Gratitude

I try to be grateful for my blessings. Some days I am better at it than others. Today, I am grateful that in my work I have been doing a little bit of html coding. It helped me just now to fix my broken button on my blog. :-)

I am grateful that my graduate schooling taught me problem-solving skills, and that it taught me how to not be afraid to try different ways of doing things until you find the one that works.

I am grateful for the children in my life. My niece gave a talk in Primary today that was shared by her mother on her blog. I learned a lot from it. After church today, I saw our only three-year-old, Miss C, in the gym. She was running from one side to the other while her daddy timed her on his iPhone. She wanted someone to run with her. So I grabbed her hand and we raced. It was fun.

I am grateful for air conditioning. My dear friend gave the closing prayer in Sunday School and expressed this in her prayer. I couldn't agree more.

I am grateful for mercy and forgiveness, and for examples of these virtues in the scriptures and in my own life. I am grateful for those who take time to prepare spirit-filled lessons so I can be taught at church.

I am grateful for friends whose lives have touched mine. I have four such friends leaving Boston this week. I am sad to see them go. The quiet, steady faith and faithful filling of callings will be sorely missed. So will the gentle love and consistent hugs. So will the musical talent and love of the gospel, the willingness to do that which the Lord asks just because He asked. Not to mention the faithful, consistent friendship and self-reflective conversations. I love these men and women because they have helped me become better.

I am grateful for naps. They make hard things seem less hard. I am grateful for the Spirit of the Lord, and for this statement by George Albert Smith: The companionship of the spirit of the Lord is an antidote for weariness, … for fear and all those things that sometimes overtake us in life. I needed to remember that today.

I am grateful for good colleagues who accept me and respect my values and standards. I am grateful for the example of generosity I see in those around me. I am grateful to have confidence in God's plan for me, and to know that I can be successful because I am doing what He wants me to do.

I am grateful for quiet times to reflect and acknowledge that God has been kind to me. It helps me feel of His love.