The Christmas season brings with it a reminder of the importance of sacrifice. When I give a gift, the receiver of the gift is not the only one who benefits. In fact, I dare to say that I've benefited far more than anyone who has ever been on the receiving end. From the time spent brainstorming ideas for the perfect gift to the time and money put into the actual gift, the sacrifice that produces a gift is what makes it special.

With this in mind, I have been thinking about the greatest gift that anyone can receive: eternal life. We are all eligible for this gift because of the goodness and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As I thought about this, I began to wonder what it is that makes this the greatest gift. Obviously, the ability to be like our Father in Heaven and live with Him and our families forever is one explanation. This is the explanation that has always come to my mind previously when I thought about this beautiful promise. As I thought about this principle in light of Christmas, however, I had an insight that had never before come to my mind.

Think of the sacrifice that went into this gift that the Savior gave to all mankind. He experienced true loneliness. He was rejected by His brethren. He was mocked and treated with unprecedented cruelty. He suffered for the pains, afflictions, and sins of all mankind. He gave His life so that we could live again. And He continues to give to us freely. The power of the atonement never ceases. Ever. He continues to stand with arms outstretched toward us and a welcoming plea upon His lips. His love is unending and His kindness unmatched.

So, I discovered for myself, that the Savior's gift to us is the greatest gift not only because of what it means for us, but also because of the sacrifice that went into that gift. This revelation was a tender mercy for me this last week and it will forever influence the way I think about giving gifts. I am grateful for a Savior who understood the true nature of giving and was not afraid to sacrifice everything so that we could receive that gift. Christmas is a reminder of this magnificent sacrifice for us, and emphasizes the importance of giving generously to those around us. I am so grateful for this sacred reminder and pray that the spirit of Christmas could remain alive in my heart through the coming year.

I know I've already written posts about Jesus Christ in the past, but with Christmas coming next week, I can't imagine writing a post about the miracles in my life and not writing about my Savior. I love Christmas because it is a time to renew my commitment to Jesus Christ and evaluate my priorities. The miracle of Christmas does not lie in the presents that rest under the tree or the treats and surprises that stuff the stockings. The miracle of Christmas lies in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us all.

As I contemplate the miracle of Jesus Christ's life, my heart is filled with gratitude for the life that He led. Although His entire life taught us many lessons, I feel like some of the most profound and important lessons that He taught come from His final hours here on earth. He was sentenced, over a true criminal, to die upon a cross. Little did these individuals know that this man whom they accused  had just suffered for the sins, trials, and afflictions of all mankind. Among those were the sins, trials, and afflictions of those very accusers. Can you imagine giving someone the greatest gift that you could possibly give, only to have them turn against you and sentence you to death less than a day later? Being the natural man that I am, I would be extremely upset and bitter! The Savior, however, teaches us a beautiful lesson through His reaction to this event.

Though He could have easily been angry and bitter at those who convicted Him to a torturous death, He chose the higher road. He chose to love and to forgive. The Savior did not say much while He was on the cross, but what He did choose to say taught us the importance of loving and forgiving everyone - even those who do not want or even recognize the need for our forgiveness. Did those individuals need His forgiveness? Of course they did! Did they recognize that they needed that forgiveness? Probably not. However, the Savior recognized that He needed to forgive them. He left this world in peace because He brought peace to those around Him. He left this world as a loving person because He chose to love those around Him. He left this world as a perfect person because He chose to keep the commandments perfectly.

The Savior taught us that we have control over our divine destiny and who we ultimately become. By what we choose to do in this life, we shape who we ultimately become. Jesus Christ is a miracle in my life because He helps me become better every day. The memory and record of His example inspires me to reach beyond myself and strive to be more like Him. My relationship with Him through prayer gives me the power that I need to improve and become a better person.

I rejoice in my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Redeemer of my soul and the giver of the greatest gift I've ever been given. The Christmas presents we give and receive will fade away or break, but the gift our Savior has given to us will never leave us.  No matter how many times we fall, or how many times we break, His gift is always there and waiting to make us whole again. His is the gift that helps us reach our divine potential, just as He did.

