Blessings and Desires

July 28, 2010
Blessings…
This morning on my walk, I thought about all the blessings that I have in my life: health, strength, Garrett—his Autism a part of him but not in full control of him (the tantrums and self destructive behaviors), Isaac’s ability to fly through the air and his improved reading, math, and writing skills; Maggie and her ability to reach out and still love others, Virginia for her enthusiasm for school life, and her horse throat laughter, Kellis and for his ability to grow up, lead, and still be guided by his parents and leaders, for our cars, the home we live in, for Grandparents who love all of us—no matter the energy level or demand of attention, for cousins and Aunts and Uncles who never gave up on us, who keeping loving us despite all of our imperfections, for the Gospel, for the Temple—eternal blessings, for the New ward—Foxboro 7, for friends, for patience, for forgiveness, for the atonement, for Marianne’s sweet happiness despite her hearing challenges, for my ability to nurture and nurse her, for our jobs, for the ability to go to school, for an opportunity to teach at a University, of other opportunities to increase our health, for the clothes we were, for the food storage, for clean laundry, for cool air conditioning, for a garden, for a safe yard to play in, for medicine, for little girls who giggle and scream with life, for boys that put all their energy into living, and for a husband: a dad, a friend, a companion who loves me and whom I love with my eternal heart…
Blessings: these are the amazing parts of our lives that fill our daily bread. As I look at them I’m fully aware that I missed a bunch. But I can say that I love to look at them. It is a powerful moment when “counting the blessing and trying to name them one by one”. It is humbling. It is not meant to boast or brag, but to be truly grateful for all that we have.
Desires of my heart:
Along with the counting the blessing, I also felt the need to express the desires of my heart. These desires don’t necessarily have a time frame, but they are what I’m feeling currently. I desire: continued health and strength to do all that is asked of me. I desire to keep producing milk to feed my baby girl. I desire that we will all be able to communicate with Marianne, so that she can share her world with ours. I desire to complete my principal license this year, to be given the intellect to complete all that is asked of me for this program. I desire that I will be able to teach a few classes at U of P to give us immediate increase in our funding. I desire to have the family work well together and do their jobs/chores so that we can learn responsibility, and contribution to a family. I pray that they will fill our love for them during this busy year. I desire that I can take individual children and share some one on one time with them this year. I desire that they will have success in school. I desire that my reading/math/homeroom classes will gel together and improve all their skills. I pray that I will get to know and love them. I desire to complete my calling under the direction of the Lord. I desire the faith that it takes to have another child. I desire that my family will feel love throughout all that has to happen during this up coming year. Most of all, I desire that our home will be a haven: a place to feel safe, love, and protection from the storm that Satan rages outside these walls. So, in these moments of reflection, prayer, and desires I feel a sense of how much there is to do, and how much we can we blessed. Please help us Heavenly Father.