Thursday, November 1

Days of Gratitude ~ Day One: My Savior & My Sweetheart

This month I will attempt to share some of the many things I am grateful for--one day at a time.

I will start with the two most important things in my life (I'm kind of cheating, but to me they are inseparable because I am so set on the concept of the Sacred Triangle): my Savior Jesus Christ and my husband.

“He died not for men, but for each man. 
If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”
 ~C. S. Lewis

My testimony of the Savior is this: I know He lives.
.....
I know he died for my sins and for the sins of everyone on this earth. The Atonement is real, and it works. We can repent and be with our families for eternity because of His great sacrifice.
.....

I know He loves me despite my imperfections. He is my elder Brother. He will be my advocate with Father. To me, this means that He wants to me to succeed--He is on my side. He will ask for mercy in my behalf. It comforts me to know that I can be clean and pure because of Him. I love Him and want to know Him by learning of His life through the scriptures.
I am trying to be like Him. 

Sacred Triangle
By growing closer to the Lord, we in turn grow closer to one another. 

This symbol is very dear to my heart. A favorite scripture of mine has been Matthew 6:33 which teaches that if we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His Righteousness, everything else will be given (or added unto) us. As we move closer to the Lord, we get all we could ever want.
Dalin and I are trying to make the gospel of Jesus Christ, our callings, and our marriage our highest priority. It can be so easy to overlook them in the craziness of our daily lives; however, there is nothing more important. 

Which brings me to my other greatest blessing--my husband. 

I speak highly of Dalin often: on my blog, in my journal, in real life...he constantly impresses me.
There truly is nothing bad I can say. Dalin is far beyond my dream husband. Seriously. 
Back when I was in Young Women's, I made The List.
The List included so many things--among them were returned missionary, Eagle scout, has a testimony, loves the Lord, wants children, shares my goals, hardworking, cheerful, loyal, generous, kindhearted, etc.. And then of course some less important, but nevertheless desirable, traits: handsome, tall, strong, fit, athletic, nice hair, nice teeth, speaks Spanish, loves to sing...
Let's just say I had a long list. And I consider myself picky. So picky that I never had a boyfriend before college (or before Dalin I might add) because I knew that I had not yet found someone who had the qualities I was seeking in a future husband. I take marriage very, very seriously, and even though I was not looking to get married right away when I started at BYU-Idaho, I knew I was not going to give so much of my heart to someone that I would not potentially marry. 
Dalin is so different from any person I have ever met. 
He has the capacity to love unconditionally.
He is sensitive to the feelings of others. 
He has a brilliant awareness about him.
He has a gift when it comes to the Church--his humble understanding of the gospel and of the scriptures goes so much deeper than anyone I have ever known.
He is wise--when it comes to spending money, making life decisions, whatever it may be.
He has the gift of discernment.
He is completely loyal. I can feel it in his presence. 
He has a childlike spirit about him--I admire that so much. He wants lots of children because he loves them and he has a whole innocence about him that is refreshing in a world where exposure to evil is so commonplace. 
He is tender in the way he speaks to me and takes care of me. 
He is striving to be like the Savior. 
He is my greatest blessing.


~What are you most thankful for?

3 comments:

  1. You are truly blessed Olivia! I love you, Mom

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  2. One of the things I am most grateful for is that Dalin found someone to share his life with who can see such good in him and who I know will always push him to be better. And I say push in a good way, because he will have to work hard to keep up with you and the things that you are and do. If I could have picked the perfect woman for my son, I couldn't have picked anyone more perfect than you. Thank you for loving him like you do. I love you, too!!

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  3. You are beautiful, inside and out! I've enjoyed catching up on your blog, and looking at your pics. Your sweet spirit oozes through on this blog! Thanks for sharing!

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