Post Lesson 6 Work

I had to keep track of my activities for 48 hours, as the lesson was about time.

Sleep - 16 hours

Eating -6 hours

Travel - 3 hours

Work - 0 hours

Study - 2 hours

Family - 3 hours

Personal Time - 10 hours

Leisure - 6 hours

Scriptures - 2 hours

Service/Church - 0 hours

Total= 48 hours

I chose to keep track of my activities on Monday and Tuesday of this week. For sleep, I calculated a total of 16 hours over days, as I sleep 8 hours per day. For eating, I calculated 6 hours over 2 days, as I spend an hour on a meal because I do other things while I eat and I eat three meals a day. When it comes to travel, the majority of my daytime traveling was spent on public transit because gas prices make it too difficult to drive everywhere and it is 30 minutes from my home to downtown and back, as I live on the west side of Lethbridge. In the last two days, I spent approximately 2 hours traveling on public transit and then another hour traveling around via vehicle later in the day to go to places that were too far to travel by bus, so that is a total of 3 hours over 2 days. I am currently on disability pay and although I sometimes get freelance reporting work, I didn't get any work in the last two days, so that total is zero. When it comes to studying for the Pathway program, I invest at least 2 hours of lesson preparation on Mondays and then do further studying later in the week. Because my mother is in school from 9 to 3 every day and my brother works, we only get to have time together on the weekends and in the evenings and in the two days, we had a total of 3 hours together. I had a great deal of personal time after I do my schoolwork and I used 10 hours in the last two days to run errands, take care of the house, watch TV or movies, or just engage in creative activities that I love to do. When it comes to leisure, I included walking around downtown and walking the dog around the apartment building, so I dedicated 6 hours to leisure in the last two days. Scripture study for me takes place twice a day, which takes a total of 2 hours over two days. In the morning, I do daily devotionals in which I pick a scripture, read it and a bit of a personal interpretation on camera, and then post the video to YouTube. In the evening, I study from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Preach My Gospel, which takes quite a bit of time.

I have become more aware of how I use my time and how much time I have to spare to engage in other things than just sitting around doing unproductive things. I feel like I need to pursue volunteer opportunities or maybe some seasonal work in the community because I find that I have time to do so even with the schoolwork I have to do. When I first moved to Lethbridge, I didn't actively pursue employment or volunteer activities because I wanted to see how much time the schoolwork in Pathways would take, as Pathways is my first priority besides church. Now that I've done this exercise and can clearly see that I have more time than I thought I would with school, I need to invest some time during the week into helping others besides my family and also helping my family more often.

The first important thing I want to do is try and spend more time with my family when the opportunity presents itself, as there are evenings and weekends in which we can spend time at dinner, after dinner, and also doing activities on the weekends even if it is something simple like doing our laundry together or food shopping. It was difficult for my family to spend a great deal of time together when my father was alive because he would spend a lot of time drunk and the behavior that he displayed as a result didn't make spending time together a priority for us. While I am glad I was able to spend time with the man who my father really was when he had cancer and even beforehand during the nine weeks he spent sober prior to his cancer diagnosis, I am also relieved that we can now feel more free and comfortable as a family.

Secondly, I want to dedicate some more time to exercise whether it be swimming or just going for more walks around downtown and around my area, as more exercise will help me have a stronger immune system and get into better shape than I am in right now.

The third most important thing I want to do is try and get more sleep by going to bed earlier at night or being in bed by the time the 11 p.m. news is on so that I can go to sleep after it's over. I stay up too late and wake up a little later in the day, so I miss seeing my mother off to school and I want to be able to see her off to school.

After saving my work in case I have things to add later on, I did my response posts.

We cannot have personal goals without first knowing what our priorities are and whether or not our priorities what they should be. Our goals may involve reorganizing our priorities so that we are focusing on what is truly important to the situation we find ourselves in and not on what is within our comfort zone. Our goals should involve constantly reviewing our priorities because as our lives change, our priorities will also change and if we aren't preparing for that before change comes, we are going to find ourselves overwhelmed because our priorities may not always be in our comfort zone. What ends up being important may be things that we have very little experience with until they happen and setting goals to prepare for the changes beforehand will help us be less scared of change.

In order to succeed in whatever goals we set, we need to plan to succeed and not automatically think that we are going to fail simply because things might become difficult. The Atonement enables us to let go of our sins and the defeatist attitude that accompanies them, thereby allowing us to have a belief in our own success because we are children of God and should expect nothing less than our best efforts from ourselves. If we go into a situation determined to do our best and set on succeeding, we are more likely to do well even if our best isn't just like everyone else around us. Success is defined by how much effort we put forth and we can count ourselves as being successful if we try our absolute best and go about it with a positive attitude. If we plan to succeed, we need to believe we can and not allow our fears to defeat us before we can even act in faith.

Spending time is just engaging in some sort of activity in order to have something to do and nothing is really taken or learned from the experience. While spending time is not necessarily a bad thing, what is to be gained from engaging in something without learning something from it? Investing time, on the other hand, is engaging in activities and learning something from them or having some sort of experience no matter what the outcome is.

You cannot determine what kind of outcome will come as a result of investing time in something, but there is always something to be learned from truly investing time and attention into something. One can start out by spending time on something, but if they figure out that there is something to be learned as a result of the experience, then one has invested the time that was spent. Not all experiences had as a result of investing time are positive, but there is always something to be learned if one takes the time to realize that and be teachable. If one is teachable and realizes that there is always something to be learned even if is how to better spend one's time, every experience of spending time can become an experience where time ends up being invested. 

Teach A Friend

I taught my mother the information from Lesson 6 while we were doing our laundry at the local laundromat. I started by explaining how when you fill a jar with rocks, dirt, and water, you are allocating your time to priorities (the rocks), the things you worry about (the dirt), and your free time (the water). I said that if you don't put your priorities first, you will never get anything accomplished and that we need to first know what our priorities are and then make an effort to constantly be aware of what is important in our lives and when it is important.

I then talked about Alma 34:32 and said that now is the time to prepare to meet God and that time is both a stewardship and gift from God so that we can be wise about making the most of our mortality. I then defined stewardship by referring to it as responsibilities given to us by God and emphasizing that we are responsible for using our time and we will be held accountable for how we have used our time.

Then, I asked Mom three questions about time and how the use of it related to stewardship. They were questions from the lesson and very interesting to ponder. I also said that we need to be aware of time, but also enjoy time by making the most of it through the use of budgeting time and making priorities.

We then discussed how following promptings is a good investment of our time and how the Lord is pleased when we invest our time into following His promptings.

When it came to discussing the allocation of time through the use of the jar exercise, my mom said that she looks at it that you have to put each use of time in order, with priorities being first, secondary worries being second, and spare time being last, as the spare time filters around the rocks and dirt. Mom said that if you put the water in the jar first, you might not have room for the things that matter most and if you put the water first, you are emphasizing your free time as being more important than your priorities and your secondary concerns. Mom also added that if you put the water in the jar before anything else, you are choosing to waste what time you have.

