Thanksgiving

I am blessed much more than I deserve. I am a mormon (go here), and I am thankful today, and every day, for that. It makes me happy and enriches my life much more than anything else I have ever tried. Part of being mormon is believing in The Book of Mormon. There was a prophet named King Benjamin who summed up how I feel today. He says :

-I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

- I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

-And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

- And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

- And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

-And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

" I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are... (mosiah, chapter 2 if you want to look it up)


I am indebted to my Heavenly Father and to Jesus Christ. Much more so than I could ever repay.


Here's this years "THANKSGIVING LIST" although, isn't that what this blog is? But anyway....

I'm thankful for:
mike and cecily and my boy growing inside me
the ability/opportunity to grow a baby
my health
food
my apartment
my parents, siblings, and other extended family
mike's parents, siblings, and other extended family
computers
showers
art
music
good books
an education
a stable income
a comfy bed
God, Christ, and a knowledge that there is a plan and purpose for my life

A smattering of gratitude

Tonight I'm grateful just to be me. Nothing too specific, but I'm happy with my life.

I have joy in my husband and my child. I have joy in the baby growing inside me. I am grateful to know what a gift and blessing that truly is.

I am grateful that my parents taught me right from wrong. I'm grateful that I didn't grow up with a lot of money.

I'm glad that I can find happiness in hard work. I'm glad that I can find happiness in being lazy when the work is done.

I'm grateful for God. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for my turn on earth.

Little Boy Blue

I have known for a week that Michael and I are having a baby boy. I'll be honest: at one point, part of me was hoping the ultrasound tech would tell me we were having a sister for my Cecily. I love sisters. Then, as I looked over at my beaming -and by beaming I mean GLOWING, GRINNING, BRIGHT EYED and JOYOUS- husband, all my longing for a girl was right away forgotten and swallowed up in my beaming about my tiny dude inside.

Today, I read this post from CJane, who's blog is the most fun to read- she's such a great writer. Gratitude and excitement for my boy was renewed again. I even cried a little. So unlike me....... ok, just kidding....... exactly like me.

Today I am grateful for one of each. That is definitely something to be grateful for.

Good Entertainment

The other night I watched "My Girl" on netflix. I LOVE netflix, but that's another grateful post entirely. After I watched it I felt good. I felt like it was just a good movie with good things in it. Nothing earth shattering, just cute kids and a nice message about putting family first. The little girl in it (who was 11) was portreyed as a LITTLE girl. Not a "tween" (who came up with that anyway?), and she didn't act like an 11 year old trying to be 17. I am thankful that there's still great movies out there to watch and good books to read, and I'm glad I can pick and choose what I want to see. And PS- I bawled like a baby.

Be Thou Humble

Today was "one of those days". One of those, "why did I decide to give up a career and be a stay at home mom?" days. One of those "My pants seriously don't fit?" days. One of those "I really can't quit crying and I'm not sure why, but if I don't find out soon I'm gonna gouge my eyes out" days.

I was just about to pull my hair out, and then I heard a song called "Every Breath" by Jenny Phillips. The words to the first few verses and chorus go like this:

His hands are catching your tears

And even without any words, He hears

You feel so far, but he's right where you are and He knows

Every Breath

Every pain

He knows your heart and He knows your name

Giver of life, light in your soul.

Oh, come home,come rest

Let Him bless

your every breath

Silence your voice and be still

And even without any words, you will feel

You think you are far, but He lives in your heart and He knows

Every breath

Every pain

He knows your heart and He knows your name

Giver of life, light in your soul

Oh, come home, come rest

Let Him Bless

Your every breath

I realized that I gave up my career to stay at home with my girl because I love her and in the long run, I will be more fulfilled and happy as a mom than as anything else. I realized that I don't fit into my pants because I'm so lucky and blessed and happy to be pregnant. I realized that I can't quit crying because sometimes you just need to get it all out, and atleast I have an avenue to do that. (hormones may have played a small part too)

And, so, here I am grateful that I was humbled by a song. Grateful for the bad days becuase without them, we don't appreciate the good ones. Grateful for a merciful God who knows and loves me in spite of my serious, serious weakness and catches my tears even when I'm too caught up in life to get on my knees.

Sabbath

Hmmmm, I always seem to post in my grateful journal on Sundays........ pattern or prompting? More like I go to church and get a swift kick in the patootie from the Spirit and realize that I'm an ungrateful poo. Then I feel the need to validate myself by pontificating on the things in my life I am grateful for.

Today I was given one of those kicks in the patootie. Again. And still I am grateful for it. I get caught up with life sometimes. We all do. And I like taking a step back to be excited about life and the good things in it. So right now I am thankful for sundays, for the sacrament, and for being happy.

Let Freedom Ring

This weekend I've been grateful for the founding fathers. I think they were men of courage. They signed the declaration of independence knowing that it was a treasonous act, and they could all be hung for doing so. They prepared for war and realized that it would not be easy, but worth it. Worth it for them, and worth it for us. A free country is something worth being grateful for. And, I really like fireworks.