My thanksgiving list from the 1st- 13th.
November 1st: I am grateful for my home and modern luxuries, i.e. washers, dryers, dishwashers. All the things that make our work load easier so we can do other things.
November 2nd: I'm grateful for a day to do all the things I want and need to do, i.e. temple work, grocery shopping, voting, and spending a fun couple of hours with friends.
November 3rd: I'm grateful for the little angel that I babysit who plays so well with my little girl so when I over do it one day and need to rest and take it easy the next I can.
November 4th: I'm grateful today for my amazing friends who cleaned my house before I got home from the hospital and the dinner we received from one of them.
November 5th: I'm grateful today for a to rest and that I'm still pregnant and for good teachers for my almost 10 year old who help her succeed and get excited about her progress.
November 6th: I'm grateful that I'm still pregnant and for a wonderful husband who is making sure I stay pregnant and is doing all the things I should be doing.
November 7th: This is Sunday and I'm grateful for the gospel and the ordinances of the gospel and for fast and testimony meeting. This was a special week for some families in our ward which made for a very spiritual fast and testimony meeting. We had two baptisms and confirmations which means church membership and the gift of the Holy Ghost. One family was able to finalize the adoption they had been working and fighting for for the past year and take the little one to the temple to be sealed to them forever and then blessed her in church. The father who had been in Afghanistan since March was able to come home for two weeks for all this to be possible. Wonderful day today.
November 8th: I'm grateful to still be pregnant. I'm grateful because of great friends to be able to rest and lay down so my contractions stopped. I'm also grateful for my visiting teacher who called in the morning and checked on me and then brought me dinner that night. I'm also grateful for my brother who is 14 months older than me who's birthday is today.
November 9th: I'm grateful to still be pregnant. I'm also grateful for my 12 year old daughters teachers who love her and are concerned about the things I am and want to do whatever they can to help her. I'm also grateful my ward members and friends who work all day and still brought us dinner that night.
November 10th: I'm grateful to still be pregnant. I'm grateful for my wonderful neighbor whom I love who brought us dinner tonight. I'm grateful for my husband who came home from scouts only to do dishes and laundry. I'm grateful for friends one who spent the day with me one who came by for a little while with her daughters who made treats for us.
November 11th: I'm grateful to still be pregnant. I'm grateful for my children who are so willing to help me out and work without crying and throwing tantrums. I love my 4 beautiful daughters.
November 12th: I'm grateful to still be pregnant and for the good night sleep. I'm grateful to feel good and not have contractions and still spent the day in bed because my awesome husband worked from home and did the things I was supposed to do so I could stay feeling good.
November 13th: Today I'm grateful to still be pregnant. I'm grateful to feel good again. I'm grateful for helpers who helped make breakfast and clear off the table. I'm grateful that my amazing husband and brother-in-law went to the store twice for me today.
I have been so spoiled this first half of the month. Even with going on bed rest as ordered by my loving husband so I can have a healthy baby boy which I am also sooo grateful for, blessings have come from family members especially from my husband and from good friends who also happen to be ward family members. I love and appreciate you all. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have that God lives and that He is watching out for us and helping us and continually blessing us. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thanksgiving, Gratitude
On FB friends of mine have been posting things they are thankful for daily because of Thanksgiving, I'm sure. I have not posted for a long time and am now 12 days behind. So I thought I'd catch up by posting to my blog.
Today, I want to share with you some quotes from the Prophet (President Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint). His Sunday morning conference talk was entitled “The Divine Gift of Gratitude”.
After telling the story from Luke chapter 17 the ten lepers, he said “My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley said 'When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.'"
…”We all have experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'He is wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.' …”Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.”
…”This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.”
...”If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes it place among the noblest of virtues.”
President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: 'The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him and the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.' He continued: 'Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!' “President Smith is telling us that a prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.”
“Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted.” ...”We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude.”
“A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort- at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don't get around to it. Someone has said that 'feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.'
...”When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”
He ended his talk with this “My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven. As I close this morning, it is my prayer in addition to all else for which we are grateful, we may ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life's greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we her? Where do our Spirits go when we die? That gospel brings to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth.
He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved.
Ultimately, He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha's hill His compassionate words: 'Father, forgive them, for they know what they do.' 'Who was this 'man of sorrows,... acquainted with grief'? 'Who is this King of glory,' this Lord of lords? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of Our Salvation. He beckons, 'Follow me'. He instructs, 'Go, and do thou likewise'. He pleads, 'Keep my commandments'.
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.
My sincere, heartfelt prayer is that we may in our individual lives reflect that marvelous virtue of gratitude. May it permeate our very souls, now and evermore. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.”
Today, I want to share with you some quotes from the Prophet (President Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint). His Sunday morning conference talk was entitled “The Divine Gift of Gratitude”.
After telling the story from Luke chapter 17 the ten lepers, he said “My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley said 'When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.'"
…”We all have experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'He is wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.' …”Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.”
…”This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.”
...”If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes it place among the noblest of virtues.”
President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: 'The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him and the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.' He continued: 'Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!' “President Smith is telling us that a prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.”
“Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted.” ...”We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude.”
“A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort- at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don't get around to it. Someone has said that 'feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.'
...”When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”
He ended his talk with this “My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven. As I close this morning, it is my prayer in addition to all else for which we are grateful, we may ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life's greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we her? Where do our Spirits go when we die? That gospel brings to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth.
He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved.
Ultimately, He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha's hill His compassionate words: 'Father, forgive them, for they know what they do.' 'Who was this 'man of sorrows,... acquainted with grief'? 'Who is this King of glory,' this Lord of lords? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of Our Salvation. He beckons, 'Follow me'. He instructs, 'Go, and do thou likewise'. He pleads, 'Keep my commandments'.
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.
My sincere, heartfelt prayer is that we may in our individual lives reflect that marvelous virtue of gratitude. May it permeate our very souls, now and evermore. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.”
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