When discussing Alma 34:32, Mom agreed that now is really the time to prepare to meet God and that we shouldn't be wasting it. When I asked Mom what the word stewardship meant to her Mom said that a stewardship is being over something and that we should take the time to take stewardship responsibly and that people in different callings have stewardships over different aspects of the Church.

When I asked Mom what else is part of our stewardship besides time, she said that we also over our own energy and all of the resources we have available to us. Mom added that if we give of our resources, it's easier than giving of our time because giving of our time is a much deeper emotional investment, as it is giving of yourself.

During our discussion on how effective time management helps us to better prepare to meet God, Mom said that we can study scriptures more and learn more about meeting God if we are good at budgeting time. When I read a quote by President Monson concerning how time's progression can bring forth change, Mom added that our family has gone through a great deal of changes in the last year alone and she feels that we have run the gambit of change.

When we discussed making the most of life by making priorities, Mom said that making priorities is a huge thing because maybe things we don't think are important actually turn out to be important. Mom added that if we have a lot of things to do, we need to sit down and think about what are the most important things to accomplish.

When it came to discussing how listening to promptings from the Lord is never a waste of our time, Mom said that if we follow the prompting, that is what we are supposed to do and we will be blessed for it. Mom also added that if we can show the Lord we are capable of doing little things like following promptings, He will grant us bigger opportunities in time and that the Lord is not going to lead us astray at any point during our lives. Mom stated that when we follow promptings from the Lord, we also show that we are capable of being obedient and are willing to be obedient.

When I asked Mom what she would say to someone who is having trouble following a prompting, she said that she would tell them that the Lord is not going to lead them astray. She also said that she would ask them what would happen if they did not follow a prompting? Nobody can know what will happen concerning a prompting until one decides whether or not they will follow it, Mom concluded.

Learning Report:
My S.M.A.R.T. goal last week was to achieve a passing grade by completing all the parts of each weekly lesson and attending the weekly gathering. I did the preparatory work for the week's lesson on Monday, served as an observing student at Thursday's gathering following an interesting Institute class, and also completed the post-lesson work for the weekly lesson on Friday and Saturday. I always put enough effort into completing the work that needs to be done so that I can not only get a good grade, but so that I can retain the information to apply it to my daily life. I have learned and am continuing to learn that hard work and effort leads to personal success.

As a result of the Pathway program, I am learning that it is okay to see and treat myself more like the child of God that I am, as others see me that way and I need to see myself that way. Because I am doing better at treating myself as a child of God, I find it easier to have the Spirit with me so that I can more easily get through each day without worrying about how I might screw things up for myself and/or others. The Spirit also gives me the strength to have more compassion for others and their situations and also to have compassion for the effort I am able to give when it comes to caring about and helping others. It also reminds me to care about myself and that without caring about myself, I cannot hope to have the abilities to become a better disciple of Christ.

The most important thing from this lesson that I want to remember is Alma 34:32-34 says that now is the time for us to get everything done in terms of living and also preparing for the time when God will come and that every moment counts, so we should be wise about budgeting time. If we are constantly engaged in using our time productively, that motivates us to work at doing good, better, and becoming our best self at things. When we are working hard at improving ourselves, the Spirit gives us the motivation we need in order to dedicate some time to helping others while also remembering ourselves. If we are doing good with our time by being productive and also setting aside a little bit of time for physical and spiritual rejuvenation, as being too busy can often force us to drop everything and turn to idleness for comfort, we will have a clearer mind, a more open heart, and our agency will increase. When we manage our time to take care of others as well as ourselves, we are in a better physical, emotional, and mental place in which we can use our agency wisely and watch it increase.

Lesson 6 Pathway Gathering

I was an observing student this evening, which meant I observed the students who were teaching and will have the opportunity to teach next week.

When you fill a jar with rocks, dirt, and water, you are allocating your time to priorities (the rocks), the things you worry about (the dirt), and your free time (the water). If you don't put your priorities first, you will never get anything accomplished and that we need to first know what our priorities are and then make an effort to constantly be aware of what is important in our lives and when it is important.

Alma 34:32 says that now is the time to prepare to meet God and that time is both a stewardship and gift from God so that we can be wise about making the most of our mortality. I then defined stewardship by referring to it as responsibilities given to us by God and emphasizing that we are responsible for using our time and we will be held accountable for how we have used our time.
 
Following promptings is a good investment of our time and a good use of the Spirit that comes with our stewardships and the Lord is pleased when we invest our time into following His promptings.

A quote by President Monson said that time's progression can bring forth change and we can make the most of life by making priorities. 

Lesson 6 Preparation

10:32-12:07
I decided to work from home today simply because today marks a year since my dad's death and I really don't feel like dragging the laptop to the library today. Maybe I'll go to the library later.

Lesson 6 is about Time Management, in other words, learning how to effectively budget time.

It mentions time being a stewardship and I suppose there is some truth to that, as time is a gift we have been given and have been invited to use it wisely for as long as it is there.

There was also mention of investing time vs. spending time and that is an intriguing thought, as spending time may mean that it is just used on frivolities while investing time means dedicating it to a worthwhile pursuit and/or people.

My attention was then directed to reading quotes and scriptures about being stewards of our time and I suppose that means that we are responsible for how we use our time and if we manage it rather than it managing us. The first quote talked about how mortality is such a very small part of our existence and that time is a gift from God that we should use wisely, as it cannot be retrieved once it is used; it also said that WE will be accountable for how we use our time now and in the immediate hereafter.

John 9:4-5 talks about how we must enable the works of our Heavenly Father and that there is only so much time in which we can do that work. It says that as long as we are in the world, we can serve as a positive example to all within it in all we do, say, and hope. We can be a light to those in darkness.

2 Nephi 2:21 says that our time on Earth has been prolonged so that we can have the opportunity to repent and be able to come unto God, making covenants and showing commitment through ordinances by our own will. You see, those who are dead cannot partake of ordinances without the help of the living to bring them through the temples of God, so God does everything He can to provide opportunity for the living to make things right in their lives so that they can bring themselves through the temple and enjoy the blessings while in life. Some do not have that opportunity, however, but they will be given all blessings from ordinances and covenants. Nobody is cheated from a joyful eternity unless they choose to cheat themselves by making bad decisions and refusing to repent.

Alma 34:32-34 says that now is the time for us to get everything done in terms of living and also preparing for the time when God will come. We should not procrastinate our eternal preparation nor should we postpone making things right both spiritually and temporally. God sees our heart and if a heart's desire is all we can have in this life, God will see to it that we receive more after. Mortality can be a very stressful time, so we need to protect our spirit and prepare it for better things to come.

