Somedays we forget...

As my Thanksgiving weekend is about to close I think it is time that I finally put into words what I've been thinking about for the past week. As I compiled a simple list on Thursday of what I am thankful for the first few seemed hard. I wasn't going to start out with the simple ones like family or the gospel, I felt I should be more creative. I found things on my list like 'being done with Physics in a few weeks' or 'BYU Basketball'. There are many things as I look around me for which I have gratitude but as I have reflected my thought on Thursday to not put Family or The Gospel at the top of my list seems silly while at the same time maybe they shouldn't be on the list at all.

Maybe the paper on which I was writing should represent my family and The Gospel of Christ, because with out these two things I would not need paper. I feel like I would have nothing to write down because I cannot imagine myself being TRULY grateful for anything if these two things were not in my life. I'm sure there are many who say they do not have either of those two things in their life and they are thankful for many things, and they probably are, but I cannot see myself being like that. I guess maybe I'm not open minded enough, but that is ok by me.

I, like my SIL, have difficulty posting things about the Church sometimes, and I too am not completely sure why. However, I went to a fireside last week, that made me have a little change of heart. It was about online missionary work. The 'Online Missionaries' for the church(their official call is as MTC Referral Center Missionaries) came and spoke and shared with us how they do missionary work online and gave us ideas how we could help. It just recently became an official mission but they have been piloting it since the middle of 2008 and they have had over 250 baptisms since that time. To end my tangent on the fireside I would like to say I am thankful for Missionaries of all types, who serve the Lord to the best of their capabilities.

I am so thankful for those things stated in the First Article of Faith. I truly 'believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His son Jesus Christ and in The Holy Ghost.' My belief in every part of that blesses my life. With my belief in God, I also believe in his eternal plan that allows me to live with Him and my family again if I will follow his preset guidelines. This leads me to His son Jesus Christ; because of his Atonement I am able to follow the Law laid out by Heavenly Father that allows me to return to Him. I am able to become spotless before my Father. The Atonement allows me to live my life without fear because I know that as long as I am trying my best to follow the Father's Plan there is no need to worry about what will happen to me, because Christ has my back, so to speak. Lastly I am thankful for The Holy Ghost. Through the Holy Ghost, I can feel God's love for me and He protects me both physically and spiritually. I am thankful for the full restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and am thankful for the Prophet the have followed him down to the current living prophet Thomas S. Monson.

I am thankful for my earthly family and their continuing support and love for me. Tonight I decided to read an essay my little sister sent to me about her thoughts of when I went through the gift of my brain tumor. I cried, like I have every other time I have read it. In it her words are a constant reenforcement of my families love for me. They also give unending support. No matter what I am facing my Parents and siblings are always there to express their love and willingness to help. After being blessed with having them it would be very difficult to live without them; however, going back to my belief in the Plan of Salvation I know if they were gone they would be supporting me in their post-mortal life.

With those out of the way I am able to look at all of the small things around me I am thankful for; from cream puffs to a good grade on a test to my ability to hear and listen to wonderful music. I hope that we will take the words to 'Thankful', a song performed by Josh Groban to heart. Find those things we are ultimately thankful for and express our gratitude and then do not forget to look around us and and find the joy that surrounds.