yesterdays

The pictures are from out trip to Michigan this summer. Hunter at the Park w/ Keb(v)in and Rissa after getting her face painted at the zoo with yaya!

Tonight I was once again reminded of reasons to be thankful for the trials of my youth and the blessings of the life I live today. I know my Heavenly Father allowed me to have experiences so that I may feel empathy for others! I am so thankful for those experiences and the faith they taught me! As I have often said I am who am today because of my yesterdays, most especially my youth that taught me that I have a loving HF!

I have always said I am who I am because of the some total of my experience. At times that may be good and at times that may be not so good. Unfortunately for some (not me), I was able to learn things in my youth that I would not have been able to learn otherwise. I leaned a work etichic and faith that only my life could have taught me. I have lived it and have a testimony of it! I know our Heavenly Father has a plan for us. I know at times I have been unsure of that plan and I have even questioned him and questioned experiences but, they have allowed me the opportunity to grow, for that I am thankful.

I know as life's challenges come my way I have learned in a way many have not had the opportunity to know, that my Heavenly Father will provide and carry me through. He has provided me with opportunities to exercise faith. As I write this tonight I am reflecting upon blessings and promises I have been given. I sometimes feel sorry that my family may have had to experience times so I could learn. I only hope it helped them to grow stronger.

Tonight as I was sharing the power of faith with a friend, I was reminded once again of it's power in my life. I keep thinking I need to start a faith blog but, don't want my name associated with it, not because I'm embarrassed by my faith promoting experiences but, because I told them sacred yet, feel others may be able to learn from them, the may be able to use them to gain hope. To know to hang on. The light will come. They will know that Heavenly Father does know when you are at the end of your rope and he will send you another. Often times it' not when you think it's the end but, when he knows it is. I know he does not give us more than we can handle. I also know he will give us as much and will test us.

I am so thankful for my relationship with the savior. That I am able to go to him. That I know he will carry me through the darkest storms, and celebrate my victories of life. I know he will never leave me fighting the battles of life alone but, he will allow me the opportunities to fight them for myself at times. I know he will work miracles through others, he will turn around planes if he needs to. I know he can move mountains and if I need to he will give me the power to do so as well.

I am so thankful for my many blessings in this time of economic crisis. I'm thankful for the insight to change careers, for the career and education that I have. For my husbands willingness to work and support of me working. I'm thankful for a family that supports me in that. I know it takes sacrifice on their parts as well. Tonight I am indeed counting my blessings.

Counting my blessings

It's that time in life where you have to stop and count your blessings. I had previously been thiking of how blessed we truely were, Until Monday the economic crisis had not realy hit home. I had been trying to stick to a budget better. Knowing I needed to save. Then Monday and Tuesday came and well it came to visit our home. But, we are still very blessed while, we have lost a percentage of Ken't salery and he is not an hourly employee. We both still have jobs. I won't know til July if the govenor is going to cut my salery by 6% but, even then I will still have a job. We will still have a home to live in and food on our table. I'm so thankful that last year I listened to the urgency I had to finish my additional 32 credits above my masters degree. That we may not exactly have all the food storage we could/ should have but, we do have a clothing and fabric storage so my kids will have clothes. I was trying so hard to not hord presents after Christmas this year. For those of you who don't know me well, you may not know I have a closet and then some of presents. I use them for parties for my kids or when the need arises. I used a lot of them this Christmas season and was thinking of emptying my closet. I didn't and am happy. I did spend at my usualy Target 75% off sale but, was a little conservative for me. I have enought stashed for my kids for this year and to share. I know I should worry about food in times like this but, those of you that know me well also know I'm not a food person, not that you can tell by looking at me. I'm also so thankful for a desire for an education that may allow me to pick up extra opportunities to earn money. As much as I may hate to I can always teach summer school and adult ed at nights. I'm thankful for an unbringing that taught me how to be frugal and how to find opportinities to make money. So keep watching my etsy store as I will be adding items. All is well just tighter.