I know that Jesus Christ came once, and He will come again. I pray that my life can be a miracle and a gift to Him, for I know that this is the greatest gift we can give.

The following is a tribute to the life of Jesus Christ, written by the Prophet and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would invite you to read it, as it is the perfect reminder of what we celebrate with each passing Christmas.

 http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints

I know that I usually post on Thursdays, but I want to make sure I write about this while it is still fresh in my memory. Also, I am just so excited to write about this miracle that I can't wait any longer! A dear friend of mine, who also happens to be my visiting teaching companion, recently ended up in the hospital because she had a stroke. Even though I have known her for only a short time, she has become a sweet friend to me and I have grown to love her dearly. She's the kind of person that is just so wonderful, you can't help but adore her upon meeting her.

Early Monday afternoon, I had a thought that I should get a group together visit her and sing Christmas carols to her for family home evening. At first, I thought that it was such short notice to ask any families to go, and that everyone probably had plans for family night anyway. The thought persisted, however, and I realized that this was a prompting and that I needed to act on it. So, I did. As I acted on this prompting, the Lord gave me a tender mercy and confirmation that I was doing what was right; I was able to find two families that were willing to go with us and sing to my friend.

Monday evening arrived and we all met at the hospital to visit and sing to our friend. As we went into her room, I entered thinking that this would be a great experience because we'd be able to bring her some holiday cheer. I quickly realized, however, that the reason I needed to go see her was not to lift her spirits. I was both surprised and delighted to see my friend's spirits high and her good humor still present. We sang her two songs of her choice, and the spirit that I felt while we sang to her lifted my soul and reminded me of the true purpose of Christmas.

The highlight of our visit, however, was a sweet moment when this dear sister shared her testimony of Jesus Christ and how His atonement has been lifting her and her family to help them through this trial. The spirit in the room was tangible as she bore a sweet and simple testimony of Him. Even the children there seemed to sense the reverent and special nature of that moment, as they just stood still and listened to her words.

Hearing about the miracles that are happening in my friend's life was a miracle for me. This experience lifted me up and reminded me, once again, of the very real power that is available to each and every one of us through His atonement. Thank you, my dear friend, for filling my heart with the true spirit of Christmas. This was truly a miracle for me and has made this Christmas season special.

I am grateful that my Heavenly Father knew where I needed to be on Monday evening. I did not even realize it, but my spirits needed to be lifted and my sights needed to be set higher than they were. Because my sweet friend was simply willing to share her testimony of Jesus Christ and the miracles that He has bestowed upon her, I was lifted higher. Remembering Jesus Christ, wanting to be closer to Him, and feeling closer to Him are beautiful miracles.

I will forever remember this experience as I strive to more readily share my testimony of Jesus Christ with those around me. Perhaps if we were all a little more willing to share our testimonies of Jesus Christ, we could be someone's Christmas miracle this year too. Our testimonies certainly bring light into this world as we share them with others! I hope that this can be our brightest Christmas yet as we remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and testify of the sweet blessings that flow from Him without reserve.

One of the greatest ways that I see the tender mercies of the Lord is through the thoughts that He puts in my heart and the knowledge that He shares with me through the promptings of the Spirit. Over the last few days, my thoughts have been turned toward one of God's grandest blessings and miracles: children. Children are little miracles that teach us too many lessons to recount in just one blog post.

The way that we feel about our children is a vital reminder to us of how God feels about us, His children. Just the same, as a child, the way we feel about our parents reminds us how we should feel toward and interact with our Father in Heaven. It would be ridiculous to call this similarity an accident or a coincidence. God has given us earthly relationships that are a pattern for eternal relationships. Through giving us a mortal relationship that our finite minds can experience and understand, the Lord is able to help us gain insight into our eternal relationship with Him. By drawing comparisons between these earthly and heavenly relationships, we can strengthen our relationship with Heavenly Father and draw near unto Him.

I have seen in my own life that as I improve my understanding of the relationship between me and God, and the unique roles that each of us plays in that relationship, that bond is strengthened. My prayers improve and become more frequent. My thoughts are turned toward God more often. My tendency to think before I act or speak grows. I see myself improve in every aspect of my life because my relationship with my Creator and Father in Heaven is stronger.

