#33

#33. I am grateful for the little things that let me know that God is real, and that reaffirm to me that the teachings of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are true. Here is my best effort to explain what I am saying to my potentially broad audience.

Intro: I have had numerous spiritual experiences that have taught me things like: God is real, Jesus Christ is our Savior, he died for all of us, through him and only him we can be completely clean from our sins, he can lead us to true happiness. I continually have experiences that confirm that if I have a problem, and I turn to God, pray about it, ask for help, try my best to follow his teachings, he will ALWAYS answer my prayers. God loves me, he loves you, he will always help me if I turn to him. I could go on and on. I don't need anything more, but I am grateful for the extras.

Again, I am grateful for the little things that let me know that God is real, and that reaffirm to me that the teachings of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are true. These are the two experiences that prompt this statement. 1. Brad gave me a blessing the other night. It was such an answer to my prayers. To start out with, Brad came home, I had a bunch of jumbled thoughts, so much so, that I couldn't explain to him what I was thinking. I didn't even try, I only asked for the blessing. Brad has the priesthood, he can give priesthood blessings. Sometimes it is a blessing of healing, sometimes of comfort and counsel. Always it is from God. This was a blessing of comfort and counsel. His words in the blessing answered every jumbled thought and concern that I had. It was an incredibly personal experience that was only possible because God knows me in a complete way. He knows my thoughts. Through the priesthood and God's ability to communicate with us on earth, Brad can really give me a blessing that is from God. One way I know this is because Brad didn't know the things that he was able to tell me because I had never verbalized the questions. Only God knew, because only God knows my thoughts. The results of the blessing were that I felt clear about my direction on the issue, and completely calm about it. 2. Brad and I went to a world-wide training meeting this morning. The prophet, Thomas Monson, spoke and introduced a new guidebook which outlines the organization of the church, and church policy. He introduced it by saying, we now have 14 million members of the church, and we have written this book in order to keep our structure and practices pure and consistent throughout the world. This makes complete sense to me. I am amazed at how organized the church is, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to try to keep a church of 14 million members, amongst world-wide areas and cultures, the same from one place to the next. It is. Church leadership is always one step ahead of everything. Throughout our moves, and travels, we always find church in one place to be the same as it is in the next. The organization is amazing. It is done in such a simple, clear fashion, that it testifies to me that God is behind it.

These are not the foundation of my faith, they are extras, that reaffirm my faith, and remind me how clear and simple it ALL is. How much it makes sense, and how much I love it ALL and what it adds to my life.

I am grateful for the extra ways God shows himself in my life.

34. I am grateful that Brad and I like to do house projects together.

35. For good friends that we love to be with, and support me in SO MANY other ways.

36. I am grateful for childcare at the gym.

37. I am grateful for Keebler grasshopper cookies in my freezer. My recent addiction.

Plus a link to www.mormon.org

-Betsy