Thanksgiving

I know this is a little late, and I know I haven't blogged in FOREVER, but Phillip and I had the opportunity to speak 2 Sundays ago and I thought I would share my talk here since many of my favorite people were not there to hear it. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and doesn't get too stressed about the holidays!!!


This Thursday we will have the opportunity to celebrate a day that Erma Bombeck described as: “…a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?”
The first thoughts of many when I say the word “Thanksgiving” have to do with food, football and family…and of course the huge pain we have after we enjoy all of those things. When we are surrounded by these creature comforts, it is very easy to reflect on our many blessings. For many, however, it is not so easy to continue to reflect on those blessings.
Alma 34:38 tells us to “live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which (God) doth bestow upon you.”
Pres Monson has said: “This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.
“We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.”
How can we live in thanksgiving daily and have an attitude of gratitude? Hymn 241 reads: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. … So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged; God is over all. Count your many blessings; angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.”
True to the Faith says this about Gratitude:
“Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for blessings or benefits we have received. As we cultivate a grateful attitude, we are more likely to be happy and spiritually strong. We should regularly express our gratitude to God for the blessings He gives us and to others for the kind acts they do for us.
The Lord has promised, "He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious" (D&C 78:19). Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. People are generally happier when they have gratitude in their hearts. We cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when we are grateful.
We should be thankful for the wonderful blessings that are ours and for the tremendous opportunities we have. We can be thankful to our parents, family, friends, and teachers. We should express appreciation to everyone who has assisted us in any way.
We should thank our Heavenly Father for His goodness to us by acknowledging His hand in all things, thanking Him for all that He gives us, keeping His commandments, and serving others. We should especially thank Him for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, for the Savior's great example, for His teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help, for His infinite Atonement.”
In researching for this talk, I googled “Attitude of Gratitude” and came up with 374,000 pages. One of these was a website called iamthankful.com. Their founder said “Of course it’s easy to feel thankful when things go smoothly and life just handed you a blessing, but faced with our daily challenges, we don’t know how on Earth we can feel grateful in the midst of debt, depression and complete overwhelm. It literally comes down to practice. Very few people go to the gym simply to be able to bench press 100 lbs, but rather to have energy and muscle strength to pick up the kids and the groceries, do the yard work and maybe not suck wind after climbing two flights of stairs.
“Practicing Gratitude is the workout for our soul: repeated awareness shifts towards the blessings of our lives enable us to not dwell on how someone has done us wrong or how life has supposedly handed us the shorter end of the stick. If you can condition yourself to look at the brighter side of life, it will only get brighter - especially while things don’t go your way!
“So, make Gratitude your daily practice so that you will have the thankfulness muscle that lets you see the light no matter what life hands you. Today is the best time to start flexing that muscle!”
Being able to truly express gratitude requires you to shift your focus away from the things that are negative and toward those things that you feel thankful for.
President Faust said: “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being. But there is a truism associated with all types of human strength: “Use it or lose it.” When not used, muscles weaken, skills deteriorate, and faith disappears.
Many of us tend to focus on what we don't have. We think we don't have enough money, we don't have enough time, we don't have whatever it is we are looking for and so on; and we ignore those amazing things we do have. The more we can step back and examine what we already experience that's valuable to us, the more we can focus on gratitude and the more we can accelerate our own inner healing as a result.
Here's a list of some of the things for which you may find plenty of gratitude:
• Your health. Even if it isn't perfect, you may be thankful for the health you have.
• Your family.
• Your freedoms
• Your intelligence, consciousness and awareness.
• Your memories!
• Sunshine and nature -- the great outdoors.
• Food and seeds, some of the many remarkable gifts from Mother Nature.
• Your job, business or career which provides the income you need.
• Your inquisitiveness and desire to learn new things.
• The gospel.
• Your pets / animal companions.
We have so much to be grateful for. I could probably stand here for hours listing all that I have. And while Phillip might be grateful for that, I know he has many wonderful words to share with us and so I am going to limit my list this morning to 5.
