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This week Americans will celebrate the annual holiday of Thanksgiving.
On this day, we will gather with friends and family, eat a lot of good food, and hopefully spend some time counting our many blessings. Continue reading
As I endured another morning of snail-paced highway traffic during another typical frantic commute to the office, I happened to turn my head slightly to the left, and up – just in time to witness the exact moment the sun peeked over the top of the Rocky Mountains. 
It was a stunning sight, and suddenly, my very ordinary morning, with its very ordinary routine was transformed into something very extraordinary. Continue reading
The ever-clever and fun-loving creators of WordPress.com have come up with a creative way to commemorate the Thanksgiving holiday. All WP Bloggers have been invited to participate in a little Thanksgiving video contest. The challenge is to express our gratitude in 30 seconds or less. Whether I win a prize or not, my best reward has already arrived: the blessing of counting my blessings! So, with no further ado, here is MoSop’s “creative video interpretation on the topic of [giving thanks]” … for life, family, freedom, faith and fun…in 29 seconds!
Another wonderful video from Mormon Messages has arrived just in time for our annual Thanksgiving holiday.
Enjoy watching, and then please share a quick comment about what YOU are thankful for today!
What freedoms are you grateful for today?
President Eyring
This beautiful advice for daily living is taken from an excerpt of a talk given by LDS apostle President Henry B. Eyring entitled “O Remember, Remember“.
You do not want to miss watching this awesome short movie called “VALIDATION“. It has won many independent film festival awards and has changed lives. The creators are offering it free of charge to the public. This is 16 minutes guaranteed to make you smile. Be sure to watch it to the very end. Afterwards, please share it with someone.
And by the way, YOU are Spectacular! - MoSop
In my last post rant, I’m afraid I came across quite a bit cranky and less than patriotic. That was not my intention. OK. I admit I was cranky. But I want to reassure you that I still love my country very much, I am eager to see good things come from our new administration (there is always hope), and contrary to my attitude problem, I do not believe we have reached doomsday.
Therefore, I apologize for the downer post.
As penance, this morning I awoke with a scene from one of my favorite movies GroundHog Day running through my mind (over, and over, and over…).
I was replaying the moment when the character of Phil Conners (actor Bill Murray) has kidnapped the town groundhog and is speeding down the road in a stolen truck with the police in hot pursuit.
Bill sardonically lectures the groundhog: “Don’t Drive Angry! Don’t Drive Angry!” I got the message, and said to myself:
“MoSop, Don’t Blog Angry! Don’t Blog Angry!“
Therefore, today I give thanks for the wisdom of the groundhog. 
There’s no use in letting ourselves get frustrated on the road of life. I know this. It is actually one of my oft repeated mantras here at the site. A theme, if you will. In the end, we are all going to end up at the same destination (well, at least initially), 
so we might as well travel with grace.
I have resolved to think happier thoughts. To the left I have provided a “happy box”. To start things off, I will add a couple. Then, I invite you to please add some of your own via the comments. Don’t hold back. (We can always get another box if we fill this one). I think we could all do with some happy thoughts right now. Don’t you?
#1. Wisdom from Pooh Corner:
“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish”.
– Winnie the Pooh
#2. A commercial from the U.K. that I think is brilliant
By now the story of Thursday’s US Airways crash landing into the Hudson River is considered “old news”, however I would still like to personally acknowledge the dramatic event.
Once in a while a story comes along that really grabs at the heart, and reminds us that miracles are real. In a world filled with sadness, pain, and tragic news, it is important to remember that good things can happen, too. Of course, it would have been better if a certain flock of geese had chosen a different flight path on Thursday (for their sakes, as well as Flight 1549!). The resulting heart-stopping panic of those aboard, the wreckage of a large airliner, and a very cold rescue effort can’t really be classified under “good news”. However, the loss of human life and critical injury that could have happened, was avoided. And that is very good news.
Everyone aboard was safely brought to shore. Kathryn Skaggs wrote a beautiful post over at her “Well Behaved” blog that I can’t top. So, I encourage you to read her post. Before you go, you may want to watch this nice little summary video, created by Brian60093 at YouTube.
The video rightly gives thanks to pilot “Sully”. One more man to thank would be our Heavenly Father. He has blessed our brothers and sisters aboard Flight 1549 with the chance to continue their earthly journey. What will they do with this gift, I wonder? Only time will tell for them. However, one thing we all can be sure of is that there are many more miracles to come.
The Diva Days
Don’t change that dial…yes, this is still MormonSoprano! However, in honor of the upcoming New Year celebration, I made a few little festive changes. I also activated my “falling snow” feature, as it makes a nice double for confetti, don’t you think?
It is hard to believe that we are already ushering 2008 out the door, and 2009 is marching boldly in. I don’t know about you, but this year flew by for me!
One year ago, things were decidedly different in my life. “Happy New Year 2008″ evoked excitement and trepidation as I prepared to embark on a completely different direction. Change is like stage-fright. If it doesn’t kill you, the adrenaline rush will thrill you! In fact, I believe that over the past 5 years I have experienced enough big “CHANGE” to accumulate an amount of adrenaline equal to experiencing my debut at the Metropolitan Opera. So there you go. In some sort of circuitous “virtual” logic perhaps I have managed to “accomplish” that life-long dream of mine (without actually ever doing it). Maybe I will cross it off my bucket list. 
I know that life is unpredictable, but I always find it surprising. It is hard to believe that only 18 months ago I was living an hour-by-hour existence, praying my child would live another day. Some people keep warning me that long posts are a waste of time because people don’t like to read them. However, I’m going out on a limb here to share a personal story in celebration and gratitude. Continue reading
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a member of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
Joseph B Wirthlin, Apostle
“Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable.”In the Book of Mormon we learn that we should “live in thanksgiving daily” (Alma 34:38). Isn’t that a wonderful thought to live in thanksgiving daily?”
Gratitude is actually a commandment of our Heavenly Father. “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7).
President Joseph F. Smith , 6th Prophet of the LDS Church, proclaimed: Continue reading
