Listening to a Prophet's Voice

On the Friday prior to Thanksgiving, Pres. Russell Nelson gave a short message about the power of gratitude and challenged us to "flood social media with expressions of gratitude #givethanks. I added my comments with many many others.  It was fun to read other posts and to be reminded of our many blessings.  I feel grateful especially for parents who were great examples of being grateful for their blessings because I usually look at life through that type of lens.  Like Pres. Nelson stated, there is great power in being grateful.

Here are my posts from last week:

Friday-

Today I am grateful for all the ways we can communicate and keep in touch through technology...emails, Zoom meeting mission training, Facetime and telephone and texting to talk to my grown up children and grandchildren, and especially for YouTube to listen to the prophet reminding us of the power of gratitude. #givethanks

Saturday-

I know in the scheme of things it doesn't matter, but today, I am grateful for an afternoon of BYU college football. I needed that break.
#givethanks

Sunday-

"A few weeks ago, a sweet young adult currently serving a mission for my Church, asked what our favorite name for Jesus Christ was (thanks, Olivia Randall). Since then I spent some time thinking about that. There are so many names and titles for Christ--Redeemer, Elder Brother, Mediator, Savior, Jehovah, and many more. I finally decided my favorite is "The Good Shepherd." I love the sense of care and watchfulness shared in that title. And as one of His baby sheep, I hope that I am responding to His voice and will always be found following Him. Today, I give thanks for Jesus Christ. #givethanks"

Monday-

1987

1992

2007

2017

"It seems fitting to me that National Adoption Month and Thanksgiving share the same month. Next to my testimony of Jesus Christ and my relationship with Gary, being a mother is one of the most rewarding, most important, and hardest thing that I do even now! And while I don't think I love my five kids more than most mothers do, I do think that infertility and our winding (sometime seeming like forever) journey to become parents gave us an appreciation that I probably wouldn't have had if children had come easily when we planned on it. And with our four who are adopted, I also honor their birthparents, for their sacrifice in face of personal difficulties, to allow these amazing children to live and to come to our family. We will forever be linked together. Someday, I hope to stand in front of each of their birth mothers and tell them the stories of our children and give them the biggest longest "thank you" hugs ever! Today I am thankful to be a mother to my five children! Best, hardest job ever!

And while as Jessica pointed out to Scott when she was five and he was four--he had two moms but she was just stuck with me-Jessica was the one who prayed each one of them home to us--predicting the gender of each one months before they came and just wanting them so badly.

#givethanks"

Tuesday-

"I have loved reading other #give thanks posts and agree with everything that has been shared--I love Gary, my children, my parents and siblings, sunrise and sunsets, the world we live in (and especially oceans). I love the modern conveniences and also the times that I am away from them. I love walking on the trails in my community and I love walk the stones of the Great Wall of China. I love the change of the seasons, the warm sun, the brisk winter mornings. For all of this and so much more, I am grateful for today.

Today I want to give thanks for PEOPLE. I like people, my closest friends, my neighbors, the strangers in the street, and the people across the world. Each of you in my Facebook world and everyone else that crosses my path--the young and the old--have added joy, perspective, knowledge, and enrichment to my life. Thanks. #givethanks

(I included a "virtual hug" gif with this post.)

Wednesday-

on our kitchen table this season

"I am glad for each new day...to start over, enjoy family and friends, work, have fun, read a book, serve...and grateful for the many blessings that allow us so many options in our lives. #givethanks"

Unfortunately, I didn't feel great on Wednesday and Thursday and didn't get a final "7th" post done although I thought about it frequently on Thursday which was Thanksgiving. My intent was to express gratitude for our mission as it was the "one month" anniversary of starting our mission, but it didn't seem like the right thing. There seemed to be so many things to say that I ended up not saying anything on social media....but in my heart, so SO many things were there. I am truly so blessed.

All of this talk about gratitude reminded me that I had not posted my talk as I mentioned I would. Since the topic I was assigned was Gratitude--this is the perfect spot--my next post...