How Great Thou Art

The other day I woke up to fluffy white stuff falling from the sky. I have been unusually blessed this winter by having this stuff be in rare supply. Amid groans and complaints I went throughout my day. Then I had the opportunity to sing the well-known hymn “How Great Thou Art”. This beautiful hymn reminded me of all the blessings a loving Father has given me.

It isn’t the snow that is awful, it’s the results that are. There is nothing that can compare to the beauty of freshly fallen snow. Or seeing the mountains that surround me dressed in the winter finest. Or the way it covers up all the rough edges and softens it to a picturesque scene. So often I take for granted the beauty of this world and complain about the one thing that isn’t pleasant.

When I stop and take a look around me, I realize how beautiful this earth is. Then I realize that the Great Creator made this for us. What is even greater is that he sent His Beloved Son to this earth, to suffer and die, so that I can return to live with Him someday. This alone cause my soul to sing, “How Great Thou Art.”

My Thankful Heart

My last two Thanksgivings have been spent far away from home. So for the first time in two years, I will be home for Thanksgiving. As I ponder this amazing blessing, I am reminded of my other amazing blessings. And these blessings have somehow shaped my life, for which I am thankful. Please indulge me as I share a heart that is overflowing with gratitude.

To start I am thankful for the two amazing Thanksgivings I had on my mission. One in the MTC, the other in Newark. My second Thanksgiving was spent with this family, who made us feel as if we were home again. These holidays spent in New York truly illuminated what having a grateful heart is all about. It is more about being grateful for what you have been blessed with than what we are lacking. Gratitude is a choice.

Next I am thankful for God’s guiding hand in my life. If it wasn’t for His guidance, I would not be in the place that I am or be as happy as I am. His guidance has put in a place that I could never imagine and never would be on my own. Which leads to what I am thankful for next…my roommates. These amazing women I never would have met if I hadn’t been directed. They have truly blessed my life and I thank God daily that they are in my life. How blessed can one person get?

I could go on and on about other blessings, such as my crazy, wonderful family, or the miracles that happen daily. but I will just end with the thing that I am most thankful for. And that is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more that I can say. It brings joy, it bridges the ravine of sin between us and God, it gives us hope for a brighter today and a better tomorrow.

If we can be thankful for the Atonement and Jesus Christ, then we can be able to see the multitude of other blessings around us. Even in our darkest hour there is a chance to be thankful… for the Light of Jesus Christ. Look around and find what you are thankful for.

Watch this video to see how to live with a thankful heart. Clicke here to watch Thanksgiving Daily.

Lessons Learned

I have been home from my mission for about 3 months. In those three months I have had some interesting things. First I had to get used to the fact that I wasn’t a missionary anymore. Next I had to venture into the real world of going out and finding a job. Along the way there were a few things that I thought I knew, but once again had to get a crash course in remembering them.

First thing I learned, again, is to trust the Lord completely. On my mission I had mastered this, but somehow forgot it. As I have been striving to find a job, I have once again realized how completely helpless I am without His divine help. No, I haven’t found a job yet. But I am once again trusting the Lord.

The second thing I had to learn again was to have hope. In can be really depressing to see how big of a mess this world is in, when you have been protected from it for 18 months. With hope and faith I can see beyond the mess. I may not be able to fix the world, but I can have optimism and make sure my life is not a mess. I can also have hope that all will work, because my trust in not based on the decisions of men, but on the knowledge that God has a plan for me.

Finally, I have learned to laugh at whatever comes. There is so much that I cannot control. At times I have let that frustrate me and drive me crazy. I laugh at the craziness of life because otherwise the stress would kill me. I try to not let the little things bug me. I don’t always succeed. There is so much good in this life that I can’t let the negative block my view.

I learned many lessons on my mission. Sometimes I learned them the hard way. I thought I had them down pat. But I was wrong. Some lessons are life-learned lessons and I will be spending the rest of my life learning them.