Blessed Beyond Measure

A story to promote faith:
About three weeks ago, for family night, Jake and I decided to take an hour and evaluate our lives and make goals for the year, and also to see what needed changing, etc. Jake had been talking about maybe getting a new job that would make more money for us to be able to buy our house, and we didn't have any leads, or any idea of what else he could do. But we both knew that something would come up if it was right.

I said to him, "We have been so blessed this last year, it's like I want to do everything right to keep them coming!" We then decided that the only commandment in our lives that we aren't that great at keeping is the law of the fast. Since I can't fast during pregnancy, I decided that I would "fast" by giving up watching TV for a week, like a "TV fast", and then the following Sunday, Jake would fast for the both of us. Jake decided to TV fast with me, which was really nice of him because our nightly ritual is to watch Seinfeld and Leno. :) So we played games instead (which was really much more fun than watching TV).

That Thursday, only three days later, a friend of Jake's randomly contacted him at Toyota, asked him if he was happy there, and offered him a job at his dealership where he would have the immediate potential to make double what he was making at Toyota. Needless to say, we knew that this came straight from heaven, and Jake started his new job the following Monday, one week from the day we had our family night, and one day after our special fast. Not only will Jake be blessed materially with this new job, but his new boss is a really great LDS guy, and so are all of his co-workers. He's not surrounded by all of the dirty talk and cursing like he was at Toyota. After his first week there, he told me that he felt freer, like his spirit could finally breathe! We feel blessed beyond measure, and because of our efforts in 2008 to take our spirituality to another level by reading, praying, and studying more, I know that all of these things are coming to us from a loving Heavenly Father, who desires to reward us for our faithful efforts.

I just want all of you to know that I know that whatever good happens to us in our lives is not a product of anything that WE have done. God is just waiting to pour down blessings, but he can't do it until we show him that we will reward HIM by our faithfulness. This gospel means everything to me, and without it, I would be left to my own strength and my own meagre knowledge, such dull and lightless tools when compared the strength and knowledge of the Father. I am just grateful that I have the gospel and can daily reap the rewards of life, because I know WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT -- and that knowledge is the only reason why I can be happy and grateful, even though I don't nearly have everything that I want :) Anyway, I just wanted to share that story with you, which really sheds some light on what's going on in our lives. We are just so grateful. And this year is going to bring so many wonderful things to our family. I am so excited!