#GiveThanks

I was late getting started, so I add one more #GiveThanks - and that is for lights.  I do love lights!
Lamp light, tree lights, candle light, night light, ...  and mostly Christ's Light.

Giving thanks is "a key to hope and healing" so even if I don't post about it, I will continue to #GiveThanks daily.  It helps us feel Christ's Light, and His Love for us.  I am grateful for the comfort, hope, peace, and joy He freely gives us.

I posted about LIGHT last year in this post here.

#GiveThanks

 I #GiveThanks for opportunities to remember the things I am grateful for.  One can feel so much joy and peace as we count our blessings and name them one by one. 

image from Pinterest

I am grateful for our living prophet that guides us and directs us as the Lord would have us do and in ways that always bless our lives as we follow his counsel.  Asking us to #GiveThanks (here and here) was truly inspired.

image from here

#GiveThanks

This is everyday, but today I #GiveThanks for MY FAMILY.  Every family member past and present, and surely even future.  I love that we have eternity to continue to love our family.  For me, Thanksgiving is better because of family ... life is better with family ... 

Family  

where life 

begins and 

love 

never ends 

image found here

#GiveThanks

 Today we spent some time in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow's meal.  I am so grateful for my kitchen - grateful that I don't have to cook on an open fire or carry in all the water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.  There is so much more that a kitchen makes easier, nicer, faster, and even delicious...  

Once again it has become one of my favorite rooms in my house.   I #GiveThanks for my kitchen - today, tomorrow, and every day!!!  

#GiveThanks

(:  I #GiveThanks for Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears  :)

#GiveThanks

Early this morning I received a picture of one of my grandchildren playing with a tractor that my father made.  It brought such happiness, joy, and gratitude to my heart.  

I have seen many of my children and grandchildren play with the toys he has made them and it is always a delightful vision.  

I #GiveThanks for my father and his talents that bless my life and the lives of my loved ones.  

I #GiveThanks for my mother and her talents that bless my life and the lives of my loved ones.  

I have seen those talents throughout my life and have appreciated them.   

My parents are wonderful examples to me and they have taught me (and my siblings) well.  I appreciate all they have done and continue to do for me.  I love them.

#GiveThanks

President Nelson spoke to us through a video message on Friday (link here) and encouraged us to have and share gratitude.  He invited us to post on social media for seven days using the hashtag #GiveThanks. 

I apologize that this is my first post (without sharing the reasons why - that's another story) - we'll just be happy that I finally figured it out :)  

This is how I social media!

I had such a beautiful experience today during the closing prayer of our sacrament meeting.  Actually, the whole meeting was wonderful, starting with the opening prayer, when my thoughts turned to my mother-n-law, Idris.  

I cannot share all of the thoughts and impressions I felt during the meeting - there were many - but I do want to share one that happened during the closing prayer, given by the spouse of the person who gave the opening prayer.  For privacy reasons I will not share their names, so I hope it's not too confusing.

Idris would visit with him on occasion when she was in the store where he worked.  I remember her talking about him with kindness and love, and I remember him (and his family) coming to visit her.  She loved this man and his family and wished for them to be taught and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and be baptized.  

She passed away before she could see that happen, but it did eventually happen.  They were baptized at the beginning of this year when guests were limited due to Covid restrictions.  I was disappointed that I could not attend because I truly wished to be there, and I also wanted to somehow represent my mother-in-law.  

I was reminded of this because of the prayers given today.

At the end of the closing prayer I had a beautiful tender vision that brightened my heart and soul.  I suppose it was more of a thought but I could see it in my mind.  I could see Idris gathering all of her family and friends in heaven, gesturing with her arms inviting all to come watch this lovely family as they made covenants with the Lord and performed this sacred saving ordinance.  I could feel her excitement as she did this with such exuberance.  I could see the smile on her face and the light in her eyes.  I imagine she was giving and receiving loving hugs and kisses on the cheek to and from those loved ones she was gathering. And knowing her, everyone around her, even those she did not know, were her loved ones. It was a glorious thought and vision in my mind.  I was caught up in it so much that, I'm sorry to say, I missed the last several seconds of the prayer.  It was just over and things were quiet - the prayer and then my thoughts/vision.  I then felt sorry that I missed the closing of his prayer but grateful for the tender feelings that I was left with.

