Thanksgiving

As we sat around the dinner table and each took our turn at sharing what we were thankful for, Lainie proudly stated that she was grateful for knowledge. Wow! That from someone who is starting to spend more time studying the boys in her class than studying for her Spanish test! It was great to hear her express how much she loved her science class and the awesome teacher who has inspired her. (Mr. Alarcon)

From that small expression of gratitude came a week of serious contemplation for me. I have gained a lot of knowledge this year as well. Some lessons have been ones that I thought I had already learned, but obviously I needed a refresher course. Others were new ideas and new ways of doing things that were very exciting! Still, others were hard to understand. Lessons that I wasn't prepared to deal with. Lessons that I didn't have the tools for or the resources to help me manage them. And, unfortunately, the realization that there are millions of life-lessons still out there waiting for me to stumble across. Some to come upon as a delightful surprise, but many more just waiting to ambush me and smack me square in the face!

I have been reading a book by Robert Eaton called Digging Deeper. It's about discovering and applying life-changing doctrine from the Book of Mormon. (It's really good, I highly recommend it.) He made a comment that has been constantly on my mind and is one bit of knowledge that I am truly grateful to have learned. He said, "When we fail to see how Heavenly Father has blessed us already, we lack the gratitude we need to plead successfully for additional heavenly guidance." I need guidance, I need serious guidance! Who knew that gratitude paves the way for revelation? O.K., so you all did. Obviously, I'm slow. This little thought has changed the way I go about my day. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I can see myself slowly morphing into someone who takes a little more time at the end of the day to ponder all of the things that have happened. To consider each blessing and to acknowledge to myself and to HIM that I am grateful for them. Yes, I agree with Lainie! Thank heaven for knowledge.