The Choice to Be Grateful

I came across the First Presidency Message for December and I just love it. This is a time of the year where so much love is shared and service is given. I love the spirit it brings. It got me to thinking a little more deeply about those little things I am grateful for. The small things that are easily taken for granted.

The Choice to Be Grateful by: PRES HENRY B. ERYING
"Our Father in Heaven commands us to be thankful in all things (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18), and He requires that we give thanks for the blessings we receive (see D&C 46:32). We know that all of His commandments are intended to make us happy, and we also know that to break commandments leads to misery.
So to be happy and to avoid misery, we must have a grateful heart. We have seen in our lives the connection between gratitude and happiness. All of us would like to feel gratitude, yet it is not easy to be consistently grateful in all things in the trials of life. Sickness, disappointment, and the loss of people we love come at times in our lives. Our sorrows can make it hard to see our blessings and to appreciate the blessings God has in store for us in the future.
It is a challenge to count our blessings because we have a tendency to take good things for granted. When we lose a roof over our heads, food to eat, or the warmth of friends and family, we realize how grateful we should have been when we had them.
Most of all, sometimes it is hard for us to be sufficiently grateful for the greatest gifts we receive: the birth of Jesus Christ, His Atonement, the promise of resurrection, the opportunity to enjoy eternal life with our families, the Restoration of the gospel with the priesthood and its keys. Only with the help of the Holy Ghost can we begin to feel what those blessings mean for us and for those we love. And only then can we hope to be thankful in all things and avoid the offense to God of ingratitude.
We must ask in prayer that God, by the power of the Holy Ghost, will help us see our blessings clearly even in the midst of our trials. He can help us by the power of the Spirit to recognize and be grateful for blessings we take for granted. What has helped me the most is to ask God in prayer, “Wouldst Thou please direct me to someone I can help for Thee?” It is in helping God bless others that I have seen my own blessings more closely.
My prayer was once answered when a couple I had not known before invited me to go to a hospital. There I found a little baby so small that she could fit in my hand. In only a few weeks of life, she had undergone multiple surgeries. The doctors had told the parents that more difficult surgery would be needed for the heart and lungs to sustain life in that little child of God.
At the request of the parents, I gave the baby a priesthood blessing. The blessing included a promise of life being extended. More than giving a blessing, I received the blessing myself of a more grateful heart.
With our Father’s help, all of us can choose to feel more gratitude. We can ask Him to help us see our blessings more clearly, whatever our circumstances. For me that day, I appreciated as never before the miracle of my own heart and lungs working. I gave thanks on the way home for blessings to my children that I could see more clearly were miracles of kindness from God and from good people around them.
Most of all, I felt gratitude for the evidence of the Atonement working in the lives of those anxious parents and in mine. I had seen hope and the pure love of Christ shining in their faces, even in their terrible trial. And I felt the evidence you can feel if you ask God to reveal to you that the Atonement can allow you to feel hope and love.
We all can make the choice to give thanks in prayer and to ask God for direction to serve others for Him—especially during this time of year when we celebrate the Savior’s birth. God the Father gave His Son, and Jesus Christ gave us the Atonement, the greatest of all gifts and all giving (see D&C 14:7).
Giving thanks in prayer can allow us to see the magnitude of these blessings and all of our other blessings and so receive the gift of a more grateful heart.”
So what am I grateful for?

