It has become our weekly tradition to have our wonderful friend over to eat Sunday dinners with us. My kids look forward to it every Sunday. Last night, we ate, she helped clean up the dishes, and then read a story to my younger girls. Our time with her is so special.

We then got her things together, trying to make sure we didn’t forget anything important. We drove her home and as soon as we got there, I realized that we had forgotten her walking cane. How could we forget something so important, something so essential?

I hate to forget the important things in life. When we go on trips as a family, I work really hard to plan ahead and make lists and pack very intentionally to make sure nothing important is forgotten.

Several years ago, I used to go to church and feel the spirit and want to bring that home with me. I would come home and get distracted by something of the world and then I would forget. Until the next week. I would feel amazing at church, I would come home and get distracted by something unimportant and I would lose that feeling I wanted to keep with me so badly. Can you relate?

It really wasn’t until I started tricking the algorithm that I was able to feel the spirit daily, even while not at church. My life has changed immensely since those days. I don’t really watch much tv anymore. I only read good books. I listen to Christian music. I am in constant conversation with Heavenly Father. I do that through prayer and just talking with Him throughout my day. I’m trying to stop and listen more for His responses. He knows when I don’t have the quiet that I prefer to hear Him, and he sends me answers anyways. I’m studying the scriptures daily. I’m learning about Jesus Christ and all of God’s prophets. I am listening to their teachings.

This. This is when I started to be able to feel that spirit in my life daily and not just on Sundays at church. I know that this sounds like a huge sacrifice of the things that you really love. I know. I have felt that same way.

I have a brother-in-law whom I love dearly. A long time ago, we were trying to decide what movie to watch. I remember I didn’t want to watch the movie he chose, and he said something about not wanting to watch a rated R movie. I remember being angry because I felt like that comment was uncalled for.

I was too angry to continue the evening together. The next time I saw him, he told me how sorry he was. I could see it in his eyes, he felt terrible. I had plenty of time to calm down and I forgave him. But you know what? I should have thanked him instead.

He was right. I was watching things that were not helping me spiritually. I could tell. It was one of the reasons, I couldn’t feel the spirit after leaving church on Sundays. I wasn’t living the way that I should have been living to continually feel the spirit in my life.

I share this with you to show you how important it is to make changes to allow Him to be in your life more. I know how it feels to not be able to feel Him when life is hard. But how hard are you trying to feel Him? What could you give up in order to feel Him in your life more.

I shared recently that when my husband lost his job, we had cancelled subscriptions and services to all of the extra things that were not a necessity to be able to afford our mortgage payments and put food on the table. We lived on the basics after having a life of so much more. You know what? We were content. God blessed us greatly.

Over the years, the desires to have the things of the world crept back into our lives. I can tell the difference. It is a very physical difference. When I am living in a more basic way, to keep Christ in my life, I feel the spirit more. I love how I feel when that is the path I’m on.

When I start to let myself become distracted by the things of the world, I don’t feel the spirit as much. I feel a little forlorn and I miss its presence. I feel a little more lost and I struggle more each day. I don’t like this path as much. It is bleaker and lonelier. I am quicker to impatience and frustration.

As soon as I make the necessary corrections to feel the spirit more consistently in my daily life, I know when it returns. Sometimes this includes repentance. I used to be scared of repentance. Don’t follow my example.

Repentance is a most beautiful thing. When I stop being scared of it, and I use this wonderful gift from the Savior, Jesus Christ, I come closer to God. I am able to feel more complete. Because when I am constantly surrounded by the spirit, I feel more complete. More complete even than when I am with those that I love dearly.

I wish for you to experience this. Go to Him in prayer. He will help show you what you need to do to feel the spirit more throughout the day. It might feel like you have to sacrifice the things that you love to do this. I promise you; He will show you a better way to do things that you love. You will love them so much more than the things you love right now.