Technology

 “Media and advancing technologies are wonderful gifts from God. They make it possible to spread the gospel to the world, engage with family history in amazing ways, and connect with people you love. While many blessings come from positive technology use, it is important to understand how best to use these tools.” -LDS.org Understanding Media

I’ve heard it said that Social Media is just a place for people to go online and whine. I’ve also heard it said that some Social Media sights are run by the devil. I’m not going to say they’re right or wrong because it’s not entirely untrue. I do believe that with all things in life you will find what you are looking for. For me Social Media can be a double edged sword. On the one hand it allows me to stay in touch with people who I would wonder about without it and on the order hand it can be a quick dive into unhealthy thought patterns. The one thing I truly love is that it gives me a chance to stay engaged with some of the most wonderful people. I’m truly thankful for the opportunity to connect with so many of my dear friends whom I have known throughout my life! 

I am thankful for technology! 

Searching the Scriptures

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

-Matthew 11:29

I haven't always loved or even understood the scriptures. I do know that the older I get the more I have grown to love learning about the gospel. For many years I used to live my life as if I could "work" my way to perfection or perhaps I could "earn" the right to cross the pearly gates. Since then my testimony of Jesus Christ has grown. No matter how perfectly I live my life I will still fall short of being perfect enough to reach exaltation. It is literally not possible without the atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Knowing this has changed my ability to understand the scriptures. I now realize the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I all comes down to following Christ. Learn of him, study about his life and his teachings, and then partake in his atonement daily. Where do you learn all of this? It is all there in the scriptures. If you want to understand any of the questions that life will give you, the answer is in the scriptures. What a blessing to us that God has given us his guidebook. What a blessing to read and watch the love that God has for his children, unfold as those words come off the pages. What a beautiful blessing!

I am grateful for the Word of God; His Holy Scriptures! 

Photo from www.LDS.org

Freedom to Choose

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

-2 Nephi 2:27

Once upon a time I didn't honestly realize that I had a choice. I think that sometimes we are taught so well how to behave, that we think behaving is the only choice. It wasn't until a choice I had never know opened up so clearly that I took a new path. Have you ever heard the phrase "it's my way or the highway?" Well, it was as if I finally learned that the highway was actually an option. 

The other day I were put the pressure on for my son to come with us when he didn't want to. I thanked him for choosing to come with me and a little bit under his breath he said, "I don't feel like I have a choice." I was truly grateful to have learned this lesson. I explained to him how running away and hiding could have been an option. Yes, consequences would have come, but there is always a choice. I am thankful for that choice and in a world where choices feel in danger of slipping away I am determined to fight for that freedom to choose. It's important that we have the freedom to choose always!

I am thankful for the freedom to choose!

Comfortable Temperatures

"My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,

my roof's safe shelter overhead

That he too may be comforted."

-Hymn #219

When they talk about cold-blooded animals I think they are actually referring to people like me. I freeze and as the weather had turned colder at night and even during the day I am thankful for the opportunity to sit by a warm heater in my warm home. The more I learn about my ancestors and all that they endured, the more grateful I am to have heat in the cold months and air conditioning in the warm months. We are blessed to be alive in this day and age!

I am thankful for comfortable temperatures!  

I Am Thankful for the Gift of Knowledge!

"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith."

-Doctrine & Covenants 109:7

I started off the month feel optimistic about sharing my gratitude, but life in getting busy and it is so easy to toss taking the time for gratitude out the window. I continue to persist when I can. Today I am thankful for education. I have been blessed to learn about so many of my ancestors and the ancestors of my husband. More than once it has been said that most of their learning came on their own and by way of books. I love learning, but I am not a speedy reader so Podcasts are more appealing to me. I do love learning though. I am thankful to live in a place where knowledge is plentiful. There's isn't much you can not learn if you have the thirst and the drive to do so. I am so thankful for the opportunity we have to learn and grow and to improve. 

I am grateful for education!

Some of my favorite Podcasts and Books.

Jody Moore

Left to Tell

The Chalene Show

The New Peoplemaking

Restoring Liberty

Braxton...Music and the Arts!

"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving."

-Doctrine & Covenants 136:28

It's amazing to me how a three boys, like mine, can be SO very different! My oldest Braxton has always been good at keeping himself entertained. When he was little you would find him quietly playing in his room and if he was outside he was always close to our apartment and quick to come when we called him. As a teenager he's my introverted child. While I do sometimes wish he'd share a little more with me without me having to pry I do sincerely appreciate that he and I can sit quietly in a room together and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

When Braxton was younger I was eager to find the sport that he loved. I put him in baseball, soccer, and even flag football hoping he'd find his niche. After watching him practice karate moves on the soccer field, and then tell me no when I asked him if he'd like to try karate, I finally gave up on pushing him into sports. When he came home and told me he was going to try out for the school play I was very proud of him. After I saw him in the school play I realized that this was his niche!