Abraham 3:25 says that we are being tested and tried and are also invited to follow the commandments so that we may prove the promise of the Lord that obedience brings blessings, but we should not procrastinate listening to the Lord. One day, it may be too late to do that.

When it comes to investing time vs. spending time, we need to spend our time doing good for the Lord and sharing our talents so we do not lose them. We also need to cease in behaviors that would stop us from feeling the Spirit and enjoying the blessings that productivity has to offer.

I then read some quotes about time management and the four key relationships, according to President Uchtdorf, that we need to maintain through wise budgeting of our time are with our God, our families, our fellow man, and ourselves.

There was then a quote by President Monson that talked about procrastination being the thief of time, as procrastination is putting things off until you have time for them. If we spend our time doing unimportant things, we may lose the opportunity to do what is really important.

I then re-read 'Keeping Life's Demands in Balance' by Elder M. Russell Ballard and focused on the eight time-management principles that he said will help us in our lives. Those principles are:

1) Think about your life and set priorities. Set aside quiet time to do just that.

2) Set short-term goals that you can reach. Set goals that are well balanced.

3) Through wise budgeting, control your real needs and measure them carefully against your many wants in life. Don't spend money on that which is of little or no worth.

4) Stay close to your spouse, children, relatives, and friends. They will help you keep a balance in your life.

5) Study the scriptures. They offer one of the best sources we have to keep in touch with the Spirit of the Lord.

6) We must schedule time for sufficient rest, exercise, and relaxation. We must schedule time on our daily calendars for these activities if we are to enjoy a healthy and balanced life.

7) Families should teach one another the gospel, preferably in a weekly family home evening.

8) Pray often as individuals and as families.

My attention was then turned to a talk called 'Three Choices' that was written by Elder Wirthlin and it talked about three steps that can help us more than any worldly self-help program could.

The first step mentioned is to choose to repent now. We cannot go back to what was and do things over, but we can start fresh from where we are and build upon that through the Atonement.

The second step is to choose priorities. Perfection cannot be achieved all at once, but priorities can be made and perfection will eventually come in time and with much work and help from the Atonement.

The third thing is to choose the right. We must do more than what we want; we must do what Heavenly Father wants us to do, as they are right and good and will help us to feel a sense of peace.

There was then an article called 'Child of Promise' written by who was then known as Elder Eyring.

The article talked about how time is ours and we choose what we do with it, but that it is also precious and we should treat it as such. It is not our mind, but our heart, that will help us to see the value of time for what it really is and help us to treat it like it is worth something to us.

It talked about how time is a property, a commodity, that we inherit from the Lord as part of our mortal experience and that we can use our agency to decide how we will use our time. We are ALL children of promise when we start out, but whether or not we remain such is up to us entirely.

It also mentioned that when we know who we are, we are more likely to use our time better. We can and should do three things that Henry B. Eyring admonishes us to do.
1) Gain confidence that God keeps his promises. 
2)  Gain God’s confidence that you will always keep the promises, not that you choose to make, but that he asks you to make.
3)  Help others gain confidence that God keeps his promises.

We also need to carry out any commitments we have with great faith in God and in ourselves.

I then began the quiz at 11:31 and I ended up taking the quiz twice because I wasn't quite certain about the answer to question nine and I ended up getting it wrong the first time, as I couldn't find the complete answer. However, I took it a second time and figured out the answer that time. 95% is great and keeps me humble, but I have to learn to trust my instincts more when taking the quizzes.

To end my preparation session, I posted an initial post on the discussion board.

We are free to choose liberty and eternal life or captivity and death, but it takes time to pursue either of those paths; as nothing happens without effort being applied to it. Idleness doesn't necessarily guarantee that we are going to end up doing something wicked, but it does mean that we are not wanting to make the most of what we have simply because we feel it is too much work and the choice of doing nothing makes us lose our motivation to become better. When we lose the motivation to become better simply because we have stopped making the effort, we become captive to laziness and eventually, we also become captive to apathy because by doing nothing, we have chosen not to care about the gift of time and how squandering it to laziness hurts us. Once we are trapped in laziness and apathy, it becomes a habit and we eventually lose the choice to do anything other than nothing at all.

If we are constantly engaged in using our time productively, that motivates us to work at doing good, better, and becoming our best self at things. When we are working hard at improving ourselves, the Spirit gives us the motivation we need in order to dedicate some time to helping others while also remembering ourselves. If we are doing good with our time by being productive and also setting aside a little bit of time for physical and spiritual rejuvenation, as being too busy can often force us to drop everything and turn to idleness for comfort, we will have a clearer mind, a more open heart, and our agency will increase. When we manage our time to take care of others as well as ourselves, we are in a better physical, emotional, and mental place in which we can use our agency wisely and watch it increase.

Post Lesson 5 Work

I started out by posting responses on the discussion board.

1: While I think that it is important to have priorities in life, one also needs to remember to keep all of those priorities in balance so that a priority doesn't become a dependency. If one does something too excessively whether it be a behavior or some sort of activity, it can develop into an addiction, otherwise being a set way of doing things. When someone becomes addicted to a specific behavior or activity, they will find it increasingly difficult to stop until they no longer are able to stop. Setting priorities is a good thing, but you have to remember to make time for flexibility with those priorities because as time goes on and life changes, priorities change and if one isn't open to being flexible, relationships can and will suffer and opportunities will be lost because eventually, nobody will want to be around someone who has let their priorities turn into dependencies and has a 'my way or the highway' attitude.

2: Prayer is the way man and God communicate and it is through prayer that we can truly unleash how we are feeling and doing without having to worry about retaliation; it is the way through which God gives man personal revelation; and it is a way by which man knows that no matter how bad their circumstances are, there is someone that they can talk to who will listen and love them just for trying their best.

Even if we are afraid to talk to each other or our mortal families for whatever reason, we don't need to be afraid to talk to our Heavenly Father, as He does not judge nor does he condemn; He listens quietly and responds the same way and is always very careful to let us know that we are loved unconditionally. Through communication with our fellow man, judgment is often passed and misunderstandings can occur that may harm relationships. When it comes to communication with our Heavenly Father, however, there is no judgment to be had nor is there miscommunication unless we think that God is going to be mad at us for our shortcomings.

God becomes sorrowful about wickedness, not about shortcomings of those who are trying. As long as we are trying, God will help us because through our efforts, we are asking for His help to make something of ourselves and through the Atonement, the desire to make something of ourselves can and is a wonderful reality.

3:  We have the right to make choices that seem comfortable to us based on the knowledge that we have and through applying knowledge to agency, we have experiences. We do not, however, have the right to choose the consequences of any choice that we make nor is it possible to escape having to deal with any sort of consequences. Every choice has a consequence and when we make a decision, there may be easy opportunity to repent after we endure consequence, but that may not always be the case depending on the choice that we make.

