Gratitude and Love

I really cannot believe that we are mid November already. I was thinking this morning about what I should teach for FHE and my thoughts turned to gratitude with November being the thankful month! I really just have so many blessings and so often take them for granted. Rick and I went to the temple Friday and the San Antonio Temple is just beautiful. It is a small temple so it feels so personal to me. I love how it has the stain glass and the murals of Texas, I love how I feel when I am there, I love how when I am there I feel my spirit rejoice, I love that I truly am surrounded by my brothers and sisters even though I don't know their names, I love that 80+ year olds are still enduring and enduring well, I love that I come away a better wife, mother, friend, I love that for a mere few hours I am transported out of this world and reminded of my worth, my potential, my purpose, my destination, I love that I was in a very small way doing my part in sharing the gospel and hopefully helping someone beyond in their progression, I love seeing my husband in that setting and reminding myself that we are indeed in this together! THANKFUL

On another note, Morgan has been working on her essays for BYU and she had to write about a set back in her life. She wrote about her recent problem with the school. I was filled with gratitude as she expressed how she was able to see the hand of the Lord in her life as he put people in her path to say the things she needed to hear and feel to let go of the negative feelings. She was able to feel her Heavenly Father's love more than she ever has and her testimony was strengthened. I am so grateful that even though I want to fix things for my kids so that they never hurt sometimes my father and theirs knows exactly what they need to become the person he needs them to be. I just need to trust him and teach my kids to do the same. I was talking to Lexi that it seems Morgan has changed recently and seems softer, kinder, more at peace with herself. And not until I was typing this did I realize that this trial and how she was able to overcome has really blessed her. I always like the analogy that Joseph Smith used of being a rough stone hurling down the mountain and chunks here and there being broken off until he became polished. Morgan experienced a chunk taken (painful yes) but she has a bit of polish now!! THANKFUL