What I Learned from Conference - or - Quit being such a brat and recognize your blessings, Charity May

Last weekend was exactly what I needed. I have been so ungracefully struggling with some of our recent changes and been quite honestly such a brat that I am ashamed to admit it. I had even worked myself up so much in my mind that I thought I was being taken for granted and even went a little nuts on my sweet Nick one night when he complained about the dinner I had made. Come Saturday morning  though... boy, was I set straight. I realised I had forgotten to count my blessings and to be grateful. That reminder came from two amazing sources, Elder Holland and President Monson.
Elder Holland began his address by expressing his love and gratitude for the Prophet, after the choir had sung "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet". He continued....

"In that spirit my message today is to say that we sustain you, that we return to you those same heartfelt prayers and that same expression of love. We all know there are special keys, covenants, and responsibilities given to the presiding officers of the Church, but we also know that the Church draws incomparable strength, a truly unique vitality, from the faith and devotion of every member of this Church, whoever you may be. In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation... I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

How could I possibly feel taken advantage or unloved after that amazingly uplifting expression of love and gratitude?! Honestly, that was incredibly humbling to hear and I changed my tune pretty quickly. Then on Sunday morning, President Monson continued my attitude adjustment by reminding me that I needed a grateful heart, and to be able to express my gratitude was a gift.

"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love...

In the book of Matthew in the Bible, we have another account of gratitude, this time as an expression from the Savior. As He traveled in the wilderness for three days, more than 4,000 people followed and traveled with Him. He took compassion on them, for they may not have eaten during the entire three days. His disciples, however, questioned, “Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?” Like many of us, the disciples saw only what was lacking.

“And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And [the disciples] said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

“And [Jesus] commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

“And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”

Notice that the Savior gave thanks for what they had—and a miracle followed: “And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.”

We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Gratitude is a divine principle. The Lord declared through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. …

In the Book of Mormon we are told to “live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you.”

Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.

How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.” He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!”
Wow, that last quote hit hard. I had been letting pride in, bit by bit and hadn't seen it yet. It had been seriously clouding my sights for all I should have been being so grateful for. So here I go, beginning to count my blessings....
1) We have been able to spend so much more time together as a family. With my honey not working crazy 14-hour days any more, he has been coming home around 4 or 5 and has had more time for us. We love it. The boys love it especially. I have been so blessed to witness even more precious moments between the amazing men in my life. I love watching my husband enjoy our sons. They are a blessing and I love seeing that through his eyes.
2) Hubs has been sleeping so much better. In our new home, our bedroom is in the basement and I think that has been the key for this. Hubs has always been a light sleeper, and with his insane work schedule, little sleep affected his days in a horrible way. In our new room, it is so quiet and dark that he has been sleeping like a baby. It has made for better days for him. Such a small thing but it has made an enormous difference.
3) We have made some new friends. There are some neat women in our neighborhood, who have nice, friendly children. It has made our transition easier to have great people to spend time with. We miss our old neighbors terribly though!
4) We have fewer bills and have even been comtemplating some fun activities we would not have been able to previously. Fingers crossed that some of these discussions actually come to fruition!
5) My husband believes in the value of mothering and instead of asking me to go to work, honored my position in our home with our children and allows me this privelege. I love him for that, and thank his parents for setting that example.
I loved conference. I still haven't made it through all the sessions yet but i am looking forward to hearing all the messages. I love the new LDS.org, did you know you can download mp3's of the conference talks?! How cool to be able to listen any time you want, or even take it along with you. Amazing progress and accessiblity, one more thing to be grateful for!