Early Morning Studying

I love getting up early so I can feast in the scriptures.  The house is quiet and I feel the Spirit speak to me. When I am in my regular routine, like I am now finally, here is what I do:

• (THIS STEP AS BEEN ADDED BECAUSE I FORGOT TO INCLUDE IT EARLIER).  I HIDE MY ALARM ACROSS THE ROOM UNDER MY TREADMILL.  BY THE TIME I FIND IT I'M AWAKE AND IT IS EASIER TO GET UP.
• Drink lots of water! This helps me wake up more completely.
• I don't pray yet, I'd fall asleep, but I have a prayer in my heart.

• Go out to the living room and write in my journal.
• Read one or two or three conference talks.  I take notes and think about the message.
• Begin reading my scriptures.   Going from journal writing to conference talks and then scriptures helps to also wake me up and to stay focused.  When I go straight to my scriptures I stare at the incoherently for a while before I realize it!
• As I read I always keep a notebook close by.  The main thing I write down are my questions.  Then I brainstorm.  Get an idea or two.  Do some cross referencing and more pondering.  I think about how the story or lesson or scripture applies to me. I keep thinking and writing.  For me to ponder I have to write.  If I just ponder in my mind I can't stay focused and my mind goes to activities for the day or I begin to get sleepy.  I receive so many great insights when I write things down. I have multiple notebooks filled with my thoughts.  In this way I feel like I am studying the word of God not merely reading it and I am an active participant in communicating with Heavenly Father.
• Now I pray.  I ask about all the things I pondered on.  Are they right? What am I suppose to do today? Etc.

Here's how my brained worked today.  I wanted to think more about the blessings of obeying the commandment to get up early.  I read in D & C 88 at the end of the section and section 89.  I thought about those scriptures for a while.  Then I did a topical guide search on sleep.  I noticed this morning that I've done this so many times that my topical guide natural falls open to the "sleep" page.  I made a column of the commandments to do with sleep and then a column of the promised blessings.  Then I decided to list all the blessings I recognize when I get up early.  This was my list:

• Receive more revelations, personal insight and answers to my prayers when I get up early
• Feel the Spirit more strongly through out the day
• The day goes LOTS better
• I don't feel "behind" all day
• I do a better job of eating healthy all day
• I get more done and I feel productive
• I feel more obedient
• Kids are better behaved because I make sure they get up early too
• We follow our schedule

Then I listed the drawbacks to getting up early.

• I am tired in the afternoon
• I get anxious about getting to bed by the time I need too
• My brain tends to stop functioning in the afternoon (This seems to only occur the first two weeks or so as I get back on my schedule.  After that I don't have this problem).
• I don't get to keep snuggling with my sweetie.

As I reviewed though I realized that I am usually always tired in the afternoon regardless of whether I get up early or at 8.  I felt again that I need to get out side and walk more during the day (I don't like going outdoors.  Maybe I'll talk about that sometime. Silly really.) to help give me that extra energy that I need.  I also recognized that in the afternoon I've a tendency to think that I am entitled to free time all afternoon also and I don't want to be bothered.   The truth is that I'm not in scholar phase any more.  I'd like to have that excuse to keep studying, but deep down inside I know I've learned what I need too and it's time to move on.  I really only need an hour or so to read something deep or write down some thoughts, but I feel I'm suppose to do other things right now.  Sigh, I so love reading lots of books.  Time to move on.

As with all things in life I realized again that doing the right thing simply requires me to exercise my faith.  When I obey and trust the Lord then I see the blessings.  No, I don't want to get up early when the alarm is buzzing, but I need too.  When I do I have seen and will see that I am blessed for obeying.  Sometimes you just have to step out into the darkness before you see the light. 

When I'm done studying after about an hour or an hour and a half I check my emails and maybe write a blog post.  Then I practice the piano to help wake up the kids.  Once they are conscious and moving for the day then I take a shower and continue to get ready.