I've always loved music and dancing and the performing arts, but watching my son enjoy those things gives me a new reason to love it. This year when I found out that he hadn't signed up for the school musical I was so disappointed. When he told me it was The Children of Eden I could understand his hesitation. We saw the play tonight and while I did enjoy it, I also understood. I am thankful for a son who recognizes what his values are and I am thankful for the joy he finds in music. I feel very blessed to have Braxton as a part of our family! 

I am thankful for Braxton and 

I am thankful for Music and the Arts!

Redemption

Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

-2 Nephi 31:17 

How do you even talk about repentance? A better question is, if you know about repentance, how do you not talk about repentance? I have felt the love of the Lord come upon me as I have walked through the steps of repentance. I am so thankful for a loving God who has a way for us to come back to him. I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ who made it possible for me to repent. I am so thankful that I can have that heavy load lifted off of my shoulders and I can be made whole again. I am thankful for the scriptures that lead me to Christ and teach me about repentance, especially the Book of Mormon. With a quick search tonight I learned that the word repentance is in the Book of Mormon 93 times, the Doctrine & Covenants 33 times, the New Testament 25 times, the Pearl of GP 3 times, and the Old Testament once. I am thankful that the Lord loves me enough to give me a way to escape my sins, but even more I am grateful to know that he's given a way for my husband and children a way to escape theirs also. God lives and loves us. Of that I am certain. 

Today I was reminded of this beautiful video, about redemption, made by a friend and classmate from many years earlier life. I hope that it touches you! I love you...but more importantly God Loves You!

I am thankful for the gift of repentance!

Carrying the Flag

"And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me."

-D&C 98:5

On July 3rd, 2021, my oldest son and I woke up early and drove the 21 miles to Grove Greek Canyon to spend the first of the holiday weekend with total strangers. I had heard about how this group, called Follow the Flag, hung a flag in this canyon each year and I had seen it from the freeway. Every year they were looking for volunteers to carry this large flag up the canyon and I was eager to be a part of it, but we had always had other commitments. 

This year the 4th of July was on a Sunday and because of religious beliefs in the area, they were carrying the flag up on the 3rd of July. My husband, not realizing it was the holiday weekend, made plans to go fishing with our youngest two boys and our neighbor and sons. If I was going to participate this was the year to go. 

I started out eager and enthusiastic about helping, although the newness of this and me not knowing anyone but my son had me a little bit nervous. The flag was on a truck and they started to pull out this long blue zipper covering and encouraged us to jump underneath a section of it. I told my son, let's go, and away we went. We got up the path a little way and I was already feeling the effects of being out of shape. I thought I'd be able to step out of line and hop back in when someone else got tired, not so. The trail was narrow and there wasn't really room to move around people, so I literally followed the flag most of the way. I was able to hop back in and help for a few minutes before they sent the flag out on the cable.   

I've thought about that experience for months. I've thought about the difficulty of "carrying the flag." The flag that we carried is 400 lbs. and it seems like it took about 30 to 40 people to carry it up the mountain. They say the flag stands for freedom, and as I think about carrying that flag or "freedom" I realize that my experience of carrying the flag was easy. Many generations of men and woman have carried the flag and paid a heavy price.

Today is Veterans Day. The men and women who fought for our freedoms carried the heavy price of leaving their families and going to war. That price is heavy enough. Some of these soldiers lost limbs. Many lost the peace of a safe and secure life and now live with minds that are constantly looking for danger. A lack of mental health is something I've dealt with so I can only imagine how difficult it is to carry that load. I'm certain there are more physical and emotional scares than I can even imagine. Many carrying that flag lost their life because of it.

When I think about the heaviness of our men and women in the armed forces carrying the flag, my gratitude runs deep! There honestly aren't words to express it. I'm thankful I was able to carry the flag for a few moments, so that I could appreciate more fully those who will carry a part of it for their entire lives. I am grateful for the freedom that came from the sacrifices of those veterans because I know that freedom isn't free! Thank you for paying that price! 

 

I am grateful for my freedom!

My son and I with the flag

           My husbands Grandpa who served in WWII      My father who served in Vietnam

"And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery"

-Moroni 48:11

Shall He Not Much More Clothe You?

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"

-Matthew 6:30

In Malachi 3:10 it says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse...and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." I remember as my boys were younger that we would receive bags of clothes that cousins had passed down to us. At one point I had so many boxes of clothes for them to grow into that I thought of this scripture. My family has truly been blessed by the Lord. 

I have even been blessed by friends throughout the years who have asked if I'd like some clothes. These offers have been a blessing since I'm not much of a shopper or a spender. I'm much better at being frugal. During Covid I learned the joy of buying a bunch of clothes and taking them home to try on and then taking them back. I still laugh that they had to take the dressing rooms away for me to learn that it's fun to buy a bunch of clothes. 

It starting to feel like I need to go buy a bunch of clothes again, but even if I don't I am grateful that I have clothes to wear in many settings. I am thankful that I can be comfortable and that I am able to present myself well. I am thankful that the Lord will clothe me just as he does the grass of the field. 