As I have observed my daughter over the last few days and looked for insight into the plea in the scriptures to become like little children, I have learned a lot about why God instructs us to become as little children. Although my daughter is still quite young, I have noticed her watching and studying what I do. And then, she copies me. She wants to be like me!

Do I study about God? Who He is? What He does? Do I then try to implement those things that I learn from studying about Him and try to become more like Him? Not nearly as much as I should. I get busy and distracted - especially around this time of the year that is so busy for moms. I am grateful for this tender reminder that came to me this past week and in such a timely matter. Presents and decorations are wonderful parts of the Christmas season, but they fade. The gift of a better person would be the best gift that I could give to both my family and to my Heavenly Father.

Recently, my daughter has started giving me hugs as tightly as she can and giving me kisses on the cheek. It means so much to me to know that she loves me. She can't even speak, and yet, she is able to express to me that she loves me and needs me. I cherish these moments. Sometimes, we may feel that we are limited in our ability to show God that we love Him. We aren't in His physical presence, which makes it feel more difficult to find those ways to reach out and love Him. But, yet again, we can learn a lesson from the children! If we dig deep inside ourselves, we can find different ways to express love, even though we may be limited by our current state.

I love my Heavenly Father and I want to become like a child so that I can return and be with Him again. I believe that He admonishes us to become as children so many times in the scriptures because there are many life lessons to be learned through the precious example of little ones. We are to Him as our children are to us. He should be to us as our parents are to us. This Christmas season, it is my hope and prayer that we can reach out to our Father and try to be a little better. May we search for and find the child that lies within each of us.

I've been reflecting a lot recently about where I was in my life three years ago. Three years ago, I was getting ready to go on a mission. I was in the process of finishing my papers and was planning on submitting them in early January, three months before I would turn 21. I had received a clear answer that I this is what I needed to do, and I was both scared and excited.

By the time Christmas break rolled around, I started having some confusion as to whether or not I had made the right decision. I could not tell if this was the Spirit prompting me and telling me that going on a mission right now was wrong, or if the adversary was trying to keep me from doing the right thing. Needless to say, I spent many weeks feeling confused and lost as I searched for an answer. In fact, I never received a clear answer from the Lord regarding my decision while I was seeking His help.

Christmas break ended and I returned to BYU with my mission papers complete and an appointment with my stake president for my final interview before their submission. Because I had not received an answer, I decided to continue moving forward with my plans to go on a mission and have faith that the Lord would stop me if it was the wrong choice.

The evening of my interview with my stake president came and I felt physically ill. Just  the thought of going to that interview made me sick, and I knew in my heart that this was my answer. I was devastated. I had been so excited to go on a mission! Not only that, but I had been so sure that the Lord had confirmed to me that the decision to go on a mission was right. Had I misunderstood the promptings and answers that I'd received? Had I done something to upset Him? I must admit, I began to doubt my ability to receive and understand revelation. I thought I had done something wrong.

At the time that I was making the decision as to whether or not I should serve a mission, I was also considering doing study abroad the following spring/summer if I did not go on a mission. By the time I received the answer that I should not go on a mission after all, deadlines for study abroad had passed. I never felt angry at God, but I did feel frustrated that the answer did not come in time for me to sign up to study abroad instead. All of my plans had been thwarted, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do anymore. I was lost.

My feelings of frustration persisted for a few months. Furthermore, I began to feel like the reason the Lord did not want me to go on a mission was because I was inadequate or not good enough. This thought was devastating to me, and although looking back I recognize that these thoughts came from the adversary, they were very upsetting at the time. Needless to say, I had a rough few months.

Luckily, things began to look up when I started dating a handsome fellow and good friend of mine. Our relationship progressed quickly, and it didn't take long for us to realize that the Lord had brought us together for a reason. As wonderful as a mission would have been, I found something that brought me so much more happiness than a mission ever could have. While a mission would have brought me a great deal of joy, the Lord had something much greater in store for me.

