Grateful

You know how people stand up to bear their testimony, and they start of by saying, " I would be ungrateful if I didn't stand up to bear my testimony today..."? I have been having one of those moments lately. I could be cleaning my house right now, but I do feel like I want to write down my feelings. My kids are both asleep, the house is quiet, the snow is falling outside, and I am sitting next to our Christmas tree, which is beautifully lit. There is something special about this time of year. I love to think of the classic Christmas story, the story of Christ's birth. It must have been amazing to be Mary. Becoming a mother, is a very spiritual experience. I feel like I have such a big job to do in raising these children for the Lord. But the interesting thing is, I believe I can do it with His help. I believe that he believes in me. I believe that families are forever, and that the family is central to the Lord's plan. Sometimes life events happen that make you realize the truth of the gospel even more. Last week was one of those times for me. I have been watching my sister-in-law's family go through a devastating time. It is interesting to watch something like that from the outside. To see the Lord's hand in their family. To watch His tender mercies present in their lives. I truly, more than ever, believe that the Lord has a plan for us. He will not give us trials that we can not handle. Life definitely will not be easy, but we will grow and learn from our experiences. The growth that we gain from our experiences is needed for us to learn. And we have to learn! Knowledge is one of the most precious gifts that we have. How blessed we are to have the knowledge of the gospel. To know that Christ lives! To know that we have a prophet on the Earth today, who can guide us if we will only listen. To know that we can pray to our Father in Heaven any time. To know that we can ask for His strength and receive it. To know that our families can be forever! There is nothing more precious to me than my family and the gospel. I am so grateful for my husband and my children. I am grateful for the Lord's hand in our lives. It has been a hard year for us, but I can see how much we have grown this year. It is so easy to focus on bad things. I am learning that there will always be bad things going on in our lives, but if we focus on the good things we will be much happier people. Sometimes it seems we have to look hard for things that our good in our lives. But once we start looking, the good list becomes endless. I have been able to see my endless blessings in such a clear light. I feel like the Lord has blessed me abundantly. I love my family. I love my kids. I love Matt. And, I am so grateful that we are all together at this time, and that we will be forever. I hope that all of our friends and family have a wonderful Christmas season! For it truly is a special time of year.