Grateful for Enough to Share

My niece shared this fun advent calendar on Facebook today:

Advent Calendar Source

Isn't it wonderful to have enough to share with others?

Gratitude for Comfy Warm Slippers and Blankets

I love my comfy warm slippers and Sherpa fleece blankets and use them to snuggle up during the long winter months every single year.  Yes, it's that time of year again, and I have a nice new pair of slippers thank's to DD4's recent generous birthday gift.  It was just in time, cause my old ones have been pretty well worn out!  Add a cup of hot cocoa and I'm truly a happy camper!

Grateful to be Grateful

O Remember, Remember

This talk from 2009 has inspired me to try and be more grateful each day for many years.  

I never have gotten to the point where I remember to write every day, 

But it has become a tradition for me to try and do so each day in November.  

April is blogging from A to Z, and November is blogging about gratitude. 

 I start with a simple idea on Facebook or in my personal journal.  

It may take a day or two for the thoughts to reach the blog, but I'm trying to keep a record.  

How have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch my life today?

Gratitude for Books and Scriptures

Meme/Illustration Source

I am so very grateful for books!!  I have always had access to a wide variety of reading materials.  I had a mother who loved to read and who read to me often, and allowed me to read perhaps more than she should have.  I usually have quite a stack of library books on the nightstands and the floor next to my bed, and often have several tucked in with me!  I don't have quite as much time for leisure reading these days as I once did, but try to find time to read for at least a few minutes every morning and every evening before going to sleep.  I especially love to start my day by reading from the scriptures for 30 minutes or so before rousting myself out of bed to face the world.  In our children's primary class a week ago we had the chance to discuss how blessed we are to have access to scriptures in our homes.  In old testament times, the few copies of the handwritten scriptures that were available to the people were kept in the temple or the tabernacle, and often only the priests would have access to read them.  In the time of the prophet Ezra, the priests brought the scriptures out of the temple and read them aloud to the people in the streets, and they were overjoyed to be able to hear the word of the Lord.  Today anyone who would like to read from the scriptures has such ready access to them!  Books are fairly inexpensive and so many are available for free to download onto your computer or phone or other device.  What a blessing for the world today!!

Gratitude for Morning Light and Heat

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I'm grateful that the sun rises each and every morning to provide us with another day of light and heat.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good:  and God divided the light from the darkness.  And God called the light Day, and the darkeness he called night.  And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:3-5

Gratitude for Jesus Christ

I'm grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me."

Mosiah 26:30

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ

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Gratitude for Siblings

I'm grateful for my siblings!!  This photo is over 40 years old, and our dear parents have now passed from this mortal existence, but we are still a family.  We may not gather together quite as often as we have in the past as we each have our own families, jobs, homes, and other responsibilities and live in several different states, but we do try to connect several times during the year, and this past June were able to spend a few days all together at my Dear Sister 2's home.  She was the perfect hostess and we enjoyed the time to relax and play and connect like we haven't done together as siblings for years.  I love them all!!

Gratitude for Freedom and All Servicemen

Sand Art on Normandy Beach  Photo Source from facebook

I'm very grateful for the freedoms that I have enjoyed in this country my entire life, and I am especially grateful for all who have fought and worked and sacrificed so that you and I can enjoy these freedoms.  God Bless America and our Veterans and Servicemen!

Photo Source from Facebook

Gratitude for Family

I'm grateful for my very most favorite people:  My Family!!

My DH, all six of my dear children, my two daughters in law and my two beautiful grandchildren are among my very greatest blessings, and I can't imagine what life would be like without them.  I thank my Heavenly Father every day for each of them and I am grateful that they are each willing to be a part of my life and a part of our family.  I'm also very grateful for the wonderful young men who care for our dear daughters and do so much to support and care for them and also help others in our family and enjoy happy times and celebrations with us.

Love you all!!

Gratitude for Relief Society

This morning I had the chance to spend some time with a large group of my favorite ladies at our annual Relief Society Women's Conference.  We enjoyed a beautiful program of thoughts and music, a display of the talents of many of the ladies of our neighborhood from seven different church congregations, savored a delicious luncheon, and had plenty of time to visit and socialize.  These ladies are my friends and my neighbors, and my Relief Society sisters.  We normally meet together for an hour with our own congregation each Sunday, with other evening activities every month or so, but the larger Conference is usually held only once each year.