Looking back, I see the tender mercies of the Lord in my life to a great degree in this instance. If I had received the answer that I was not supposed to go on a mission sooner, I probably would have applied for study abroad and I would not have started dating Daniel. Not only this, but there were specific people who were in my ward that spring and summer that I know the Lord needed me to meet for reasons that are not pertinent to this story. He had not waited to give me the answer I sought because He was not hearing my prayers, but because He knew that it was not the right time for me to receive that answer. Oh how grateful I am today that He waited to answer my prayers!

Additionally, the Lord knew that I needed to go through the process of preparing to go on a mission. I became a better woman and I was more prepared to be a wife and a mother because of my preparation to serve the Lord. I learned for myself that I was willing to follow the Lord's promptings and do what He needs me to do. In my instance, the process of preparing to serve taught me what I needed to know in order to move on to the next stage of my life.

While it was frustrating to have changes in plans and the absence of answers, looking back I can see that these frustrations were in fact tender mercies that led me to where I am today. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and His true love for me. I am grateful that He loves me enough to give me what I need for my eternity, not what I want in finite moments. The sweet family that I have today is my greatest blessing in this life, and I know that the Lord led me to the place where I am now. He is so aware of us, and He will lead us where we need to go if we will just have faith in Him and His will.

I finished reading the Book of Mormon again today. No matter how many times I read it, this beautiful book never ceases to amaze me. The Book of Mormon is a miracle sent directly from Heavenly Father to us! As I read the Book of Mormon this time, I was struck by the vivid descriptions that the prophets gave of our time. There is no doubt that they truly saw our world today and tailored the messages they wrote to us. It is filled with important lessons and evidences of the Lord's tender mercies. In fact, in and of itself, it is a tender mercy. It is revelation specific to our day and time so that we can remain faithful and true through the turbulent times in which we live.

The Book of Mormon stands as a witness that God hears and answers prayers. Along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies that God loves His children and He listens to their desires and their needs. If nothing else, the Book of Mormon is a record of God's merciful interactions with His children through prayer. God is not silent - He spoke to His children then, and He still speaks to His children today. His arms are always outstretched toward us, and He will give us multiple opportunities to come unto Him, just as He has done for His children in days past.

Another treasure that I discovered during my study of the Book of Mormon was this: when we remember the many things that the Lord has done for us, we will remain righteous. When we forget the many things that He has done for us, we will fall into wickedness. This tender mercy is ever important in a world that is forgetting the very being who created them! By remembering what the Lord has done for us, we can remain humble and acknowledge that His will is more important than our will.

I came across a quote in the margin of my scriptures while I was reading today. I don't have the source written down, but the words are profound and ring true to me:

"Righteous character becomes eternal when we exercise self-control." (Anonymous)

 As we align our will with God's will, we will have increased power to exercise self-control because we will remember what is truly important. We see this in the Book of Mormon time and time again! As people remember God and are righteous, they are given increased strength to exercise self-control and remain righteous. This same principle and promise applies to us today.

My mind has been turned recently toward the beauty and miracle of habits. We are creatures of habit, and although it may not seem such at times, this is a tender mercy! While bad habits are destructive, there is also incredible power to be found in good habits. And we have the power to form good habits! This is truly a gift from Heavenly Father. He can help us form righteous habits that will bring much happiness in this life and in the life to come. As the people in the Book of Mormon established righteous habits of having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, being baptized, keeping their covenants, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, they were truly strengthened and given power to remain faithful.

The Book of Mormon ends with a powerful plea to come unto Jesus Christ and be perfected in Him. The Book of Mormon is our road map to developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while we are here on earth and becoming like Him so that we can return and live with God again. There is only one way back, and that is through Jesus Christ.

I wish I had time to write about all of the tender mercies that I see in the scriptures. But perhaps it is better anyway that I leave that to you to discover for yourselves. I can't think of a better way to close than with the words of Mormon to his son Moroni:

"...be faithful in Christ...may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen." (Moroni 9:25-26)

I have the pleasure of teaching Sunday School to the youth that are 12 and 13 years old at church. Our lesson last week was about finding answers to our questions. This got me thinking about times when Heavenly Father has helped me find answers to my questions. I know that the Lord always hears and answers my prayers, but there is one instance in particular that stands out in my mind, partially because of its recency.

