I'm Grateful for...Day 1

Okay...I'm a little behind schedule. But since everyone else seems to be posting what they are grateful for every day during the month of November, I decided that maybe I should start a Gratitude journal myself. However, I'm going to make mine last through the remainder of the year. If nothing else comes of this little excercise, I hope it will help me remember that even though I am facing a lonely year of deployment and celebrating holidays alone, I have been blessed with soooo many things...

1. I'm grateful that my Relief Society lesson is over! I am the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society. One of my responsibilities it to teach the 1st Sunday lesson every 3rd month. I have been stewing about this assignment for months now. I don't like to get up and talk in front of people. I much prefer the smaller group settings. I also am not good at creating talks from nothing and adding comments to go with each section. However, I pressed forward.

The topic for my lesson was "Having Family Home Evening." While some of you might think, "That's not a hard topic," I was thinking, "What could I possibly tell the sisters in this ward about Family Home Evening? They know we have been asked to have it every Monday night and that they will be blessed for doing so." I certainly am not an expert in this area. I grew up in a home where Family Home Evening did not happen all the time. We started doing it several times, but we always allowed things to get in the way. Then we stopped having them. However, I do remember so special home evening where the lesson was on testimonies. At the end of the lesson, we went around the room and each bore our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was my first times of hearing my parents publicly bear their testimony. I remember how strong the Spirit was in our home that night.

Once Jared and I moved to Germany, I tried to start our own Family Home Evenings. However, we haven't been very consistent. Jared says, What do you want to do? We spend every night together." This is mostly true. However, we are not discussing gospel principles, which is the key. Thus, I decided to give my lessons on the Prophetic Promises of Having Family Home Evening. Maybe, if we are reminded of all of the promises that are in store for us if we will SINCERELY and PRAYERFULLY hold Family Home Evenings, we will have the desire to begin again. Just look at the blessings that the Prophets have promised us:

• Great blessings will result
• Love at home will increase
• Obedience to parents will increase
• Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth
• They will gain power to combat the evil influences and temptations which beset them
• Great blessings come to those who carry out this responsibility
• A great measure of peace and harmony in the home
• The Lord will grant rich blessings
• Will bring families closer to one another
• Families will be blessed
• There will be better feelings between husband and wife, between parents and children, and among children
• The Spirit of the Lord will be made manifest
• Couples receive strength
• Couples can be drawn ever closer together
• Young couples will prepare for the great challenges of parenthood
• Not one in a hundred of your family would ever go astray
• Develop increased personal worth
• Family Unity
• Love for our fellowmen
• Trust in our Father in Heaven
• Great blessings
• You will gain strength to withstand the temptations of the world
• Will receive many blessings which will help qualify you to enjoy your families through eternity in the Celestial Kingdom

Who wouldn't want these blessings to come their way??

Tammy