My Mom
A few weeks ago in a lesson in YW, Sister Jensen described me as “optimistic.” I had never thought of myself as being optimistic before, but as I went home and thought about it, I realized that if I am optimistic, I learned to be so from my Mother. My mom has had her share of trials, as we all do, but the one thing I remember about growing up is that no matter what issues our family was having, I could go to mom and she would make it better. I’m sure this started when I was little and would bring my boo-boo’s for her to kiss and magically they’d be all better. As I grew, my boo-boo’s evolved into larger pains, and my mom was always there with open arms, ready to do anything within her power to make the pain go away. Thank you, mom, for teaching me to “stand with those in need of comfort.”
Sister Bateman
A man named Oscar Benson had a hobby of interviewing men on death row in various prisons throughout the country. He once reported that 125 of these men had said they had never known a decent man. I don’t know the total of how many he interviewed, but to think that 125 men never knew anyone they could consider decent is heartbreaking and makes me ever thankful for the people around me who strive to live their lives to reflect the light of Christ.
One of those people is Heather Bateman nee Mason. Sister Bateman was my first missionary companion and in the 3 months I had with her, we had plenty of ups and downs. I was a new missionary, without my mommy, getting used to living with someone 24/7 and was dealing with the recent death of my elder brother. I slid into clinical depression and had days when I am sure I was the least easiest person to work with. In the middle of this, I remember one day when we were driving somewhere and she stopped in the middle of the road and said “Wow! Look!”
As I look at the road in front of us and could see nothing but falling blossoms. I remember it looked like it was snowing, there were so many of them. We stopped right there on the side of the road and thanked our Heavenly Father for the blessing of being able to witness such a beautiful sight.
I vowed that day to slow down and smell the roses…even if they were falling from the trees.
Pam Keyes
A few years later I found myself living near Seattle in the guest room of the Keyes’ family. Pam and Greg had three grown sons who were home the first weekend I was there. Every time there was a family prayer to be said, I was impressed to seen one of the boys rush to volunteer to pray. A few days later I learned that the boys were really rushing so that mom wouldn’t be praying. You see, Pam gives LONG prayers. The scriptures tell us of prayers that lasted all day and all night, well the boys seemed to feel that her prayers lasted just that long, if not longer. As the boys went back to school, I had many opportunities to listen to these LONG prayers. And as I did, I didn’t hear the minutes flying by, but I did hear her heart being poured out to a loving heavenly father. She prayed as we sometimes hear little children praying for their cat and dog and spoon and moon. Her prayers weren’t that simple, but it was true gratitude for everything she had in her life. As I listened to Pam pray, I learned to look closer at everything around me. I found my prayers changing and focusing more on the many blessings my Heavenly Father saw fit to give me. I learned to be thankful for things I once saw as challenges and trials.
Phillip
About another year later I found myself in a classroom with a dashingly handsome institute teacher who I now happen to be married to. Phillip challenged us to give a prayer of only thanks, no requests, during the next week. As I prepared to do so, I thought over the many blessings the Lord had given me and as I knelt in prayer, I remember being brought to tears at the love of a Heavenly Father who has given me so much, including a wonderful husband who every day gives me reason to be thankful.
Savior
Finally—even supremely—I want to tell of my gratitude for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? His calles missionaries bring to those who live in darkness the light of the gospel.
To quote President Monson: Only He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34.)
Earlier, He said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58.) “No room in the inn” was not a singular expression of rejection—just the first. Yet He invites you and me to host Him. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20.)”
Who was this Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief? Who is this King of glory, this Lord of hosts?
He is MY Master.
He is MY Savior.
He is the Son of God.
He is the author of salvation.
He died for me. I know that is true. What great cost was paid so I could might have eternal life, I may never know. But I do know that he paid it willingly and freely. I know He loves me and as my Older Brother He gave me this glorious earth and everything on it. What more reason could I need to give thanks to him this Thanksgiving season and every day.
I encourage you all to go home and count your many blessings and give thanks to the Lord for every one.
I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is here on the earth today and that He wants us to return to live with Him.
I know that as we strive to keep his commandments and live worthy of Him, His atonement will make the difference for what we lack.