gratitude

So often these notes are a place to publish random rantings and frustrations, but I thought I'd take a few minutes to write about how great and happy I feel right now!

I love what President Ezra Taft Benson said: "I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns." I think that one of the struggles in life is to be able to maintain a high level of connection to spiritual things throughout all life's trials, disappointments, and discouragements. It seems that when life is most difficult, the times when I most need to be close to the love and guidance of my Heavenly Father, those are the times when the adversary is working hardest to keep me from Him and when I struggle most with drawing closer to Him. I love President Benson's reminder that when we feel far from God, it is we who have moved away from Him, because He would never leave us.

I am thus happy to report, that I have recently been winning this battle. It has been a long time since I have felt the presence and guidance of my Heavenly Father so much in my daily life, and with this awareness I am once again reminded that the thing that I feel more than any other is overwhelming gratitude to my Father for all of the tender mercies that he has bestowed upon me.

A few weeks ago I was beginning to be a bit overwhelmed with work and all my other responsibilities, and then I became rather ill, which presented a problem: if I can barely stand or talk, then how am I supposed to dance and sing on stage all weekend? My home teachers came and gave me a wonderful priesthood blessing. The next day, not only was my sickness improved immensely, but a variety of disasters were averted; all through the day I was blessed to see the hand of the Lord in my life.

As I have increased my time with my scriptures, and as I have added daily study of conference talks from our modern prophets, I have been blessed with an added measure of the Spirit in my life. I have felt so much closer to my Father in heaven as I have been able to share with Him my feelings of love and gratitude in my prayers and as I have felt His love for me and as my faith and trust in Him has grown. We all have so many important decisions before us, but I have been blessed to feel confident that as I give my will to Him, He will guide me in making the right choices and will direct my life so that I can fulfill those things which He has for me to accomplish.

I guess I just couldn't wait for Fast Sunday to share this with all of you. I hope this finds you all well, and that if you are struggling, like we all so often do, that maybe this will remind you of how much you are loved! I hope you all know how much I appreciate your friendship and support, and how much I thank my Father in Heaven for that special gift.
And, as one for whom I am especially grateful has taught me: don't have a great day, MAKE a great day! you know who you are... i hope... ;) ♥