About six months ago, our stake president challenged everyone to pray and ask what their spiritual gifts are. I decided to take him up on that challenge, and I prayed to my Heavenly Father and asked Him to help me recognize my gifts. The answer did not come. What was I doing wrong? I was sticking to the challenge by praying and pondering about what gifts I could possibly have. Still, no answer came.

I prayed for a few months to find my answer until, eventually, I began to forget about it. I did not feel like the Lord had abandoned me. Rather, I assumed that I still needed some time to develop the seeds of His gifts before I could acknowledge them. Life moved on and I quickly forgot about my quest to find my spiritual gifts as I became busy with preparations for moving.

Moving was really hard at first - much harder than I had initially anticipated. In my mind, moving was going to be nothing but an incredible adventure! To my surprise, I felt really lonely. I missed my friends and family. I got lost every time I tried to go somewhere. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone in many regards, and I felt vulnerable. Little did I know, the Lord was putting me where I needed to be so that I could receive an answer to my prayers of many months past.

At this point, it was about four or five months after our stake president had challenged us to search for our spiritual gifts. The prayers that I'd said regarding the subject were distant from my mind, but Heavenly Father had not forgotten. In fact, I believe that He was waiting to answer those prayers until it was the perfect time for me.

Something about moving to West Virginia made it the perfect opportunity for me to recognize the answer to my plea. As I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, I had experiences that the Lord later brought to my mind. He helped me recognize that I had been able to act in a specific way because I had a gift! He helped me see two gifts that I'd had for a long time, but had not even realized that they were gifts. These experiences illuminated my mind and the Lord used them to answer my prayers.

This has been a tender mercy from the Lord in so many ways. Simply receiving an answer to that prayer was a tender mercy because it helped me feel the Lord's love for me. It strengthened my testimony that He truly does hear my prayers, but He answers them at the right time. Often, the ideal time and the right time are not the same. Ideally, that answer would have come right when I had asked for it. However, I realize now that it would not have been the right time for that answer to come.

By waiting to answer when He did, the Lord testified to me that He hears and remember every prayer that I pray. While I would have appreciated the answer had it come six months ago, it meant so much more to me when it came amidst my time of adjustment. At a time when I was feeling lonely and so small, the Lord reached out to me and let me know that He remembered me. This tender mercy gave me strength and happiness at a time when I needed it desperately.

I know that we all have a loving Heavenly Father who hears our prayer and answers them. Those answers may not come right away, but they will undoubtedly come at the right time. If we will stay close to the Spirit, He will help us recognize those answers when they do come! Just as we could never forget our own children, the Lord can never forget us. Bringing to pass our immortality and eternal life is His work and His glory (Moses 1:39)! I am grateful for my Heavenly Father, and that He knows me well enough to answer my prayers at the right time.

For those who don't know me as well, I think it is safe to say that I am a Christmas enthusiast. I love everything about this time of the year! The magic and beauty of the season has not dissipated as I've grown older; quite the opposite, in fact. I've started decorating for Christmas a little bit here and there as I have time throughout the day. One of my favorite Christmas decorations is a framed picture of Mary holding the baby Jesus and gently kissing Him on the forehead. I placed it at a prominent place in our home and every time I see it, it warms my heart.

What touches me most about this picture is the depiction of the Savior's humble beginning. He came to earth just as the rest of us did: as a tiny babe who depended completely on someone else for learning and growth. Although He was the Son of God, He was still subjected to the same human life cycle through which all of us must pass. He was not forced to be perfect, for this would go against the divine endowment of agency to each of us. Rather, He knew of His divine destiny and He made choices that made Him perfect. This is truly a tender mercy from God, that we have a Savior who understands us because He came to earth and lived as a human being. He lived a perfect life so that we could be perfected in Him.

