Trials

On Monday, Pat called me from work.
I responded with a cheery, "Good morning!", to which he responded, "Not really."
As that response was NOT at all typical, I was surprised, but not shocked when he followed those words up with the news that his job had just been officially downsized and he was no longer employed.
(His actual words?  "I was canned this morning.")

Immediately, my heart started pounding, with fear, shock, and concern.
As quickly as those emotions started, I felt a profound peace in my heart.
I knew of a surety at that moment that we are in God's hands.
There is a plan for us.
There is NO question in my mind about the reality of those two statements.
They are reality.

I have no idea what the path ahead will hold for us.
I do know, IF we can and will listen to the voice of the Lord, He will guide us onto the path that He needs us on.

I, literally, have given thanks to God multiple times over the past week for the choice we made about 5 years ago to get our finances in order.
Dave Ramsey, and his Total Money Makeover has literally put us in a place where we can weather this storm without having to dramatically alter our life.
I give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the inspiration and guidance to implement those budgeting strategies then, and not NOW.  
Because we chose to listen and consistently work at it, our debt is almost entirely under control.
We have resources that we can pull from.
We have food in our pantry.
And, most importantly, we have each other.

As trials go, this one is temporal for the most part.
We will count our blessings as we endure this.
Pray for us.
We need clarity and understanding of what God's plan is for us...and we will know.
Of that I have no doubt.

Sunday Thoughts

I have taken the challenge given by our Sunday School President to come prepared to our Sunday meetings.
That doesn't just mean getting my heart ready, but it also means that I do the physical and mental preparation of reading the lesson material that will be discussed during the 2nd two hours of church.
I have been breaking my Gospel Doctrine reading down across the weeknights, and adding in the Relief Society material when my scripture reading is minimal or finished for the night.
It definitely makes my thoughts focus on the concept or principle being taught, and has made for more insightful thoughts on my part as I consider what will be discussed.
It seems like a simple thing to do, but in reality, I have not been diligent about being prepared in this particular aspect of my spiritual life.

Today, as I contemplated getting ready and going to church, I was very excited.
Excited for the spiritual uplift I would be able to partake in...and for the opportunity I had to share the thoughts of my heart and learning with others, and more importantly, learning from the things that others would be able to teach me.

I am grateful...for continual progress.
I am grateful...for the ability to change.
I am grateful...for peace, and joy, and strength that comes from believing in and trying to live in the way  that my Savior, Jesus Christ would want me to live.

What are the changes you want to make, or have made that have blessed your spirit and your life?