Miracles

Nate's sister, Jen, gave the lesson at the Family Meeting tonight and she shared the message of T H I N K ing before you speak (True, Happy, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind) and then gave a little quote.  The quote was what touched me the most.  It felt like it covered all the things I struggled with earlier in the day (that I'm going to spare you the details of).  I want to make this quote a permanent part of my blog because I feel so strongly about it, but I wanted to make sure it made it into the book too.  Here it is:

"You are not here to live a mediocre to average life; you are here to live an amazing life, a miraculous life.  If it weren't for your challenges, there would be no miracles.  You must do that which seems impossible, for it is only in the impossible that miracles are had."

Is that not the coolest thing you've ever heard?!  I LOVE it!  It goes along with my theme for the year, "I can do hard things!"  And that has helped me a ton to have the reminder on my white board throughout this whole pregnancy.  I really can do hard things.  And it will make me stronger and as this quote points out, make miracles possible!

I had a couple more things stand out to me in my studying tonight.  A quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley about parenting, a great list of things to follow, here's that one:

“Treat your children as sons and daughters of God. Be kind. Love them. Respect them. Counsel with them. Teach them. Pray for them. Guide them and God will bless both them and you” (in Church News, 1 Nov. 1997, 2).

And then also this scripture which I've known forever, but saw it in a new light tonight.  I really want to work on each thing in this verse to help me put off the natural man.  That's exactly how I have been feeling lately, just overcome by "the natural man" (or woman) in me.  I know a lot of that can be from this pregnancy.  I feel like my body has taken over.  The pains and discomforts far exceed anything I try to muster up spiritually for some reason and it's been a difficult battle.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

And now I've lost the reference.  But either way.  I love these handy little lists :).  I'm a list person I guess.  I like to feel like there are steps I can take.  Anyway, hopefully this will help me in the future too.  8-12-12