Truly Giving Thanks

 “We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ~ Harry Ironside

I have always believed that Holidays are more than just candy or food, or even together time with family and close friends. I've always believed it's more than just a celebration but a reminder.

Some people may get stressed about holidays or even wonder why there is only one day to celebrate and then we go on with our lives as if nothing happened.

Why only be thankful on ONE day out of the whole year?

Why only be thankful that there was a Christ born and celebrate his birth on a day he was not even born?

Why only be thankful for our blessings, be forgiven of our sins, and renew our baptismal covenants with God one day a week?

Or at least that's how it's not supposed to be.

Why even celebrate or be thankful, why go to church, if it's just another day, another project, another effort, right?

Because it REMINDS us.

How many times have we lost our keys and found them in the same exact spot we found them last time?
How many times have we told someone we were going to do something over and over and never gotten to it?
How many times do we feel foggy and discouraged when we are trying so hard to do the right thing, but it's just TOO HARD!

ALL the time.

We're human and we forget, so we need these reminders to help us remember to be thankful, to be forgiving,  to remember our Christ who died for US, to remember our covenants with God, and to remember to  

"10 Be thou ^ahumble; and the Lord thy God shall ^blead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers." ( D&C 112:10)

How many of us have a book, a piece of paper, a phone calendar, or any other form to remind us to do the things that are a PRIORITY, or even every day tasks?

I believe we all have at least once.

Having these holidays on the calendar is something to look forward to every year, to prepare for it, and to be reminded that we should be thankful every day.

Lately I've been feeling foggy, disappointed, and discouraged. I've prayed to just know what to do, to have him give me something to do ANYTHING to do, just something to give me a purpose in everyday life.

There weren't any answers, so I thought. Maybe I was just too clouded to even receive the answers I was being given. It was only when I wrote in my journal and had the thought to write down everything I did have that answers began to come.  Not the answers I was hoping for, but answers to soothe my troubled mind and heart.

I needed to be more THANKFUL.

Instead of praying for what I wanted to do I need to pray and thank God for all the things I was able to do and that I had. 

I had to chance my whole course of thoughts and suddenly things became brighter and began opening up. 

There have been so many times where I'm trying hard to be good and everything appears dark and gloomy, and I wonder why. I have forgotten what makes things so hard to be good: Satan. 

Satan doesn't want me to progress, he doesn't want me to be better, he doesn't want me to be happy.

It's so easy to get wrapped up in all of our worries and fears that we get so lost. 

"We are familiar with the truth found in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon: “Men are, that they might have joy.”¹ I testify that much of that joy comes as we recognize that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer and that those prayers will be heard and answered—perhaps not how and when we expected they would be answered, but they will be answered and by a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us perfectly and who desires our happiness." -President Thomas S. Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

So in honor of Thanks Giving this up coming month I am going to do an experiment: I am going to limit my use of electronics to only when I absolutely need to, to spend more time being aware of the little things in my life that make it great, and to be thankful for it.

Everyday I'm going to come up with something new that I am thankful for and try to do something in return.

For example tomorrow will be:

 Number One- I am thankful for my family.

Without the temptation to play games or watch tons of movies I will be devoting time to "truly giving thanks" to have a family. I am going to attempt to spend quality time with them as much as I can throughout the whole month.

I hope this will inspire you to also be more thankful this month and by truly showing how much it means to you.

Lots of Love,

M.E.G

xoxoxoxoxo

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

The Mafia and the Porcelain Doll