Then we saw another similar vine; it had made quite an impression on its host tree!
As I thought about the dramatic effect of that small vine, of course I remembered all the cautionary tales about bad habits and how Satan will lead us with a "flaxen cord" (see 2 Nephi 26:22).
But I thought of the other perspective as well: "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (see Alma 37:6).
I have a tendency to put things off, because "I don't have time for that." A prime example of this is the disaster that is my office. Christmas and birthday yarn piled on top of boxes, bags of leftover yarn from finished projects, boxes full of papers that need to be shredded, papers to keep sorted in piles on the floor, stacks of books.... Yikes!
I once read about FlyLady's approach to organization in the home. One of her suggestions was to spend 15 minutes a day on a task. (This is based on my memory - I didn't go find the information again - so I may be totally wrong on what she said. But this is what I internalized.) Fifteen minutes is a small chunk of time, so it's not overwhelming - and yet you can accomplish something in that time, and those fifteen minute accomplishments do add up. (Just as saving small bits of money, over the years, will add up.)
That's the theory, anyway.
I'm going to try this approach with my office. This weekend, I tackled the yarn. I confess, I did overrun the 15-minute limit; there's something comforting (and addictive) about yarn.
BTW, having yarn lying around is hazardous, and handling it is even worse. Overcome by yarn fumes, I cast on for two new projects, even though the three already in the works are nowhere near completion. Oops.
I'm using two colors of Kauni yarn for this scarf. One is charcoal; the other is red, but not a solid red - it should shift through different shades as I knit more:
I also cast on for a baby blanket, but so far it is mostly in the skein stage. I'll post a picture when I've made some progress (though, with five WIPs, that may not be soon).
And now I'm off for fifteen minutes of
Your pictures immediately made me think of the conference talk "Avoiding the Trap of Sin" by Jairo Mazzagardi. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/avoiding-the-trap-of-sin?lang=eng&query=fence He compares sin to a stone post that gets embedded in a tree. If you watch it, he has a picture of it and it is astonishing like your two pictures that seem like before and after shots.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to say that your perspective of small and simple things is certainly the kind of attitude that builds up. Good luck with your yarn room.
Candace, I remember that talk - but I don't think I ever watched it; I must have listened to it on my iPod.
ReplyDeleteI just took a look at the video - that picture of the stone post, embedded in the tree, is remarkable!
Here's a link to the video: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/avoiding-the-trap-of-sin?lang=eng&format=general-conference&view=sessions&media=video