“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
Today at our family home evening with the senior missionaries we celebrated thanksgiving. Why on a Monday night and not on Thursday? well because Thanksgiving is not celebrated in the Philippines so this coming Thursday will be like any other ordinary day.
Daniel and I cooked one of the turkeys Salvadoran style. Daniel did a good job preparing it, so good that when it was our turn to get our food it was gone but there was plenty of more food to fill up our plates. If there is one tradition I miss not celebrating in the U.S. is Thanksgiving.
Tonight, I have been thinking a lot about gratitude and all the amazing things I have experienced this month. Just last week Elder Carl B. Cook came to the Philippines to get to know the Area and the people here since he is our first contact. Daniel spent a whole day with him and the other Seventies looking at a temple site.
David Archuleta also came to do a benefit concert and this week we will start our Light the World Christmas tradition with a giving machine at a mall. The gratitude that I am feeling today is hard to put into words but I am going to try because I think expressing our gratitude is incredibly important. That is why I love the opening quote of today’s letter so much. When we feel gratitude in our hearts, we need to express it.
First and foremost, I am grateful to my Heavenly Father because He has blessed my life beyond measure. When things go right for me I know He played a major role in it. When things go wrong for me He helps me get through it. And when things seem to be confusing and I can’t understand why things are going the way they are I know that He is the one ultimately in charge and he is always leading me toward something that will be for my own best good. I am eternally grateful to know that.
Second I am grateful to my family. I have the most amazing husband and together we have the most incredible children and grandchildren anyone could ask for. Our extended family is wonderful too. Our family means everything to me.
Third, I am grateful for our friends. I have awesome friends. I find myself surrounded by greatness in every aspect of my life. From my neighbors to people in the office. They make me a better person because I associate with them.
I have not yet posted photos but today I feel like sharing two photos: One of Daniel with Elder Cook and the other Seventies in care of the Area and one with Elder Soares and his wife at his 60thbirthday party.
I love this quote by J.F.K. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to LIVE by them.”
Therefore, my goal is to not only express gratitude, but to live every day of my life with gratitude so in –order- to do that, I am keeping a gratitude journal.
Happy Thanksgiving and eat a lot of Turkey for me.
Con amor,
Vero
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