Day 5

The Priesthood

I think that in declaring my gratitude for the restoration of the priesthood, I am also declaring my testimony. But I am so very grateful for the priesthood in my life. I am so grateful for the men who have held the priesthood righteously and used it to bless the lives of those around me and my own personal life. 

I'm grateful for the priesthood blessings I've received throughout my life. I'm especially grateful for my patriarchal blessing and the direction it gives me in life. 

I'm also grateful for the beautiful blessing I had last night and the power that it had upon me and the person giving it. I'm grateful for their willingness to serve me in this way and for the answers that they received along the way. 

So today. Today I would like to remind myself how very grateful I am for the priesthood. I know that it has been restored to Earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson holds those keys and blesses the lives of all the members by giving others the authority to act with those keys. I'm grateful that a boy of 14 was willing to keep asking and that he stayed true to the gospel-that he gave everything so that all of us could understand the true nature of God and the plan for our lives. 

Day 3 and 4

So it was a little bit of a crazy weekend and I didn't have time to post-but I did not forget about thinking of something to be grateful for-so here goes:

Day 3: My New Roommate Lisa

She's only been here 2 weeks and already I adore her. (I mean I liked her before-but now I adore her) She's incredibly bright, witty, punch-drunk honest, and so kind. Its so refreshing to come home and see her around! Or to see all the little ways she has helped me out. I'm pretty grateful that I don't have to dog-sit anymore and can now actually be her roommate for reals!!!

Day 4: Answered Prayers

“There is a knowledge that our Father in Heaven wants each of us to have, and that is a personal knowledge that he hears and answers our prayers.” - Spencer W. Kimball

I truly believe that one of God's favorite things to do is answer our prayers. Think of how He has answered them throughout the years. It is amazing to me that he just pushes us enough before he gives us the answer. I am grateful that I get to have these learning periods. I am grateful that I can counsel with the Lord and invite him into my life to help me make the hard decisions. I am grateful that He answers privately, specifically, and with a whole heck of a lot of love. 

"Recognize that there is a power greater than ours, that no matter how good a man is, he is not good enough, that no matter how wise he is, he is not wise enough, that no matter how strong he is, he is not strong enough for all of the things which he will face in life, and that there is a source of power to which he can go with the assurance that he will be listened to and that there will be a response." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Day 2

A mother's love is something we keep locked deep in our hearts; always knowing it will be there to comfort us. -Harmony Ferrario

Today I would like to express gratitude for my Mammy. The woman who gave birth to me and loved me first. The woman who kissed all my bumps and bruises as a child-who was a 'momma bear' to anyone who tried to put me down. She was my biggest support as I grew more and more determined to achieve in life. She is full of life, loves having fun, slightly crazy, and one of the most beautiful people I know. She has given EVERYTHING for my brothers and I-she's worked very hard to help us have a better life. She has overcome every obstacle in her life and most recently she has broken down other people's definitions of who she is and shown the absolute best of her. 

I have learned a lot in my life. But I think one of the most important lessons that I am learning is how very much my Mom has always loved me and how much she always will. We aren't very similar in some aspects, I'm a lot more serious and too much of a perfectionist, but I know that some of the very best parts of me are the very best parts of her. I am very grateful that God chose to give me to her. And I am grateful that I get to call her 'Mom, Mammy, Mother, Mommy, and Momma' for all eternity. 

“Your mother is possibly the best friend you will ever have. She loves you when you love her back, she loves you when you don't. She loves you when you cry and when you laugh. She loves you when you are wrong and when you are right. She loves you because you are her child, forever and a day. If you want to catch a glimpse of what the love of God looks like, look at your mother.” 

30 Days of Gratitude

"Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continually. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include ALL things in your gratitude." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love, love, love November. It rounds up the end of Fall and is the middle of my favorite time of year. I love the Thanksgiving holiday-I love the power that it can have upon our hearts and minds. I think of the amazing opportunity that this month gives me personally, to prepare better for December. People often mistake my desire for keeping Thanksgiving and Christmas separate-but its because they don't understand that I see November as a way to re-evaluate, to re-focus on the important aspects of life, and to really determine what I am grateful for in my life. 

