Thank You Cards When I Need Them

I always have a small package of blank thank you cards in the event that I need or want to send my sincere appreciation to a friend or a family member. I am sometimes surprised at how often I use them. I am grateful to have thank you cards on hand, if nothing else to serve as a reminder to be grateful for the people I meet and know.

A New Planner

Another symbol of a new beginning: a fresh new planner for a new academic school year. It is nice to have a new planner after using my previous,now  over-used and worn out planner for the past year. I am grateful to have blank pages on which to write my goals and accomplishments.

DVD Commentary

I had some fun this evening listening to/watching the DVD commentary of The Lego Movie. I really enjoy learning about the little known facts and about the process of such a large endeavor. I am grateful for the time those movie makers took to create that commentary.

A Welcome Dinner Break

Today I walked around giving campus tours and helping with new student orientation. My feet became sore from a lot of walking. The dinner break was such a welcome relief! My feet were able to rest and I got food to nourish and strengthen my body for the remainder of the day. Sometimes I take for granted how essential and nourishing food is, but today I didn't. :)

An Act of Random Cookies

Today I am grateful for the girls who went door to door delivering cookies and introducing themselves to many people in the apartment complex. I am not just grateful for the cookies; I am primarily grateful for their courage and kindness in this gesture of friendship towards people they don't know but want to get to know better.

Meeting and Training New Co-Workers!

The beginning of the semester brings new people to the place where I work, and today I had the opportunity to help a new co-worker get acquainted with this great library job. It was very helpful for both of us. I am grateful to be able to meet and work with new people, as well as become reminded once again of what is expected of me in my job.

Becoming a Better Roommate

Over the past five years, I've had some really great roommates, and I've lived with guys I disagreed with. Though I'm not perfect, I often tried to be a good friend to each of my roommates. Today, a former roommate from last year told me that of all the roommates he had that year he had no issues with me at all. We didn't hang out much, but we always got along. I really appreciated those words. That told me that I'm improving as a person and that I'm an easier person to live with than I was five years ago. I am grateful for this improvement. That moment with my former roommate was a great highlight of my day.

Tomorrow Can Be A New Beginning

The new school year approaches, and it feels a little like New Year's to me. Today I met a lot of new people and I got to meet many of these people while playing board games tonight. I also spent some time planning out the next week and I've set some goals to reiterate the priorities I've set for my life. I fell like tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, because it really is the beginning of the rest of my life. I am grateful that we can have such beginnings over and over again to become better and more perfect like Jesus Christ. I am also grateful for the hope that comes from understanding and living the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is all about going forward and closer to our divine potential.

Happy to See Each Other

One of my aunts came into town to visit for lunch. We were very happy to see each other, and we really enjoyed catching up and chatting about our lives. I am so grateful that I feel that way about everyone in my immediate and extended family. I am blessed to be able to see them as often as I do.

Seeing Friends Happy

I had the privilege of helping a friend propose today (helped set up beforehand and took pictures afterwards). My friend and his fiance look so happy. I am glad to see two of my good friends so happy together. :)

The Word of God, Anywhere

I recently got a smartphone for the first time, and one of the first apps I checked out was a gospel library app released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am now able to use my phone to read and ponder the word of God from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and from talks given by today's prophet and apostles. This is a great blessing because I have wanted to spend more time "feasting upon the word of Christ".

I remember reading a small piece that asked what would happen if we treated our scriptures like we did our cell phones (checking them throughout the day, reading messages, holding them at great value). Well, now the scriptures can be in our phones! I am grateful to have the scriptures in a place that I can take anywhere.

Fighting Against Entropy

As I worked with my roommate to get the apartment clean before the school year starts, I thought about how much effort it takes to fight entropy (disorder) and put things back in their proper places and in their proper conditions. It takes a lot of work to keep things clean, neat, and in order, but it is worth it to me because seeing a neat and clean space is a tremendous relief, even when I'm exhausted from the effort to get that relief.

External Hard Drive

Today, I loaded all my important files onto my new computer. I was able to do this quickly by saving everything onto an external hard drive and plugging it into my new computer. I am grateful for this option I have to back up the files I want to keep.

Binoculars

I went on a short hiking trip with some friends today, and someone had some really good binoculars with him. He let other people use them to take further advantage of the great view of the canyon around us. I am grateful for binoculars.

Able to Help with Move-Outs

As the summer term ends and the fall semester is about to begin, a lot of people are moving in and out. I am grateful I was able to help two friends move today.

A Friend Who's Great with Cars

As I helped one of my roommates move out today, I was reminded of his expertise in mechanical work. He does a lot of good work on cars, and I admire that about him. Although almost anything can be learned online, those who work as our mechanics are very valuable. I am grateful for them.

