Season of Thanks

I am so thankful. I have been meaning to write down and start counting my blessings during this wonderful season of Thanksgiving.  Because of time, I will start with just three things tonight.

I am so thankful for my family.  For my husband and children.  They are my whole life.  I love being with them, I love that I am able to work to provide for them, I am so thankful they are healthy and happy and that we are together every day.  They are so worth all the things I do for them and I am so thankful for all they do for me. I find joy every day in the little accomplishments my children have each day, and for the sweet things my sweet husband does for me.  He cooks, he takes wonderful care of the kids, he gets straight A's in school, and he keeps me level headed when silly life stresses make me boil over.  Thank you Tim.  I am so thankful my family can be together forever because of the blessings of the Temple.  I am so thankful for that knowledge especially this year with the passing of Tim's younger brother Ben.  That was such a spiritual awakening for our family and I pray we can always remember what a spiritual experience that was.  I am so thankful for the growth and closeness that resulted from that experience.  It was such a sacred time for us and I am so so thankful for eternal families.

I am thankful for the challenges in my life that cause me to struggle and grow spiritually and emotionally and mentally.  For the last few years I have had an unsettled feeling in my gut that things are just too easy, that I'm getting too complacent with my life and growth and goals and family.  This year I wanted to really go for the goals I've set personally, and with my family.  Then, my work place started to get difficult and I was so scared to take a leap of faith to quit because of the economy, and I kept making excuses and just put up with it.  I love what I do for work, but my security and my stress to provide for my family was really weighing on me.  Then I was let go from that office I had worked in for 5 years and friends I worked with and  patients that felt like family were all taken away from me.  I now look at that experience and I'm glad I went through that challenging time where I had to question what was really important.  It was like the worst breakup I've ever been through.  I am so grateful, now, for that growing experience.  Now I work in a great office and I remember why I love what I do for work.  I truly enjoy serving people, helping them get healthier, smile more, and motivate them.  I still am looking for more permanent work, but that leads me to my next point of gratitude...

I am so thankful for the blessings of faith and I truly have a testimony of paying tithing.  I'm working only 3 days a week now, looking to work 2 more to more easily support my family and reduce how much we have to borrow for school for Tim.  I am having to go outside of my comfort zone a lot to call and network without feeling like I'm begging for work.  I know I'm not, but I am silly that way, and this has made me push past that and I'm thankful.  Week to week I've been able to get an additional day here and there to make ends meet a little closer and that has been a great blessing I believe due to our faithful tithe paying.  I don't question whether to pay it, even when the mortgage is coming due, I am so thankful for that testimony.  We truly are blessed for being faithful to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving and will continue to count my blessings. Thanks for reading.