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!