Mother's Day 2010

Gifts I Have Received Through Being Willing to Be a Mother:

(I'm going to preface this by saying: I wrote this on Mother's Day, May 9^th, 2010, to stand as a written reminder of things I have learned, and am grateful for knowing, due to becoming and being a mother. I also write these things down, so as to be able to share them with my family.)

1. Six AMAZINGLY brilliant children, 10 FABULOUS grandchildren (so far)
   

2. More understanding of how much God loves us

3. More understanding of what “LOVE” truly is, and what the word means

4. Better understanding of exactly who I am – my strengths & weaknesses – how to recognize and increase my strengths – how to accurately view and work to overcome weaknesses and turn them into strengths because I am human, but a Child of God

5. Learning to accept and love myself, in spite of faults and weaknesses

6. Learning to like myself as I am now, while continuously striving to become BETTER!

7. Learning to forgive – and that forgiveness frees the soul to soar to God

8. Learning more fully the GREAT POWER of the prayers of a mother

9. Gaining an understanding of unconditional LOVE

10. The greater measure of gratitude for all the blessings the Lord has given me

11. The better understanding of Eternity and Eternal Progression – grandchildren who continue to fill and bless my life with joy beyond that which I could comprehend without them

12. Understanding of the joy of righteous children and their families, and seeing them grow in life and the Gospel

13. Better understanding of God's HOPE for us to repent and return to the path that leads back to Him

I learned Love, Understanding, Forgiveness, the Power of Prayer, Gratitude, and Hope!

The Sabbath Day is So Fine! I'm Thankful - Day Nine

Today, although I've been sick and didn't go to church, I'm thankful for the blessing of being able to choose to attend. I'm thankful for good and conscientious people, who left the security of their European homelands to come to a primitive and untamed land, in order to provide themselves and all future generations the blessing of religious freedom of choice. I'm thankful for America's Founding Fathers, who gave birth to a country that made religious freedom not just a possibility, but a reality.

I'm thankful for a boy prophet who, having been taught righteous principles, had lived worthy to receive, translate, and give to the world the truths of the restored Gospel. I'm grateful for ancestors who listened to missionaries in their homeland of Denmark, and then left all they had to cross not just the ocean, but the plains and wilderness of America, to settle and build a life here in the western North America. And, I'm thankful for a grateful heart. And, I'm thankful I was taught by my parents to give thanks.

Yay For Day Four! I'm Thankful I Can Vote!

And I'm with Marily, Yay for the right to vote. I hope everyone in my family got out to vote. I'm grateful for a free country, where we get to go to the polls to choose our leaders, even if the one I preferred didn't get chosen. How many countries around the world even get to vote. And, of those who do have elections, how many of those countries elect the actual leaders of the country. I don't know the statistics, but I know we Americans are in the minority.

I am also grateful for children who are politically active, and actually help promote good causes. We'll see if Mark decides to run for the Senate some day. Hmmm, Senator Mark Smith. Nice ring to it. What say, Mark???