2014

Today I am grateful for 2014. What blessings did I see this year? Well, I had great success in my church service with helping to organize several musical presentations throughout the year; many great opportunities as a performer, a composer, and an arranger; more work opportunities at the library; I spent lots of my time with lots of wonderful people; my brother returned from his mission; my sister departed on her mission; and that's just the highlights from the top of my head! Oh, and I've found over 350 things to be grateful for! To paraphrase the poet e. e. cummings: "i thank you God for most this amazing [year]."

May this coming year be filled with many more reasons to be grateful. God bless, and have a happy new year!

To See My Brother Succeed

It was an exciting if bittersweet moment to wish my brother the best of luck on his study abroad trip. I am truly glad to see him finding success in such opportunities. Not only is he off on an exciting adventure across the world, he is engaged to be married to a great girl later this year. I am grateful to see my brother successful and happy, with the potential for much more success and happiness to come. :)

Christmas Dinner Leftovers

We still have a few left overs from Christmas dinner, mostly an abundance of delicious cooked ham. I am grateful for the leftovers of holiday dinners. It is yet another way to extend holiday celebrations! Besides, eating good quality food for a few days in a row is always a plus. :)

Recognizing Good Gifts

My dad prepared and taught a lesson to other church members today, and part of the lesson was about spiritual gifts. The scriptures talk about gifts of the Spirit and fruits of the Spirit (some examples are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 in the Bible, and in Moroni 10:8-18 in the Book of Mormon). These gifts include, but are not limited to the gift of faith, of languages, of faith to heal, of faith to be healed, of teaching, of being taught, and of wisdom.

As I think about gifts and talents I've been blessed with, I can see I have a gift of finding things to be grateful for, of looking for the best in people, of dedication, of music, of planning, and much more. I am certainly not the best at any of these things, but I consider them some of my personal strengths. Because every good gift comes from God (see aforementioned Moroni reference), I am grateful to Him for my personal gifts and strengths, including the gift of recognizing them.

The End of an Epic Double-Trilogy

My family and I saw the third Hobbit movie tonight. Today I am grateful for the work of Peter Jackson, Howard Shore, and the many others who contributed to the making of the three Lord of the Rings movies and the three Hobbit movies. I expected a satisfactory and epic end to this film series, and that's what I saw. I enjoyed this final movie a lot, from it's great CGI effects to the design of the weapons and costumes to the magical gravity-defying stunts to the majestic and telling music. I was fascinated with this depiction of the events of Middle-Earth, and I am grateful for the way it all ended.

And of course, none of this would be possible without the work and imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. :)

Google Doodles

Google does such a great job with their doodles (the artwork that occasionally replaces the traditional Google logo on their main search page). They celebrate everything from Christmas to Dr. Who to the birthday of a famous or otherwise significant person who has done some good in this world. Some doodles are interactive! I have always been impressed with the creativity of these doodles, and I appreciate their creative and educational value. Thanks Google, doodle on!

My Brother and My Sister, Here!

On Christmas day, my family and I got to Skype with my sister, who is serving her mission in Argentina right now. Also, my brother arrived home after visiting his fiance's family for a few days. It has been great to talk with my sister and be with my brother today. To me, Christmas is about family, and because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ my family can love together in the next life. I am forever grateful for that. Merry Christmas to you all!