Gratitude

We are so so blessed.

November is typically a time to count our blessings. We should have an attitude of gratitude all the time, but somehow we forget until November comes around.

Check out this inspiring video from the church's website this week:





Today I listened to a talk by President Thomas S. Monson titled "The Divine Gift of Gratitude"

Gratitude is a powerful thing. The power it has to change a person is amazing. It brings incredible amounts of positivity and light. I am determined to be more grateful for the things I have.

A few weeks a go I spent a month in France because of my current visa situation. When I first got there I was over joyed. My aunt's apartment was beautiful and very well lit. She treated me very well as we went out to restaurants and ate tons of french bread and pastries. That very first hot shower was probably the best shower I've ever had. And I was immediately grateful for all those things. Then will time the excitement wore off. Those things weren't as pleasing and uplifting to me as they had been. I started to miss somethings from Brazil. I missed my boyfriend the most. I also missed rice and beans. I missed endless fresh fruit juice. I missed running on the beach. Then when I got back to Brazil, the same thing happened. I started out super excited and content until the gratitude wore off. My apartment started to look dull and unpleasant again. The poor lighting irritated me. How wonderful would it be if I could just stay grateful all the time. What a positive influence I would make in my life if I would appreciate more. Wouldn't it be great if we showed love to our loved ones everyday as if it was the first time we had seen them in a month. Why can't we cherish moments with them while we are living them?

I think that gratitude is hard to find current day.

I stumbled upon a clip while youtube surfing. I'm not sure why I watched it. It was about a music video I haven't seen nor have interesting in seeing. They women talked about how The artist, reacted to not having won an award. There was some talk justifying her reaction and some talk about how she might not have really compared to the competition. The end of the clip was what really stuck with me. I don't really suggest watching the entire clip because I don't think it's worth it, only the end is any good. Here is a link to that last bit. LINK. I'm sorry I don't know the name of the woman talking. I don't really keep up with celebrities at all. What she asks is "what happened to graciousness?" I had never really pinpointed my reason for not liking social media, but I think that might be it! Why do people need to go on twitter and make demands. There are so many harsh words. People can be so mean on social media. It bothers me.  People get on to proclaim what they "deserve". What doe we deserve? Maybe we don't really deserve anything. I think everything is a gift. You could work hard your entire life and not get anything. You could do very little work and have everything. We don't really deserve anything. Life is a gift.

In Luke Chapter 17, you can find the parable of the ten lepers. It might be a good reflection of today. Christ heals ten lepers. One comes back to thank him. He in turn asks "where are the nine?". Being healed of leprosy must bring an overwhelming amount of joy. Sharing that joy with the giver is a way to, in part, pay him back.

President Monson says "My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

I want to touch heaven.

And so I will be more grateful.

I invite you to do the same.

If you do so you will see miracles come upon your life.

With Love,
Erin