Latest Edition: Tender Mercies

(any and all Christmas-y goodness)

MoTab concerts

Lord of the Rings inspired gingerbread houses

visits with friends

delicious smelling/tasting gifts from my students

not dying on the exceptionally choppy airplane ride home

the "Polar Express"

brothers wearing sweaters

"It's a Wonderful Life"

Mariah Carey Christmas music

real Christmas trees

my mom's 40-some-odd nativities

the Christ-centered Christmas focus

Chuy's fajita chicken salad

Texas winter weather

(and missing the beginning of the Utah snow)

finding the perfect shirt for family pictures

Cousins, and cousin-in-laws, and cousin's babies

sweet grandparents;

and especially a kindred spirit in this grandma

the movie, Music of the Heart

seriously, wow! Juuust what I needed.

Also, Into the Woods;

and really,

pretty much any movie with Meryl Streep,

am I right??

And those people;

plus these besties;

A new apartment to come soon...

...and just a whole new year,

ready for all my New Years resolutions

#ilovethegym

#andveggies

#GradSchool ?

#scriptureseveryday

But most especially,

consistent realizations that life is good,

and I have been and always will be

helped in the direction that I need to go.

"We should certainly count our blessings,

but we should also make them count."

--Neal A. Maxwell

Because I've gotta keep track of them....

...lately tender mercies have come in the form of;

how much my parents really do love each other
#ThanksgivingAnniversary #29years

my sassy baby sister, Emma Grace

a coworker randomly stuffing two cough drops in her pocket

for no apparent reason one morning,
and she then just happened to have them available to give me

on the day I was the sickest this week

Nyquil

my dad making sure my car is in ship-shape

(this is literally one of my dad's love languages,

and it makes me feel so cared about)

words of gratitude

"temple trips" with my sister Sophie;
to temples a whoooole 25 minutes away!

Melty Way gluten free grilled cheese sandwiches

missionary stories

gospel doctrine lessons

Family

a new, closer teaching location

finding out that I'm known as the "tutor with

tiger glasses" by the kids at work

the mountains
(I know!!!!!
What's happening to me??)

Cousins

words of the Prophets and Apostles


"As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember, had allowed God to show me what He had done. More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers."
--Henry B Eyring

Tender Mercies

"The Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ."

--Elder David A. Bednar

Life is hard.  It can be disappointing.  And it can be lonely.

And also at the same time it can be too full, and overwhelming.

And stress-filled.

Like all day.

Every day.  

But,

It is also undeniably FULL of those tender mercies.

Even for someone with quirky tastes 

and a weird sense of humor like me.

For example,

here are a few tender mercies I have enjoyed recently;

a haircut where my bangs weren't cut too short

glittery nail polish

royal babies

a random shuffle playing Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas"

hippie institute teachers who sometimes dress to match their lessons

discovering my friend and I have similar perspectives on life currently

unexpected kind words from my students' parents

the witty one-liners my students can't help but come up with,

ALL THE TIME,

that make me chuckle out loud

just  enough laundry detergent for all my clothes

Costa Vida quesadillas

the fact that my sister loves Costa Vida as much as I do

having my sister as my roomie

having my sister there all the time to talk about boys...

and such

mis-calculating this month's budget 10 times in a row,

and then because of the miscalculation, 

having an extra $60 left over after bills were paid

random calls from friends 

(which I'm exceptionally bad at returning if I miss them)

that come exactly  at the time I need them

to remind me of all the love I have right there with me all the time

invitations to come over for dinner

random hugs

uplifting, edifying, inspiring emails from my good dad

sweet voicemails, and Little Mermaid shirts from my mom

Barbara Streisand's impending Album

Also, the other night, I was home alone, and a little bummed that such was the situation, when someone came and knocked on my door.  They'd had a rough day, and simply needed to share that with someone, and were only over for 10 minutes, tops.  But when they left, they said "Thank you for being home."  

Uh, yeah, that was a tender mercy.

It knocked me off my feet.

#LifeIsGood

#FeelingLoved

#AndILoveYou