It is fortunate for us sinners that we have the Atonement to help us repent if we want to utilize it, but it is not always easy for us to admit our wrongdoings and humbly come to the Savior for help nor may it always be an easy fix when you've sinned and want to repent. Choices we make affect others, as do consequences, and not everyone has an easy time of being forgiving when the choices of another affect them even though we have been commanded to be forgiving. When we are wronged, however, the best thing we can do for ourselves and our personal ability to utilize the Atonement to heal our hurt is to forgive and absolve ourselves of that responsibility.

Once we forgive offenses and offenders, that burden of hurt no longer has to be with us and we can find strength and courage to keep going through the Atonement. When we do wrong, we expect forgiveness that may not always be easy for others to give, so why not give it freely and let go of our pain when others wrong us? Offenders have to deal with what they have done on their own terms, but we don't have to be prisoners of our own hate. If we allow ourselves to hate and withhold forgiveness, we are succumbing to the poison of hate that will eventually destroy us.

Along with the right of choice, we also have the right to forgive and the right choose to move away from any pain that was caused to us. Through the Atonement, we can find the courage to forgive and to move on, as even the Savior forgave his tormentors because of their ignorant actions. If Christ can forgive the people who tortured and eventually killed Him, why can we not forgive those who commit much lesser offenses towards us?

The application activity then asked me to set an overall goal that I would like to achieve and I put the following down as my goal:
I would like to finish Pathways and then pursue either a certificate or degree in either an Administrative Assistant program or in a Marriage and Family Studies program. Pathways doesn't end until July, so I have some time to research the careers and also look at my personal circumstances to see what option would be best for me to pursue.

Specify:

To reach the goal of being able to even begin getting a certificate or degree, I would need to successfully complete the Pathway program and there are two and a half semesters left, so I just need to monitor my grades and make sure I am in a position academically to pursue more education when the program is over. Once it is determined that I will pass the Pathway program and be in a position to pursue further education, I will sit down and talk with some sort of career advisor or family members about what career would be best for me with the disability I have and where I will have the opportunity to work/live when Pathways is over.

The reason I am choosing to pursue further education after Pathways is completed is because that there is no guarantee that marriage and family are right around the corner and I need to be able to support myself should those opportunities not happen for a long time. If marriage and family were to happen sooner than later, that would be wonderful, but I have to prepare for the chance that it may not and instead of pining away over the lack of those opportunities, I want to pursue ways to better myself. One very important way that I can better myself, which has been supported by prophets, is to further my education and develop it into a sustainable career.

 Pros and Cons

Pros of continuing my education after Pathways is done is being able to learn and develop skills that will help me to not only get into a sustainable career, but continuing my education will also allow me to engage in fulfilling things with my life should a family of creation not be part of the Lord's will for me any time soon. Cons of continuing my education would be the cost, unless I were to get assistance, and also that it might be difficult to continue my education depending where and what the Lord have me do in my life once Pathways is over and done.

I confess that I cannot really think of any pros to not continuing my education, as my journalism skills will eventually become obsolete with the evolution of technology and the way the news is brought to the world, as my skills do not include broadcast or radio journalism even though I would to learn more about it. Even if I cannot remain in the field of journalism for whatever reason, I would love to pursue further education that would allow me to gain new skills and develop the ones that I already have so they can be utilized in the ever changing workforce.

Cons of not continuing my education, on the other hand, are becoming obsolete and unneeded in the workforce because my skills are slowly becoming obsolete with the evolution of technology and if I am obsolete because my skills are not up to date, how am I going to be able to sustain myself long-term? I may or may not have my disability check forever, but even with receiving disability, I want to be able to work if I can manage to get and keep a job, as there is no greater feeling than to know that you earned something and weren't just handed it. I have never been handed anything without doing volunteer work or making some other contribution to show my appreciation.

Choose a goal:

My short-term goal is to achieve a passing grade by completing all parts of the weekly lessons by doing all of the assignments and making the most of the opportunity to learn by attending the Pathway gatherings on a weekly basis.  My long-term goal is to pursue a certificate or degree in either an administrative assistant program or in Marriage or Family Studies after completing Pathways. There is no guarantee that marriage and family are right around the corner and I need to be able to support myself should those opportunities not happen for a long time.

If marriage and family were to happen sooner than later, that would be wonderful, but I have to prepare for the chance that it may not and instead of pining away over the lack of those opportunities, I want to pursue ways to better myself. Even if marriage and family do happen for me sooner than later, having credential/skills from further education would help me to be prepared to help support a family financially should anything happen that would make it necessary for me to work outside of the home. Working in a career setting outside of the home following marriage and children isn't something I necessarily want to do, as I want to be a parent very badly, but in today's world and with the possibility of anything unexpected happening, I know it may become necessary.

Specify the goal into something simpler:

I don't think that wanting to pursue a degree after Pathways is a specific enough goal, as Pathway is only still in the first semester and there are more challenging academic subjects ahead in the other two semesters. I am good with English, but not so good with Math and I am maybe even a little afraid that Math may be my downfall, but I plan to work very hard and commit lots of time and effort to the other subjects so that I can pass everything.

I think a more realistic and specific goal is wanting to achieve a passing grade by completing all parts of the weekly lessons by doing all of the assignments and making the most of the opportunity to learn by attending the Pathway gatherings on a weekly basis.

Is it Measurable?
I can measure my progress in the Pathway program through the grades and comments that are posted to every assignment each week. The comments attached to each grade help me to understand how I am doing, what message I am sending with each assignment, and what I need to improve upon in order to do better in the next lesson. I can also measure my progress through how I understand the lesson material both on the I-Learn site and during the gatherings, as the gatherings provide the opportunity to ask questions about things that might not be understood clearly.

Is it Attainable?
I think aspiring to achieve a passing grade by completing all parts of the weekly lessons by doing all of the assignments and making the most of the opportunity to learn by attending the Pathway gatherings on a weekly basis. As long as I make the commitment to work hard both inside and outside of the classroom, I see no reason why I cannot make good grades on each of the lessons and also make the most of the gatherings, as I made the commitment to work hard and make this program one of the higher priorities in my life back when I considered taking the program, as I knew such a promising opportunity could not be taken lightly. So far, I have not taken this opportunity lightly and clear evidence of my hard work can be seen in my good grades.

The Spirit's influence

I must confess that prayer and the influence of the Holy Ghost made me feel nervous, but comfortable about coming into the Pathway program, but I have not yet learned why I am supposed to be taking this program at this point in my life. All I have been told through the Spirit that there are things I am meant to learn and that I will benefit from taking this course and taking the time to do well in it.

