Feeling a little spoiled today

Wow, I am feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude today, I couldn't help but write down what I am feeling.  These past couple months have been some of the hardest our little family has ever gone through, and yet I have never felt more blessed in my life!  We have received so much

HeLP,

LOVE,

SuPPoRt,

eNCouRaGMenT,

KiNdNEsS,

sErVIcE,

& CHaRitY

from others, that it will seriously take a LIFETIME to repay!  And even after all of that, Heavenly Father has ALSO given us the strength and ability (emotionally and physically), to balance everything that we are dealing with.  What more evidence do you need that He truly loves his children so much and is watching out for them? 

Being stuck in a hospital on bedrest, when you are normally at home caring for a busy 2 year old while your husband is attending Dental School, seemed

uNBEArABle and totally iMPOssIBLE

when this situation first hit.  I thought, "there's no way we can get through this!"

...But

that situation IS reality for us right now, and we ARE getting through it... But only with the help of other people. 

I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is taking care of us through all the wonderful people in our lives.  It was a huge blessing (and continues to be) for Chase to get accepted to school in Portland.  I can't imagine being anywhere else right now.  The bond and family ties to having an Aunt who lives here has been AmAZiNG.  And I know I've said it a million times already, but we were truly inspired to find our little apartment that put us in the Oak Hills ward!  I've never met more caring and loving people. 

...Besides of course our wonderful families, who are truly the BEST IN ALL THE WORLD!!  We LOVE and MISS you!

During General Conference this year, and with our given situation, I couldn't help but notice all the talks that focused on CHARITY.  Here are some of my favorite quotes:

President Spencer W. Kimball said: “It is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. … So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving … help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow … from small but deliberate deeds!”

"The way we treat others reflects to what extent we follow our Savior in loving one another. ⁹ We show our love for Him when we stop to assist others."  Walter F Gonzalez, Presidency of the Seventy

Henry B. Erying said, "I have seen the blessings that come to the person in need who receives help and to the person who seizes the opportunity to give it."

and then quoted the words to the hymn, "Have I done any good in the world today?"

Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

Then wake up and do something more

Than dream of your mansion above.

Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,

A blessing of duty and love. ¹

 

Deiter F. Uchtdorf said, "It has been my experience that some of the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives.  President Spencer W. Kimball taught this concept when he said: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” 7   Brothers and sisters, we each have a covenant responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of others and serve as the Savior did—to reach out, bless, and uplift those around us.  Often, the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us. Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own."