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As the storm cleared today and revealed the blue blue sky, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty. There have been a multiplicity of beautiful manifestations as of late, and I have been sitting on these thoughts for awhile; unable to fully articulate it all. Gordon Bitner once said, "Gratitude is the essence of worship," and wise Brother Ghandi made a similar mention when he said: "When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator." In essence, one of the simplest, yet profound ways we can send our thankfulness heavenwards is in noticing His omnipotent hand in the beauty of our earth. And by doing this, we never run out of things to be grateful for. 

I realize that seems silly to blog about, but my, it has been a prevalent thought as I've pondered metaphorically about life: ...so many tender mercies and small things to be grateful for. No matter how much rain or snow or sleet, that blue blue sky will eventually shine through, and we can again bask in His "life giving light." 

Joy.

"See how nature--trees, flowers, grass-grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls." -Maria Theresia

Well, it has been quite awhile since I have actively fulfilled my role as a "blogger." Ha. I left you last with pictures of my beloved Wien. Being in the promised land is a golden opportunity, which I am soaking up. America, the beautiful. It is lovely to understand my church meetings--or even basic school classes, for that matter. It is glorious to run to the grocery store and understand exactly what I'm buying; to comprehend the ingredients, the cooking directions, etc. I enjoy asking for directions and actually finding my destination (I have become fearless in asking for directions); or having meaningful conversations with friends, acquaintances and strangers. And of course, spending time with family and friends was a much-missed activity--but alas, no more, no more.

I can say, however, despite the language barrier, distance, and limitations, "Wien, ich vermisse dich!" I do miss it. Ah, how I missssssssss Deutsch sprechen! I nearly had a heart attack when I met a dude last weekend who spoke German (he held the door open for me, I said Danke, and a heartskip later I was jovially slurring questions his way--surely in my usual poorly stated and grammatically incorrect manner)... then two other men heard us, joined, and all four strangers had a fun time speaking of Deutschland at its finest. I miss walking down those historic cobblestone roads each day, ever-discovering new gebaeude (buildings). I dream of foreign lands and the neat facts I learned that now evade me as each moment passes. I miss my freundin, my Wien familie und meine Haus Frau. I miss Brother and Sister Gill and all the liebers at the Outreach Center...Family Nights and Insitute evenings were celestial quality. Oh, I sincerey do miss the incessant rain. I miss miss miss the bus system, OH THE JOY! And the Ubahn? No words. BYU needs to invest in a subway system immediately. I could continue, but I already seem to be whining. What a grand time it all was. The seasons of life... I am reminded, "Come what may and LOVE it." (Thank you, oh, wise apostle.)

Ha, anyways. The point is--trying to string these ideas of my scrambled thought process together--that Heavenly Father sends tender mercies as semblance of His unwavering love for us. No matter what I, or you, or your ___ is going through, He loves us, and wants to bless us. By noticing his grace, we realize he is there, through thick and thin. And that is life-altering and -sustaining knowledge.