I don't know how things really happen in the Spirit World, but this was a precious moment and my heart was touched and filled with love and joy.  This little vision in my mind that took place all at once, within only a few seconds time was a tender mercy that brightened my whole day. I'm still smiling!  And I #GiveThanks for it!

I am so grateful for the Spirit that touches our hearts and minds - for the inspiration that comes, for guidance and direction, for warmth and comfort, for love and joy - from heaven.  

President Nelson also shares "The Story Behind My Global Prayer of Gratitude"  (link here)

LIGHT

One morning after it had rained all night, I walked outside to the water hydrant and noticed the wet and soggy ground and felt a cloudy, gloominess surrounding me.  It seemed almost tangible.  It was maybe 9:00 am so there was daylight but no ray of light or brightness.  The words "this cold and dreary world" came into my mind and I was beginning to feel a bit discouraged and depressed.

As I continued my short journey back into the house I felt the need to look up to the sky with a wish to see the sun and brightness that comes with it.  Only then did I see the sun trying to shine through the clouds.  It wasn't covering the earth like it does on a bright summer day but it was there.  I lifted my head and looked up and there was the light and brightness I was in need of.  It was there - I just had to seek it.  The correlation between that bit of light in the sky and Christ's Light was instantly on my mind, just as was the joy that replaced the gloominess in my heart.

I walked into the house, grabbed my phone and went back out to take a picture to remind me of what I had just seen and felt.

The next morning our power went out, making it difficult to see things because it was still dark outside, so I lit some oil lamps and candles and sat down with a flashlight to read the "Come, Follow Me - For Individuals and Families" manual and the scriptures it suggested for the week.

I almost didn't read the suggested scriptures (Matthew 2 and Luke 2) because I knew the story they were telling, but then decided I'd better read them.   Luke 2:32 spoke to my heart and soul as I read the words Simeon used to describe Christ - "A light to lighten the Gentiles".

I immediately remembered the experience I had the previous day and thought about the new and present conditions surrounding me again that morning (which was darkness and a flashlight to make it possible to see and read the scriptures) and I felt a tender blessing of love, and once again I felt and knew that Christ knows me personally.  He sent these experiences to help, comfort, enlighten, and guide me.

As I was finishing up my reading the power came back on and I realized how these things could be considered coincidence to some, but to me, it was DIVINE.   Had I chosen to not read the scriptures because I already knew what they said or just put it all down and stopped studying because the lights went out, I would have missed out on a wonderful and tender, personal experience.



Now, a week later, in the light, warmth and comfort of my home, but with an overwhelming concern (even a "gloominess") on my mind and in my heart, I sat to finish my personal study of "Come, Follow Me" and the scriptures for this week.   I read the journal notes I had written as I read thru the week and saw things like;

"Christ is the TRUE LIGHT, and all have it."  

"He saves all who come unto Him and Believe Him."  

"He is the only way!"

I re-read John 1:4-10 and the ideas in the manual for those verses, and I was again reminded that "the Savior is the Light of [our] lives."



No matter what our earthly or mental surroundings and conditions, no matter who we are or where we are, no matter what we have said or done or felt or otherwise experienced,  no matter how dark and dreary things seem or are, ... NO MATTER WHAT ... I KNOW

"The LIGHT 

SHINETH in DARKNESS" 

(John 1:5)

The experiences of the last couple weeks have helped me remember how grateful I am for His LIGHT.  I know that He will be present if we allow Him to be, if we SEEK HIM.    Look for Him.   Look to Him.

I am grateful to the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their inspired direction and guidance and for the new Come, Follow Me - For Individuals and Families.  I look forward to the enlightenment that can come as we continue to study through the year.

I know that our lives are better as we put Christ in the center of all that we do.  He is our strength.  HE IS THE ONLY WAY!





Well, I had this post complete - or so I thought, and was going to come back to publish it after a phone call I had and some studying for seminary, but then ...

As I was studying for seminary.  I read the word enlightens in the scriptures and decided to study a bit more about it since it has been on my mind of late and I had just written about it.

I found a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God's Light and read the first portion of it, Entrance to Enlightenment.  He spoke of a painting with the same title so I searched for and found it.   In doing so, it led me to another small article about the picture, in Arts.

Entrance to Enlightenment

I won't spend time re-writing what each of those articles said, but I added links.  I will once again add how wonderful it is to be enlightened, and add this:

understand that darkness exists - but do not dwell there

LIGHT ALSO EXISTS 

DWELL THERE!