I am so grateful for the GOSPEL and the knowledge I have. I know I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father that loves me and I know there is a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. I am grateful for the ATONEMENT and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who died for us. He came into this Earth to receive a body of flesh and bones and then was crucified. The pain and agony he suffered is more then anyone can relate to. He has a great love for all his brothers and sisters and because of this unconditional love, we can always repent and return to live with Him again, as well as our families, forever. I am also grateful for the law of TITHING. I have received so many blessings from paying my tithing with every earning I get. Being laid off, it has not been easy, but I have continued to pay my 10%, the Lord blesses my life in so many ways. I somehow have the money I need to get by every month. This gospel is true and I am grateful for our TEMPLES, the modern day PROPHET – Pres. Thomas S. Monson, JOSEPH SMITH and his courage & faith, and for the SCRIPTURES and the HOLY GHOST and the guidance I receive from both.I am proud to be an AMERICAN and live in freedom. I am grateful for the SERVICE of those who fight for this country. Their sacrifices, as well as those of their families, are amazing and brave. Thank you!
My little REX. He is so naughty, but so lovable at the same time. The one thing about dogs are, not everyone learns how to love them, but no matter what, a dog will always love you. They are so forgiving and can sense when things are wrong. I am also grateful for HEAT. This is Rex’s new favorite spot, right by my space heater. I am so happy I have a home and heat to keep me warm, especially here in Utah!  I know school can completely stress me out, but I am grateful for all I have learned in this life. I am grateful for my KNOWLEDGE, my desires, and my ability to gain an education. To better myself and to continue to learn and grow. I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue through college and be enlightened on new things. Let there be LIGHT! Such a great convenience. We can have light with just the flip of a switch. No pulling out the matches or burning the wood.   I love my MUSIC; it brings me joy and happiness. It brings back memories and lifts my spirits. There are so many types of music out there and I am grateful for the variety we have – songs that make me want to dance and songs that praise the Lord, Jesus Christ.I am so grateful for my FAMILY. We have so much fun together; laughing, crying, playing games, teasing each other, and building everlasting memories. At times, we may have our moments where we disagree, but quickly, we forget and move forward. LOVE, this is what keeps us going and together. I am kinda stuck with them for forever…but this makes me smile. I love each and every one of them. I am so happy to be an AUNT. They make me laugh even when I am not in the mood to slip a smile, on my most down days. They always give me a story to tell and something to brag about. Just look at those cute smiles!I love my GRANDPARENTS; though I only have one left, here on Earth, I am grateful for the memories shared. They each had their own way of showing their love and concern for me and my individual life. I know I will see them again someday and I will savor every moment I have left with my grandma Inkley who is still with us today. I am grateful to know what the word FUN means! Some people don’t know how to do this. They can’t seem to do this until the work is done, but the work is never done! The fun must come along with the work and this makes life so much worthwhile.I was laid off very unexpectedly in August and as I searched, there was nothing out there. I needed something full time, with benefits, and good pay. I just bought a new car and had a lot of health bills adding up. With little luck finding anything that would meet my needs, I was then contacted to help with the Black Diamond Gymnastics’ Girls Team. I was super grateful for the JOB opportunity, knowing I had coaching as a back up plan, with many years of experience. I had always wanted to coach team and the opportunity was right in front of me. With this job, I took a 65% pay cut making things tight and stressful. My parents have willingly, stepped in to help with my bills and allow me to focus a little more on getting through school. I have been judged by many that I am 25 and still living at home. I am a little bugged by the remarks I hear, they don’t know my situation. They don’t know the whole story. I am not incapable of living on my own, I know how to cook and clean and do laundry, the basics and more. I am so grateful for my PARENTS and their love for me to help support me through this time. In the past, it was just a good way to stay at home, save money and get through school. Now, it is more because I literally can’t afford to live away from home. So, despite what others may judge, I am where I need to be and I am so blessed to have my parents support and love.   CLEAN RUNNING WATER, what would I do without it? I am so grateful for clean, running water to drink, to cook with, and to bathe. When I am in the shower, I have the hardest time getting out, it just feels so good and refreshing and allows me to think. I have learned to love drinking water more so than I used to, as long as it is ice cold. So refreshing! I am a TeXan and PROUD of it! I am grateful for a good CHILDHOOD. I have great parents who have taught me the gospel, they have taught me right from wrong and how to treat others. They have taught me how important family is and getting an education. They have taught me respect and love. I am so grateful for the fun times we spent together and still enjoy. I am grateful for the 14 years I lived in Texas and wish, often, to go back into time, when life was so carefree and fun. Texas is a great place to live and a great place to grow up. I miss it, the great memories made and the warm weather. I am grateful for FRESH PRODUCE. I love fruit and some veggies, though I am quite a bit more picky when it comes to my vegetables. I enjoy going to the stands on the side of the road, freshly picked and delicious. I am so blessed to have yummy food to eat and keep me strong and healthy. 
These are just a few of the many list of things I am grateful for. I am so blessed in my life. I have faced many trials in this life and things aren’t perfect, but I am so blessed in many ways. My family is so loving and supportive. I am grateful for those things that do work in my body, though the list seems to be getting shorter and shorter every year, I am still blessed with the HEALTH strength to exercise and enjoy life to my fullest potential. It could be far worse then it really is, and the issues I do have to deal with, well, I just take it one day at a time. This brings up another thing, I am grateful for the TRIALS that come my way. They strengthen me and make me who I am. They lead me back to my Father in Heaven and when I look back at everything I have overcome, I realize the great potential I have to do great things. My life is deeply blessed with so many wonderful things and TALENTS that help me to grow and live and enjoy life. I try to smile and be positive as much as I can. I want to help others find that same positivity in their life’s as well. My advice to start, write down all of your blessings; you will realize how loved you are and how great your potential may be. Don’t lose hope, don’t give up, keep moving forward with your chin up. I do know this, I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and only wants the best for me. Many times, I have a hard time understanding what He wants from me and the direction He wants me to go, but I know he is always there, waiting for me to get down on my knees and come unto him. He always listens, he is always there. ALWAYS.
Find joy in the small things and count your many blessings.
-Peanut