As far as goals go, I often set goals in my mind and don't write them down because then I spend all my time obsessing over the goals and neglecting other things in my life, much to the irritation of others. The SMART goal setting process has helped me be able to think about my goals and about whether or not they are actually realistic for the point in my life in which I want to pursue them and while I might be in a position to at least prepare to accommodate some goals, I can't necessary accommodate all of my goals at this point in my life, so I set them aside for the time being.

When it comes to the Pathway program, I only know that it is truly right for me to be taking this program at this point in my life because things fell into place so that I would have the opportunity to take the program and do well at it. Although I would like to pursue further education after Pathway is over, I will continue to seek divine guidance and pursue more education if the Lord allows things to fall into place for me to be able to do that. For now, I will just move forward with great faith.

Teach A Friend, Mid Course Feedback & Learning Report

I taught my mother and I began by sharing a personal thought that I had about acting in faith, as acting in faith is most definitely making a decision. I said that we should do things that are righteous and help us to do good things and we also need to make sure that we don't allow our fear to stop us from acting in faith. I then taught Mom about the three R's of decision making; right, responsibility, and results and I said that we alone are responsible for making sure that we use all the R's wisely and frequently so that our agency is not lost to apathy or to Satan's frequent, but very subtle attempts to trap us in bad decisions.

I then shared a personal thought on habits and how habits can impair the proper use of the decision making process. I said that when it comes to habits, people have become so set in their ways that they become dependent on behaviors that might not be what is good, but what has become such a part of daily life that to try and make the decision to stop would be pure agony. When we become too comfortable with habits, we lose our ability to make a decision and it turns into an addiction that will more than likely require some sort of help to kick.

I then explained to Mom about making correct choices and that a choice is a conscious decision, but that making a correct decision involves prayer and inspiration. I then went on to explain that the scriptures have said that when a decision is correct, we will feel that it is correct, but if a decision is incorrect, we will have a stupor of thought about it. If we use our agency properly when it comes to small decisions, I said, it will more likely be easier for us to use our agency when it comes to making bigger decisions.

Explaining the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) formula came next and I touched on the eight points in Elder Ballard's talk to explain the importance of balance in life so that when it comes to making decisions, we have the coherence to make good ones instead of being distracted by what is not right in our lives.

When Mom and I discussed the three R's of decision making, she said that having the right to choose is very interesting because we truly do have the right to choose and we need to remember that it is our own personal right unless we give it away by making bad choices and not repenting of them. She found the mention of responsibility very amazing and said that the fact that we have such a sacred responsibility is very true. When it came to discussing the concept of results, Mom said that we definitely have to choose which choice we are willing to do.

When I shared that habits can definitely impair the proper use of the decision making process, Mom said that it is so true and when it comes to making correct choices, she thinks about how many tough decisions our family has had to make since my father's death last year and how the Spirit has helped us so much to be able to make decisions peacefully. Mom also said that when it comes to the decision-making process, the decisions we make affect us on either an unconscious or conscious level and that each decision has an impact.

Mom's view on the SMART formula was that not only do you need to set a realistic goal, you also need to set a realistic timeline in which to accomplish that goal. She added that small decisions help us make bigger ones and that small decisions also help us to become decisive enough to handle making decisions on the bigger things in our lives when they happen.

I then did a survey concerning mid-course feedback and the learning report.

The most difficult thing for me during the last several lessons has been not being able to receive all of the information through the gathering because the Institute class beforehand goes a little over time quite often and leaves less time for students to get everything that they may need to get through the Pathway gathering. I am in no way bashing Institute, as I think it's great, but I think time needs to be allocated a little better so we can learn everything we need to.

The most important thing that I want to remember from this lesson are the three R's of choice because I feel they teach how to be more aware of the importance that the decision-making process should have to us and in our lives. Having the right and responsibility to choose what results we want will make me more aware of how the process of agency is precious enough to safeguard carefully so that I don't end up losing my agency because I was careless enough to act irresponsibly. To me, agency is like a well-guarded treasure and unless you guard it, use it wisely, and make sure that you show that you care about it, it will be lost. It only takes one careless step to go into freefall and it only takes one bad decision to lose the Spirit and end up where you may want to be.

Lesson 5 Pathway Gathering

I began by writing a personal thought that I had about acting in faith, as acting in faith is most definitely making a decision. I said that we should do things that are righteous and help us to do good things and we also need to make sure that we don't allow our fear to stop us from acting in faith. That was followed by writing about the three R's of decision making; right, responsibility, and results and I wrote that we alone are responsible for making sure that we use all the R's wisely and frequently so that our agency is not lost to apathy or to Satan's frequent, but very subtle attempts to trap us in bad decisions.

I then wrote a personal thought on habits and how habits can impair the proper use of the decision making process. I said that when it comes to habits, people have become so set in their ways that they become dependent on behaviors that might not be what is good, but what has become such a part of daily life that to try and make the decision to stop would be pure agony. When we become too comfortable with habits, we lose our ability to make a decision and it turns into an addiction that will more than likely require some sort of help to kick.

I then wrote about making correct choices and that a choice is a conscious decision, but that making a correct decision involves prayer and inspiration. I then went on to write that the scriptures have said that when a decision is correct, we will feel that it is correct, but if a decision is incorrect, we will have a stupor of thought about it. If we use our agency properly when it comes to small decisions, I wrote, it will more likely be easier for us to use our agency when it comes to making bigger decisions.

I then wrote a bit about the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) formula came next and I touched on the eight points in Elder Ballard's talk to explain the importance of balance in life so that when it comes to making decisions, we have the coherence to make good ones instead of being distracted by what is not right in our lives. I did the last part privately, as we ran out of time to actually discuss Elder Ballard's talk in class.

Lesson 5 Preparation

I went to the library and started work at 12:40. Lesson 5 concerns Decision Making and Goal Setting, which will be interesting to explore because I have always been rather indecisive concerning temporal matters and I have always had goals in my mind, but never took the time to write them down unless someone told me to.

In the opening quote, it talks about goals reflecting the desires of our hearts and I guess I need to work on setting goals that will help me to achieve my heart's desires.

The first talk was called Choices by President Faust and it talked about how our choices now affect what our future opportunities and blessings will be, as future opportunity requires preparation now.

According to President Faust, choices:
*determine a large portion of our happiness or unhappiness.
*have consequences that have to be lived with.
*are not always between good and evil, but sometimes are of opposite directions.
*can be learned from and provide opportunity to grow.
*should be made carefully and not on the basis of popular demand or social pressure.
*are our own and we shouldn't allow someone else to dictate how we act.
*are either reversible or irreversible, but the Atonement is there to help us.
*have a timeline, so we need to be aware and prepare.
*are our responsibility and we need to take responsibility for acting how we will.

The repentance process is:
*recognizing and taking responsibility.
*releasing our desire to act in those bad behaviors.
*resisting the desire to repeat the behavior.
*seeking remission by confession of wrongdoings.
*making restitution whenever possible.

