Gratitude Challenge: Day 3 & 4

I missed posting yesterday about what I am grateful for, so I am just going to combine yesterday and today's gratitude challenge. I have so much to be grateful for!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 3

Music

Yesterday, Sunday, I was grateful for music. I'm grateful for the ability to hear and listen to music. I think President David O. McKay said it best: "Music is truly the universal language, and when it is excellently expressed how deeply it moves our souls." How true! I love how music can touch my life. I love the peace and joy it brings. I love going to church and singing the hymns--I feel so much closer to my Heavenly Father when I am able to sing and rejoice of him. I got this overwhelming feeling as I was sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday; I stopped singing for a minute and just listened to the congregation. I was struck by the spirit that was present in the chapel, in that moment. After the hymns and hearing a few wonderful testimonies from the congregation, I just started crying. I was so touched and moved by everything--the music, the speakers,  and the overall spirit that was felt. Amazing!

Later that night, we attended a CES Fireside at the Marriott Center. It was wonderful; we also got to hear Heidi (Logan's sister) sing in the choir. They did an amazing job. It sounded great! Lastly, that night, Carson (Logan's brother) shared a song that he had written. Of course, he didn't sing it because there was no piano around...so we (Logan, Heidi, Parker--friend from AZ, and I) sang it to him a capella style. It wasn't exactly how it should be sung, but we did the best we could and gave it a different variation:) It made me really appreciate composers and musicians who can write, play instruments, and sing well--thanks for sharing your talents with me. How grateful I am for music in my life!

Gratitude Challenge: Day 4

Education

"It is so important that you young men and you young women get all of the education that you can. The Lord has said very plainly that His people are to gain knowledge of countries and kingdoms and of things of the world through the process of education, even by study and by faith." -President Gordon B. Hinckley
 

Today, Monday, I am grateful for education. I am so lucky to have been given the many opportunities I have, especially in regard to my education. I'm grateful to my parents, teachers, husband, and others who have encouraged my educational growth and development. I absolutely love learning and I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have obtained in just 23 years. I can only imagine how much more I will learn in the years to come. I am also grateful for good teachers--I have had amazing teachers! I cannot list all of them but I would like to identify/highlight just a few teachers who have impacted my education and learning experience:

Mrs. Pearson: She was my Journalism teacher in high school. She was amazing. I loved the way she trusted her students; we were responsible for creating a monthly publication. She gave us room to grow and learn, but also served as a guide. Lastly, she was so good about making time for her class by talking and getting to know her students which I appreciated.

Mr. O'Day: He was my History teacher in high school. I loved the way he conducted his class. It was a difficult class, but he made it fun and engaging by holding each student accountable to their education. His class definitely changed my study habits and learning experience. 

Brother Toma: He was my Institute teacher while I was in college. He's a spiritual giant. He always came to class prepared and excited to be teaching. I always left his class feeling spiritually uplifted and motivated to be more like my savior, Jesus Christ. 

Professor Reid: She was one of my English core professors at GMU. I thoroughly enjoyed her class. She was very eccentric which I absolutely loved about her. She asked a lot out of us, but only because she wanted to see us improve and reach our writing potential. I can't tell you how many times I got a paper back from her that said: "revise, revise, revise" (it was a lot). She expected the best out of her students which inevitably helped me to become a more creative, focused writer.

Those are just a few of many, many teachers who have impacted my life. I know that education is important and I am so grateful that I've had the opportunity to gain an education. Although there are days when I just want to quit, I'm grateful for the chance to study and obtain a Master's degree at this time so that I can become a qualified educator. I hope that as I continue to study in faith and diligence, I can also be an instrument in helping individuals understand and appreciate the joy of learning (just like my teachers have done for me).