I am also grateful for this roommate, and the past year I've had to get to know him.

Decluttering

While my parents have been in town, they have often asked me what they can do to help me and my brother. We went out to eat several times and they've bought groceries for me and my brother. Most of all, it was a blessing to simply spend time with them. I will say that the most helpful thing they have done as far as temporal affairs go, is help me declutter my room. I have been storing a lot of things that may be useful but that I haven't used. It was wonderful to have help to get rid of things and open room in my apartment. I am grateful to have less clutter.

Everything I Need

I am very blessed to have a strong support system of people who love me and want me to be happy. In my case, those people include my family. As we went shopping together, I realized how much I am blessed to have in terms of food and other necessities. I am grateful to have my essential needs met, that I have everything I need to continue to have happiness and success in this life.

A Family of Missionaries

My sister made the decision to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was called to serve in Argentina, and that mission officially began today. Today, I am grateful that I was able to be there with my parents and my brother (all of whom have served missions) see her off.

Caesar Salad

For some reason, I've developed a real fondness for the taste of caesar salad recently. I had it for dinner today, and it tasted great.

Chat with the Family

My family is in town! Yay! When they arrived to pick me up, we deliberated about what we would do. We just decided to visit a few parks, eat snacks, and talk. It wasn't much, but we always have a lot to talk about, especially now as we work on plans for the near future. It just felt great to chat with my family again.

I Got A Letter!

I'd say the highlight of my day (besides a comedy show tonight with a friend) was an unexpected hand-written letter in the mail! A friend of a friend decided to write to me, and it was a pleasant surprise. I really appreciate letters, and I am always very happy to respond with another.

Receiving Thanks for Being a Star

I spent the entire evening preparing for and participating in a composition contest. I was part of an ensemble that performed a wonderful piece written by a good friend of mine. I was one of four bell players, and we (the four bell players) were meant to represent stars. My friend won the overall award (yeah!), but better than that, we received tremendous praise from many audience members about the impact the piece had on them. The effect of the "stars" was one of the defining elements of the piece. My part was small, but because I performed at the right place at the right time in the right way, it greatly contributed to the powerful effect the piece had on the audience. I am grateful for the gratitude I received for playing my small yet significant part as one of the "stars."

Washing Away the Less-Than-Pleasant

In class yesterday, I was reminded of the importance of finding humor in less-than-pleasant situations. In the spirit of that thought, after walking on very fresh (and soft) road pavement and getting a few splotches of buffalo sauce on a pair of nice khakis, I am very grateful for soaps and detergents. :)

Keep Calm, It Gets Better

I woke up after only five hours of sleep this morning, and I wasn't looking forward to this day at all. I felt so exhausted and worn down throughout the morning and afternoon. What I'm grateful for is the fact that as the day wore on, it got better. A well-timed message from a brother, briefly catching up with a friend I hadn't seen all summer, attending a scripture study class, a couple of friends sincerely asking how my day went, getting a lot of pizza after said class, an enjoyable rehearsal of a friend's wonderful music composition, and now the time spent reflecting on these small highlights. I feel much better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually now than I did this morning. That is a tremendous blessing!

A Day of "Nothing"

It's hard to believe the summer is almost over. There are several things I have hoped to accomplish before the new school year starts. There have been many days, like today, in which I felt like I accomplished nothing. However, today I was reminded of the fact that a lot of my time is being spent working at a library. Even if my day was full of work, that is something. I am grateful that, for me, a day of "nothing" is actually a full day of work, which is something.

Friendly Welcomes

A few new people who moved into my apartment complex very recently. I am grateful for the opportunities I had to meet them and to give them friendly greetings.

The Finale of Avatar

Tonight, my roommate and I watched the finale of the first series of Avatar the cartoon. I am grateful that he shared his appreciation for this story with me and that we could finish it together.

"Alone in the Universe"

The title of this post is the title of a song from Seussical: the Musical. I listened to this song on my MP3 player during work this morning. That was one of my favorite shows to work on in high school. I listened to the song from backstage and at the time I could really relate to the sentiments of the song. I was a kid with lots of dreams and goals, and I wasn't sure how I could reach them or exactly who could help me find my way. I also wasn't very social, so I often felt alone among the generally outgoing theater kids. For me, there are many fond memories associated with this song.

As the years have passed, I have recognized another personal meaning to the song.The song is a plea for "one true friend in the universe who believes in me." I believe that the Truest Friend we have is Jesus Christ. We are surrounded with many people here on earth who care about us, but it is Christ who has sacrificed Himself for His friends, for each one of us. He wants us to be happy, and so does our Father in Heaven.

I am grateful for this lovely song from a fun and profound musical.