Counting my Many Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I feel that it's only appropriate to share a small fraction of the things that I am grateful for. Especially these past few months, I have had overwhelming feelings of gratitude. My friends call them my "Kaylyn moments"-when we're all together and my heart is filled with how grateful I am for them, for the fun times, and for all that I've been given. My goal is to have a lot more Kaylyn moments, for "gratitude unlocks the fullness of joy."

A sampling of what I'm grateful for:

Jesus Christ-He is the Savior and Redeemer of my soul. He's the center of my life and my best friend. He's what makes good times and bad manageable/the gospel of Jesus Christ: without it, my life would not be the same. I spent 18 months of my life sharing this good news with others because of how much it's change my life. This is the reason my life makes sense.   

My family: My parents have sacrificed SO much for me! The opportunities and material possessions that I have been blessed with all through their sacrifice and hard work. They are my never failing, constant support network. I also love my extended family too!

My friends, past, present, and future: I really care about my friends. I love my friends. When I am away from my family, they are my family. My friends touch me each day. I learn SO much from them-I learn about myself, about how to be a better person, and how good God is to have given me so many wonderful people to be around. Thank you to every friend-past, present, or future that has shaped my life for good.

My mission: this is one of those experiences that shaped not only my life, but my eternity. A piece of my heart will always be in Western Washington and the memories I made there and the truths that I learned will always be a foundation of my testimony.

The temple: This is the place that is responsible for continuing to keep me sane. I LOVE the temple. Here, I can feel the Spirit so strongly, receive guidance for my life, and feel more like my true self than anywhere else. And I feel so blessed to have one (almost TWO) temples so close!

BYU: This place has been very good to me. I'm so grateful that I've been able to have my undergraduate experience here. Provo is a special place.

Music: both the music that I've made and the music I've heard. Music creates a mood, describes my mood, comforts, energizes, soothes, and teaches me. What a beautiful language of expression!

Travel: I love seeing new places, people, and things, so I'm grateful for every new place I get to experience. This year, I've been able to see Nashville, Mesa, Arches National Park, California, and Washington, and I couldn't be more grateful!

Moments: These are the substance of my being. How grateful I am for moments when heaven seems not so far away, when love abounds, when friends are near, when we can feel truly happy, when we know we are children of God, when things go well, when things go not so well and we feel inner peace. Moments are truly beautiful.

Happy Thanksgiving! What are YOU thankful for?