Today My Happiness Comes from Mercy

In the book "Christ's Gifts to Women" the authors are discussing the gift of mercy - which is, of course, a gift available to everyone.  They state "To have faith is to trust that the Atonement can repair whatever mistakes we have made by carving new blessings and opportunities out of broken things." I have never thought of mercy in this way and it brought so much happiness to my heart.

Husband and I made a really dumb decision a little while back that ended up costing us financially and emotionally.  And while we have paid for that bad decision in more ways than one (and we still see consequences of that decision), I also feel that slowly but surely we have noticed blessings as well.  I never made the connection of those blessings to MERCY.  But it is great to know that when we are trying hard to follow God and His commandments, when we repent and do our best to move forward, He will allow blessings to come into our life. 

"Joy cometh in the morning to those who have earned the night’s rest of a laborer. One of life’s sweetest returns is the privilege of rendering significant service of worth to others. To be able to do for fellow human beings something they could not do for themselves brings matchless satisfaction. Years of preparation are worth it." - Russell M. Nelson

Happiness Is Being With Family

I am not particularly close to my siblings anymore, although we get along very well when we are together.  I guess it is just that life got so busy for all of us that we have just gone our separate ways and don't see each other very often.  This week my brother who lives in California came for a visit.  I had a very busy and stressful week and was not particularly looking forward to fitting even more things into my full schedule.  After going to a movie with my mom and all of my siblings, we decided to go to lunch.  The conversation began as any normal surface conversation does about the weather, work, children and grandchildren, etc.  However, the longer we talked the more in depth our conversation became and we were soon transported back to our childhood and were remembering together many funny, sad, exciting and nearly forgotten experiences.  It was amazing to me how much closer I felt to my siblings as we reminisced and shared feelings and memories that I hadn't thought about in years. As we talked, I felt a real change in my attitude and my desire to be closer to my siblings as that bond of memories filled my heart.  It made me reflect on how grateful I am for families and the absolute joy and happiness that each unique member brings into our lives. 

Happiness in Harmony

"Happiness and peace are found when we are in harmony with ourselves, with God, and with our fellow man" - Barbara B. Winder

Happiness comes from forgetting ourselves

I wanted to show you more of the gorgeous pictures that Jen took of my flowers, but didn't want to just put them all together in one big post.  Here's the picture of the day with a bonus quote by President Hinckley to go with it.

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.” 

Happiness Comes in Mint and Chocolate

I am in love.  

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture, taken by Sally's Baking Addiction.

This is quite possibly the BEST frosting I have ever eaten.  It tastes exactly like mint chocolate chip ice cream (even more creamy when you substitute Greek yogurt for the heavy cream).  Sally's Baking Addiction posted a chocolate cupcake recipe that balances out the frosting perfectly.  If I ever need an reason to smile, I will head to the kitchen and whip up a batch of these little bites of Heaven.

Maybe you just have to have a quirky sense of humor, but a guaranteed way to get our family to laugh is to watch a kid history video.  I am so grateful when people spend their time and effort making great entertainment that I can unabashedly share with my whole family.