Jammin'

I made my very first batch of homemade jam last night! I made Strawberry jam using Strawberries from my garden, and it turned out really yummy! It was also surprisingly easy even though I had the hardest time starting. I kept worrying that I would do it wrong. It reminded me of the talk by Elder Uchtdorf about being in the middle. It's kind of a hard concept to grasp but from my understanding he says that we should act as though we are always in the middle of something so that we keep up our best efforts until the end so that we don't slack off because we are almost done with that particular project or phase of our lives. I am very guilty of that! The other aspect of it was that sometimes people have a hard time beginning, so if we act as though we are in the in the middle of something, it makes it easier to start. I get keeping up our best efforts til the end, I can figure out a way to make that work for me, but that other part is hard. I don't always falter in starting something but when I do, it is quite the struggle. I don't know how to act as though I am in the middle to start, I do however know how to tell myself that if I mess up making jam, its okay. Sometimes I don't believe myself, though. But it's true! If I had messed up my jam it would have been alright. I could have learned from the experience and tried again. No one would have thought ill of me, God would not have disowned me, and life would have gone on. It's just jam for goodness sake!! There are so many things that Satan doesn't want us to start and I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who helps me realize that and who accepts my mistakes. And I love that I can make my own things!