Over the last week, I have been touched by this miracle on more than one occasion. I have become acutely aware of some of my weaknesses that I need to improve, but rather than being filled with sorrow or despair, I have been filled with hope in Jesus Christ. These weaknesses are not grievous sins, but simply little flaws in the way I handle certain situations. As I have repented and sought the enabling power of the atonement in my life, I have felt a quiet assurance that I can become better. I know that because the Savior lived a perfect life here on earth, He knows how to help me overcome my natural inclinations. This tender mercy has been a major part of my life up until now, and will continue to be for the rest of my existence. Just as the apostle Paul, I have a testimony that:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philipians 4:13)

For me, it is a tender mercy to know that Jesus Christ was subjected to all things. This includes anything that I have, do, and will go through. Yet, in spite of this, He remained true to His divine purpose and destiny with total perfection in all things. He can help me know what I need to do to improve because He has walked the path that I walked, and He is walking it with me once again. He is truly merciful, and I know that I can be one of His miracles if I will just let Him work in my life.

I have been contemplating the purpose of this blog more over the last week, and the Lord has helped me see part of why He inspired me to start this blog. As I have been searching for the Lord's hand in my life, I have felt a greater measure of His personal love for me. Feeling His love for me has strengthened me. I needed to feel His love so badly, and He knew that this would bring about that blessing for me. As I prayed to feel of His love, He inspired me to do something that would help bring that love into my life! What a strengthening and beautiful tender mercy this has been!

As I studied my scriptures yesterday, I came across this scripture in Ether 7:27:

 "...and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wherefore he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days."

While reading this scripture, I realized that King Orihah was able to "execute judgment in righteousness all his days" because "he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers." This is another thing that the Lord has been teaching me through searching for His tender mercies! I know that as I continue to see His hand in my life and remember the great things that He has done for me, it will strengthen me and help me remain righteous all my days.

To learn more about Jesus Christ and what He has done for you, visit http://mormon.org/jesus-christ

How is it possible that another week has flown by? It's been another wonderful week filled with blessings and tender mercies! My heart is so full of happiness and gratitude. A few days ago, I was doing my scripture study and I came across a penetrating scripture in Mormon 5:23:

"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? ..."

 I had to stop and ask myself, "Do I know that I am in the hands of God?"  The answer came quickly as I contemplated the many evidences of His love and tender care for me. I can answer with a resounding yes; I know that I am in the hands of God! In fact, I know that all of us are in His hands, for all of us are His beloved children.

This question is so important to remember through all of life's stages. Sometimes when trials come, it is human nature to feel like God has left us or has forgotten us. In these moments, we must ask ourselves "Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?" As we ponder this pertinent question, we can realize the ways that He is helping us endure. More likely than not, He will give us strength rather than remove the trial. I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who is more quick to foster strength and growth than to remove obstacles and hardships. Who becomes stronger: the person who has a mountain moved or the person who climbs the mountain?

Life does not only bring hardship, but also many sweet and happy times. In these moments, we must also ask ourselves this question, and we will be humbled by the sweet blessings from God on high. I love this question because it promotes strength and gratitude. It prompts the soul to search for the Lord's tender mercies.

Over the last week, I have been pondering a lot about families. I have been impressed with the Lord's mercy in designing the family unit and sending us to earth in families. There is no question that the family is of divine origin. I believe that the Lord gives us experiences in this life that reflect things of eternal significance, thus helping us better develop an eternal perspective. The experiences that we have in our families help us to widen that eternal perspective and help us understand our Heavenly Father and our divine destiny.

While I cannot claim to have the love that God has for all of us, I feel like I understand it better now that I have my own child. Having a baby brought out a love in me that I didn't even know existed. Because of this experience, I feel like I gained a small window of insight into how God must feel about all of us. What a beautiful and tender gift that our Heavenly Father has given us, that through our families we can learn to better understand His love for us.

I like to think that there are an innumerable amount of lessons that we can learn from families. No family is perfect, and for those who come from exceptionally difficult family situations, sometimes all you may have to go on is faith in the Lord's mercy. Those problems may not be alleviated during this life, but the Lord is tender and He knows all. There is happiness to be found in Jesus Christ and our eternal family. Even if your earthly family is broken, you are part of a heavenly family. You are loved and needed!

