"Rejoice! Again, I say Rejoice!"

This is my theme for the year 2017.  Also this is part of a not-so-weird hymn. My good friend Molly and my good sister-in-law Melissa both told me that several of their planner-buddies (yes, those are real, and yes, there are many Facebook groups that are based on owning the same planners and having wonderful planning ideas, and I may or may not belong to two of them) had come up with a single significant word as a theme for the new year.  Some of the words they mentioned were "build", "love" "hope", "strength", "faith", "gratitude".  Some pretty great words I'd say.  I thought about it for several days.  I usually like to have my planner a few weeks before the new year, and always try and have my new year's resolutions written down and posted somewhere highly visible before January first.

But this year I didn't get my planner in the mail until the 5th-- and the first two weeks of the year were unusually busy.  I didn't get Christmas put away until Ryan finally started taking down the tree.  So it took a while for me to get planning-- putting birthday stickers on all our family birthdays, putting little cash symbol stickers on all of Ryan's paydays, putting temple symbols on all of our temple nights. It is a long process, but I really enjoy it.  I love calendars more than I should.  And stickers.

One night in the second week of January, I was sitting by the Christmas tree and was praying for guidance.  I needed to know what my focus should be-- as I have mentioned in previous blog posts.  And the word "Rejoice" came to me as clear and sweet as can be.  I have often felt like the ability to rejoice with those who rejoice is the sign of a truly amazing, charitable person.  When I am just as happy for my neighbor who goes to Puerto Rico for a month as I would be if it was me on that beach, than I have arrived.  And I haven't arrived quite yet.  And yes, my friend is in Puerto Rico with her family for a month.  And I am trying to be happy for her.  I will go someday.

In the meantime, my planner says it's time for me to get to sleep.  Ryan is trying to ignore the tapping of the keys on the keyboard-- and I really ought to change the laundry, and check on the boys one more time.  It's been so warm today-- 56 degrees this afternoon.  I keep waiting for water to start seeping into the house somewhere, or a roof to cave in.  It does feel good to not freeze, though, and the blue sky and clear air today have been absolutely beautiful! I will rejoice for our own little vacation from the bitter cold here at home.  A vacation from my problems! You bet I will!