Color

I missed a day! Shoot! Darn you sleepy eyes, darn you! You know I thought to myself, "Logan, you have to be able to explain WHY you're thankful for these things," and then I thought that the explanation had to be some lengthy novella so that I could get my point across. Well, it doesn't have to be. and with that here is todays post :)

I am so thankful for color! I love how it can change the mood of someone just like that! Stick a baby in a "calm" colored room (blue, green, purple) can put a baby to sleep like that, but stick them in a bright yellow room and they will be up all night! Well, maybe that's just me, but you get the point.

Do you know how boring this world would be without color! Color brings life to everything! I am so grateful for my sight. If I couldn't see then I don't think I would be able to appreciate the color as much. One of my favorite things to look at is a sunset/rise because it looks like every color is in the sky at the same time and I get to look at it for the few minutes they're there. I love to just take the time to look around and look at everything around me. Try it sometime, just stand up and look around. You should try it sometime. You might like what you see! :)

-Thank You

Logan

A Home

I love my home. Though some of you can call it a 10'x15' cubical, it is my home. If you look at Websters definition of home you will find, "One's place of residence" "A familiar or usual setting". Now I'm not going to ask you to disbelieve this statement, but simply ... look beyond the definition. What is your home to you?

My home is where I get to get out of the cold and into a warm inviting environment. My home is where I can relax, and let the cares of the world melt away. My home is the place I can go to and find my cat waiting for me to come back. I love my home very much. It's not much, but as I said before, its my home. God has blessed us all with this simple luxury of a roof over our heads, and I am so grateful for it.

When I was younger, my home didn't feel much like it does now. Sure the bathroom was just about as big as where I live now. It had a wonderful neighborhood, big yard, lots of scape to do whatever, but all that didn't matter. That house was just a building that we lived in. Almost everyday I would dread stepping foot into that place. This could be the reason why i spent most of my time with my extracurricular activities. My step-father was a good man, almost impossible to live with, and there were just things he needed to work on. He would play the "Keep up with the Jone's" game, which is how we ended up with such an extravagant house, and which is how our family was torn apart. I don't want to spend the rest of this post bashing on this man. I didn't even think I was going to bring him up, but I suppose it was needed and I'm keeping it.

Elder Bernard P. Brockbank said, "Parents, be careful that you do not permit the devil to come into your home. When the devil enters, he brings disrepect for God, hatred, quarreling, criticism, contention, divorce, and evil. When you know God and have respect for his pain, then there is peace and happiness in your home." (Bernard P. Brockbank, "Knowing God," Ensign, Jul 1972, 121)

I guess all I'm trying to say is, I love my home. I am grateful for it very much. I love the feeling I get when I walk through these doors. That feeling that I know I am safe. I am so glad that I was able to make this building I live in a home.

Thank you

-Logan

The Spirit of Christmas

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Yes the kids Jingle-belling, and every one's telling you, "be of good cheer". That why it is. Every ones mood changes this time of year. There is more generosity, and kindness all around the world. Its that Christmas Spirit, that feeling that floods the entirety of the earth. It's also that gentle reminder of the reason behind it all. This is the time of year where people pay close attention to the miracles happening everyday. This is the time of year when people are reminded of the day that Christ our Savior was born. This is the time of year when, no matter your religion, brothers and sister around the world can join hand in hand and truly say to each other "Be of Good Cheer!"

I am so grateful for the Spirit of Christmas. Not only because I see everyone being better to each other, but because I get the chance to be with my family. Every year, in my family, Dad would set up our traditional "Christmas Scavenger Hunt". He would write up clues for us to follow, they would start on the tree and lead us from clue to clue. They would have us looking on the roof, digging in the back yard and even having us melt the ice off of our clue just so we can read it. This tradition has been a part of the family ever since I can remember. With the passing of my dad we were afraid at first as to how Christmas was going to go. Would there be a continuance, or would the tradition simply die off. That question was answered last year with a clue on the Christmas tree for each of the kids, including me. Of course a tradition shouldn't just die off! We had our scavenger hunt, and though the present at the end is nice, I think having that little something to remember our father makes every Christmas special.

Just like family traditions, there are other things to remember. How do you treat your fellow man this time of year? Do you know what Christ has done for you in your life? Do you recognize the miracles happening all around you? Take some time this season. Get to know the answer to these questions. Lets not let this tradition of good will toward men die, let it continue on for generations to come. I am thankful to be alive today. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and everything he does for me.

Thank you
-Logan

Music

One of my favorite quotes is, "The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen." That comes from the movie "August Rush". I am so grateful for music. There is a power behind it. What this power is used for is up to you. Music is actually one of the reasons I returned to the church. I was driving home one night and I heard a hymn on the radio, and me, being my naive self, thought that the hymn was only in the LDS church so I thought it was pretty awesome. (I have since learned that it is a very common hymn, but that's not the point of this) After getting home I got out my little pocket hymnal and read, not sang, the words to the hymn I just had and this overpowering feeling come over me. That's when my testimony of the hymns, and music started. After that I spent the next few months studying the hymns and scriptures hand in hand. I learned so much about the gospel that I became more involved in my activity of the church.

Now music doesn't have to be religious to be awesome. In fact most of the music I listen to is nothing like the music we sing in church, but there's still that same power behind it. That way of making your day, reminding you of a loved one or memory, or just making you and those around you happy. This is one reason I love music. It has the ability to make complete strangers interact with one another.

Do you know how much music affects you? What would you do if there was no music? No sound at all? I am so grateful for the music that is all around us and the blessing that I have to be able to hear it.

Thank You
-Logan

My Friends

I am so thankful for my friends. I love them all dearly. My friends are actually how I saw the Lords hand in my life. You see, earlier on today I receive a call from Mama, and she wanted some help getting things out of her old house and into the new. Most everything was already out so I thought it was going to be an easy hour or two of work. I finish one carload of things, bring them into the new house and then sit down for a bit because I "have the time". I end up having to leave so I can make it home before my home teachers got there. They gave a spiritual message about how Christ is in our lives and to recognize those small blessings around us. Thats when I was given the "assignment" to write down every night in a journal what I am grateful for. They left, I went to the store, then went to the church activity later that night.

Afterwards, I ask my home teachers if they could help me move the stuff from Mamas house and they willingly agree. We get there and find that there is a lot more stuff than what we were expecting. Eventually we get it done everything is out of the house, and into the new house in no more than 2 hours.

Let me just say it again, I am so thankful for my friends. They are each a blessing in my life. Had I done that alone it would have taken five times longer to do, at least. A miracle happened tonight, it happened in the form of brotherly kindness, but a miracle none the less.

Thank you
-Logan

How grateful are you?

Some people don't even realize the depth behind that simple question. How grateful are you for the simple things you have in your life, or even the grand things in your life? How much time do you take in your day to stop and say "Thank you". It doesn't necessarily have to be to someone you know, a deity or higher power, or even yourself. Just think ... take a few minutes right now (You have it I know, you are reading this aren't you?) and think to yourself what you're grateful for. I know I am grateful for many many things in my life. and this is one main reason I am starting this blog, to share to the world, not what I have and the many possessions that I am so happy to be able to possess, but all of the blessing in my life that are more than likely taken for granted.

In my posts I will include, at least one thing I am grateful for for that day. Then I will include how I have seen the hand of God in my life that day. There's actually going to be two posts today. One is this one, and the other is the beginning of my "Record of Thanksgiving". I do hope you take something from the things I write, and if not, oh well.

-Logan