gratitude post

after school snacks are my fave!
they are a sign of affection...like kisses only better.
it gives my kids a chance to tell me details about their day, spend a few minutes together or at least know that i thought about them.

I have been thinking about gratitude, you know, because it's thanksgiving and all.  during family scripture reading a few mornings ago, we read these verses:

Luke 17:12-19

 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were ^alepers, which stood afar off:

 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the ^apriests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him ^athanks: and he was a Samaritan.

 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten ^acleansed? but where are the ^bnine?

 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

i have read these many times and always loved the idea of gratitude as a saving principle.  "whole" actually means saved and  i love how gratitude can save us from so many things--a deep thought for another day.   

this time around, these verses were so meaningful because it is thanksgiving AND sadie had just introduced our christmas theme for this year (she wanted to pick it) and i will tell all about it later, but it has to do with glorifying God through our actions.

i felt like these verses were in NEON shouting my name.  i had never noticed before the part about the one leper that was healed and when he was cleansed "turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face a his feet, giving him thanks....but where are the nine?  there are not found that returned to give glory to God..."

to me this meant that when we give thanks, we actually glorify God.  when i am grateful for what he has done for me and show through my actions, then i am actually glorifying Him. 

i want to do that.

So... here is my gratitude post:

there are so many things i am grateful for, but i want to return and say thanks for one that hits me again every so often.  yesterday, abe came home from school and was excited to see the cookies i made for snack.  i think he ate six.  the other kids weren't home yet and vivian was busy, so it was just me and him at the counter.  we talked and laughed.  i watched him with awe in my heart.  the last few weeks i've observed him play soccer, try out for basketball, work hard in school and also bear a sweet, sincere testimony about the miracles that have occurred in his life and that he knows he was protected.  i am so grateful that he is here and  i still get to watch him learn and grow as well as smile and laugh together. numerous people have asked about his accident, always wanting to know if he has any restrictions.  i hear myself saying over and over, "no complication and no restrictions."  he is back doing everything he wants to do and is so capable.  dave gave him a blessing at the beginning of the year that talked about joseph smith and how he also had some hard things and a surgery in his youth so that God could build his character. 

i am so grateful for the sacred experience we had, for the things i was taught through the spirit, for the miracles that occurred and for the love from people that we felt and for the compassion for others that i gained.  i am thankful that abe's life is in God's hands and that i get to be a part of it.

anyway, there is much to be grateful for, and i hope as i give thanks through my actions this thanksgiving and christmas that i can glorify God in the process.

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!!