But it's THANKSgivin'!

Since July of this year, I have been keeping a Daily Gratitude Journal. I haven't been perfect--sometimes I cheat a little bit and write three days' worth on one day, but it has been a very rewarding exercise. And it's so fun to go back and read little happy snippets of my life! Leaving out the more personal ones and many of the ones that specifically mention names, here are a few of the things I have been grateful for these past few months:

I’m grateful that I can feel the Spirit every time I go to church.

I’m grateful for my mom... she is an absolute champion...

I am so so so so grateful that Zach Brown has been a significant part of my life since the beginning of 8^th grade (2006!)

I am grateful for my extended family, and the love they all show to me and to each other.

I am grateful for letters from missionaries. Got my first one from Zach today. J J J J J J

I am grateful that people who need help or service from me occasionally cross my path. I need to be better at seeking out the ones who need my help, but I love it when someone makes it easy for me to help them. 

I am grateful that my friends and I do fun, crazy things, such as wrestling a pig in the Utah County Fair!

I am grateful that Sara, Kelsey, and I arrived home safely after a fun trip to Cedar City!

I am grateful that I get to teach Relief Society.

I am grateful that I got to play some pickup soccer today.

I am grateful that school has started! It’s going to be a challenging but very rewarding semester.

I am grateful that the Church takes such good care of its youth. Elder Holland’s CES Devotional talk was, as always, powerful and inspiring. I love being a part of this amazing, worldwide Church.

I am so grateful to be playing 7 v. 7 Intramural Soccer with my best friends from Timpview Soccer! Friends are amazing!

I watched “Titanic” tonight with Heather, Trina, and Sara. I love my girlfraaaands. I’m also really super-duper glad that Zach is not dead. (Like Jack. From Titanic.)

I am grateful for my flexibility class. It is great to have time to just unwind.

Even though I wish I was not sick today, I am grateful that I had time to come home and try to sleep it off. I’m not completely better, but that 4-hour nap had to have helped a little bit.

I am grateful for Fridays.

I am grateful that I can vicariously enjoy other people’s romances, while mine is on a 24-month sabbatical. Congratulations, you cute couples. You make life fun. 

I am grateful that I got a calling! I am a member of the Ward Activities Committee. I think it will be a lot of fun, and it will force me to go to the ward activities… the Lord knows me so well.

I am grateful for pizza.

I am grateful that I got so much done today.

I am grateful for movie quotes.

I am grateful for new friends!

I am grateful for personal revelation.

I am grateful that I got that reading done. 

I am grateful I can laugh at my silly mistakes.

I am grateful for my dad. I love spending time with him, laughing at him, laughing at other people with him, him making me laugh, and just being around him in general.

I am grateful for the TWO letters that came to me today from Ben Jacob! He is such an uplifting and kind friend. Couldn’t live without him!

I’m grateful that I get to go to bed early tonight.

I’m grateful for good TAs and good test reviews.

I am grateful for our kind FHE brothers who made us dinner tonight.

Today I voted in my first Presidential Election. I am glad to have a voice in my country, however small it may be. 

I am thankful for… what else?? THANKSGIVING!

This is a great little clip, but the most important part is 0:25-0:27.

I am grateful to all of you for reading this far. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

May we continue to be grateful all year 'round. 

Clive Staples

(What a great name that is.)

An interesting thought on how we should try to relate to others from a brilliant Christian writer, C. S. Lewis (Mere Christianity):

"Christianity thinks of human individuals not as mere members of a group or items in a list, but as organs in a body--different from one another and each contributing what no other could. When you find yourself wanting to turn your children, or pupils, or even your neighbours, into people exactly like yourself, remember that God probably never meant them to be that. You and they are different organs, intended to do different things. On the other hand, when you are tempted not to bother about someone else's troubles because they are 'no business of yours,' remember that though he is different from you he is part of the same organism as you. If you forget that he belongs to the same organism as yourself you will become an Individualist. If you forget that he is a different organ from you, if you want to suppress differences and make people all alike, you will become a Totalitarian. But a Christian must not be either a Totalitarian or an Individualist.

"I feel a strong desire to tell you--and I expect you feel a strong desire to tell me--which of these two errors is the worse. That is the devil getting at us. He always sends errors into the world in pairs--pairs of opposites. And he always encourages us to spend a lot of time thinking which is the worse. You see why, of course? He relies on your extra dislike of the one error to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors. We have no other concern that that with either of them."

 All I have to add is "Amen."

V-O-T-E VOTE!

Today is Election Day!!

I know it's a hassle, but if you have not yet voted, take the time to go to the polls today.

Because if you don't, you lose all rights to complain about politics for the next four years!!

Just kidding, you should vote because, as an American citizen, it is your privilege and responsibility to do so. Make an informed decision and then do your part by participating in the political process. Even if your vote doesn't count.

Because let's be honest... mine definitely won't.