The next activity was a talk called 'The Three R's of Choice' by President Monson and it talked about how all choices have consequences, but all consequences have different levels of impact on the different people that are affected by the choice that is made.

The three R's are right, responsibility, and the results.
*The right refers to the free agency that we have and how free agency is a precious gift given to us by God that we might learn and grow according to our mandate of mortality. Along with Christ, Satan volunteered to perform the Atonement, but his motives were to rob people of their agency and to take the glory for a plan that was not his own; he wanted to be an eternal plagarist. Fortunately, Christ was chosen and we have our agency to do with what we will.

*Responsibility refers to the obligation we have to choose whether or not to support good or evil in this continued war that is waging between good and evil. As much as we may want to remain neutral, neutrality will eventually turn into apathy and with apathy comes the loss of being able to choose for ourselves, for apathy is choosing not to care and with that, the loss of ability to care will soon follow.

*Results refer to the unavoidable fact that our choices have consequences and those consequences can either be very big or very little depending on our choice. Consequences to not just affect the one making a choice; they affect others connected to the chooser. While the Atonement is there and has paid for our sins to be taken away so that we aren't imprisoned by them anymore, we have to want the Atonement's help to be able to enable that payment that will save us.

We need to be grateful for our agency and the chance we have to use it wisely. If our agency is not used wisely, we will lose it and become trapped in the choices we have made until we haul our broken and battered selves to Christ that He may rescue us with His Atonement.

I then watched a Mormon Message called 'Look Not Behind Thee' and right off the bat, I feel like it's going to tell me that when the Atonement takes away our sins and the loss of self that comes as a result of our sins, that we should leave the past in the past. Why look at the past and let it consume us to the point where we think we can never move past it? With that line of thinking, we will only end up destroying ourselves. If we look back, we will destroy ourselves as Lot's wife did. Learn from the past and move on; don't cling to the past because it will wreck your chance at a happy future. The Atonement paid for our sins and for our freedom, so we don't own inadequacy any longer nor do we own the ability to die over our sins. Someone already did that, so LET THEM GO ALREADY!

I then read about the SMART formula, a formula that can help realistic goals be set.
Specific: Where do you want to end up as the result of a goal?
Measurable: How can we keep track of our progress?
Attainable: Can we realistically achieve what we want to do?
Relevant: Does the goal fit with everything else we want to do in life?
Time-Bound: Is there a specific finish date or is it ongoing?

I then read an article by M. Russell Ballard called 'Keeping Life's Demands in Balance' and it said that some good can come from all trials and that trials may motivate us to stop and think about what good comes from all things we experience. Funny enough, I have gone through a rollercoaster of emotions and personal growth during my mission that took place from March 2013 to March 2014 and also again in July 2014 to October 2014 when my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer of the adrenal gland that was ultimately untreatable. The compassion and patience I learned on my mission helped me be able to truly be there for the cancer experience from beginning to end with a newfound appreciation for the gospel and the eternal benefits of staying close to God and Christ.

Elder Ballard's suggestions of self-consideration, prioritizing, setting short-term goals, being wise with finances, staying close to family and others with whom you have good relationships, diligent scripture study, pay a fair and honest tithing so you can receive financial blessings, finding time for rest, exercise, and relaxation, having a gospel-centered family, and to pray both alone and in family units is a very useful suggestion as finding a balance withing your own life and world will leave you less to worry about when it comes to your involvement in other people's lives and your contributions to the world as you know it. A good balance helps us to enjoy life.

Finally, I read an excerpt by Elder Wirthlin called 'Life's Lessons Learned' and it was about how different lessons in our lives come at different points in our lives. He talked about how important it is to examine our lives and engage in behaviors that will enable us to become who we ourselves want to become and not do things that will enable others to morph us into who they want us to be. Nobody gets to decide who we are, what we will do, and who we will grow to become except for us.

The quiz was began at 1:35 and I finished at 1:45 and got a score of 100% Thank you God!

In conclusion, I made a post on the Discussion Board and finished at 2:00

Results refer to the unavoidable fact that our choices have consequences and those consequences can either be very big or very little depending on our choice. Consequences to not just affect the one making a choice; they affect others connected to the chooser. While the Atonement is there and has paid for our sins to be taken away so that we aren't imprisoned by them anymore, we have to want the Atonement's help to be able to enable that payment that will save us. I don't take the Atonement for granted, as it has saved me from remaining in a state of weakness and sorrow.

 

I am not that quick to make up my mind on anything temporal, as I am always thinking about how the decision will not only affect me, but also those around me. I used to never make up my own mind on anything because it was easier for me to give in to what others wanted in terms of temporal things rather than face endless scrutiny over the fact that I couldn't make decisions properly because of my disability. Even though I have a disability, I am quite competent at making my decisions and also being supportive to the decisions that others make even if I don't agree with them because I can only control the use of my agency.

 

Most of the time, I don't even think about making a decision on something until I have information on it that comes from a credible source, as there might be something in the information that may affect the decision I make. In my eyes, making a decision without a good amount of credible information and spiritual meditation is very careless, as it only takes one decision to lose your agency and it may take a long time to regain your agency, as not all choices are easy or even possible to reverse. I have seen the struggle and outright agony that others go through as they try and fail to reverse poor choices they made, so I try everything I can to avoid having to do the same.

 

When I do make a poor choice, however, I work very hard at fully repenting as quickly as I possibly can because time is very short and one never knows when the time to make amends will run out. Life and time are too short to not take the time to take responsibility and make things right when you have done wrong, as you will not only have to be accountable to yourself and others, you will also have to be accountable to God and Christ. Christ is our advocate in all things, but if we don't wish to improve, He is not going to force the advocacy on us. I personally need Christ to advocate for me and stay by my side, as without Him, I would be very much alone and struggling daily.

Teach A Friend & Learning Report

I enjoy teaching my mother what I learn in Pathways because she is also a student and what I teach her may prove helpful to her as she progresses in her educational studies. In talking about career exploration and academic planning, I explained what it says about gifts from God in Doctrine and Covenants 46:10-12 by saying that all are given gifts and abilities by God that we can use to make the most of our time on Earth, but we have our agency to choose what we want to do about what we are given. I also shared Luke 14:28 and said that if we think something is worthwhile and will benefit us, we are more likely to do well at it than if there is not a like for it or clear benefit for us.

When it came to choosing accomplishments that I was proud of, I chose my mission, being able to help my family through the experience my dad had with cancer from beginning to end, and also getting both a high school diploma and also a diploma in Communication Arts: Print Journalism, which led me to self-publish a book and also publish several news articles.

When it came to the experience I had with my dad, I learned many character traits by walking through fire simply because I was learning these traits as I was slowly losing my father and also helping my family deal with it; it wasn't something I could take the time away from the experience to learn, I had to learn the traits while in the experience because of how little time we had to deal with everything.

