The Tender Mercies in My Life

The more I start to look around and notice God's "tender mercies" in my life, the more I feel like He is sending them my way.  I have started jotting down a few of the things I love in my life every night on a notebook.  And I am starting to notice not only the things in my life, but also the amazing people he has put in my life to bless me.


I feel so blessed to have a beautiful family and time with my Johnny every afternoon when he gets home from work at 2 pm.  We've been playing tennis while the kids play happily on the playground in the evening light and I feel so content I wonder to myself how I could ask for anything more.  My life is already so content and happy, I can't imagine it getting any better.  I have never felt so blessed in my life, because I have never taken the time to SEE.


That is just one of the gifts I've gleaned from reading Stephanie Nielsen's "Heaven is Here" book.  She is so capable of seeing the good in her life on a daily basis, and only posts those good things.  It really is a gift to be able to do that, I have always longed for that gift because I have spent my life seeing so much of the negative side of every thing.  But her ability to see the good in life is contagious, and I am so thankful I have been able to see so many blessings in my life already, just by looking around and noticing them.


I am thankful for the gift Father sent me the other day as we drove home from the birthing center after getting my IUD out.  He gave me the gift of excitement, that was so strong I felt like I had taken happy pills.  I could never have conjured up that feeling on my own.  It was so refreshing to feel that excitement for our next child, just as strongly as I'd felt it for Elizabeth in the very beginning of our journey as parents... something I thought I could never have again (especially after losing her!)  This was truly a gift from God because I had felt nothing but anxiety about this decision from the moment I started thinking about it.  That was something only God could give, and I feel so blessed by it. I know I'll have my doubts when I'm puking and feeling anxiety again, but I am thankful that I will never forget the excitement and happiness I felt that day to confirm my decision.


I love my life.  I am so blessed.  I love waking up to my bright white room every morning with lots of sunshine.  Two large windows make everything so white and beautiful as I start a fresh new day.  One of the many things I have never thought to notice before.


I love touching Amelia's cute little chubby cheeks when I'm tucking her in her little pink blanky at night.  I love how she looks up at me with her little smile and says back to me our three phrases, "Nighty nighty mama," and "see you tomorrow," and "I love you."


 I am thankful for the book Heaven is Here that truly changed my perspective on life and helped me move forward with this decision to have another child.  It has transformed me and inspired me to see the good in my every day life, to document it and treasure it.  I am so thankful for that, for it is truly another gift from God.  A "tender mercy" as Elder Bednar has called it.  And I am seeing more and more tender mercies every day from Him.  It is amazing what He will do with your life the more you notice His hand in all things.