Reasons To Be Thankful For

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will ^acall upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:17)

With the Thanksgiving holiday season rapidly approaching I thought I would make a list of some of the things I am thankful for this holiday season:

I am thankful for a Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ who are always there for me and for the atoning sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross for the sins of all mankind so that we might all have the chance to return to them and live in their presence.

I am thankful for the scriptures, no matter where I turn to in them they always provide me with the answers that I need.

I am thankful for my three families...My wife who has shown me nothing but unconditional love whom I am glad to be with for eternity, and for my soon to be daughter Tielle, I did not know I could love her already and she has not even been born yet.  My mother and father and my niece and nephews whom I love and miss very much and cannot wait to see them again.  To my mother and father in-law and all of my other in-laws, they are the best and I am blessed to have them in my life.

I am thankful for all of my friends I have in my life, Brian and Ellen.  My two best friends, even though I am thousands of miles away I value their friendships and remember the times we had in the past.  Larry, who I value like a father and brother in the gospel, I am blessed to have the opportunity that he re-baptized me and am grateful to him for never giving up on me.  To Eric, although we have only known each other a short time you are always there for me and my life is richer for having you a part of it.  All of my other friends I have made, I thank you all for being a part of my life.

I am thankful to be in school and to be reaching my dream of someday becoming a school teacher and to have the encouragement and support of friends and family who never give up on me.

I am thankful to have found a new job that I absolutely love.

I am thankful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (www.lds.org) (www.mormon.org) and for Jesus Christ's true church restored on the earth and through his plan, and his holy temples (www.ldschurchtemples.com) we can return to live in their presence and be with our families for time and all eternity.

I am thankful for the soldiers (past, present, and future) who sacrifice their time and lives to defend our freedoms.  We all owe them brave warriors a debt of gratitude.

I am thankful to live in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America, where we all have the right to worship how we wish and to live in a democratic nation.

I am thankful for my calling in the Elders Quorum as the Secretary and to have my chance to serve Heavenly Father this way.

These are just some of the many things that I am grateful for this season.  I am sure many more will come to my mind soon.  Perhaps if they do I might update this blog again?