I am grateful for clothes to wear!

God Gave Us Animals

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. 

-Psalms 36:6

As a little girl I was sitting on the step in front of my apartment playing with my favorite doll. A medium to large sized dog came up to me and stole my doll. For years after that I was scared of dogs. Maybe it was my Uncle Marv's dog *Rummy who helped me overcome that. I can't be sure, but as I got older all I wanted was a dog. I remember going to my Aunt Eileen's house for the weekend, when my parents were out of town, and going outside to "talk" with her dog, *Snowball. I'm my young child mind I knew that having a dog to "talk" to would solve many of my problems. Unfortunately for me I never go that dog I wanted as a child.

Beause of that strong desire, that went unfilled, I knew my kids needed a dog. In the fall of 2012 on a trip to visit my husband's brother we heard about a friend of theirs who was looking to rehome a dog. I wasn't sure I was ready for a dog, but my husband was sure that I had to have her. Here we are nine years later and Dusty is still a blessing to our family. I'm not so sure that my kids use her to solve all their problems, but they do enjoy her and she enjoys them. 

About four years ago we had two bearded dragons bless our home. They were a welcome addition and brought joy to our family as well. For a long time they did well in the same cage together, but as they grew larger it became harder to keep them safe from one another. For my son who we got them for, they were becoming a burden so this summer we sold them to a family who was very excited to have them. 

It is a blessing to be able to have animals in our lives. We have had the joy of going and discovering animals throughout the surrounding areas. How fun it is to observe animals in their own habitat and to have them be a part of our lives! 

I am grateful God gave us animals! 

 

Delicious and Nutritious Food

"Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

-Luke 10:2 

Years ago I was given the opportunity to take a phone survey on happiness. I was asked a number of questions and a couple of those questions were, do you have plenty of water to drink and do you feel that you have adequate access to fruits and vegetables. That question transformed the way I look at blessings. I didn't have to hesitate when answering that question. Not only do I have water and fruit and vegetables I also have plenty of meat and a whole myriad of other foods to eat. When I look at how many of God's children live on so much less I have to take a moment to count my blessings! 

I am so thankful for delicious and nutritious food. 

Rich Heritage

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Malachi 4:5-6

For more years that I can count I have been learning about and searching for my ancestors along with my husbands in order to give my kids a glimpse into their heritage and who they are. There are few things more rewarding than connecting with an ancestor who left this earth long before you were born. I can't begin to tell you the love I have found for these ancestors since I have learned their stories. If in my life I have convinced one person to learn about their ancestors than I will count that as a success! I have been blessed with a hertiage more rich than I can find enough gratitude to express it well enough.  

I am thankful for my rich heritage!

My Roof's Safe Shelter Overhead

 "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

-Psalm 61:3

I recently read a story about a great grandma who was a pioneer. She endured many hardships in her day. Reading about how her husband was so busy getting their family ready for the winter that he hadn't had time to build the roof on their house of just four walls has made me appreciate the simplicity of having a roof over my head. I recall a few years ago when we had to replace the roof that it felt like the most annoying way to spend thousands of dollars. My friend must have known that pain because she made it a point to let me know how nice my roof looked. It's so easy to take for granted the modern conveniences of today. I'm grateful for stories of ancestors who help us appreciate the things we take for granted, something as glorious as a roof. 

I am thankful for my roof's safe shelter overhead!

Blessed Companion

 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

-Matthew 19:5-6

When I was younger I worried that I might never find a husband. Being a wife and mother were my greatest desires and I didn't know what I would do if those goals were never achieved. Those dreams did come true and even still with the business of life it is easy to take these blessing for granted. The truth is that sometimes our biggest blessings are also our greatest challenges. Just like my children sometimes this man can make me crazy and I know, that even though he dosen't always tell me, that I make him crazy too. 

The truth is that there isn't anyone that I'd rather drive crazy. He's a good man, a wonderful husband and father, and he works very hard. I'm grateful that God made me to be a mother and a wife. I have truly been blessed with a wonderful family and I'm thankful that I have Kent by my side to help me raise my boys! Couldn't have asked for a better companion.

I am grateful for my husband!

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,

Sun and moon, and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

A few years ago I went through a very difficult time. I had really lost a sense of myself and my own voice. I struggled to feel loved and heard. I was blessed with a difficult relationship that only exasperated these feelings. It was a blessing because while it was hard, it was also the catalyst for necessary changes in my life. I dove into healing and loving myself. I spent time trying to understand my thoughts and allow them to help me love myself better. 

One thing that helped with all of this was pausing to enjoy the beauty of nature. When I saw something beautiful in nature I would stop and take a photograph of it. I am not a professional photographer, but I have certainly learned a lot about photography and I love to pause and see this beautiful world that we live in. I am grateful for the beauty of the earth, the skies, the mountains, trees and flowers, sun, moon and stars. I am thankful that amoung all the beauty in this world that the Lord made me to enjoy it all and add to it with my presence and my love.

I am grateful for the beauty of this earth!