This week I am grateful for many things . . . our impending trip to the U.S., AJP finishing first grade and having a maid, to name a few. I am also grateful for the following:
1. Priesthood blessings. I have been under A LOT of stress these past few weeks. I have been trying to tie together all the loose ends as the treasurer for the PTA at AJP’s school so that I could pass it along to my successor in a better condition than it was given to me. I have also felt very stressed over a service project at church. Our stake is doing newborn kits. I love the idea but have felt less love for the way the idea was rolled-out and for some of the extraneous parts that well-meaning people added. (Here comes the part of the priesthood blessing.) After one of the meetings, I was in tears and received a blessing that told me to focus on the reason for these activities. I immediately felt my burden lifted and since then I have felt more peace than stress.
2. Our wonderful friends here in Sao Paulo. This service activity has helped me reach out and make new friends. I have found kindred spirits in the most unlikely places (women older than my own mother, for example). I have also had a few opportunities to serve some of our friends here. It is such a wonderful feeling to ease another’s burden. It reminds me of something that one of the yoga instructors on my yoga DVD says, “Focus on the exhale and the inhale will take care of itself.” This advice seems counter intuitive and definitely opposite to what we hear every day on the tv. However, when not taken to the extreme, this is very sound advice. Focusing on others (exhaling) helps us to take care of ourselves (inhaling).
3. Wonderful BLP, who turned four this past week. She has been an incredible blessing in our family. Her independence and warm spirit have made many dull moments shine and many grey days bright.
No comments:
Post a Comment