Christmas

I am so grateful for the love and generosity that I've felt this season. My family has been so blessed by multiple others. I've been completely stunned at how the Lord has looked after me personally. I've been tried and stretched in the past weeks and have come through it with a firm testimony of Father's guidance.

This upcoming year my resolution is to be the best instrument in the Lord's hands that I can be. I want to bless others' lives as much as I have been blessed!

newspaper

I am grateful that I was able to breathe when I woke up this morning and that my brother was willing to wake up ridiculously early to help me with newspapers.

Relief is like a heart attack

I am So grateful I passed my test! I'm grateful for the guidance that Father has given me all throughout my education. He led me carefully and I learned to trust him to take me where I need to be. I'm grateful that I didn't get answers the way I wanted them.

After I found out I passed the NCETMB, I got horribly sick from all the stress I'd caused myself. I beat myself down and told myself I couldn't pass. I paid dearly for mistreating myself, but I'm still grateful for the lesson.

I am a daughter of God and he loves me and will help and guide me. Feelings of inadequacy and pain are not from Him, but from the deceiver. I'm grateful for the remind. I intend to remember this time!

Denny's

Yesterday, I went to Denny's for the first time in a while. I was really grateful to the group sitting in the booth that I didn't want to be in, and I was grateful for the company I was with for being so nicely distracting.

Snowflakes

I'm grateful for the ability to take really hot showers during snow storms and for littlest sisters that remind me how fun it is to catch snowflakes on my tongue.

Driving

I went through Farmington today, on my way to return some pie tins. There are huge maple trees lining main street for miles. When we were little, Elizabeth told me how her Grandpa helped plant them, and would walk up and down the street every day to water them.

I was really grateful for his sacrifice today as I drove through. I felt that the trees were loaning me strength and support. Their massive trunks and copious amounts of leaves offered me a sort of haven. I feel really blessed to have had the chance to appreciate that today.

More blessings

I was really humbled today. It is so incredible to see the blessings Father gives us when we remember to give him the credit.

Things have been really tight in the past couple months. Mom and Dad have both been very stressed and it's weighing on them physically. This week is one more that we have to wait until Friday to go shopping. It's taught me a lot of creative cooking as I've been able to piece meals together from scraps.

I look around me and I see so much to be grateful for. We have a nice house a good backyard. We have two working vehicles. We live in a safe, friendly neighborhood. We are all fit, healthy (for the most part), and intelligent. We have loving family. We have a ward that reaches out to us.

Today, as mom was stressing over commercial Christmas, two unexpected wonderful things happened. My father's childhood friend dropped by with a Christmas present, just because he'd been inspired to on his way through on his truck route. He didn't know we were struggling, he just wanted to help. Not 20 minutes later, some mystery friends doorbell ditched a Huge turkey, and the makings of a Thanksgiving feast.

Even recognizing how blessed we are, the Lord opened his arms and showed us His love. I'm so grateful for those people inspired to help my family. I'm grateful to know that Father is aware of our needs, and I'm so grateful to be able to see his hand in our lives.

And then 2 years went by...

I find it more than a little sad that I haven't posted here in over two years. Especially because those two years were so filled with growth, pain, drama, and happiness. I think that had I continually looked for my blessings during trials, I may have learned my lessons a little sooner. I'm not going to beat myself up for it though. I'm just going to start over.

I'm so grateful for my testimony of God's love for me. I'm grateful that even if I don't have Anything else, I have that. My life can shatter to pieces, I could lose everything, and I would still know that. I'm grateful to a Savior that completed the Atonement for me. I'm so grateful that he made a way for me to be perfected, sinner though I am.

I'm really grateful for my father. He has always been a good example of what a priesthood holder should be. He was the one to stay up late just talking, answering my questions and expounding on them. He was the one to teach me that it is okay to hurt, it's okay to cry. He also wiped those tears away and taught me to laugh at the rain. I'm grateful I inherited his eyes. I'd like to think they see as much as he does.

I'm grateful for the opportunity I received, to free my mother to aid her recovering friend. I'm grateful for the chance to play at being mom for a while, to run my own household. I'm grateful for the skills she taught me, for knowing how to rely on myself. I'm grateful for the ability to express myself here.