Talents

We've made a drastic change in our home this week... we got rid of the TV! Now when I say this is drastic I mean that it's a big change for us. We are people who have a DVR and have all our shows recorded and really enjoy ending our night by sitting down and relaxing in front of the TV.

When we were first married, we didn't have a TV and didn't want one; we had an idea of the kind of home and family we wanted to have. We read a lot and visited with family and friends. Then we had kids; which made it hard to read without being interupted, and moved away from family and friends. Anthony had a summer job with Dish network and we got a TV. As the years have progressed it has crept into our time more and more. We realized we weren't being the family we had talked about wanting. We needed a change. Now as we've gotten rid of it, I can see the possibilities of all the things we used to say we wanted for our family. I don't know why, but I didn't see it hindering us and don't think it was a bad thing, yet I remember a talk from a while ago by elder Oaks about "Good, Better, and Best" ( I have posted a link on the side) referring to how we spend our time and the things we choose to do. I still don't think TV is bad, but I am coming to realize that for my family there is something better and hopefully eventually best that we can be doing with our time.

Anthony and I have been trying to make it to the temple about twice a month and have found it difficult. I'm hoping that this is one thing that will be easier now. Also, since we've had no TV, I've begun to learn to play the ukulele, something I've been wanting to do for literally years! I'm so excited! I'm also hoping to take better care of my health. Maybe in the next year or so I will learn to speak Spanish as I've wanted to do for years as well.

I'm not saying that all these things can be squeezed into to time we spent watching TV, but what I am saying is that I have more time to think, plan, prepare, set goals, be in charge of my life.

Anthony and I had a talk about talents the other day and were remembering the parable of the talents and how we should not hide them or bury them in the ground, but multiply them and make more of them than we have. I'm sad to say that I feel I have buried many of my talents for a while now and I need to repent and change that. I'm going to start today by trying to do better and be better. For me, I now see that the TV was a hindrance to me and my progress in developing my talents. I think we should each try to see what's holding us back from either being or doing what we really want out of life and try to eliminate that road block from our path. We have so much to offer and we need each other so much. I know I have benefited from you sharing your talents and I hope now that I may recommit to furthering mine and sharing them.