gratitude

I am grateful for so many things. Although it's interesting how easily I get discouraged sometimes- I go in little spurts here and there where I feel a little lost and overwhelmed. I am grateful that I was raised and taught to keep looking for the good and to keep trusting Heavenly Father even though life seems to be messy and hard.

Being grateful is more than just saying thank you- it is being a believer when all odds are against you. It is being willing to learn from someone you don't like. It is forgiving someone who hurt you. It is treating that person who hurt you like the Savior would treat them and putting all things behind. Is that possible? It really is- with the Atonement. I have experienced it myself. Gratitude is trusting God will take care of you and acknowledging it daily. It is being humble. It is doing and being instead of just saying how thankful we are. It sees all the good the Lord has done when all else seems to be destroyed. The word gratitude just makes me feel hopeful...like everything will be ok- If I could just never cease to thank God for His everyday miracles- everything will be ok.



I really believe that when gratitude is combined with faith- miraculous things can happen. We make ourselves available to blessings we wouldn't be able to see or notice before- good things just seem to happen more- to those who are grateful.

Gratitude is a choice. That choice becomes easier to make when we pray to have the gift of gratitude. I remember wishing I could be more positive and more grateful. I prayed earnestly for this for a long time- and I feel like although I am easy to complain here and there- I am having break through moments where I feel immense gratitude for life, for my family, for people, for the gospel. I thank Heavenly Father for this.



Today I am grateful for: my family, my husband, prayer, the snow falling outside, our warm house, the gospel, my little girls, our prophet, my dad, our country-




more to come- this month our family will focus on gratitude- every night before bed we will write what we are grateful for and put it in this can- I made this can last year and it became a really fun tradition.