What is Relief Society?  Relief Society is the largest women's organization in the world.  It is the women's auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that was founded in March of  1842. We know from the New Testament that many of the disciples of Jesus Christ were women who not only served the Savior with his temporal needs, but also learned from him and his teachings, and followed his example by serving others around them.   The women of the Relief Society also seek to serve the Savior by teaching one another and by seeking out the poor and the needy and doing what they can to lift and help one another.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from the day:

"We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another, and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together."
          --Lucy Mack Smith (one of the original Relief Society members)

"Relief Society is like a great big hug!"
          --one of my dearest Relief Society friends (name to be kept anonymous on my blog)

Feel free to check out the Relief  Society website right here:  Learn more about Relief Society or look right here toFind a Relief Society near you.  Visitors are always welcome!

Or, just shoot me a comment or question here in the comments!

Grateful for My Body

Yes, my body has seen many years of use, including few accidents and ailments, but it has served me well and continues to do so.  I'm grateful for this body, a gift from my loving earthly parents and my loving Heavenly Parents!

Grateful for Chocolate!

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I have been very blessed with an abundance of good chocolate recently.  We had plenty of chocolate goodies for the trick or treaters last week on Halloween, and still have quite a few pieces left in the big bowl on the dining room table, even though we have been munching at it all week long.  Good friends at work gifted me some of my favorite chocolate bars last month on my birthday, including Dove Dark chocolate bars and a very nice intensely dark chocolate Ghiradelli Chocolate bar that I have been nibbling at every afternoon this week.  Heavenly! Apparently they know me and my tastes quite well!  At a recent "getting to know you" activity at work each staff member was asked to indicate their favorite caffiene  source out of the following: coffee, Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, or Mt Dew.  Only one of my co-workers were at a loss as to an answer.  At first thought I responded "water" . . . then realized that of course the true answer was chocolate, preferably a good quality dark chocolate.  

A while back DH and I were also blessed to take a trip to Chicago with DD2 where we enjoyed dinner at Michael Jordan's Steak House and shared an absolutely wonderful creation:  their famous 23 Layer Chocolate Cake.  Enough Said.

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Yes, I'm grateful for Chocolate!

Grateful for Prayer

I'm very grateful for prayer.  Every.  Single.  Day. 

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"Lead me, guide me, walk beside me.  Help me find the way."

--- children's hymn I Am A Child of God by Naomi W. Randall, 1957

Grateful for a Living Prophet

I'm grateful for a living prophet that is such an example of faith, hope, optimism, energy, and charity in spite of his 94 years.  He is a representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  

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Grateful for Plumbing

I'm grateful for indoor plumbing . . . and for my new bathroom fixtures.  DH and DS spent several hours over the weekend working to replace the sink and toilet in our master half bath.  It's not quite finished, so I won't post a photo, but it is nice to go to sleep without the sound of the dripping tap and to see the shinny new fixtures!

Grateful for Primary Songs

Currently at church I have the blessing of team teaching an Old Testament class in Primary, our church's organization for children, with my DD1.  After our lesson each week, our class of 9 and 10 year olds gathers with the other children's classes for a 20 minute singing time.  Learning the truth's of the Lord's gospel through song is one of my favorite things, and I also love listening to children's voices sing these simple truths. Today we sang several different songs reminding us to be grateful for all of the wonderful things our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have blessed us with. Here is a link to some of our favorite Primary Songs:  LDS Primary Songs on You Tube

Heavenly Father Loves Me

Thanks to our Father

Gratitude for The House of The Lord

Last night on Facebook I came across these photos of the soon to be dedicated temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Barranquilla, Colombia.  I lived in the city of Barranquilla for about six months many years ago when I was serving as a missionary for the Church, and I fell in love with this beautiful city and many of the people who lived there.  I'm so very happy and excited to have this temple so near to being completed for the people of this wonderful area.  The temple is scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday, December 9, 2018.

"Holiness to the Lord"

"The House of the Lord"

I love this painting of the Savior located just inside the entrance to the temple.  

It just seems perfect for the area.

One beautiful piece of stained glass art.

 A sealing room inside of the temple where couples can be married and families can be sealed together forever through the power of God's priesthood.

The Celestial Room.  

A beautiful, calm and peaceful place where individuals can spend a few minutes  to meditate, pray and feel the love of the Lord after their temple worship.  

The Celestial Room is one of my favorite places on earth!

Such a beautiful and wonderful new building for a beautiful city!!

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To find out more about temples, check out this website:

Why do we build temples?

Gratitude for a Loving Father in Heaven

I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me.

Gratitude for Neighbors

Today I am grateful for wonderful friends and neighbors, and for this thoughtful quote and meme that I borrowed from Fred Rogers and The Family--A Proclamation to the World Facebook Page:

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Have a wonderful day!