And it's going to only get worse this week. Just giving you fair warning.
BUT, here ... to (belatedly) finish up November, here are the last bits of gratitude (for the 2011 list, anyways).
29. I'm thankful for Christmas music. I love it. Even though I get all verklempt when I think about this poor, little innocent whose purpose is to grow up, teach us how to treat one another, and then be sacrificed by his own people for no crime.
And then I have to think about how amazingly INTENSE this gift He gave us is ... and how all-encompassing it is. And how much He and our Heavenly Father LOVE us to do this for us ... And how wise Heavenly Father is to have forseen that mankind would NEED a Savior to redeem us. And how much He loves us to make it possible for us to not only be able to return to Him ... BUT to be able to make our own choices -- especially when these choices don't always benefit us at all. Or when these choices we make hurt others.
But it's ... awe-inspiring ... that everything will be made right.
I know that not everyone is a huge C.S. Lewis fan (although I very much like his writings and respect his opinions) ... and so I really enjoy his Chronicles of Narnia (yay for Christian allegory! ... And the more that I read them, the more that I find wonderful expressions of the Plan of Salvation ... and that makes me happy.), but, when I think of the wonderful Plan of Salvation (which is, truly, the Plan of Happiness), I do reflect on bits from Lewis' writings.
Namely:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.
And that comforts me. Quite a lot.
That no matter what has happened, things will be fixed. No one will have to suffer, especially for things that were caused by the actions/choices of others. That, truly, as Isaiah said, "with his stripes, we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
It comforts me that, no matter what I, my friends, my family, or complete strangers are going through ... IT WILL BE MADE RIGHT.
There is a plan. It will work out for our benefit.
Right now (and, honestly, throughout all history), there are terrible things that happen.
There are things that occur that I wish my children would never have to learn about.
I wish that I didn't know about them ... in that I wish these things never existed ...
Child abuse, rape, discrimination, genocide, ... so many awful things ...
BUT, we have a true assurance that NO MATTER WHAT, Christ will fix things.
As sung in The Messiah (again with Isaiah ... they don't call him a poet-prophet for nothing!):
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The government will be upon his shoulder. He will be in charge. He has the power and the ability to put all to rights. Government corruption will end. Help will go to all those who need it. Justice and mercy will be fulfilled.
And ... the idea of all this ... it amazes me. It comforts me.
It makes me desire to be better, so that when this day finally comes, I will be ready.
I will be prepared to meet the eyes of my Lord, my Savior, my dear elder brother (since we are all children of God) ... whose name we take upon baptism ... and I won't be ashamed at how long it's been since I gave a sincere personal prayer. Or actually studied (as opposed to skimmed) the Scriptures.
And ... the idea of all this ... it amazes me. It comforts me.
It makes me desire to be better, so that when this day finally comes, I will be ready.
I will be prepared to meet the eyes of my Lord, my Savior, my dear elder brother (since we are all children of God) ... whose name we take upon baptism ... and I won't be ashamed at how long it's been since I gave a sincere personal prayer. Or actually studied (as opposed to skimmed) the Scriptures.
That will be a good day. A good millennium, in fact.
But, as C.S. Lewis put it ... "sorrows will be no more."
And, truly, that is what I would like best for everyone to have.
And I'm grateful that, in the plan of happiness, a way for that has been prepared. Guaranteed, even.
And, truly, that is what I would like best for everyone to have.
And I'm grateful that, in the plan of happiness, a way for that has been prepared. Guaranteed, even.
29.1 - After typing all that, I'm grateful for Kleenex.
Just sayin'.
Just sayin'.
30. Again, I'm grateful for technology (even though sometimes, when it's not working as we'd like it, it CAN drive me BONKERS).
Just this last week alone, I've been able to watch the First Presidency Devotional (well, MOST of it. I'll watch it over again. Promise!!) ... and it's wonderful that they've announced, as a Christmas gift to the world, the new website that allows us to watch videos the Church has worked on about the life of Christ (They're working on a whole series of Biblical stories).
Also, a cousin (distant) has gotten in contact with me.
She sent me a few pictures of my Nana's (my dad's mom's) grandparents.
I had never seen a picture of Nana's grandmother, Annie, before. So that was a treat.
And, Jo (my cousin) sent me a picture with her father and my great-grandparents ... and she added that she thought the other woman in the picture was my grandmother (aka Nana).
She was right. And I was able to let her know that the other man in the photo was my Pop-pop (Dad's dad). It was very nice to be able to see their pictures again.
I also find fun things to read that keep me entertained (and, hopefully, be a little more entertaining).
And, really, I don't know how I'd get by without my smartphone. It's good that Michael knows me so well to get me something that I really use (EVERY DAY!) and adore. Yup, and doing it through technology just sweetens the deal. ;P
Just this last week alone, I've been able to watch the First Presidency Devotional (well, MOST of it. I'll watch it over again. Promise!!) ... and it's wonderful that they've announced, as a Christmas gift to the world, the new website that allows us to watch videos the Church has worked on about the life of Christ (They're working on a whole series of Biblical stories).
Also, a cousin (distant) has gotten in contact with me.
She sent me a few pictures of my Nana's (my dad's mom's) grandparents.
I had never seen a picture of Nana's grandmother, Annie, before. So that was a treat.
And, Jo (my cousin) sent me a picture with her father and my great-grandparents ... and she added that she thought the other woman in the picture was my grandmother (aka Nana).
She was right. And I was able to let her know that the other man in the photo was my Pop-pop (Dad's dad). It was very nice to be able to see their pictures again.
I also find fun things to read that keep me entertained (and, hopefully, be a little more entertaining).
And, really, I don't know how I'd get by without my smartphone. It's good that Michael knows me so well to get me something that I really use (EVERY DAY!) and adore. Yup, and doing it through technology just sweetens the deal. ;P
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