I then asked my mom why it was so important that we know ourselves when applying for a job and alluded to a statement that Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof said in that it is important that everyone knows who they are and what God expects them to do.

Finally, I shared my personal 'Me in 30 Seconds' exercise with my mother and it went like this:

Hi, my name is Heather Cameron, I am 27 years old, I have a diploma in Communication Arts: Print Journalism, and I am currently a student in the BYU-Idaho Pathways program. Because of serving a local humanitarian mission and also helping my family through the time that my dad had cancer that eventually took his life, I have the ability to adapt to new situations, I have compassion for those in need of help and/or support, the ability to forgive offenses and offenders, and along with many other traits, I also have faith that hard work produces results. 

I began teaching my mother by mentioning that in the actual Pathway class this week, there was a Power Point slide that said that President Kimball said that we need to tell the whole story of our lives, both the good and the bad, because we never know when we will need those experiences to help us make a path for ourselves in life.

My mom said that President Kimball's words make sense because keeping a record of your life shows that you have learned from both the good and the bad. She also said that by keeping a record of your experiences and talking about your experiences, everything can be put into perspective sometimes and you can sometimes see and understand the reason for things happening how and when the way they did.

When we discussed Doctrine and Covenants 46:10-12, my mom said that if we are all given a talent, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to choose whether or not we do anything about it. She then mentioned that my dad learned things about computers through vocational training he received after an accident that ended his trucking career, but he didn't do very well when it came to practicing and retaining the information simply because he didn't enjoy it enough. He did, however, enjoy trucking immensely and because he enjoyed trucking, he was very careful to do a good job at it.

When it came to discussing the accomplishments that I was proud of, my mother actually reminded me that receiving high school and college diplomas and also becoming published through my self-published poetry book and also through my articles are accomplishments that I should be very proud of and not hesitate to share with others.

My mom also touched upon the accomplishment of me helping my family through the experience with my dad and noted that I had learned many character traits from the experience because I had been so involved in the entire process.

I then asked my mom why it is important to know who you are and what your abilities are when applying for a job and she said it is important to know those things because you need to show that you have solid confidence. She added that by knowing who you are and what you are capable of will show employers that you are confident in yourself and in your ability to do a job well.

In conclusion, I shared the concluding thought from the gathering last night and that thought stated that the Savior clearly knew who He was and what His abilities were. If we know who we are and what our abilities are, we can focus more clearly on doing good and living well.

Learning Report

My short-term goal concerning the use of media was to continually evaluate what I watch or view on the Internet and how it makes me feel. Over the week, I carefully paid attention to how I felt when using various sources of media and if I felt good as a result, I continued to utilize what made me feel good and what motivated me to do good. If, however, the media source I was using made me feel like I was losing the Spirit, I immediately disengaged from it and switched to something that would invite the Spirit to return.

I really have been impacted by what I learned in the previous lesson about lifelong learning and that is not limited to this life, but we need to practice our knowledge of the next life that we get now through temple ordinances and through other experiences so that we can be prepared to enter the next life when it comes our time to leave mortality. I also liked that Doctrine and Covenants 130:18 mentioned that  God gives us different degrees of intelligence when we make ourselves open and take enough courage into ourselves to act in faith, thereby letting ourselves be ready for new experiences.

I liked the words in Doctrine and Covenants 46:10-12 that said that all are given gifts and abilities by God that we can use to make the most of our time on Earth, but we have our agency to choose what we want to do about what we are given. I also liked how Luke 14:28 said that if we think something is worthwhile and will benefit us, we are more likely to do well at it than if there is not a like for it or clear benefit for us, as I tend to learn better if I like what I am learning.

 Personally, I try to learn about things that I enjoy doing so that I can learn to do them better and if I don't enjoy something, I try very hard to stay open-minded about it just in case I come to like it, but if I can't come to like it, I will probably stop learning about it and use my time to learn about things that I enjoy doing.

Post Lesson 4 Work

I started the work at approximately 9:30 and it meant answering a survey about my career and the career I might want to eventually have. I started with information about my current career.

I have always had a love and a certain aptitude for writing, but I had originally planned to upgrade in my studies upon completing high school. However, in the fall of 2007, my mother persuaded me to go apply for the Print Journalism program at Lethbridge College and I ended up being accepted the same day, two days before the beginning of term.

During my time at college, I wrote for and helped produce the Lethbridge College Endeavour and also for the Expressions magazine. For my college practicum, I worked for the Fort Macleod Gazette and that opened the door for me to do the occasional freelance article for them as well as for the Westwind Weekly and Lethbridge Herald over the past several years.

I have covered a variety of stories over the years and have kept a Facebook portfolio of my work, including the briefs of Raymond Town Council meetings I covered before I moved to take the Pathway program. I still get asked to cover the occasional story for the Gazette or the Herald on occasion, but I do not get as much journalism work as I used to. The fact that most journalism in this area is moving to broadcast, internet, and radio format and the local educational opportunities are evolving to meet that demand makes it difficult to stay in the print field, as upgrading skills costs money that is not available.

It was my love of writing that got me started in the journalism career and even if I do not remain in journalism forever, I will still continue to write and I hope to someday publish the novels I am currently working on, having already self-published a poetry book that sold a few copies locally. If I do not stay in the field of journalism for whatever reason, I would like to be in a career that involves writing because I have such a passion for being creative and writing is an easy way for me to express my ideas and my thoughts in a way that can be understood.

In the field of journalism, everyone defines success differently, but one cannot be successful in this field unless they have a passion for writing, getting information to others, and/or putting themselves out there so that others may benefit from what you have to offer.

With the evolution of technology and the fact that people are relying more and more on it in order to deliver and/or receive current news, print journalism is evolving. Because of this evolution, less print media is being produced and it is being turned into media that can be accessed online because more and more people are becoming interested in what can be found online instead of what can be found in print. Some media sources have evolved their publications to keep up with the demand and are slowly phasing out print publications as they do not appear to be as popular as they were before the evolution of technology and the accessibility to online news increased dramatically. If I do not change careers or upgrade my skills to keep up with the changing technology, my skills will become obsolete in the journalism field.

I am currently taking Pathways with the intention of pursuing an online degree after this year is complete because I would like extra credentials in addition to my diploma in Communication Arts even though it meant giving up a steady freelancing job in the field and the income that came along with it. Money has been tight for my family ever since my dad passed away and though the freelance income was not very much, it helped because I used my disability pay and the freelance income to help with bills, pay rent, buy what we needed to survive.

Even though I gave up a bi-weekly freelancing job and the income so that I could move to get to Pathway gatherings easier, I knew that gaining additional skills and eventually a degree would help me be able to get a better , more steady job, even with the disability that I have, and possibly be able to make more money than I make at freelancing.

