Count Your Many Blessings...

Well, I've come to the end of a beautiful Easter Sunday. I felt great! I had 3 of the 4 of our children here with us for church and dinner. It was a mild, clear blue sky day. Absolutely beautiful. New life was springing up all around us. The trees are budding new leaves. Birds are busy making their nests.

I remember so clearly last Easter when I had just been given my diagnosis and I didn't know a single person who had had the disease. The medical community painted a very grim picture for me. I felt extremely grim. I had been literally dying in front of my family and local physicians. I could tell that I was slowly dying.

I was reading the scriptures about the last few days of the Savior's life, his suffering in Getheseme. I didn't even get to the death or resurrection before I fell on my knees and was pleading with the Lord for my own life. The longer I prayed the more I cried. After several hours, I realized that I was saying almost the same words that our Savior had said, and then I thought about the severe pain and anguish he suffered to bleed from every pore. That suffering was for me! and I know for others. But the anguish I was feeling, I knew the Savior knew how I felt, He had felt my suffering and so much more. It became so very personal. Then I cried more, because I was asking Him to suffer more for me. I know He had already suffered but it was as if I was asking for more. I finally put my life in His hands, but still made my case for wanting to be able to live.

From that moment on, He never really left my side. I know that our Redeemer lives! I know He knows each one of us personally and loves us so much. Because of that love, He made the ultimate sacrifice and provided a way for us to live with Him and our Father again, as well as with our families.

I love Him, and I thank Him for my life...all of it.

I spent the day with Dave, Jeff, Becky, Eric, Lisa and Ellie. Lindsay and Stan were in Denver and Ben had to work. I had a touch of heaven today. Family, it really is what it is all about. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the tools and guidebooks to help us, if we will obey, to obtain the highest happiness and joy. We can get so busy, we miss the simplicity and the perspective of things.

I am definitely walking to the beat of a slower, different drum. Oh how grateful I am.