Gratitude

 

 Today my heart is full of gratitude thanks to our Relief Society lesson.  I'm grateful for so many things but would like to list a few.

*My membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The knowledge that God loves me and knows me individually. 

*My wonderful, loving, patient and genuinely kind husband!  I love him more than anything in this world!  I couldn't live this life without him!

*My adorable children.  I love listening to them laugh!  I love the time we spend together.

*My parents.  For raising me to be who I am today.

*My mother and late father-in-law.  For bringing my husband into this world and for being wonderful examples on how I want to raise my own children!

*Siblings and in-law siblings.  I love my sisters and my brother so much!  I love my in-law siblings as if they are my own true flesh and blood!  We have so much fun together!

*Friends from the past.  Without them I wouldn't be who I am today.  Just to go into a little detail because I am feeling that gratitude towards them today.
    N taught me that there's more to life than high school immaturity.  He cared about me without knowing me very well or caring about my high school social status.  He made me realize that I am worth something more than popularity.  I had a much larger self-esteem after knowing him.
    A taught me that even through the years and through growing apart then coming back together again the friendship that started so long ago will always be there!  We'll love each other as sisters until the day we die.  I love her so much!
    S, N, A, D, and S all love me as their sister even if we aren't biologically related!  They taught me that you don't have to really be in the same family, to be family.  And C because he's my real brother who is my best friend!

    And finally, C taught me the true meaning of friendship.  Through all my imperfections he has never left my side (figuratively).  He's been a true friend for so many years.  I have tried to follow that example to be the best friend that I can be to those that mean so much to me!  To always be there for them when they need me most, no matter what.  I love him so much!

LDS President Thomas S. Monson said, "I mention an expression of “thank you” to one’s peers. The teenage years can be difficult for the teens themselves as well as for their parents. These are trying times in the life of a boy or a girl. Each boy wants to make the football team; each girl wants to be the beauty queen. “Many are called, but few are chosen” could have an application here.

The song frequently sung in the Sunday School of our youth placed the spirit of thanksgiving into the depths of our souls:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. "

 

Christlike Love

A wonderful video of Christlike Love.  As I was getting ready for my lesson today, I came across this video portraying different examples of Christ and his love for people.  It really touched my heart today and made me want to try just a little harder to do better.  To have more Christlike love for people. 

Grateful today for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Joseph B. Wirthlin: It is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us--even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.

Thomas S. Monson: Love is the catalyst that causes change. Love is the balm that brings healing to the soul. But love doesn’t grow like weeds or fall like rain. Love has its price. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." That Son, even the Lord Jesus Christ, gave His life that we might have eternal life, so great was His love for His Father and for us.

What power, what tenderness, what compassion did our Master and Exemplar thus demonstrate! We, too, can bless if we will but follow His noble example. Opportunities are everywhere. Needed are eyes to see the pitiable plight and ears to hear the silent pleadings of a broken heart. Yes, and a soul filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye or voice to ear but, in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart.

Unexpected Blessing

I wasn't looking for a part time job but I was offered one. One of my best friends is good friends with a dentist who was looking for someone to work for him part time as his office manager. She told him about me and said he should hire me. I went in for an interview and started 3 days later. I work just 2 days a week so it's nice that I'm not gone all the time. One of those days that I work, Paul will be able to stay home and work on our property management stuff so I'll only have a babysitter for my kids once a week. I feel so blessed right now that the Lord is blessing us with this unexpected blessing. It's a great opportunity and will help us financially. I hate leaving my kids for those 2 days but knowing Paul will be there one of them makes it easier. My friend who referred me will watch them the other day. She's such an amazing friend! I love her so much! I'm so glad she listened to the spirit and referred me. She's a blessing to us and I hope I can be a blessing to her someday!


2 Nephi 9:3

3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

Ephesians 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Saints in Saskatchewan, Canada

Janet Kruckenberg

---

Saints in Saskatchewan, Canada

The treeless 252,000-square-mile province of Saskatchewan, located in central Canada, has been called by some “the forgotten place on the Canadian prairie.” Latter-day Saints in Saskatchewan feel anything but forgotten, however, as unexpected spiritual blessings have come their way in recent years.

The latest unexpected blessing came in October of last year. At the fall stake conference, a new stake was to be created—the Regina stake. The Saskatoon stake, which had been the only stake in Saskatchewan since its creation 24 years earlier, was to be changed to the Saskatoon district, in spite of members’ best activation and missionary efforts. The Saskatoon stake members were disappointed, but “we all were prepared to return to district status, accepting this as the will of the Lord,” said Eric Slocombe of the Saskatoon Second Ward.

Then Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to preside at a special stake conference on 27–28 October. During the Saturday session of conference in Regina, Elder Nelson created the Regina Saskatchewan Stake, as planned.

On the morning of the Sunday session of conference in Saskatoon, as Elder Nelson was conducting interviews prior to selecting the new president for the Saskatoon district, he excused himself in order to pray in private. Upon returning, Elder Nelson proceeded with the interviews and selected a new president. During the conference session, Elder Nelson surprised everyone when he announced not a new district president but a new stake president for the Saskatoon Saskatchewan Stake.

