Sunshine in My Soul

I have been in need of sunshine.

Not just physical sunshine, though the rain has officially begun in Oregon, but spiritual sunshine, mental sunshine, emotional sunshine. I have been bogged down for too long with some inner struggles that have been clouding my soul. Though I've wanted and fought for that light back in my life over the past year, and I've no doubt had my share of sunny days interspersed with the clouds, this past weekend brought a needed, sustained break in those clouds.

Part of that sunshine came through a day off with my little family. Grant had a couple days off this weekend from school, and was good enough to devote an entire one of them to just us. So as a little family, we ventured up to Portland and had a sweet and memorable family day. Thanks to a dear friend's generous offer to watch Eliot for us in the morning, Grant and I were able to attend a temple session at the Portland Temple, the first time we've been back to that particular temple since I was expecting Eliot. What a peaceful, calm experience. An even greater blessing was to find out that Eliot napped the entire time we were at the temple, which, as any young mom knows, is a great blessing in and of itself. In the afternoon, we went and explored Portland, which we haven't done yet since we've been in Oregon. We browsed the famous Powell's bookstore, which takes up an entire city block in downtown Portland, and got even more excited about a "Container Store" look-alike, Storables, which had some amazing organization ideas (I know, simple pleasures!). We then managed to get ourselves lost, which is inevitable in Portland, but took advantage of the detour and picked up one of our family favorites, some DQ blizzards, and then ended up at the Portland Children's Museum (look for pictures on Eliot's blog, coming soon . . . which may sound like an empty promise coming from the mommy who has yet to post her almost 16-month-old's first birthday pictures). The Children's Museum was incredible, but a bit overwhelming that particular evening since it happened to be free admission night. We got enough of a taste to whet our pallets and tempt us to go back. It was a full, but wonderful day. I learned the important lesson that families need those "time outs" every so often to just be together, enjoy one another's company, try something new. Despite the day being rainy, rainy, rainy, it brought sunshine to my soul to have that family time.

More sunshine came to me this weekend as I was able to listen to the prophet and leaders of our church in the general conference that was held and broadcast on Saturday and Sunday. Talk after talk seemed "just for me" and spoke peace and comfort to my heart and to the world, for that matter, at a time of great unrest and uncertainty. I gobbled up that spiritual feast and couldn't seem to take notes fast enough. Powerful, inspired, uplifting messages, combined with a rainy, cozy weekend inside with my boys made for the restful weekend that our little family and my soul have desperately needed. Sunday was the best of all -- I got up early and made homemade cinnamon rolls, Grant kept himself occupied putting together a puzzle, and Eliot was surprisingly content to play with his toys and do laps around the kitchen and family room. A little piece of heaven in our home. No wonder Monday morning Grant and I woke up feeling the most rested we have in a long time.

There is sunshine in my soul today . . .
And hope and praise and love
For blessings which He gives me now
For joys laid up above.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,
When the peaceful happy moments roll,
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.