Perfect Fall Day to Remember

 I gave a talk on gratitude in church today.  It was the perfect topic for me because its something that I need to work on.  Its easy for me to be honest, to be obedient, but being grateful and optimistic is a continual challenge.  I think I am more like Sariah, who tended to murmur when things got challenging even though she was obviously a woman of faith.   But I want to me more like Job who after having most of his temporal blessings stripped from him was still able to say

·       " Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hathtaken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

 When I came home from church today, Becca and Jared were heading off to choir practice and the house was unusually peaceful.  My first thought was, I wonder what naughtiness Joshua and Alyssa are getting into.  But fortunately I found Emily and Alyssa outside enjoying the sunshine and playing pretend with some sticks out in the garden.  I had "Prince Josh" join them and snapped a few pictures of them playing in the leaves and taking care of their pet ladybug.  I love beautiful days like this!

 One of my favorite conference talks ever is entitled "Oh, Remember, Remember" by Elder Eyring.  I have revisited it several times and one of my revolving new years resolutions (because I never quite attain it) is to record my own moments of God's hand in my life.
After experiencing an act of service that touched him, he said."I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family.  I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day."