Gratitude...

I have been reading the General Conference Ensign lately and have been very touched by Pres. Monson's talk on "Finding Joy in the Journey." With Thanksgiving coming up me and Cameron have been trying really hard this year to instill the real principles of Thanksgiving and Christmas to our kids. I don't know if it's the world around us or just the prompting to make our home a better place. Alex has been learning alot about Thanksgiving at her preschool and has told me countless times what she has been grateful for. She said the other day she was grateful for her my little pony's and I laughed there for a minute, but in reality she is grateful for what is around her. Sorry for the long post, it's mostly for when I print off our blog one day. I took a few of the quotes I really liked from Pres. Monson's talk and thought I would share.

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”10 May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

I LOVE the last quote where it says gratitude takes it's place among the noblest of virtues. I have always felt being grateful for what is around you is SO important and I sometimes forget with all the stress in life to stop and realize to be grateful for the people around me and never forget that my life has been so blessed.

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and eat lots and lots of good food!