Floating Lanterns

One night at YWs Camp we were all given a 3x5 notecard and asked to think about something we want to stop doing, give up or maybe something we feel we need to start doing...something that will bring us closer to the Lord. As the night went on, girls wrote some thoughts down on these pieces of papers, things I guess they felt could bring them closer to the Lord. As I thought about life and things going on right now, I wrote on my card that I needed to learn more about my Savior. Whatever I needed to do to learn more about him so I could truly know him.  

At the end of the evening we were given a floating paper lantern and were told to put our notecard in there and push it out on the water and let it float away. It was interesting to see some of the floating lanterns come back to the shore and the girls would push them away again. Some of the lanterns would end up in clusters in the middle of the lake.  Aren't those like all the bad in our lives? So many of us struggle with the same exact things and we don't even realize. Some of us struggle with getting rid of our struggles! They just seem to keep coming back to us, no matter how many times we commit to giving them away. 

I am currently reading a book, The Redeemer: Reflections on the Life and Teachings of Jesus the Christ, and every day that I read I feel uplifted and inspired. I feel like I can conquer all my fears and teach my children all the things they need to know so they too can conquer the world and stay strong in the gospel...but I go weeks without reading another chapter. I go weeks without studying Come Follow Me, I go weeks without reading anything, as a result, I go weeks without feeling the spirit.