Tuesday, November 09, 2010

thankful…

As I was preparing a message to share with the ladies I am lucky to visit teach each month, I found this great video on the front page of lds.org.  I thought it was definitely worth sharing here today as well.

I loved this quote from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, so I printed it up to tie onto a yummy treat too. :o)

thankful_dallinhoaks

ETA:  After I wrote this blog post, I was getting ready for my day and trying to decide what type of treat to include with my little handout.  I thought about baking bread or cookies, or maybe running to the grocery store for a yummy chocolate treat.  hmmm…as I pondered more on the quote above, along with an address given by President Thomas S. Monson in which he reminded us to “cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude,” I decided to take a different approach.

I thought of all the little things I complain about…dirty socks left lying around, dirty dishes in the sink (apparently some people think if you leave them there long enough, they magically clean themselves), seemingly endless loads of laundry, a messy house to clean, a cluttered car, and so much more.  And then, with the advice given by these two leaders, I decided to change my attitude to one of gratitude.  I am so grateful that my children have multiple pairs of socks so they don’t have to worry about keeping their feet clean and warm and dry.  I am so blessed to have a washing machine in which to wash the dirty socks and other dirty clothes.  I am grateful for a hard-working husband…those dirty boots means he has a job and he is willing to work hard to support our family.  I am grateful for dirty dishes because that means we have plenty of food to prepare meals. I am grateful for a house to pick up and clean…I know not everyone is blessed to own a home.  I am thankful for a vehicle that runs well and fits our family comfortably.  I truly am blessed and I need to remember to let my attitude reflect that fact.

So…instead of getting a sweet or savory treat, this is what I attached to the quote:thankful_handout

Yep, that’s a cleaning rag…because, along with the things I mentioned above, it’s important to remember to be thankful for the opportunities we have to work, to clean, to make our homes beautiful places to live in with our families. 

No matter what, there’s always something to be grateful for…and if my attitude is where it should be, I’ll be able to find gratitude and thankfulness for everything. :o)

I must add that I am thankful for YOU!  Thank you for coming to my blog.  I appreciate the time you take to peek at my projects and read my thoughts (and occasional ramblings).  Thank you for sharing with me, creating with me, and encouraging me.  Thank you for leaving comments or sending e-mails when you like something you see here.

Now, in the spirit of thankfulness…if you’d like to leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you are thankful for, I will randomly choose a winner to receive a fun little scrappy surprise in the mail! 

I’ll choose a winner Friday morning.

So tell me…what are YOU thankful for?

19 comments:

  1. safe and healthy family and friends. a job to pay the bills, and food to eat, a roof over my head and freedom to practice whatever religion I choose.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am thankful for family/friends and a secure job. I am thankful for this hobby that I love.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is a great message. I am thankful to be able to go to graduate school and study to be a teacher which I am completely passionate about. To be able to give something back to the world with my career is important to me. I am also thankful for the health of my family and friends and my incredibly supportive boyfriend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your post is exactly what my heart needed today...I too need to be grateful for the things which I take for granted. Lately I have been feeling a bit sorry for myself as the "struggles of the economy" have really effected me and my work...however I was not looking at it the correct way in that I should be grateful to have a job to go to daily and grateful to be able to go to the grocery store, even if the grocery budget is now cut in half. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this blog post, it was really what I needed to see today more than anything else.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loved the lesson today. Thanks so much. I think most of us need a reminder about how blessed we are! Thanks for being such a great VT partner! And, today I am thankful for my furnace that keeps us warm!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am extremely thankful for the peaceful feeling that seems to take over my home this time of year. I love snuggling up next to the Christmas trees (I know it's a little early) with my family & watching the lights as they seem to sparkle on the tree. It seems to bring me closer to my Savior & reminds me that everything happens for a reason & we should just be thankful we get to enjoy the ride.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Today I am grateful I am not tired. Yeah, my energy is starting to come back after just finishing radiation treatments for cancer! And grateful I can actually say admit out loud what we've survived!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am thankful for having a loving family. It will be a tough holiday season this year financially but as long as I can spend it with my family that is all that matters.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am grateful for a house full of children that keep me up at night with crazy homework questions, and get me up early because they forgot to pack their lunch the night before AND now they might miss the bus!!! Just that one thought goes to show how blessed we are: the bus and the school and the food in the lunch and the night of peace. I doubt I will ever know how truely blessed I am...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Wendy, I just decided to click on your blog from Cosmo Cricket's link & I was thankful to watch your message. Normally I would just skip all the words & look at the scrapbooking things but that message really touched me. I am going thru a rough patch at the moment so thank you so much for showing me a different way to look at life.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am thankful for the chance that I have to do all the things that I do everyday without having to worry about who might see me or if what I am doing is okay. I am also thankful that I can be reminded everywhere that I look that are many things to be thankful for. That seems to be the theme for people through out the internet this month and it is a good reminder to appreciate what we have even if it is our washing machine.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm thankful for my family...I love my hubby and sons!

    Thanks for the great VT idea too :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been loving your gratitude photos. I am changing my facebook status each day to something i am thankful for. But to narrow it to one? Hmm....Today i would say thankful for my family, husband in particular. He is away for 9 days on a mission trip and it reminds me how special he is and what he means to me and our family. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am grateful for the great job I have at BYU. I was a stay at home mom for 29 years, but have now had to go back to work. What a blessing to have a good job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm just so thankful to be living in the USA !!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thankful for a day full of blessings. Your post reminded me of some good advice a priest friend of mine gave me once. I was struggling with the ticky little things my husband does or says that can annoy me at times. He told me to fill my heart and mind with thankfulness and replace those thoughts I had with the reasons I have to be thankful for him. Good advice!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am thankful for my health, it allows me to be strong and active making me a better mother, wife and person!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm thank for one that you shared this AWESOME video...make me cry! ;)...happy tears!

    ReplyDelete
  19. don't enter me in the giveaway. just wanted to say that this is an awesome post! great reminder to step back and appreciate what we have.

    ReplyDelete