Count Your Many Blessings

So I have a few friends that really like a popular blog which basically mocks the world of mormon mom blogs that talk about how wonderful their family is and how great their life is... I decided I don't like it.

I gave a Family Home Evening lesson Monday night on love, and I've been thinking a lot about it this week. One scripture I read was:

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity. Charity is everlasting love." Moroni 8:17

Now, I'm not the type of person that thinks, 'that person deserves to rot in hell,' but I find myself occasionally with the thoughts, 'that person is so dumb.' And now I keep thinking I need to really love everyone and want the best for everyone. Thinking people are stupid and they deserve certain consequences isn't Christ-like of me. Making fun of people that 'talk like a mormon' or name their kids crazy things isn't what I should be doing, or supporting those that do. So that is one thing I am working on and I am enjoying the learning experience from it.

Neal A. Maxwell said, 'When we come to be genuinely concerned with pleasing God-more than with pleasing any in the world, even ourselves-then our behavior improves and His blessings can engulf us."

So I was thinking one night about this popular blog and questioned if my personal blog falls into the category they mock. Then I thought, so what if it is. I think there is a lot of good that comes from acknowledging all the blessings we receive. I think we need to do more on focusing on those things, rather than all the trash, wicked, and stupidity in the world. 20 years down the road are our children going to be reading our journals to see we were a pessimist or an optomist. Are we going to want to remember those awful days, or the ones we spent laughing and loving. I know when I look back on a negative thing, those feelings of anger and frustration sometimes easily come back. I know opposition is a necessity, and those bad days make the good ones so much better, I just believe there is a lot more happiness to be had in this world if we count our blessings.

I've always heard about thankful prayers, designating an entire prayer to giving thanks, and I've done my share of them, but sometimes it seems awfully difficult at the end of the day to think, okay, what did I like today and can not think of anything!

Well, it simply isn't true and I'm making a goal in addition to loving others more, to acknowledging all the things I'm grateful for - the refridgerator that keeps my food fresh, plumbing to make using the bathroom so much easier and cleaner, and technology that I can call my parents when I need someone to talk to, even when my ice maker doesn't work, the sewer line backed up into my house, and my cell seems to constantly drop my calls.

There are so many luxuries we have today. I know if we try to focus on the good things in life, the blessings we have, and having a Christ-like love towards others we will have more happiness in our life.

"The love of God is the most desirable above all things...and the most joyous to the soul." - 1 Nephi 11:22-23