"Somedays we forget to look around us. Somedays we can't see the joy that surrounds us. So caught up inside ourselves, we take when we should give....It's up to us to be the change. And even though we all can still do more, there's so much to be thankful for."
–Josh Groban, Thankful
I am overwhelmed with how much my Heavenly Father and His Son love me. As I said in my last post, these few months are truly my favorite time of year. The more I stay in tune with the Spirit and do what I'm doing, I recognize the tender mercies the Lord places in my life every single day. Whether it's getting asked out by a boy I like, or nailing a singing performance when I was worried I'd bomb it, or getting A's on assignments on tests and papers when I have been doing a balancing act with three jobs and full-time school, God's hand is in my life every day. The more we learn to recognize that these aren't merely coincidences, the more love and joy we feel for life around us. I am surrounded by so much beauty. I have an amazing mother who I talk to almost every day, sisters, friends, and roommates who care about me, an incredible place in the best choir I have ever sung in, a healthy body that can run and run, and most of all, a membership in the only true Church on this earth, a Gospel of peace and joy that helps me stay on the path that leads me back to my Heavenly Father.
How do I know how to be good? Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live on earth and be an example to us. His life was a miracle. He was perfect. From birth to death He demonstrated faith, humility, selflessness, and obedience.
He suffered pains and afflictions worse than death so that we would have a way to overcome our "natural man" and become the celestial, exalted beings we were meant to be. I love my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. "There's so much to be thankful for," and this Christmas season I won't be forgetting that.
