Conference Impressions

I've tried a dozen ways to make the most of my Conference experience, but in the end I always come back to something simple.  A notebook, with a dividing line down the middle.  On the left, I record quotes/content of the speakers; on the right, impressions.

These impressions range from something as simple or silly as "call or write this person" to as grandiose as "how can I apply this in my calling more?"  Sometimes I get a vision of a craft or other project I want to take on that is gospel-related.  Sometimes I'm reminded of goals I'd forgotten about, or sometimes I just feel excited about something and want to mark it down.  And in some talks I don't really get anything.  That's okay.  But I always allow my mind to wander, just a little, because I'm always led to a desire to DO more good in the world.

Here are *some* of the (less personal) impressions I had during Conference:
1.  Crafts/projects I want to take on:

• Something with the words to "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"
• Something with the family proclamation as home decor
• A Blog/post series with Conference message-inspired FHE ideas (soooo excited about this, it's a more major project but one I've been thinking about for a while now)
• More Christ-centered Easter decor, and an Easter FHE activity using part of President Monson's message
• Make a family mission statement
• Nothing wrong with an incentive chart for ME to help with consistent scripture study/prayer!
• Arrange a hymn to share in sacrament meeting.

2.  Other important impressions:

• What can I do to prepare more for a family?  I don't want to wait until we have kids to get these things done, I want to do them NOW so we can be ready at a moment's notice for fostering/adoption/pregnancy/etc.
• Sister Esplin talked about our responsibility to not just teach doctrine, but teach to *understand* the doctrine and feel the Spirit.  How can we do this as primary leaders more?
• I used to do family history work more.  I need to get on that again.
• I need to JOURNAL again.  Something more than this blog and digital scrapping, where I can get more personal about important things.  I always helps me sort out my feelings better and find words to express them.
• Use institute manuals to aid in scripture study for now...especially the Book of Mormon.  I really miss institute sometimes.  :)
• Read/study "Daughters in My Kingdom."  I keep meaning to and keep putting it off.

There were a few other things, of course--visit this person, write this person, copy this for so-and-so, etc.  And a few personal revelations of things I need to work on, things that are totally doable and that matter most right now. 

I'm writing this all here because I think it's important to share how we learn, grow, and get inspiration.  This is how I do it during Conference, and it's working for me so far.  I've got LOTS to do in the next six months 'til the next sessions in October, and I hope I will be more focused on realizing these many goals.