Today I am grateful for a lazy morning… I laid in bed for awhile… I took my time studying the scriptures and reading from a few additional inspirational books… Today I am grateful for the quote I read from the book I got myself for Christmas, A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel.
“You are in the right place. That place might be scary, boring, exciting, or heartbreaking. But whatever it is, sit tight. Instead of fighting your way out of it with everything you’ve got, sit still. Experience it. Let go. Rock on. You are exactly where you should be.”
That reminds me of several important, calming scriptures:
Psalms 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”
D&C 121:7 “My son (daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment…”
It brings to mind the story of Jesus spending a long, exhausting day teaching and preaching from a boat because there were so many people, so many demands, that he needed to be on the boat. At the end of the day he asked the disciples to sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus found a quiet spot at the back of the ship and laid down for a much deserved rest at the end of a long, exhausting day. However, while he closed his eyes, a storm arose and tossed the boat to and fro. The boat began to take on water.
The disciples were scared, even though they were experienced fishermen who knew how to handle a boat in a storm. This must have been one heck of a storm… maybe like a pandemic, virtual school, family issues, health issues, political unrest? Jesus trusted them and they trusted Jesus. Their presence on the boat was evidence of their devotion to the Savior. They had left careers, personal interests and even family to follow the Savior. Yet, in this moment of chaos they allowed fear into their hearts.
In a moment of panic, they wakened Jesus, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38). “Lord save us: we perish.” (Matthew 8:25).
Jesus arose. “Peace, be still. And the wind [did cease], and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39).
Then, in a loving way, the Master of all things ask two simple questions: “Why are ye so fearful?” (Mark 4:40). “Where is thy faith?” (Luke 8:25).
I wonder why we, in moments of trial, immediately go to, “Lord, where are you? Why have you left me all alone?”
There is one thing I have begun to learn… the Savior understands our limitations. He understands what it feels like to be tired, hungry, cold, hot, in pain, frustrated, sorrowful, and even in despair. He experienced all things that we experience due to His mortal experience. He may be the Creator. He may be the Master of all things on earth. But He is also perfectly able to say, “Peace, be still… I understand… Take a breath and breathe.”
Today I am thankful for another lesson from another inspiring book, Peace in Every Footstep by Thich Nhat Hanh. In our crazy, busy society we need to practice peace and being still. I know I do. Take a breathe. I can practice conscious breathing while meditating or in prayer. I can practice conscious breathing while at work, sitting in the car at a stop light, any place I am and during any time of day.
Thich Nhat Hanh gave a simple exercise to try while breathing in and breathing out. Say the following: “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!”
This is a message I needed today… well all of them have been messages I needed today. I have been feeling unsettled, uncertain, a bit lost. Between my house being in chaos with projects, virtual school, people I love experiencing trauma and general unrest, and political and social unrest in my community and around the world, I have been feeling a little like I am being tossed to and fro in a storm.
This song speaks to me:
I tried the breathing exercises today. You know what happened? I heard the voice of inspiration. I found the courage to follow the thought.
Lilli and I went to Lowes and to Walmart today to get a few things to finish off my living room projects. While Lilli ran the cart to the cart place, I practiced conscious breathing. Then, the thought popped into my head, “Go to McDonald’s and get hot coffee and hamburgers and take them to the homeless camp next to Walmart.” I told Lilli what I wanted to do and we went to see if people were at the camp. Tents covered in tarps, broken down cars and trucks were scattered through the woods next to the rising creek. The water was coming down from the sky and rising up into puddles and small streams in the pouring rain. Very few people were wandering around in the cold rain.
At McDonald’s we ordered 20 cups of coffee and 30 hamburgers. The manager told me I needed to call ahead next time with such a large order. It was almost dark when we got back to the camp. We put our masks on and hopped out of the car, hamburgers and coffee in hand. We were able to find 7 people at first, all huddled up in their cars, but we had trouble finding more. We drove back to the Walmart parking lot and saw two people walking across the parking lot toward the homeless camp. We approached them and they were happy to take a few hamburgers and coffees. Then, the thought came to me to ask them if they knew more people who could use coffee and hamburgers. They did. Their friend drove up and they loaded up the rest of the food and the girl took off on her bike to “get everybody.” They seemed so thankful for something warm to drink and a simple meal.
Lilli and I had a nice chat on the way home about serving others, accepting praise for said service or keeping service to yourself. We chatted about how sometimes we have to be brave to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
Today I am thankful for promptings and lessons from the Holy Ghost.
Today I am thankful for spiritual lessons… from the scriptures and from wise people.
Today I am thankful for opportunities to serve.
Today I am grateful for time with my Lilli today.
Today I am grateful for projects that are turning out awesome! I love how the refinished job on my fish tank holder turned out. Today I am thankful for Lilli’s help on the project sticking the tiles on the desk I sanded, repaired and painted and for John’s help who drilled holes for the new handles on the drawers.
Today I am grateful for Lilli and Riley who helped me load up more books on shelves and for putting warm LED lights in the living room. It is now so much brighter!
Today I am thankful for nachos for dinner.
Today I am grateful vitamins and herbs. Today we learned that a friend of Lilli’s home tested positive for COVID. Lilli went to visit them this morning! Ahh! Well, we are now downing the vitamins and herb that Janica showed me. Here’s praying it works. That and we will be quarantining for the next few days.
Today I am thankful for a text from my Jo!
Today I am grateful you actually read all of my ramblings.
What are you grateful for today?
Resigning as the General Manager of the Universe 
I am thankful for a kind dentist who extracted a yucky tooth that would have cost me +$500 to take out if I had gone to his oral surgeon referral. He offered to do this on Thursday morning, after talking with his wife about my situation. (The hole in my tooth was gnarly and caused by a rare condition that quickly gets worse.)
I am also thankful that the other office had an insurance question before I went to my initial consult which led to me discovering that my insurance would not cover much at all…
Blessings!!
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*** His office was closed on Thursday, but he came in for me.
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