Validation

Found this on one of my mom's students blogs this morning.  I love it so much.  A little long, but worth it. Validation

Answered prayers

Today, (well yesterday really) I am thankful for answered prayers.  I am thankful for the times when the Lord gives me specific answers to my problems.  At times they have come as thoughts, like when I prayed strong and hard one night at a loss at what to do over my son's stuttering problems.  Before the prayer was finished, the thought came into my mind: read to him, have him read to you.  Very specific.  And as I did this I saw improvements.  The Lord told me right away what to do.  There have been other times where searching, praying, fasting, getting blessings and the like have drawn on, testing my patience and faith.  But eventually answers came.  Other times, like when my dad passed away far too young from cancer, the answer wasn't the one we all prayed for.  But even then, in those still moments I knew He had heard us, that He loved us still and there was a plan for us.  Most of the time the answers to my prayers and pondering come to me through the words of the scriptures.  The Book of Mormon is magic in this way.  If you are searching or struggling for answers or to know the will of the Lord in you life - immerse yourself in the scriptures.  Pray, ponder, repent, pray some more and read.  The Lord will tell you plain as day in the writings of the scriptures what you should do and how He feels about you.  It's amazing.

But this week I fasted and prayed for an answer and a thought kept coming to my mind.  It wasn't my plan.  It wasn't anything I had thought about, but it still kept nagging at me.  So I started investigating into the solution and one was laid out for me in a miraculous way.  I love my Heavenly Father.  I love that He knows me, listens to me and answers me.

Antibiotics and other little things I take for granted

I'm grateful today for antibiotics.  I'm so glad I live in a day where I can catch a sickness early, take a prescription and feel really good within 2 days.  What did the pioneers do when they had a UTI while crossing the plains?  Poor, poor ancestors.  I'm grateful that the Lord lets us live in so much luxury.  Even when I complained about being soo poor in school we were so rich compared to those early saints and what they had and what comforts they didn't enjoy.
I wasn't asked to grind up my china to put in the walls of the temple to make them shiny.  I wasn't asked to walk across the plains or give up all my possessions and family or burry kids along the way.  I'm asked to make some posters, get some speakers, arrange some music for a youth conference.  I'm asked to go to a lot of meetings:  meetings that are held in a climate controlled beautiful building where I am free to worship unafraid.   Really, I've got it easy.  I need to never forget that.

Generous Strangers

Yesterday I was thankful for the lady in line at Michaels who gave me an extra 40% off coupon because I was buying something big for Courtney's good grades and I don't get the paper and so I didn't have a coupon and I was going to put back my item and go home and search the internet for a coupon and then come back later and buy it. (wow really long sentence!)  She said, "I have an extra one."  She saved me $30.
It reminded me of the lady on the plane when I was heading back from Las Vegas once.  It was super turbulent and I got really sick.  The stewardess wouldn't let me go back to the bathroom - just handed me a bag.  I was sitting between two STRANGERS and had to throw up and throw up into a bag!  I was horrified.  I bent my head down as far as I could between my legs to try to spare my "neighbors" -  well, all of a sudden, I felt someone rubbing my back.  That stranger on the plane felt bad for me.  She didn't dry heave or roll her eyes or any of the things she could have done.  She just rubbed my back until I was done.
"When saw we thee a stranger...."

Lexi

Tonight I'm thankful for my sister Lexi.  She is something of a wonder.  I don't have the words to write how much I admire her.  She is an amazing mother and wife.  She has 4 kids -two of which are disabled.  I don't think any of us realize what her days are like.  I don't think any of us realize how hard it is.  And somewhere along the line she got all crafty.  She's really talented.  Today I got a box in the mail with a ton of paper flowers that she had made.  I told her how darling her wreath and garland were, but that it was too hard to make the flowers and I was burning my fingers off - so what does she do?  She makes me a ton of flowers.  And leaves.  I just have to go get the garland and hook them on.
Do you not realize how much she has to do in a day?  I can't even make it to the post office and my life is a piece of cake compared to hers.  How did she find the time to make me the flowers AND mail them.  Thank you Lexi.  Thanks for being AMAZING.  Thanks for taking your trials with your head held high and for being a great example to all the rest of us.  And thanks for making all those flowers for me.  Hug that sweet little Abby for me and give a big high five to those cute boys.  I love you.

So last night I didn't get a chance to write what I was thankful for because I was making Cream Brulee French Toast for breakfast.  Sounded so delicious but just ended up being suggary sog.  :(  Anyhow, if I could rewind to last night I would say that I am thankful for Blake.  He is such an amazing little kid.  He loves the gospel so much and has such strong feelings at such a young age.  He came home from church on Sunday and wanted to share a scripture with me.  He read to me the story of the Good Samaritan.  He talked about how sad it was that people just walked by.  Then I said, "We are having company over for dinner tomorrow, do you want to give this for a family home evening lesson?"  He said, "Sure."  Even though it was a new family in our ward and he didn't know any of them.  He then spent the day copying down the scripture on a piece of paper.  Then he found the picture of the good samaritan in the gospel art kit. He climbed up the counter and found a bandaid and  then he pestered me for a container that holds oil and wine to pour in his wounds.  The back of his lesson is the cutest.

He gave it like a pro. Asked questions.  Had volunteers hold up the "water bottle" (vile of wine) and the bandaid. He had someone else hold the picture.  I couldn't stop smiling.  What a great kid he is.  I know the Lord has amazing things in store for him.  I love Blake.

Mom's mission

New goal:  Taking this blog back to where I had started - writing on thing a day where I had seen the hand of the Lord in my life.
Tonight I talked to my mom.  She has been on her mission exactly one week and is in the MTC.  She is having the time of her life.  She and her good friend Tina are companions and they just laugh and laugh and are having a ball.  I am so happy for her.  I am so glad that she gets to have these great experiences and spend time doing what SHE wants to for the first time in at least 37 years.  Being a missionary is the best.  I loved so much of it, and when I had a great companion that I loved like Crossman or Takoaka Shimai it made it so much better.  I am jealous.  Such great things await her.  And even though I don't get to talk to her nearly as much as I used to....it's ok.  I'll give her to the Lord for a little while.  And in the meantime, I couldn't be more proud of her.

Little Lizzy

In thinking over my blessings how I saw the hand of the Lord in my life today I would have to say this: Lizzy. This morning we told her that we were going to see Megamind.She looked up and said, "REALLY?? YEA!!! AT THE THEATER??!!! YEA!" She was so excited! Later when we went to the movie she was dancing, loved the popcorn and the whole experience. I love the enthusiasm of a three year old. I wish that I had that all the time. I love going to the movies, don't get me wrong... but Liz just reminded me of my mom today and all that Jones enthusiasm and gush that pours down that line. I love you Lizzy.