“There was no oxygen left in the room because everyone in the audience gasped when they realized that a district was not being created but that they still had their stake. Then the tears came,” said Milton Derry, first counselor to Brother Slocombe, who was called as the new Saskatoon stake president.

An earlier unexpected blessing for members in Saskatchewan came in August 1998, when President Gordon B. Hinckley visited Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital city, to speak to local members. As President Hinckley directed his remarks toward temple building, members listened eagerly, knowing the Church President was announcing the construction of many new temples at that time.

They were hoping, recalls Joanne Thomson of the Regina First Ward, that President Hinckley would announce a temple for Winnipeg, Manitoba, a likely city for a temple because many Latter-day Saints and the Canada Winnipeg Mission headquarters are located there. Winnipeg is 357 miles (571 km) from Regina, but that would still be closer than the 434 miles (700 km) Regina members were accustomed to traveling to the Cardston Alberta Temple.

When President Hinckley announced that a temple would be built in Regina, “there was a huge collective gasp, and then the tears started,” said Sister Thomson. “No one ever suspected a temple would be built in Regina, here in the middle of nowhere.”

The Regina Saskatchewan Temple was dedicated on 14 November 1999.

Today, the nearly 5,000 members living in Saskatchewan are doing all they can to be worthy of their temple and their two stakes—working together in missionary efforts, supporting each other, and performing family history and temple work.—Janet Kruckenberg, Wahpeton Branch, Fargo North Dakota Stake

Saskatchewan, Canada

First baptism: 1913 Today’s members: Nearly 5,000 Units: 2 stakes, 8 wards, 10 branches Temple: Regina Saskatchewan

2nd Opinion

Last Friday I got vertigo, again. I went to my P.A and he gave me a steriod shot which has helped. He recommended I get a second opinion. So, I went to a different ENT on Monday for a 2nd opinion on my ear. He made me feel somewhat better about everything just because he has a few different ideas. Right now I'm doing a sinus rinse and sprays to keep them clear. I came out of the appointment feeling better although he said that we can't completely rule out Menier's Disease (you'll have to look it up to understand it all.). Even though I felt a little better, I couldn't shake the what if's. I was pretty sick about it all just not knowing. Today I went in for another hearing test. My hearing is still bottomed out. I'm deaf in my right ear. No change to that but I did ask some pretty detailed questions to my audiologist. I love that guy! He cleared up so many questions for me and even confirmed that he feels like my previous ENT has done everything he thinks he should have done, and that this new ENT is doing what he should as well. He cleared up my questions about Meniers which made me feel SOO much better! He said I don't fit the profile of a Meniers patient and that he firmly believes that my situation is being caused by a virus. The good news is that it can be treated. I won't gain my hearing back, but I can get relief from the Vertigo and dizziness. He can't give me a diagnosis because that has to come from my ENT but between all 4 Dr.'s in this case, I finally felt a little hope today.

If you read this blog, please include me in your fasting and prayers! I need to have this virus treated so I can move on with my life; adjust to the hearing loss and focus on keeping my left ear healthy. I said a very fervent prayer on my way to the audiologist that I would receive good news. My hearing isn't coming back but I felt that everything else that I learned was good news in a different way. The Lord heard my prayer! He blessed AND comforted me during that appointment! I KNOW he answered my prayer! I KNOW He loves me and wants me to be happy. I'm trying so hard to read my scriptures daily, to say my morning and evening prayers, to be a better mom and wife, and to be better in my callings. I'm trying to attend the temple more regularly. I KNOW the Lord sees my efforts and that I'm being blessed because of them.

Vertigo. Again.

Wednesday started out as a normal day. Paul was home so we went to lunch and little grocery shopping together. Later that night at 7:00pm I started to feel motion sick. I thought that was strange since I'd been home for 3 hours and was feeling fine until that moment. Well, it didn't get any better. It got worse. For the next 2 hours I spent most of it trying to throw up. I finally forced myself to but I didn't feel any better. I finally called my doctor. He said I had Vertigo. Again. Seriously?! I was so upset! He said it was probably caused by the cold I've had for several weeks. He gave me a few things to try and said if it didn't get any better, to go into the hospital for a steroid shot. By 9:30 I was nervous and scared that it would affect my good ear. So Paul called our friend Hyrum and he came over to help Paul give me a Priesthood blessing. The last time I had Vertigo it lasted for 5 days before I got on anything for it and it continued for several more. I went into the doctor yesterday morning at 9am and was given a steroid shot. By early afternoon the dizzyness was gone. The nausea was gone by this morning.

I know that by the power of the Priesthood I'm feeling good less than 2 days from the initial onset of the Vertigo. I know the Lord loves me and wants me to be happy. I know He's there and that he hears our prayers. I know the power of the Priesthood is real! I've been witness to it too many times in my life to ever deny it.