previous records out of the water and it is only the beginning of the season. They are playing better than ever. We actually had a chance to win this one and get the cannon back. Well as it goes Bobby was ask to go on a Scout camp out that weekend. I did not want to go alone. So the game was off. No biggie. He thought that he would be home Sat. by 5 so I made plans to go tot he broadcast. Only then I found out that the camp out was not even scheduled to be done til 7 sat. night and its a +- 2 hour drive home. So plans canceled. Or, so i thought. My father-in-law called me when he found out and told me that he would watch the boys for me so I could still go. Now any other night this would have been just another nice offer, but hello UNLV game night. My father-in-law is a huge football fan as well and has all the packages available with cable to see any game at any time. He also has a six-in six picture, which means that he can watch six games at once. I told him that I did not want him to have to miss out on the game. He said the sweetest thing next, and I quote "The game is no big deal, I want you to go, bring the boys over and I will not let you say no." Well what could I say other than be there around 430.

So I got to go. I went with my mother-in-law , Kathy and two sister-in-laws, Kristel, and Kari. (For those that put that together yes, our girls include, Kathy, Kristel, Cristen, and Kari, crazy, i know) To make this night even better Kristel is not a member but wanted to come tag along. Cool part coming later. To top that off we ended up going to Kari's stake and it the same steak my Aunt Dawn and her daughter Megan are in so we all got to sit together. My mom was up with my Grandma, I did not leave her out.

So we all sat and talked until the broadcast started. Kristel had a few questions and we answered and filled her in on who that speakers were, and there "jobs". As I sat there I few things hit home as the Relief Society General Presidency gave there talks. I absolutely loved Sister Barbara Thompson's enthusiasm. She just made me smile.

But I have to say that president Uchtdorf's talk is the one that made me sit up and fill guilty for even thinking about not being there. He is truly a man of God. There is no doubting that he prepared and was instructed by the Lord on what to talk on. I have had the "I feel like I am just not doing enough" conversation with almost every women I know in the church. And all very recent conversations. Relief Society has always been an easy joke, in church meeting, talks, and even the movies made about the church. We tend to go a little overboard. We try so hard to make everything perfect. We want everyone to be touched by what is said, sung and heard. And no matter how wonderful everyone else may think the meeting or activity went, those who were on the committee, or those who gave the talks, always think back and wonder about what they could have changed. I do it all the time. Whenever I have talked in church I go home thinking, oh man, if only I had done this, or said that. I leave Nursery every week thinking about how it can be better next week, and then continuing that thought to , I know someone else could do better.

What makes this all the more crazy, is I do a pretty dang good job. When I really look back I have seven or so kids that remember what they were taught week to week. I have kids that remember the songs that the learned. They are all happy when they go home and happy to come back.

I am prepared and sometimes go to extreme measures to help the kids learn and remember. I think I am pretty fun and I have fun with the kids. I do not get stressed out if one of them feels like walking around instead of eating snack or participating in singing time. I try to include them as best I can and hope that it all goes well. Every week presents a new challenge that I love to solve. I do mess up but from now on I ma going to take it and learn. No more lingering thoughts about ,, "if only I could go back and do it over" That ends today, or should I say ended Saturday night.

I urge all of you to take his message to heart and really think about your individual creativity. Make yourself better on a daily basis. Feed your EGO. And no comparing yourself to anyone else. You are special and our Heavenly Father made you just the way you are. You can accomplish anything you want. Be who you have always wanted to be, but were to afraid to be.


For those of you who are interested UNLV lost, well they got killed by UNR. Game was a bust and I made the right choice.