Priorities: a small testimony shared on MyFamily.com

(This was my response to Colleen's list of callings she has had from 1975 to 2008)
WOW! That is a lot of callings. Nice variety, too. I don't know that I have ever not felt my bishop was inspired, but I do echo your testimony of how doing your best will bring great blessings. To that I would add a comment about the priority our callings are to take in our lives.
Our bishop (Bishop Del Stapley) shared with us some counsel before he left us for the Stake Presidency (2nd Counselor). Our first priority should be ourselves- making sure we are taking care of number one makes it possible to do the rest. 2nd priority is our spouse and cultivating a close relationship with them. 3rd is our children (I think mom's sometimes put this one 2nd...I could do better at this). 4th is our work/career (for us stay-at-home mother's, it seems a bit like #3, but there is more to this, I believe). 5th is our calling. So it is pretty far down the line, though it is relatively towards the top when you think of the many things that compete for our time. I just think this is interesting to put into focus. I know when I was working I had a difficult time giving as much as I wanted to my calling (this was when I was a primary teacher with Jared, last year). I usually felt guilty that it was only a Sunday calling for me. How this was a growing experience was that I actually thought about the priority I was putting on my calling. I never was able to give as much as I am able to currently, but I still feel that I grew so much. Point is this, Heavenly Father knows where you are in your life and what you can give. He is pleased when you give what you can without wearing yourself thin and forgetting about the number one priority, yourself. I am so grateful for prayer and the peace it can give when trying to handle all that is thrown at us daily. I still have a long way to go!