Seminary has begun!

All summer I have been preparing for Seminary!  Studying scriptures, attending trainings, completing the on-line trainings, emails to coordinators with questions, etc..  It has been a wonderful, yet a time-consuming process.  I keep sitting down to add to this blog, and then something would come up and now it's already begun!

As we hadn't made a list of people to do the Devotionals yet, I gave one today, on my favorite scripture, Helaman 5:12.  I read the scripture and I shared an experience that I had very recently that applied to the scripture.  I am sharing that experience here, with more details than I offered to my students.

In the process of preparing for Seminary, there have been several times when I have felt overwhelmed at the magnitude of the responsibilities of my calling.  It seemed that there was always something MORE that had to be done.  In addition, for the past three weeks, I have been waking up at 5:00am in an attempt to get my body acclimated to the earlier mornings.  This has been difficult, as I haven't always been able to get to bed earlier.

One morning, about a week ago, as I was waking up and rolling out of bed I remember having a thought come to my head that I needed to go online and find some lesson ideas that other people have used to make preparing easier. Because of the rock on which I have built my foundation, I almost immediately recognized that thought as a temptation of Satan.  Do less, find a shortcut, you have so much to do already.  That is his tempting message.  

In the trainings this summer, I have been told over and over that I must rely on the Holy Ghost as I prepare, as my class is different than anyone else's and Heavenly Father knows these students better than I do and will guide me in the things that I should do and teach for this particular class.  (Not to say that I can't use ideas that others have had!  As a first time student, I am relying on the ideas of others to help get me started, but I should not just use what someone else has done to make it easier on me.)  

It may seem a small thing, that one little thought, but I feel that Satan would never tempt me to do drugs or steal a car, as he knows that is something I would not do.  But, he can try to put little, seemingly insignificant thoughts in my head, that if followed, could eventually lead me away from relying on Heavenly Father and His Spirit for guidance and direction.

I am so grateful for this calling and I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost in my preparation and as I teach!  I am relying on it!!

My humble little Seminary classroom