Time alone with God

As my husband and I got ready to start doing a Mutual night for our youth, we checked out the new theme for the year, "Stand Ye in Holy Places."  They have a video about some youth from Ghana to go along with it:
Video with new youth theme

In one part of the video, they show Elder Uchtdorf (truly one of my favorite people!) saying: "We need to find time to be alone with God."

That really struck me!  Alone with God. What a beautiful and intimate phrase.

It connected really well with my recent scripture reading, as I slowly make my way through Joseph Smith history.  Joseph tells how, after the first vision--as the light departs--, he has no strength.  I had also recently read in Moses 1:9-10 how Moses, left to his own strength, is weak and cannot arise:

 9 And the ^apresence of God withdrew from Moses, that his ^bglory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he ^cfell unto the earth.

 10 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural ^astrength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that ^bman is ^cnothing, which thing I never had supposed.

I wondered about this...could it be because it wore them out to be with God?  Or perhaps, feeling God's sustaining power, both Moses and Joseph felt the difference not being in God's presence?

I thought about the verse a little bit earlier in the JSH reading, where the churches draw near with their lips and with their hearts draw far away from Him?  Do they lose their power and potency because they are not near God and therefore are not sustained by His power and presence?

What about us?  Do we feel a difference in our power and potency when we are near God, as compared when we are not near Him?

Does His presence in our lives also sustain us, like Moses and Joseph Smith when they were with Him?

It brings me back to the original video I mentioned, and Elder Uchdorf''s words: "We need to find time to be alone with God."

Where is that sacred place where we meet with God every day?  Do we meet with God everyday, or is it just a casual relationship?  I find myself just going through the motions too many times!  Do I really approach my daily scripture reading and prayer as though I am on holy ground?

Of course...there is the ideal and then there is life :).  This morning, getting up a little earlier, per my goal now that we are moving ahead in life, I still had a little bundle of Hava on my lap as I studied.  "Can this count?" I pled heavenward :).  Hava talked and snuggled the whole time, and my attention kept wandering, but my heart was there :)...and I could feel that God knew it.

Now, if I can just flee to the tabernacle of His presence throughout the day, as I get weary, stressed, or frustrated.  I find that I have unrealistic expectations (who doesn't?) and judge myself harshly, whether it is when I drop a bowl and make a mess, or look at myself in the mirror :).  I find that this judgment is largely what causes these daily frustrations, and wondered, this morning, about the scripture "judge not that ye be not judged"...again.  I wonder if, because my mind is all ready to judge myself harshly, if that is why I get short-tempered with my kids so easily, or with messes or other situations?  Perhaps if I tried to be a little gentler with myself, that gentleness would spread?

Time alone with God will probably help :).

A poem that I memorized years ago drifts through my head as I strive to create this presence of God in my home and be more gentle and kind (like the Mommy Bunny in my last post :)...) to my children:

Give me patience when tiny hands
Tug at me with their small demands
And give me gently and smiling eyes
And keep my lips from harsh replies
And let no fatigue, confusion, or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys
So that years from now, when my house is still
No bitter memories, its rooms will fill

(I don't know the author--sorry!--but probably could if I tried harder, but there it is!)

It's funny that I should be typing this as my little Papaya tugs at my arm and whines, with little Spooner laying across my lap.  The room is in disarray from Pipalicious and Hava doing dress-ups and pretend while the older people of our household are all away with their father playing soccer for exercise...the latest favorite.

Patience, time with God, Mommy Bunnies, gently smiling eyes...

...deep breath :).