Today was better

8:15-8:24 AM Work while nursing Baby

Break to take baby potty, shower with girls, feed and clothe self and children, sweep kitchen floor, scrub a pan, make some phone calls, dress Oldest in ballet clothes, turn on music and dance in living room.

10:10-10:22 AM Work while nursing Baby

Break to put Baby down for a nap, dance in living room with oldest, fix paper crown.

10:27-11:07 AM Work while Baby is sleeping, spend last two minutes of work trying to work while repeatedly explaining to Oldest that I really, seriously only have two minutes left to work so if they could just wait for two minutes I'd be all done for the day and completely at her disposal.

I still have to work another hour this evening--I try to do an hour during the day and an hour at night after the girls are in bed. The hour during the day can take all day to finish. The hour at night usually only takes an hour to finish. Today, though, I was trying to be more focused at work so that I could get my hour of work in before the MBA/MPA wife's luncheon. I wasn't too sure about attending it after the experience we had had last night but I dressed up in my business-formal best and went, anyway. I'm so glad I did.

It was held in the Hinckley Center so it was still rather formal but less-so than last night. It was just women and was much more intimate. We had four student-wives at our table and three NAC-wives at our table and we were with them the whole time so it was less elevator-pitch-y and more meaningful and sincere. The guest speaker was really wonderful, too--her name is Shawna Edwards and she's composed several pieces of music over the years. The composition she focused on is called Do You Have Room? It's a Christmas carol but, although Christmas naturally came up, she didn't really talk about Christmas. Instead she talked about simplifying our lives to make room for Christ.

One of the quotes she used came from President Monson's address in the December 1990 Ensign.

"Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ.

Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ.

Do we get a pang of conscience as we recall his own words: 'The foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.' (Matt. 8:20) Or do we flush with embarrassment when we remember, 'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.' (Luke 2:7) No room. No room. Ever has it been." 

She focused a lot on serving others--since when we've done something unto the "least" we've done it unto Christ--and making room in our lives to feel the promptings of the spirit. I know that I could stand to make more room for Christ in my life.

Sister Edwards also admonished us to remember, if nothing else, the words Mordecai offered Esther before she went before King Ahasuerus: who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

We can do amazing things—everyone can—because we were sent to earth for a purpose. We were sent at the right time and to the right place. There were no mistakes made—this is what we're supposed to be doing. Of course the challenge is finding what exactly it is you were meant to do. That's a lifetime pursuit, really, since there is always more that can be done.

In short, it was a beautiful, inspiring message and I really enjoyed myself. Also, the dessert was divine!

I walked over to the library when it was over to visit my mom and when she noticed that I was clutching a score of music she couldn't help but ask what it was. Sister Edwards had brought sheet music of Do I Have Room? for each of the women present along with a CD that has several of her songs on it. Since my mom works in the Music and Dance Library in the HBLL and since they are currently expanding their Mormon Artist section of the collection we rushed back to the Hinckley Building to see if we could catch Sister Edwards—we found her on the sidewalk waiting to cross the street and accosted her.

She gave us another copy of her music and CD to put in the library's collection and we told her we'd (or rather my mom and her colleagues) get back to her about obtaining the rest of her collection.

Anyway, now I need to work...but it was a wonderful thing to have a bit of a break this week to be uplifted. This new carol is reminding me of another carol we sang in ward choir once and I think it was called "No Room" or "The Inn" or something but I can't remember the title or composer now and it's really bothering me that I can't find it. I'm pretty sure either Pam Peterson or Gayle Lockwood wrote it and I know most of the words...

No room at the inn for him, this king who had no throne.
But he loved them and wept for them, and for their sins atoned.
If they had known who stood among them seeking rest,
If they had known by whom their door was blessed
Surely their hearts they'd have opened wide
Surely his life they would testify
For him we recognize as our God.


If anyone knows that song...if you could just let me know the title...and the composer...that would be good...because I can't find it and it's driving me crazy!