Nodding Off

Making it to church has become somewhat of a struggle as of late. I no longer make my own schedule at work, and as a result I often find myself working the Saturday night shift from 10pm til 6am Sunday morning. Having church at 9 doesn't make it any easier. I have found out the hard way that should I attempt to catch a couple hours of sleep before church I won't wake up to my alarm, let alone make it to church. Instead I try to stay awake. By the time the 3 hour block is over I'll have usually been awake for 25+ hours. Staying awake in church under ideal circumstances can sometimes be challenging. Obviously 25+ hours of wakefulness is less than ideal. I recall as a kid rather enjoying watching some of the men in my home ward as they dozed off during sacrament meeting. There was certainly finger pointing and most definitely snickering, especially if one began to snore. I now have a better understanding of the sacrifices they made to make it to church. I now realize the importance they placed upon being there every Sunday, regardless of the circumstances. This past Sunday I was very happy that I made the necessary sacrifices to attend church. As the 1st hour ended the bishop announced that the stake president would be in attendance during sacrament meeting. I remembered just then that months prior I had told the stake president I would bear my testimony the next time he came to fast and testimony meeting. The first thought that ran through my head, admittedly, was "Oh no!!!" My testimony aside, it was one of the best meetings I can recall being in. The Spirit was so strong. Most people, for whatever reason, talked about the value of the friendships in their lives. One individual stated that being a friend was one of the greatest callings one can have. I would have to agree with such a statement. Similar to the common adage "you are what you eat," is "you are who your friends are." I have been lucky in life to be around people who place within me an aspiration to be better, as well as an aspiration to draw nearer to Heavenly Father.
I have also received a request to put more pictures on my blog. Not that this picture has anything to do with this blog, but here's one anyways.