So it begins-my month of gratitude. 30 days of posts that express nothing but gratitude-this is my goal. Hope you can enjoy the thoughts and be motivated to take your own gratitude journey. Cause life is all about those moments! 

DAY 1: BEST, Best Friends

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -Marcel Proust

I have a lot of really great friends-My life is so full and so blessed because of the many people I have in my life. But today I would like to express my deepest gratitude to these 3 girls. They are truly a blessing from my Father in Heaven. Each has provided such love and support and care and I couldn't ask for a better support system in life. 

                             

                  

1. Heather Anne Ashcroft: my 'childhood' best friend: The girl who shared a bunk with me during our student council retreat, 'stole' my date at my senior prom, wrote me when I moved away for college, tackled me to the ground the first Christmas I came home, took lots of spring break trips with me, put me together when my Grandma died, has loved my family (even at their worst), who has loved me exactly as I am every single day of our friendship. She is the hardest worker I know, she loves fiercely and completely, and she is one heck of a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and most importantly a best friend. 

                   

2. Stephanie Katrina Brooks: my 'college' best friend (aka Steph, Stephy, Juanita Grey): How do you sum up the girl that makes you laugh so hard you split your pants and cry? She's my soul sister-the girl that has always been sweeter then anyone I've ever met. Even at your worst, she kills you with love and sweetness. Unless you open up the wrong door, then out comes Juanita Grey-someone you never want to cross. Anyone who can call this girl 'friend' will have a life full of support and love. Luckily, I get to call her my best friend-and that means I get all that and more. 

3. Jessica Leigh Donbrosky: my 'adult' best friend: its remarkable when you find a friendship in a series of events that defy all reasoning of why you are friends-but such is the case with me-n-Jess. This is my spiritual confidant-the person that stretches me most. I've never been called out so much by a person-someone not family- and still loved them (maybe more intensely) then I do this girl. She is brilliant, talented, stubborn, beautiful, smart, and everything that I hope to emulate someday. Our approach to life is very different but it makes the journey better having someone who looks at things differently. And just when I think that our friendship can't get any stronger-just when I think I've learned all I can learn, we gain even more insight and I cherish her even more. 

I am so very grateful for these 3 beautiful women. For the impact that they have had on my life. For their willingness take me as I am and leave me better then I ever thought I could be. 

Getting Back to Basics

I am a horrible journal keeper. Like, the worst. I have all these entries I tell myself I am going to write in my personal journal and then I never have time to write them down. Truth be told, I find I don't have enough time for the things that should matter more in my life and I spend way to much time not doing enough good.

For the past few weeks my heart has been pulling at some thoughts on what I needed to do-but I couldn't figure them out (which we all should know by now led me to frustrations-thats my key word.) Luckily for me, I find that the Lord loves me so perfectly he knows how to let me work it out on my own. There was a quote in the Gospel Essentials manual that just resonated in my heart at church yesterday:

“When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase” -Joseph F. Smith

I just love this-because I know it to be true. Its like the concept of 'writing truth on your heart' or having it in the 'marrow of your bones'. My testimony has become this over the years-It is so much a part of who I am that daily I find all I want to do is be so much better. But unfortunately, I'm human and I have  a lot of inadequacies and flaws-the worst being my stubborn streak of independence. This has served me well in life-it pushed me away from home, through school, and to where I am now. However, I need so much to learn to bridle these stubborn acts of control and let others (most importantly God) have the opportunity to help me become better.

Its this desire that has been working up in my soul-because I am so busy that I don't make time to be led. My schedule is always packed-I 'go-go-go'. And that removes the opportunity for spontaneity, for increased study/reflection, and for service. Conference was so good for my soul-I felt like there were certain things that were said just for me (love it when the spirit does that). The thing is, I know that my personality and who I am will always be a little busy-but I'd rather be busy with the Lord's errand than my own.

