Organizing My Thoughts...

[via flickr]

As I'm working on my lesson for Sunday, I thought I'd share some of what's been inspiring me and see what great insights you may have to add.

For the past few weeks I've been thinking about how lately whenever I want to feel the love of the Lord, I look back on my life and see how He's directed me to where I am today, and instantly I'm so happy and grateful for the role He plays in my life. The life I have is in some ways very different than the life I'd plotted and planned for myself while doodling in notebooks and jotting down lists in Young Women's. I was a very capable student and felt that I'd be wasting my gifts if I didn't pursue an Ivy League education followed by an important, if brief career before even thinking about marriage. And then, when I welcomed children I'd leave the corporate world for a while, still dabbling in it and perfectly balancing motherhood and free-lancing until I returned to work later on. According to my plans, I'd be celebrating my one year anniversary this year, not seven. According to my plans, children would've been barely a gleam in my eye instead of two in my arms at this point. According to my plans, my days would be full of important documents instead of storybooks, business lunches instead of quesadillas, and trips around the world instead of trips to the park and the library and Target. I am so incredibly grateful that my plans were not His plans, and that I was willing to align my will with His.

When I read this post this week on My Happy Little Life, a blog I thoroughly enjoy, it was totally in line with where I wanted to take my lesson. If you don't want to read the whole post (which I highly recommend), my favorite quote is when Kelly said, "how happy we are that there is a loving heavenly father that understands the little picture we have in our minds for our lives, and gently and lovingly helps us change our vision to a masterpiece."

And then I read this post (on Life, another blog I can't miss, especially when I'm wanting to feel good about being a mom,) about a phenomenal mother who recently received a heartbreaking diagnosis for her daughter. The part that stuck out to me was when Shawni said, "We feel like we have been blessed and prepared each step of the way." My heart knows that she has. And that we all can have that same recognition in our own lives.

And then I read this talk. And then I read this talk. And then I read this talk. And I'm getting even more excited to firm up this lesson.

I know that Heavenly Father leads us where we need to be so we arrive precisely when we need to be there. I know that I am happiest when I follow His lead instead of trying to be in control.