Life is kind of like a roller-coaster. It brings you up high where you can see all the beautiful views, and then it drops you (you know the feeling where your stomach is suddenly in your mouth) and leaves you breathless, scared, and maybe a little exhilarated (but that's only when you know the momentum will take you up high again). Well, it seems like I have had a lot of roller-coasting in my life, and it hasn't exactly been the most enjoyable thing ever. However, as I'm writing this, I think of two quotes by President Gordon B. Hinckley:
The first one, "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."
And the second, "Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (emphasis added)
I work as a student secretary on campus, and we get the Ensign and New Era magazine every month. Learn more about them here. Yesterday, they both came in, and I was SO excited! Jayze's and my subscription recently expired, so I hadn't seen the September Ensign yet, and I hadn't read the New Era for months. I had some downtime, so I flipped through the Ensign and the article entitled, "1,000 Things to Be Thankful For" caught my eye. In short, the author's 12-year-old daughter was given a school assignment to write an essay about 100 things she was thankful for. She rose to the challenge, asking other members of her family for help. By the end, she had a little over 1,000 things she was thankful for. First, I thought it was cool her school teacher gave her class that assignment, and second, it's awesome she was able to come up with over 1,000 things to be thankful for. I also liked how she asked her family members for help, because then it helped them think about what they were thankful for in life.
Soooooo, I decided to start my own list. Granted, I only have 172 (compared to 1,000, that's a small number!), but writing it down has helped me think about what I am thankful for more throughout the day. I'm able to catch myself when I am being negative and think of my thankful list instead. It really has helped me love life again and know Heavenly Father is aware of me and the different things I go through. Life is so much better when I focus on the positive rather than the negative, and I have felt a lot happier. :)
So, in no specific order, here's my list of 172 things (which is still growing day-by-day by the way). :)
Thankful For:
- my husband, Jayze
- our baby boy
- the aches and pains and hardships of pregnancy because I am just grateful my body is able to be pregnant
- feeling the baby move (helps me know he's okay, and it's such a miracle that a little baby is inside me)
- that I can still fit in some of my clothes - it has been wonderful for our budget
- my Savior, Jesus Christ
- my Heavenly Father
- the Holy Ghost
- the temple - sooo blessed to only live a couple of minutes away from it here in Rexburg
- my home
- Mom
- Dad
- my brother, David
- my sis-in-law, Emily
- my nephew, John
- my baby niece
- my sister, Emily
- my brother-in-law, Silas
- my baby nephew, Breck
- my sister, Felicia
- all of Jayze's family (that would be a lot to list!) :)
- phones
- phone calls
- texts
- emails
- winks from my hubby
- holding hands with my hubby
- hugs
- kisses
- dancing in the kitchen
- our dishwasher
- pictures
- light
- rules
- warnings
- our car
- my job - seriously, it's awesome - a piece of my heart is going to break when I quit, but our baby is soooooo worth it!
- my visiting teachers - they really are the sweetest
- visiting teaching
- my old ward
- my new ward
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- laughs
- ability to type
- stars
- moon
- sunsets
- high standards
- goals
- pictures of Christ
- personal revelation
- to be a woman
- the knowledge of eternal life, of forever
- tithing
- vacations
- faith
- hope
- foot massages - my husband is amazing at giving those!
- laundry - because it means I have clothes
- washing dishes - because it means I have dishes
- dreams
- wishing wells
- compliments - make the day so much better
- opposition - cause it makes me stronger
- time to heal
- time
- alone time
- butterflies - proof change for the better is possible
- water fountains
- treadmills - especially in the winter when it's too cold to run outside
- support from others
- service
- Disneyland
- Temple Square
- indoor plumbing - "it's gonna be good" - Hercules :)
- family reunions
- beauty
- improvement
- a-ha moments
- rainbows
- the Sacrament
- covenants
- blankets
- pillows
- snuggling with my husband
- my husband's job
- flowers
- sunshine
- summer rain
- pen and paper
- to live in America
- freedom
- agency - the ability to act and not be acted upon
- internet - for the good, not the bad it brings
- repentance
- forgiveness
- ability to exercise
- date nights
- good books
- good movies
- long, hot showers
- fluffy towels
- dancing
- good music
- our full-size bed - sooo much better than sleeping on the floor like we did our first week!
- dresser
- our huge, orange kitchen - super retro, but it's awesome :)
- questions
- The Book of Mormon
- The Doctrine and Covenants
- The Pearl of Great Price
- The Holy Bible - King James version
- lds.org
- Mormon Messages
- Living prophets
- priesthood
- our current bishop
- my previous bishops
- my new sandals - just bought them, and I LOVE them!
- our budget - keeps us on track and financially honest
- good company
- lessons learned
- trials
- water
- grocery stores
- holidays
- smiles
- bed sheets
- vacuum cleaner
- kitchen towels
- watermelon
- dark chocolate
- ice cream
- home-cooked dinners
- plants
- our betta fish, Wyatt
- missionaries
- Olivia
- Erika
- Desirae
- Kelcie
- good examples
- inspirational quotes
- snail mail
- electricity
- milk
- hard workers
- success
- failures
- tender mercies
- prayer
- my body
- Plan of Salvation
- chapstick
- fans
- air conditioning
- heaters
- Ensign
- New Era
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- good memories
- lotion
- ability to read
- ability to write
- higher education
- birthdays
- a good night's rest
- projects
- other people's ideas
- ultrasounds
- nail polish
And I'm thankful because life really is good.
Cherish the moment...
Sarah. I love you and I love this post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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