School Post

Wow, I have not blogged in so long!  I am currently enrolled at BYU-Idaho.  I am going for my Bachelor's degree and only have 5 classes left until I get it!  I'm so excited to be done!!  My poor old brain just doesn't work the way it used to.  Anyway...  I am taking a Religion class right now and one of the weekly assignments is to write something [talk, essay, blog post, family home evening lesson, etc] about what we are learning.  This week I chose to do a blog post.  I'm guessing no one reads my blog anymore, it has been 7+ years since my last post, I think.  Maybe more.  But, here we go anyway...

We are studying the New Testament.  [Can I say I'm kind of struggling?]  I have actually never read the Bible.  Yep, you read that correctly...  I have read the Book of Mormon many times, and I think I prefer it better because I find it easier to understand.  The Bible is harder for me.  Anyway, this week we were reading in Mark, Luke and John.  We had to choose 3 gospel principles from our reading.  The one I am going to write about today is 'Miracles can happen through prayer and fasting.'  I believe miracles happen more often than we think.  I believe miracles can happen in our everyday lives.  These miracles may not be something as grand as raising someone from the dead or parting the Red Sea, but I know miracles happen to us all the time.  I've hear some people call these small miracles 'tender mercies'.  As I reflect on my life, I have been blessed with many tender mercies.  Let's not even talk about the fire and the miracles that happened there, along with a myriad of tender mercies...  But since that time we have been very blessed.  Michael faithfully served a mission for 2 years [some might say that was a miracle], Christina received a scholarship to swim in college, Amanda is an honor student and is able to participate in club swim, Ryan and Tyler are able to participate in club soccer.  My kids have been blessed with good friends who encourage them to be better people.  David, through all of the ups and downs, has a good job.  I have a job that I love.  These things alone are all things I'm not sure would be possible if we had stayed in the Bay Area.  Little miracles have included a nurse telling me I didn't need to pay the ER bill from Michael's broken arm.  Michael crashing his car on the freeway and walking away without injury to himself or anyone else. Christina recovering from an injury that ended her college swim career.  My friend and I finding our 4 little boys after they went missing in the neighborhood. I know these, and many more, were the result of much prayer.  I also know that fasting can bring about miracles.  A friend of mine was struggling with stage 4 breast cancer and was in a bad way.  We fasted and prayed for her.  She soon felt better and was able to resume a fairly normal life, for a while [She died about a year later, but I'm so grateful for the extra time we had with her].  Fasting for family members who have struggled to find jobs, have been sick or were undergoing surgeries.  Jobs were found, they were healed and the surgeries went well.  Through all the fasting and prayer, I believe Faith is also a major component in recognizing and receiving these little miracles that we all experience.

I am so grateful for the miracles in my life.  I know my family has been blessed and I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned through my trials.  It helps my faith grow and reminds me to lean on the Lord for help.  He will help us, we just have to ask.