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Good day we enjoyed a nice camping trip with the Lloyd side of the family over the weekend. It was nice to get together with some of my brothers and sisters and enjoy their company. They are truly some of my best friends and I love belly laughing and talking with them. I felt like we made a positive step in the right direction as a family. In years past Kevin and I would have not made a effort to make it down to church on Sunday. This time we did, it was hard, we had to hurry, but we felt that it was important in our turning over a new leaf spiritually. I felt rewarded positively by the Lord for my efforts and I will try my hardest to make it a new goal!

This morning I got up long before the kids did to have some quiet time to myself. Its nice to sit her in silence, do my physical and spiritual exercises without interruptions. Mornings are so peaceful, I love them! I read a conference talk this morning given in 2009 by Elder Robert D. Hales entitled To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency. I enjoyed it alot and ex specially enjoyed the part where he discussed making a choose to get pack on the path when we have follow en off. -He said, " Choose to accept -truly accept that you are a child of God, that he loves you, and that he has the power to help you. Choose to put everything literally everything on the altar before him. Believing that you are His child, decide that your life belongs to Him and that you will use your agency to do his will. You may do this multiple times in your life, but never, never give up. Choose to put yourself in a position to have experiences with the Spirit of God through prayer, scripture study, at church meetings, in your home, and through wholesome interactions with others. When you feel the influence of the Spirit, you are beginning to be cleansed and strengthened. The light is being turned on, and where that light shines, the darkness of evil cannot remain. Choose to obey and keep your covenants, beginning with your baptismal covenant. Renew these covenants weekly by worthily partaking of the sacrament. Choose to prepare to worthily attend the temple, make and renew sacred covenants, and receive all of the saving ordinances and blessings of the gospel. Choose to believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Accept the Saviors forgiveness, and then forgive yourself. Because of his sacrifice for you, he has the power to remember your sins no more." How powerful making these simple yet powerful chooses daily can lead us down a path of happiness unlike any other. Sometimes they are hard to do, to let go, to have complete faith, to hand our life over to him who created us, to except his atonement and forgiveness. To love ourselves has much as he loves us. To choose happiness and eternal life over regret and darkness. I will try from this day forward to choose happiness the Lord's happiness.

I am grateful for...

A friends post about prayer and the powerful tool it is has a mother. It helped me through the day yesterday. I am grateful for a fan today that cools down our house. I am grateful for the peace of the morning and the songs of the birds. I am grateful for agency and that I have a choose on how I want to live my life. I am grateful for the atonement and the sacrifice of our Savior. That he loves me and forgives me and wants me to return to him.

Picture of the Day