Okay, gentle people of the Bountiful Forum, I am teaching Relief Society this Sunday and have my lesson pretty well outlined.
I have been asked to present a lesson on 'Meditating Upon our Blessings" and have found some really wonderful Apostolic and Prophetic counsel regarding what constitutes meditation in the gospel sense (so whoever is playing the swami music and wearing a turban can knock it off!).
What I am interested in at this juncture is whether any of you might have a thought or two regarding specific blessings brought to mind that had gone unrecognized prior to exercising your ability to meditate upon what you have received at God's hands. (I'm hoping for a conversation starter)
I went through law school without taking out student loans. I worked hard, but I also relied on the promised blessings from tithing to make ends meet. A few years after I graduated, I was thinking about law school and how I'd paid for it. I'd recently been through some photos from law school, and I couldn't believe what I was wearing, and the house I lived in looked like it should have been condemned years ago. But at the time, I was perfectly fine with what I wore and where I lived. I realized that contentment with what I could afford was a tithing blessing just as much as getting the chance to work overtime once in a while.
I wasn't specifically "meditating" or anything. But it was a blessing I only recognized in hindsight when I was thinking about how much I owed God for the fact that I didn't have to repay student loans, which gave me more flexibility than some other graduates had.
I think all families have their *interesting* members. We all have people that we see eye to eye with and those that we really don't. And this takes place on all kinds of levels. Sometimes we are just thinking about some of their philosophies. Sometimes we're more like . I had occasion to clash with a family member during the C-mas holiday period and was "meditating" on it, if you will. I just thought of the blessing family was in general - this mini-laboratory where we prove ourselves. Where we show what we're made of. These mini-tests and trials that are before us literally 24/7. It's really an opportunity to show the Lord we will keep His commandments. (Not always easy to keep this perspective, of course.)
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
Several years ago, I had a choice to make about my career in the Air Force: I could move to Knoxville and teach at the Academy of Military Science (which is what I really really wanted to do) or I could move to Fort Worth and run the Intel section for the 136th Airlift Wing. I chose AMS. I prayed for confirmation. I fasted for confirmation. Nothing. I reviewed and then pondered all the particulars of the choice and prayed and fasted again. Nothing. So I started thinking more seriously about Texas, received an undeniable confirmation, and made the move. Nothing really spectacular happened with the rest of my AF career here. Years later, as I meditated over that whole decision process, I realized that here in Texas is where I met my beautiful bride, and here in Texas is the only place in the country that has the right combination of lower cost of living and higher teacher salary that enables our family to live well on one modest income. I couldn't possibly have predicted that, and it was only years later as I reflected back that I realized what an amazing blessing that guidance has been.
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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
this last little several months has been hard for me do to being single, I had gotten to a point (Again) of feeling hopeless. (to be edited out: in large part as I've been dealing w/overcoming the pain of the person I had my heart set on getting married to someone else).
I felt why do I have to go through earth life w/no one to love me, etc when others get someone to love them. And I wondered if I want to love someone, why can't someone I care about and love, love me too.
IN thinking about this, I've been more aware of various things: ~ though in debt, I am physically able to work and support myself ~from a friend who told me she never had anyone to encourage her w/education, I realize gratitude for my parents who encouraged me to receive higher ed ~I have eyesight and hearing that enables me to learn more about the gospel (ie listen to music) Likewise some go through life w/severe mental disabilities. Why should they go through life w/those challenges or others go through life being blind or deaf, etc ~ I have good health that enables me to work and to help others- yes I need to lose weight, eat healthier and drink more water, etc. Recenlty I met someone a couple years older than me who has been unable to walk for years- I felt bad this person has to go through life using a wheelchair. However it made me realize how lucky I am to be able to move ~I had also thought how lucky I am to get to learn about the gospel in this life and at the age I did (16) instead of having to wait til older.
Anyway, I know so many millions in this world have problems worse than I. Like mentionned in Zeilia's thread elsewhere here, our problems/concerns do matter to Heavenly Father and are as important as the problems of others. Still, when I think others have these type of challenges, it makes me realize others are not immune from having to deal with unwanted challenges in life. And I see challenges of others and feel this is my tiny problem and hurt that I can try to deal with.
I think one of the greatest blessings is to realize that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do care about and our mindful of all of our pains- as well as the joys.
thinking about some of their philosophies. Sometimes we're more like 
. I had occasion to clash with a family member during the C-mas holiday period and was "meditating" on it, if you will. I just thought of the blessing family was in general - this mini-laboratory where we prove ourselves. Where we show what we're made of. These mini-tests and trials that are before us literally 24/7. It's really an opportunity to show the Lord we will keep His commandments. (Not always easy to keep this perspective, of course.)
