A Lenten Personal Progress – Day 2

Yesterday Carrie asked if I could provide a list for the 46 day period, so I put together a spreadsheet that shows the readings, etc. I’ve arranged this so that the Values get addressed in clumps, as much as possible. Also, my family and I do a lot of performing and teaching, so I didn’t allocate a lot of advance preparation for some of those experiences. So do look ahead and make sure that you can schedule some of the events the experiences call for. Alternately, you may be able to use something you’ve already done.

1505 Personal Progress

On this second day of my ad hoc Lenten Personal Progress pilgrimage, let me explain how I’m moving forward in these initial days.

I’ve got a mobile device with the Gospel Library app, so I have my scriptures with me wherever I go. During my morning commute I can either read or listen to the next several chapters. I like reading, because it gives me a chance to make notes when I have new insights. The Gospel Library app lets me have that “window” open to my current place in the Book of Mormon, so I don’t have to keep finding my place again and again.

For the first several weeks, I will be reading the information for two value experiences each day. One of them will be something I can complete that day, the other will commence a process that will take several days. I’ll read one during my lunch break and the other during the evening.

Now is also a good time to plan your Value Projects. These can be things you schedule during this intense several weeks, or they could be efforts you have completed in the past.

Day 2 (Thursday)

Book of Mormon: Read 1 Nephi 8-13 Lehi and Nephi separately experience the vision of the Tree of Life.

Start and complete Virtue 2: “Virtuous living ‘at all times and in all things, and in all places’ qualifies you for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.”

Begin Faith 1: “Exercise your own faith by establishing a habit of prayer in your life. Begin by regularly saying your morning and evening prayers. ” Follow this pattern for three weeks.

Remember to:

• Review and keep your standards (day 2 of 31)
• Pray morning and evening (day 1 of 21)

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For fun, below are the Value Projects I either have done or will do for each of the Value Projects.

• Faith – Plant and tend a garden. I created an aquaponic garden, documenting my progress in a blog. As a result of that blog, I was hired to write The Complete Idiot Guide to Aquaponic Gardening [2013], which helps others learn about how to create their own garden using this technique. As time permits, I will complete my redesigned garden, which increases growing area and implements advanced filtration to improve the garden productivity.
• Divine Nature – Develop a skill you could use in your home and teach that skill to someone. I learned to spin using a drop spindle and taught a Sunday School class how to do this in context of a lesson where this was an appropriate object lesson. As time permits, also become proficient at spinning with a treadle wheel and a walking wheel.
• Individual Worth – Compile a family history. Traveled to Edinburgh with the family to spend time with my husband’s father in the birthplace of my daughters’ grandfather and his ancestors. Recorded these conversations. As time permits, edit the recordings and pictures and distribute to family members.
• Knowledge – Consider what you can do to be more physically fit. In preparation for Trek, I will track the walking I do each day with a pedometer. I will also reduce my weight by adhering to a moderate and nutritious diet.
• Choice and Accountability – Choose to be more orderly in your home by completing a cleaning or organizing project. Created structures for containing clutter in the family home in a series of boxes, freeing up space to host a family member during a life transition. Documented the process in the blog 300 Boxes. As time permits, clear enough boxes to eliminate one of the box shelves.
• Good Works – Serve others. Spend extended time assisting your community. Prior to availability of the lds.org Personal Progress site, I created a Personal Progress blog so my autistic daughter could complete the value experiences with “point and click” ease, with links to all the scriptures and other required readings. This blog has had over 16,000 hits from all over the world. I am extending on this by creating a series of posts at M* that makes it easy for others (e.g., graduating seniors and others approaching their 19th birthday) to figure out how to complete their Personal Progress in less than two months.
• Integrity – Record examples of ways family members have demonstrated the quality of integrity in their lives. Starting in December 2013 I wrote a series of blog posts examining the history of Joseph Smith and polygamy [A Faithful Joseph], which involves several direct ancestors such as John Taylor, Elvira Cowles and Jonathan Holmes and their close associates Joseph Smith, Emma Hale, and Eliza Snow. As time permits, I will format these posts into book form, revising the text to reflect my latest understanding of facts. Once complete, I will publish the book so those with an interest in this information can obtain it.
• Virtue – I will be re-reading the Book of Mormon. Always a happy thing.