Week 20

It snowed last night. Not the first time, but every time it does I really miss my garage. It's so nice to just walk out to a warm garage, raise the door, start the car . . .  Instead, I have to traipse through the snow and slick sidewalks and scrape my windows. HOWEVER, I'm SO grateful that Coray taught me that I have a remote start on my key fob! I've had this car for a year and a half and never even knew that! I have wished it plenty of times not knowing that here at my fingertips was the solution! I'm also really grateful for the windshield cover I bought that at least makes it so that I don't have to scrape my windshield. Saves a whole lot of time for sure! At least when I remember to put it on the night before, or I'm not too lazy to go back out and put it on. AND I'm really grateful for dear Elder Bellos who saw me scraping my windshield because I hadn't put on the cover last week. He stopped on his way from the gym in his shorts with no gloves and scraped my car in the dark morning. 

As I'm typing this series of murmuring complaints followed by gratitude for my blessings, I'm seeing an analogy here. Anyone else see it? I guess there are any number of things we might question or complain about, especially those that we can control or prevent by one small action. I probably don't need to point those out to anyone reading this - you know what yours are. So maybe as we encounter those reasons to complain, we can look for the blessings available to us. We can listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost telling us of the resources at our fingertips. We can use those resources, especially when it's as easy as opening the scriptures or studying the words of the prophets. It might require a little more work on our part; we might actually have to do something to prevent the problems we encounter. But always - always there is Someone willing to help us when we are in need. He sees our troubles and struggles. We might have to ask for that help, but often there are His angels nearby who will step up to our aid. 

I'll probably still complain about not having a garage and having to scrape my car, but at least I know how to solve or prevent most of my reasons to complain! 

CHANGES! I thought you would like to see how Temple Square has changed already. The trees are all gone between the temple and the south visitors center and all the landscaping next to the temple has been taken away. There are metal fences put up surrounding Temple Square and there are gates closed so that people have to go around the block or across the street to get from place to place. The very old cedar tree will stay standing though! Hopefully it survives the construction.

I LOVED Abby's email this week where she wrote about Chris who "got a pain in his chest" after asking if the Book of Mormon is true. I want you to know, Abby, that I got that same pain in my chest the first time I read and asked about the Book of Mormon. We are told that's how we'll know the answer to our prayers. D&C 9:8 says "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."

The Book of Mormon IS "right." It is the "most correct of any book ever written," and it was translated by the "gift and power of God." I love that we are studying it this year and I'm so grateful for my testimony that it is true.