I believe that we were given earthly families so that we could better understand how we should love one another. It can be easy to forget that we are all part of one large family - God's family. Thinking about how much we love our own earthly families can help us realize how we should feel about others. We are all siblings on the same mission: to bring ourselves and each other back to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I know that I would do anything to help my own family return to God. I need to be better, however, at remembering that I have two families: an earthly family and a heavenly family. Relating my feelings for my earthly family to my heavenly family helps me desire to develop the kind of love that I need to be like my Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly loves us all, and part of why we are here is to learn to love one another as He loves us.

I am grateful for the Lord's tender mercies that come in so many ways. When I began thinking about what I should write about this week, I had many thoughts about things that happened that I could share. It wasn't my immediate inclination to share thoughts that had come to me as I had been pondering. I felt impressed, however, that these thoughts were a very sacred tender mercy from the Lord and they needed to be recorded and shared. These thoughts are truly from my heart, and they were a blessing from the Lord to me over the last week. I hope that in some way, they bless you too.

I feel like the longer I do this blog, the more I recognize the Lord's blessings that are so personal to me. This is in and of itself is a sweet blessing. It makes me more aware of my Heavenly Father's love for me as I see that He is truly involved in the intricate details of my life. It brings to mind the scripture in Moses 1:35:

"...but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

We are commanded frequently in the scriptures to express gratitude to our Heavenly Father. The more I recognize and express gratitude for His blessings, the more I realize that this commandment is for US more than for Him. Whether we express gratitude or not, He loves us unconditionally. Recognizing the Lord's blessings, however, helps us see the great love that He has for us.

The last week has been filled with small miracles. Unlike the past few weeks, there has been a theme that I have noticed associated with these tender mercies: all of these miracles have made it possible for me to serve someone else. The Lord truly takes care of us when we follow His will and serve His children.


A friend in our ward just had twins a few weeks ago, and I wanted to take her dinner to help her out. I remember being so tired after having just one baby - I cannot begin to imagine how tired she must be with two new little ones! I always appreciated it when someone offered to bring a meal, and I told myself that I needed to offer others the same service that people so willingly offered to me when I had a new baby. The day arrived that I was going to take dinner to this sweet family, and of course it was the one day when the baby decided to take a nap way later than she usually does. This left me with a short amount of time to prepare not only dinner for her family, but for my family as well.

On any given day, it is usually hard enough to find the time to make just a meal for my family, let alone for someone else. Somehow, within an hour I was able to make a homemade pizza, two loaves of chocolate zucchini bread, and a quiche. Not only this, but I was able to wash some of the dishes while I waited for the pizza to finish baking. Some would hear this and foolishly give me the credit, saying that I am a "supermom." I know better. This was a direct blessing from the Lord; He wanted this woman to be taken care of, and He provided the means for me to be able to serve her. Not only was I able to serve her, but I was also able to take care of my own family. As I reflected on this experience at the end of that day, I had the distinct impression that the Lord had magnified my time.  He had given me a tender mercy so that I would be able to serve this family. What a beautiful testimony  that the Lord will help us take care of each other!

We really enjoy having the missionaries come over for dinner. They bring such a sweet spirit with them, and it helps remind our family that we need to be reaching out to others and sharing the glorious message of the gospel of Jesus Christ! We had them over for dinner last night, and I felt prompted to invite our neighbor to join us. She has become friends with the missionaries, and it seemed like a wonderful opportunity for all of us to get together. When I first received this impression, I was a little bit nervous about having enough food. Daniel has a hearty appetite, and the missionaries are usually pretty hungry themselves when they come over. I had planned a meal with four people in mind, and I was concerned about having enough for everyone.

In spite of my concerns, I invited our neighbor and she graciously accepted the invitation to join us. We had a lovely evening together, and I was so grateful that I had listened to that quiet prompting and invited our neighbor to join us. As Daniel and I cleaned up later that night, I was astonished by the amount of food that was left over. Everyone had eaten until they were full, but there was enough of the meal left that we will be able to have it for dinner tonight as well. I don't know the logistics behind a miracle such as this, but I do know that our family was blessed. We were blessed for being willing to serve and we were blessed with the means to serve.

