Be Grateful
This last weekend I attended the Time Out for Women conference in Atlanta. It is such a remarkable event for women to attend. From the moment we walked in on Friday evening to the close of the conference on Saturday, I felt such an amazing Spirit. One that I have not felt in sometime. It was also such a great time spending it with my mom, sister, and two amazing friends.
Listening to the talks has left me pondering a lot of things. Mostly my spirituality. I'm working to get all of that in order. And while all of the talks from TOfW seemed to touch me on such a deep level, I found myself actually listening in church yesterday as well. Members gave such amazing talks.
Sunday school was another home run for me. At the beginning of the class, we went around the room and said what we were grateful for. I said that I was grateful for my 87-year-old grandpa living with us because he is such an amazing man and tells the most wonderful stories. As I think back to this lesson, I thought of President Hinkley's talk on the 6 Bs. It has been years since I have read this talk. So for the next few days - 6 to be exact - I want to split up his talk and apply the Bs to my life.
The first B is quite appropriate for my current post.
Be Grateful
Church. I can't even begin to describe what I have gone through in the church and how blessed I feel for being a part of it. This church has always been a strong foundation that I can always rely on. It is the church that will usher in the fullness of times and I am so grateful to be a part of that. The organization of it still astounds me. In no other religion can you attend a meeting in one part of the world and receive the exact same message that same day on another part. It has been a remarkable journey through this learning process that we call life. And without this church, I know I would be completely lost. I have always been the happiest when I have done what I know I am supposed to do.
My family. As many bumpy roads we have crossed, my family has always been there in the end. I can't imagine being placed in another. I am so grateful for my mother and the things that she does to make us who we are. Her strength and love for us is an impenetrable force that can not be broken. She sees the best in her children and always has. Even when we were not on the right path. She always had hope and always prayed for our best interest. In the end, I know her prayers are the reason I am where I am today. I am so grateful for my dad. He makes my mom the happiest person in the world. He loves unconditionally and without reservation. Blood does not matter to him. He sees me as his own and I feel his love every day.
Lately, I have felt so incredibly blessed for everything that I have in my life. It's an amazing feeling to know that everything I have is all the result of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The things that I have been given, the experiences that I have faced are all to test who I am. What I am worth. I hope that in the end, when my final day comes, I haven't let Him down.
Listening to the talks has left me pondering a lot of things. Mostly my spirituality. I'm working to get all of that in order. And while all of the talks from TOfW seemed to touch me on such a deep level, I found myself actually listening in church yesterday as well. Members gave such amazing talks.
Sunday school was another home run for me. At the beginning of the class, we went around the room and said what we were grateful for. I said that I was grateful for my 87-year-old grandpa living with us because he is such an amazing man and tells the most wonderful stories. As I think back to this lesson, I thought of President Hinkley's talk on the 6 Bs. It has been years since I have read this talk. So for the next few days - 6 to be exact - I want to split up his talk and apply the Bs to my life.
The first B is quite appropriate for my current post.
Be Grateful
Be grateful. There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others. They are “thank you.” Comparable words are found in every other language, such as gracias, merci, danke, obrigado, domo.
The habit of saying thank you is the mark of an educated man or woman. With whom is the Lord displeased? He names “those who confess not his hand in all things” (D&C 59:21). That is, those who walk without grateful expression. Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way.
Thank the Lord for His goodness to you. Thank the Almighty for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who has done for you what none other in all this world could do. Thank Him for His great example, for His tremendous teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help. Think about the meaning of His Atonement. Read about Him and read His words in the New Testament and in 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Read them quietly to yourself and then ponder them. Pour out your heart to your Father in Heaven in gratitude for the gift of His Beloved Son.
I could probably start a list of all the things that I'm grateful for and I would still miss several things. So I want to cover two very big things.Thank the Lord for His marvelous Church restored in this great season of history. Thank Him for all that it offers you. Thank Him for friends and loved ones, for parents and brothers and sisters, for family. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find it will yield wonderful results.
Church. I can't even begin to describe what I have gone through in the church and how blessed I feel for being a part of it. This church has always been a strong foundation that I can always rely on. It is the church that will usher in the fullness of times and I am so grateful to be a part of that. The organization of it still astounds me. In no other religion can you attend a meeting in one part of the world and receive the exact same message that same day on another part. It has been a remarkable journey through this learning process that we call life. And without this church, I know I would be completely lost. I have always been the happiest when I have done what I know I am supposed to do.
My family. As many bumpy roads we have crossed, my family has always been there in the end. I can't imagine being placed in another. I am so grateful for my mother and the things that she does to make us who we are. Her strength and love for us is an impenetrable force that can not be broken. She sees the best in her children and always has. Even when we were not on the right path. She always had hope and always prayed for our best interest. In the end, I know her prayers are the reason I am where I am today. I am so grateful for my dad. He makes my mom the happiest person in the world. He loves unconditionally and without reservation. Blood does not matter to him. He sees me as his own and I feel his love every day.
Lately, I have felt so incredibly blessed for everything that I have in my life. It's an amazing feeling to know that everything I have is all the result of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The things that I have been given, the experiences that I have faced are all to test who I am. What I am worth. I hope that in the end, when my final day comes, I haven't let Him down.
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