Good and Bad, Hard and Easy

Recently, Lee and I have been talking about our personal struggles and about the challenges we face as a family. It's so easy for me to get envious of friends who appear to be progressing faster, or appear to be more happy, or appear to have more money. MONEY! I was feeling bad for myself and wondering why we didn't have more of the M word... Why does money have to get so tight that I am considering giving up some things that I am used to having. We all go through it, in our own time. I kept thinking, "All we have is the bare necessities!" Okay, yeah right! I have comfortable shelter, food at my finger tips, money enough to travel and see family, employment, insurance for medical needs, clothing, and on and on. I have NO idea what it feels like to have the bare necessities. There are millions of hungry people, homeless people, people dying from sickness and disease, people in war torn countries trying to survive, those in poverty, and here I was thinking that I have the bare minimum! How very selfish! I caught myself in my very ugly and degrading thoughts and realized that I have the greatest gift God could have ever given me. I have an Eternal family and just recently was given a beautiful daughter who has joined our family.

I have made the choice to stay at home with her to nurture her and raise her. I MADE the CHOICE. So yes, I choose to also have a tight budget and to feel the stress that can accompany that. The blessings and rewards of this choice won't show themselves right away, but I know that I will look back with a grateful heart upon the best choice I ever made.

I'm grateful that I have an Eternal family to be with during the good times and bad, the sick times and healthy, the hard times and easy, the poor times and rich.

I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and has been restored through a Prophet of God. I know we live in the last days, as prophesied by ancient and modern prophets. I know that we are given Eternal Families, through the power of the Priesthood, to be with forever, even after death. I know this! I know that God has a plan for me because he loves me as his daughter. I am His daughter. I know that He has given me the opportunity and privilege of raising one of His most special daughters. He has reserved us for such a time as this, and no matter what hardships we will face, we will face them as Eternal Families.

My Eternal family