Men are that they might have joy...(2 Nephi 2:25)

When I was 14 I met DeAnn Hansen. She has been one of my idols for ... ok a number of years.
She really introduced me to a love of the scriptures. Before DeAnn, when i read them they were words i did not understand. One of the very first scriptures she introduced me to was 2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be, men are that they might have joy. (her blog is called Joy in the Journey. Are you surprised) Now joy at 14 means that the cute Bodily brothers knew you existed, and joy at 41 means snowed in at Christmas with no power!
Finding joy in the journey is my main goal this year! As my kids grow and leave home i realize i have been blessed with a lot of joy, but i am sure i did not appreciate it as i could have (that's a lot of i's). In the most recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, President Monson spoke on finding joy in the journey. I think it was my favorite talk. One of the quotes he gave was from the ancient roman philospher Horace. “Whatever hour God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily." This is my new mantra! Life can be ugly if that is all you look for or it can be an amazing journey with lots to be taught and gained and lived and given.

President Monson also said "Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us. Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

If I get to live as long as my grandpa i have 63 more years to ENJOY. I know chances of living that long are kind of slim but even if i only live another 41 years that's a lot of joy too. So if you are a part of my life and i blog about you or you get a note in the mail or an email or better yet if i show up at your door, know that it is because you bring me joy! I hope over this coming year to share with you the joy i am finding in my journey.

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.
my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey." ~~ President Thomas S Monson