I Think I'll Just Be Myself

I read an article in the Ensign (September 2018) called, "I Think I'll Be Myself" by Jutta Baum Busche.  It talked about a lady from Germany moving to Utah and while there, becoming a Relief Society teacher.  She talked about how inadequate she felt and how she found herself not only trying to to teach like the other sisters but that it bled into the rest of her life as she found herself trying to do and be what they were in her everyday life.  It took her a while but she finally realized that she wasn't going to be running, making her own bread, or sewing her own clothes.  She was going to be herself.  She finally realized, "When I tried to copy my wonderful sisters...I failed because the Spirit still talks to me in German, not in English.  But when I got on my knees to ask for help, I learned to depend on the Spirit to guide me, secure in the knowledge that I am a daughter of God.  I had to learn and believe that I did not need to compete with others to be loved and accepted by my Heavenly Father."  

I love that.  The Spirit talks to her in German.  Not English.  I really want to apply this to my life. The Spirit is going to speak to me in Alisa not so and so down the street or someone I really admire.  I don't tend to compare myself to specific people that often but I do compare myself to the old me a lot.  Or even what I think that I should be and never have been.  

My new goal is to be like the little child that Jutta Baum Busche spoke of in this article.  The child was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up.  His answer was simple and perfect.  "I think I'll just be myself." 

Brigham taught me an important lesson on this the night he and Levi got back from the stake youth temple trip.  He was only telling us negative things and honestly, I wanted him to say just one positive thing.  I wanted to change his perspective.  I said to him, "Is there one thing that you can tell me that you liked?"  He said, "Nope Mom, I'm still an introvert."  

Wow, did that wake me up.  That statement sounds rude but I promise that it didn't come out that way.  He was trying to tell me in his way, not that all introverts are going to see negative things but that he didn't enjoy being around all those people during such a long period of time and no matter how much I tried and tried to get him to "see the bright side," my son was still an introvert.  

This world tries to change us in so many aspects of our lives.  Why not embrase who we are and just improve on that.  At our own pace.  With Heavenly Father and no one else.

Now, on another note, here are some random pictures.

Acording to Levi's poofy hair, he and Dad are the same height!  If we were to shave his head, it probably wouldn't say the same thing but oh my!  My boy is growing!

We have had a few really good storms lately.  This storm was full of water, as you can see.  But a few days before this one, was a wind storm so powerful that it pushed in a guy's chimney in our neighborhood.

Just a cute picture of Ruger and his crown that he made at preschool.