Having any sort of degree would be beneficial to finding work, as I have dual citizenship and the documents needed to live and work in both Canada and the United States and even in the current economy, people with experience, skills, and some sort of degree are more likely to find steady, well-paying work than those with none of those things.

Even though I could have remained in the job where I was, I took the risk of enrolling in Pathway because I believe that I can not only finish Pathway, but also get a degree that will help me to find a job where I can either use my journalism skills or where I can not only use my current skills, but learn new skills in order to do a job that is not journalism, but requires the same skill set. I have great faith I will find what I need to find.

Journalism has been a way to not only feed my love of writing and the desire to be published, it has also allowed me to use one of the best gifts that God has given me in order to satisfy the need for information that people have and also a sense of gratification that people get when they are the subject of a story I have written.

My journalism experience gives me something to share with others that will help them to become interested in what they do not know about me and by allowing others to get to know me through my journalism, I may open the door for more personal relationships to develop from the interpersonal ones that come as a result of people taking interest in my work. When personal relationships come to pass in my life and develop, I learn more about myself and what I am capable of becoming as a child of God and as someone trying to make the most of mortality while the time is there.

I also have an interest in being involved in a career of working with youth, children, or families to help them be able to eventually help themselves because I like helping others be able to make something of themselves. Because of my disability, a lot of people thought and openly expressed that I would amount to very little and nobody should bother with investing time or patience into helping me succeed. However, there were people like my mother who disregarded this counsel and did everything they could to help me succeed, teaching me that the world was not going to adapt for me and that I needed to adapt to the world so that I could live in it.

Not everyone has someone in their lives to uplift and make them feel as they are worth time and effort, however, and they often make bad choices to express their feelings of worthlessness and to also try and find a place in the world where they fit in. Having been treated like I am worthless by others simply because of my disability and because of the fact that I came from a part-member family that included an alcoholic father, I do not enjoy seeing others suffer because people around them feel they have the right to judge others because of their circumstances or differences and I desire to use my past experiences to help them know that their circumstances or differences do not have to define who they can become.

According to the Alberta Information Learning Service website's (alis.alberta.ca) Occupational Profile for Child and Youth Care worker, those in the field make an average of $21.00 per hour while working an average of 33.7 hours per week from what the the 2013 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey outlines. There is a need for Child and Youth workers in this area, but most jobs in the field ask for not only a diploma or degree in Child and Youth Care or a similar field, but also experience working in the field for a set time and if, with my learning/social disability, I managed to get credentials and work in this field, I would make the necessary budget in order to make whatever salary came with the job fit with my particular lifestyle.

Lethbridge College has a two-year diploma program in the field of Child and Youth Care, but the program is very expensive and I cannot afford to take it locally if I should want to get into that field. The BYU-Idaho Online program has a Bachelor's degree program in Marriage and Family Studies and also a certificate program in Home and Family Studies that are very affordable and easy to pursue after finishing Pathway. If I were to take one of those programs along with having my journalism diploma and computer skills, I could work in either an office or in the field in this profession.

Where I can take such a program is currently limited because I am not only on disability pay that allows me to be out of Alberta for a maximum of six months at a time, I am also helping my mother financially while she attends a local vocational college to take a program to teach her skills essentials to working in an office, as her income is very small. Once my mother is in a financially stable position, I can perhaps look at education that is in other places than this area, but until that happens, I am happy to pursue what education I can.

There is a need for Child and Youth workers in this area, but most jobs in the field ask for not only a diploma or degree in Child and Youth Care or a similar field, but also experience working in the field for a set time, as employers in the field want to ensure that workers know what they are doing because people and their situations are the most volatile things that can be worked with and have to be handled with caution more often than not. I do not currently have the necessary education and by the time I do, those jobs might not be available in this area anymore, so I may have to relocate in order to find work in the field. I have a license and could either get a vehicle or utilize public transportation if needed, so I would be willing to move to wherever I needed to in order to pursue a career and allow it to grow in a way that I can be of most help to others.

Whenever I have the opportunity to help others, I find myself getting to know people through the service I give them and I sometimes make friends depending on how well we connect through the exchange of personal information. As I serve and get to know people by helping them, I come to love and have compassion for them and whatever situation they are in and that brings forth a sense of charity. It is often very hard for me to trust people and to open up if I don't know others well and I often try to reach out first to try and get rid of that barrier, but it is sometimes the other person making me feel welcome that helps me to develop a sense of compassion for them and a desire to help them. When I help people and receive love as a result of their gratitude, it helps me to know that I am appreciated and my contributions are worthwhile.

If I were in a career where I could do something to help others be able to help themselves, I would feel as if I was teaching myself compassion for others and their situations and by sharing my experiences with those I help, I would also be able to show others that their circumstances do not have to define their choices and that just because their circumstances may be bad, it doesn't mean that they have to make poor choices. I could teach others that good choices more often than not allow circumstances to slowly change, even if the change is only within themselves and does nothing for their temporal situations.

Took a break at about 10:40 and resumed work at 10:50. I took another break at 11:51.

I then responded to posts on the discussion board.

1. It may be difficult to balance the demands that come from our temporal and spiritual lives, but the Lord does not give us revelations or open the door to opportunities without providing a way in which we will be able to do what He has given us. Time is such a commodity and there is so little available to us, yet we are given so much to accomplish in this life. Therefore, we need to set priorities and also stay close to the Spirit, as it will guide us in what we need to do and how we need to do in order to be successful. Life may seem very overwhelming with all that we have to accomplish with the short amount of time that we have, but the Spirit will help us be able to know what is truly important and the Atonement enables us to do what is truly important.

2. In terms of principles of intelligence, God gives us different degrees of intelligence, which are different levels of knowledge, both in this life and in the life we have after death. He does this when we make ourselves open and take enough courage into ourselves to act in faith, thereby letting ourselves be ready for new experiences that come as a result of applying knowledge to agency.

Lifelong learning is not limited to this life, but we need to practice our knowledge of the next life that we get now through temple ordinances and through other experiences so that we can be prepared to enter the next life when it comes our time to leave mortality. If we believe we can learn, we will want to and that if we put effort into learning, we will find things that interest us and interest in a particular facet of knowledge can serve as motivation for us to keep learning.

3. Even if others tell you that your goal is unrealistic and that you should focus on achieving a lower goal that is more realistic to who you should want to become, don't listen to them. Life is not about becoming what others expect of you and doing what others tell you to do; it is your life and you are the one that has to live your life, others just watch it unfold.

Passing up opportunities to grow in positive ways just because people tell you it's a foolish dream is being foolish and by being willing to surrender dreams because people don't believe in you is telling people that you are willing to be a doormat without ambitions forever. Many people thought Christ was crazy for defying public expectation and doing what He had the faith and compassion to do, but He ended up giving Himself to the world so that people would not die in their sins. Because of Christ, we can and should make the most of the life and time we have.

I took another break at 12:15.