What would you give away for a mess of pottage?

While many things about being a stay at home are difficult, I really enjoy the short time alone I have while all 3 children are in school and the opportunity it gives me to learn and strenthen my testimony by reading or listening to good books on CD or talks. My time alone isn't long since Sabrina is in kindergarten and is with me most of the day. For years with little ones, I didn't ever have time alone so I try to make the most of my time.

Today while cleaning when the kids were in school, I was able to listen to talks on BYU Broadcasting online. I enjoyed all 3 that I listened to, but keep thinking about one of them. It was called Counterfeits: A Mess of Pottage by Barta Heiner. She is an actress who graduated from BYU and moved away and was doing very well in her career when she was invited to come teach at BYU. Although it was difficult and like comitting "professional suicide", she felt it was where she was supposed to be so now she is at BYU. If you'd like to listen to it, you can put the title of her speech in the search at this link: http://www.byub.org/findatalk/ . In case you don't have time to listen to it, I included a few quotes from her below. I won't write any of her bits of humor so I don't spoil them for those who might listen to her.

It is sometimes easy to give up what is of most worth for what seems to give us joy for the moment. Satan does such a good job of disguising the consequences and we often don't want to think of them. Just as Esau later regretted treating the gift so lightly, we can give away all the blessings Heavenly Father has for us for trivial things that will eventually bring us sorrow. We must always have our eyes set on eternity and keep the Holy Ghost with us to help us see the truth. Those are just a few of my thoughts. Now onto Barta Heiner's.

“Sometimes you can rationalize yourself into believing that what you feel is true. Remember counterfeit values always resemble the truth.”

“I believe that something wonderful is going to happen because I believe someone wonderful is coming and because of that, I believe Satan is waging a very strong war full of counterfeits and deceit.”

“…Do not throw your birthrights away out of anger or confusion. Some of you will be tested and strained beyond other people’s imaginations, but don’t give up.”

“We are in a war zone of counterfeits and deceit, some so subtle, so difficult to discern that you may not know until you are right in the middle asking yourself, ‘How did I ever get here?’ But don’t stay. Come home.”

“If for some reason in your life, you feel a prompting…if what you want to do doesn’t turn out to be what the Lord needs from you at this time in your life, understand that God loves you, but needs you somewhere else for the moment. Be patient and trusting. I believe there is still time, a whole eternity, to do what you want to do."