The Lord is so aware of His children. He blesses us with opportunities to serve each other, and He blesses us with the ability to do so. I have been thinking a lot about the parable of the good Samaritan lately. Just as the good Samaritan promises the innkeeper that he will repay him for any extra he spends in nursing the Jew back to health, the Savior will give us the strength and the means that we need to serve others. Opportunities to serve don't usually come at a time when it is convenient, but if we will seize those opportunities to do as the Savior would do, He will make up the difference. I know He will; He's made up the difference for me.

Autumn is an incredibly beautiful time in West Virginia. Each day, when I step outside, more leaves have changed to the brilliant hue that was hidden under Spring's green. What an exciting time! I was driving to a Relief Society activity the other night and did not even realize that I was distracted until a bright red tree pulled me away from my thoughts. As I looked back in my rear view mirror to catch one more glimpse of the bright tree, I realized that I had missed many beautiful trees simply because I had been distracted with the thoughts of the day. How could I have missed something so beautiful when I was driving right past it? This experience reminded me once again of the importance of looking for the small miracles and tender mercies that come from the Lord.

The older I get, the less I believe in accidents or "luck" and the more I believe in a loving Heavenly Father who watches over His children and intentionally blesses their lives. As I have been striving to search for miracles, I have been blessed to see the Lord's hand in ways that I may not have previously considered. Here are just a couple of the tender mercies that I have seen in the last week.

When we lived in Utah, I enjoyed visiting my grandpa regularly. We truly enjoyed each others' company and we became dear friends. Out of anyone that I had to leave in Utah, it was the hardest to leave him. I miss him immensely and I think of him every day. A few days ago, I had a beautiful dream; when I awoke, there was no question that it was a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father, who is aware of my innermost feelings. In the dream, I unexpectedly ran into my grandpa as I was rushing to a gathering. He reached out and took my hand as he pulled me in for a hug with his other hand. Tears streamed down my face as he held me tightly and whispered in my ear, "You are a dear friend." The dream ended, and immediately upon waking the warm feeling in my heart witnessed to me that this dream was a blessing from above.

Another small miracle that I recognized came in an unexpected way. Daniel and I usually study our scriptures in the morning. One day last week, however, was atypical and we did not have a chance to study until the afternoon. There wasn't anything in particular that went wrong that day, but Daniel and I both noticed that we didn't feel like it had been a very good day. We had a pocket of time to do our scripture study in the afternoon, and the difference that we noticed was marked. Both of us noticed a big difference in the way that we felt and the spirit that was in our home once we had read the scriptures. As I reflected on this sweet experience, I recognized that it was also a blessing from the Lord. It was a sweet reminder of the incredible gift of the scriptures. I think I often forget to notice how they bless me each day - until an experience like this reminds me.

Heavenly Father is so good to us, and I know it is because He loves His children. I see His tender mercies strengthening me and my family. God be thanked for His unending mercy and love for all!

I've never been much of a blogger. For months now, however, I have been having the thought that I need to create a special blog. This is not a blog to archive different recipes that I try or my crafty experiments. This blog is to document how I see the Lord's hand in my life and the life of my family.

I don't know if the Lord has impressed me to do this because someone else needs it or because I do - it is probably a combination of both. Even if no one else ever reads a single post, this blog will stand as a witness that the Lord is still intimately involved in the lives of His children today because He loves us. I may not see His hands, but I feel the effects of His love and concern each day.

Recently, my husband started a graduate program in clinical psychology. Other students in the program are always studying, working on projects, or doing homework. From talking to them, he has realized that most of them feel like they don't have enough time to get everything that they need to done. Dan, however, has had enough time to get most of his work done at school. When he is home, he is able to be with our family and provide for our emotional and spiritual needs.

He mentioned yesterday that it makes him feel like he is forgetting about something that the other grad students are remembering to work on. This isn't the case. In fact, he is ahead on many projects that other students have yet to start. The Lord has truly magnified his time.This blessing is a tender mercy and miracle directly from the Lord to our family.

One of my biggest concerns before Dan started grad school was that he would not have enough time to spend with our family. I was worried that school would take up all of his time because other grad students had warned him about how school would consume his life. This small miracle has been such a personal blessing to me. I am grateful for Heavenly Father's mercy in abundantly blessing our family. I look forward to a family tradition of searching for the miracles each week that are evidence of those unseen hands.