As per usual, I’m writing this before I go to bed.
Because I had all day to do it… but that Sunday nap hits you
hard when your room is on the third floor and you just cook while laying in bed
trying to read. Then suddenly 2.5 hours of your day are gone?? Drat
Earlier this week, we went to an FHE (Family Home Evening-
we get together to play a game or do an activity and share a message
afterwards) hosted by some friends from the ward here, and I actually loved the
spiritual thought. So I’m going to paraphrase it the best I can here in
English. But it’s going to take some homework if you want to get anything out
of it.
No seriously, read it. Stop skimming!
Basically I started reading it and now it’s mandatory. It’d
probably just be better if you read that instead of what I’m going to write.
To be short as the message was originally, Christopher told
us:
I want you to think of an error you had this past week. Or a few. Whatever you want.
We had sticky notes and I wrote three things.
We had sticky notes and I wrote three things.
1.
I haven’t always loved others around me without
any judgement
2.
Sometimes I shortcut and cheat my Spanish
development opportunities
3.
I ate the whole chocolate bar (This is a long story but if you know me at
all, doesn’t actually need any context)
These are personal bits that mean something to me. But what
has been hard about your week? Think on it. Afterwards, he says:
I want you to think of
a victory you’ve had this week. Or a few, whatever works. If you can, think of
something that went well that others wouldn’t necessarily be able to know
about.
And this was actually a lot easier,
1. I’ve had real, comprehensible conversations beyond
weather and “how are you” with my host family and people in various cities
2. I’ve been running a lot lately with friends and can feel
my endurance building
3. I have housing in the works for fall!
Christopher asked us if it wasn’t too personal if a few
people wanted to share a point they have from each, so we gave a few examples
and afterwards he says this:
God knows us
personally and perfectly. And I know that God is very aware of the errors I’ve
made in the past week, and how they’ve affected me. But I also know that
Heavenly Father wants us to remember Him, and we can always look for the “no me
olvides” (forget me nots) in our
lives. The little victories we have to prove that he is mindful of us every
single day.
I know we spend a lot of time saying “have an ‘attitude of
gratitude’”
or “put in in your joy journal”
and other very corny and sometimes cringe-worthy
expressions.
But there’s a meaning behind the madness.
I feel like after the last year of my life in and out of
school, I could start a bakery that specializes in humble pie; because I’ve
been served a lot. No I don’t have a joy journal. Yes I try to be grateful in
every day. Because life is just easier being happy. And you don’t need a
hand-stiched motivational anything on your wall to tell you how to do it.
If you want to be happy, be.
For me, this is just what helps me to be.
I’m grateful for life!
For family,
For friends,
For little dogs,
For cats that aren’t rude,
For rain,
For warm weather,
for melón,
for peaches,
for nutella,
for my second families,
for chocolate,
for days in new shoes and no blisters,
for the 8 years of dental work I had as a toothless wonder.
I’m grateful for windows that keep the bugs out,
For public transportation,
And for our director’s and profesor’s patience with us.
I’m grateful for the Gospel,
I’m grateful for prayer and revelation,
I'm grateful for the love and example of Jesus Christ.
I’m grateful for the ability to express myself,
And for my health.
And that’s all I could think of off the top of my head in a
few minutes. Also socks and sticky notes. Those are good things too.
That’s it for today!
Happily,
Jessie
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