So I decided to step back and re-evaluate where I am and where I can go. And as I did, my action plan started developing in my brain. I was inspired in part by Benjamin Franklin and George Albert Smith and in part by my friends Jessica and Andrea. I created a standard that I wanted for my life-words that I would want to be associated with me. Its like my own personal mission statement for my life. It was a great opportunity to really look inside myself and see what matters most to me. And since writing it out-everytime I hear one of the words, I just get this excitement running through me-I get to keep working on that and improving.

Somedays are better then others. Today was not as good. But luckily there is always an opportunity to keep doing better. And I love that I get those opportunities. (that we all get those opportunities)

Daisy Award

**Note, I am only doing this because I love my best friend and I don't want to let her down. (AHEM, even though she was supposed to make me something by the end of the year and never did...oh...unless you count all the honeybun cakes she made me...)

So this is the daisy award-which I received from Jessica. Apparently I am supposed to 7 strange/unknown/unusual things about myself. And then I pass it along to 3 other people. So here goes...


1. I secretly wish my life was a musical. There are days where I have my headphones in and I imagine that instead of walking, I'm actually dancing around with a group and singing about my mood.

2. I have an obsession with quotes. Especially ones related to the gospel. I can't get enough of them. Which is why I will always want hard copies of my favorite books-so that I can mark them up with my handwriting and underlining of the best quotes!

3. I'm deathly allergic to oranges. Its totally unusual and strange. Some of my closest friends have tried to kill me (after they already knew that I was allergic...ahem Jessica Donbrosky, Liz Brown, etc.)

4. I have a love/hate relationship with running. In my mind I love running-but then when I do it, I usually hate it. Unless I'm really stressed or emotional, then my body seems to break free and I LOVE running-fast, hard, until I want to puke. Then I don't want to run again for a very long time.

5. I am the only girl in my family-thus I am my mother's only daughter. I am also my grandmother's only grand-daughter and my great-grandmother's first great-granddaughter. On my Father's side, I am also my grandmother's only grand-daughter and my great-grandmother's first great-grandaughter.  Pretty neat to be the only girl on both sides.

6. My 'best-day' ever (thus far in life) was the day I took out my endowments in the temple. My second 'best-day' ever was the day I took my Grandma June's name through the temple. (As a side note, my 'adult-best-friend' Jessica was present for both of these days)

7. I have an obsession with YouTube videos, eyeshadow, and music. I'm working on self control-but I can't help myself sometimes. 'I like this one and this one and this one, NOT THIS ONE!'


So there you have it. They are random. Awkward. And very Amber.

Tags:

1. Alisha : She once picked up hitchhikers and drove them to Indianapolis-where she then stayed at their home and ate dinner with their Mom.

2. Brett : He loves toy-story (LOVES Toy Story) and has the most impressive dance moves I've ever seen-the boy can move his hips.

3. Lexi : The b-ball queen who once decided that she would get a little too 'physical' while blocking me. I loved her instantly.

Answered Prayers

My heart is so full as I sit down this morning to write this post-my tears of gratitude have not stopped much in the last 14+ hours. I don't even know how to express the depths of my gratitude-but I will surely try.

President Uchtdorf once said, 'Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount-THAT is the measure of God's love for you.' That measure of God's love is what I have felt over and over again in my life. Its hard to admit, but there are moments where I feel I least deserve that love. Moments, where instead of turning to my Father and lying my hurts and frustrations at his feet, I instead turn away-partly out of feelings of inadequacy and partly because of fear. And in those moments, I find that the Lord wraps his arms around me and just reminds me of just how very much he loves me.

In the last 24 hours, I have felt those loving arms in full force. And the miracles that I have prayed for-for so very long-are starting to occur. I know God answers prayers. Its never on our time table-but His. I am so overwhelmed with emotions that I can't even get myself to type out a sentence. I know my Father lives. I know my Father loves me. And I know that he answers our prayers-every single one of them. I am so grateful for this.