Hot Potato!

As I write, I am trying to cook around 80 potatoes for Sunday Supper at church today. Thankful the elderly missionary couple in my ward came over and helped me scrub, cut out yuck spots, and wrap all of them. Next time I think we should have freezer pizzas.

This week I read an great book, which really touched my heart and inspired me to be grateful for every day I have been given. Stephanie Nielson, the author of a well known blog Nie Nie Dialogues, wrote a book Heaven Is Here, all about her life's experience of being in a plane crash that left her close to death and how she learned to recover. If you haven't read it, you should!

Anyone who knows me knows I like it because she explained a few things about the church I attend, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but regardless of your faith, it is a book that reminds us the power of hope and love. Whether you find that through a knowledge of Jesus Christ and His atonement, or your own personal journey, it is undeniable that the human spirit needs love and hope to flourish. Her candidness and courage in sharing her story were quite admirable as well.

The fullness of heaven may not be here on this earth, but there are bits of it all around us. Our task is to open up our eyes and see them. I've noticed this past month I have been trying to focus more on what I do have than what I don't. It has made a lot of difference to my personal outlook on life. While all of us could create volumes of things we fall short of or wish we had, why is it a trying exercise to write a page of things we are grateful we do have? I know my personal gratitude list looks puny in comparison some days to how it should look.

For a year I kept a gratitude journal of how I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life, but somehow the hectic pace of life got in the way and I stopped writing in it. It is time to bring it back. Maybe this post should have been reserved for Thanksgiving, but I want to live in a spirit of thanks and gratitude every day. Shouldn't we all? What a happy way to live.

Yesterday, I had a long list of things to accomplish, and most of them I checked off of my list. This past week, my back and chest pain has been quite unruly and it finally worried me enough to get me to see the doctor. Quite possibly from the medication I took before my last surgery that had the side effect in bold letters, may cause kidney stones to form, I have a kidney infection. I knew I was feeling terrible this week, but my family says I'm a hypochondriac so I always have to be motivated by intense pain or sickness before I will get to the doctor. This time it was both. Nothing gets you to the doctor quicker than blood, nausea and pain. Nothing makes you miss your loving husband more than that either when you are wishing he was there to get you a ginger-ale and a tylenol, lately he's been getting good practice at it.

Have I taken a minute to throw myself a pity party for the last month of problems? Absolutely, I'm only human. But here is the other side of my resolve, and it seems to be much better than the pity party.

I am grateful for the gospel in my life. Without it, I would be utterly lost and am grateful for the peace and knowledge it brings into my life. For marriage and my loving husband who teaches me to love more fully and be kinder towards myself and others. Truly this past year with him has been a bit of heaven on earth. For being able to pay our bills, and the foresight God gave us to take out money through flex spending and an HSA account, which has helped us to pay the $4000 deductible we had to meet without draining our savings. Beauty, everywhere. The beauty of kindness in my behalf and in the behalf of those I love from family, friends, and sometimes complete strangers. How seeing people serving others brings joy into my heart and inspires me to action to try and create that joy for others. Very grateful I just looked at the clock and realized I needed to rotate the next batch of potatoes into the oven!

Realizing I am short on time, words will have to do for the rest of my gratitude. Empathy. Love. Nature. Stillness. Quiet. Teeth. Photography. Music. Indoor plumbing. Fire. Ibuprofen. Memories. Books. Cookies. Health. Wisdom. Friends. Family. Babies. Art. Modern appliances. Sacrifice. Perseverance. Smiles. Heaven. Bravery. Laughter. Pillows. Light. Internet. Flowers. Mercy. The color blue. Trust. Strength. Snuggling. Contentment. Happiness.

Thank you.