I love Church!

Can I just say that I absolutely LOVE going to Church? I love Sundays! I'm so grateful to be able to set a day of the week aside where I can go to Church and feel uplifted! Going to Church now with 2 children is definitely different than it was when we didn't have any...I guess that is an obvious observation...but even though it is so hard with them, I love being able to feel the Spirit and be reminded of the things that matter most in this life. Sometimes, I only get to sit in on one meeting but to me it is seriously worth it going to Church, even if I just get to do sacrament or relief society.

The talks in sacrament meeting today particularly touched me. They talked about free agency and trials. The brother that talked about trials shared a personal experience that I thought was very touching. He said that one day he was feeling picked on, I think he failed a test or something like that, he was feeling sorry for himself and felt like he had such a hard life. He went home after his crappy day and turned the TV on to TLC, the show was about children with deformities and tumors. At that moment all of his problems became so insignificant...he realized that he had such a wonderful, healthy, happy life!

I have found myself in the same situation sometimes, I feel like my life is so hard and how can anyone keep sane with all the things I have to do and worry about? I think we all feel that way at one point or another...And I guess sometimes it takes moments like those to realize that wow! I'm so blessed and grateful to have healthy children and a good husband, we are all in good health!!!! And those "things" that I thought were so incredibly hard to go through, like looking at my flabbly gut everyday and wishing it wasn't there or thinking that I want to take a nap but I can't or wondering who is going to watch my kids while I go to work for 3 hours, are we going to make the car payment this month??? Those "stressful things" become so insignificant!!! I realize I have such a blessed life!!!! I truly feel so happy and grateful to have the blessing of going to Church and be uplifted. I think the reason why I love going to Church so much is because it allows me to reflect upon what life is really all about more than any other day of the week. And the hymns that we sing always touch me so deeply, sometimes they bring me to tears, they are inspired music and I love thinking about the message of their words! The closing hymn today especially touched me:

1. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
Believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my ev’ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
I’ll cast on him my ev’ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

If I really stop to contemplate the message of this hymn...Wow! It is deep! I find so much happiness in the gospel! I'm so grateful that I have it! It's one of the greatest treasures anyone can have! It's amazing to have all the knowledge that we have about who we are and what our purposes are on this mortal life and what comes after this life! I just can't imagine my life without it! The gospel puts everything in perspective for me and it gives me a vision that I otherwise wouldn't have!!!