This Weeks General Conference Talk

The talk for this week is by Bonnie D Parkin, it is called. "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness". I thought this talk was pretty short compared to some of the others but, that made it short and sweet. Some of the things that stood out to me were: One, She said, "The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us". This statement kind of hit home because over the past few weeks Ryan and I have noticed that we have been complaining a lot. If it is not his job or mine or both, the heat, the commute, homesickness, or just whatever. It seems that for some reason or another we are complaining when usually we are the glass is half full kind of people. I didn't realize it then but after reading this talk it made me realize that is id effect the Spirit we felt in our home. Complaining just brings unhappiness and when you complain about one thing it seems like the flood gates are opened and the list of complaints gets bigger and bigger until you just go to bed because there is nothing good to be awake about. Not any more! The little light bulb came on and I realize that when life gets this way it is time to make a change. A change in attitude. A change in the way I feel about the things in my life and I need to be grateful for the little things...and make my thankfulness list get bigger and bigger.

The second thing that stuck out was just being grateful. She quotes, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things." And continues, "All things means just that: good things, difficult things -- not just some things. He has commanded us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy. This is another evidence of His love." I agree! When I was in high school I started a thankfulness journal. Each day I had to write three things I was grateful for and I couldn't repeat anything. It made me really look at each day with a grateful attitude and see that each day, even the bad ones, had something to be grateful for... even if it was the ink that was in my pen at that moment, I was grateful for it. I think that I have always had a attitude of gratefulness but remembering that journal made me think about how happy I was to have so many good things in my life even amongst things that were rotten. It makes me want to make changes in my like to recognize those things again...because I have SO MUCH to be grateful for. She also said, "Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgement of the Lord's hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith".

This next part really spoke to me because I have this aunt who I feel is very strong in her faith and even though she has been handed some really hard times she has appeared to always remain a rock. I have always been impressed with this and sometimes wonder how she does it. Well, I feel this next part may explain a little bit of how she remains to strong under such tough circumstances. Sister Parkin writes, "The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord -- even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be reveled. Then comes a sense of peace." I feel this statement is the reason why my aunt is able to with stand tribulation. Besides being grateful she has a broken heart and a contrite spirit, something we have all been asked to have but, in my opinion what few have accomplished. My aunt is a great example of this and I only hope that if she has not already she will soon feel that peace that comes only after being grateful for tribulations and having a understanding of why we have them. She is a great example to me as I continue to strive to be grateful for all things and having a broken heart and a contrite spirit.