Life is beautiful!

Life is hard!

I honestly feel both of those statements.  Sometimes on a daily basis.

The week before Thanksgiving, my husband lost a big job he had scheduled.  We were counting on that job to pay for Christmas.  My husband is a self employed paint contractor, and winter is always slow.  We felt so grateful to have a job lined up to get him through the winter, so when his client called and decided to hold off until spring, our spirits were crushed.

I remember feeling hopeless.  It is so hard to find work this time of year, and we had used up all of our savings to move us back to Utah and on some medical expenses.  How on earth were we going to pull of Christmas this year?  We have had to get creative in the past, but this year seemed almost impossible.

We prepared the kids for a small Christmas.  My husband contacted everyone he knew to see if anyone needed any work done.  No one wanted to spend extra money or have their house tore up this time of year. I didn't blame them.

We felt like we had exhausted all of our efforts.  We didn't know what to do.

I was in the bath one night, and I was mad!  I was upset with my husband.  I was upset with the client that postponed his job.  I was upset we didn't have more of a savings.  I was mad at the world!

Then I got a text.  Literally while I was in the bath lamenting on my life!  It was someone asking if my husband could do a small job for them!

Just like that!  I remembered that things always work out.

They really do!  (I also felt a little ashamed of my pity party I was having!)

It wasn't a big job, and it wouldn't save Christmas.  But it was enough for me to see that Heavenly Father was aware of my needs.  I wasn't forgotten.  Things will be okay.

How often does that happen?  Sometimes all we need is a tiny sign that Heavenly Father is at work, and we can keep moving forward with faith.  Miraculous things can happen when we allow Him to do His work. When we are grateful for the steps we are taking,  moving us in the right direction, no matter how small they may be, things always work out.

For years now, I have kept a gratitude journal.  Just a small journal I keep at my nightstand to jot down things that I noticed during the day, that He had a hand in.  Some are small, and some are big.  It is a helpful reminder to me, that when life gets hard  there are ALWAYS things to be grateful for.  I just need to look for them, and acknowledge them.  Writing down the many things I am thankful for reminds me of how blessed I am.   Focusing on what we are grateful for also changes our mind set.  We will be more open to love and opportunity when that is what we are focused on.

I have something SO exciting planned for 2015 and I can not wait to share it with all of you!  Stay tuned for the big reveal next week!  I promise, it will be something you will want in on!

And, by the way.  That text for a small job, led to another job, which led to another job.  All of those small jobs added up to a beautiful Christmas.  One of the best.  Not because we had a lot of gifts, because we didn't.  But because we were focused on our blessings.  We were open to opportunity and we have made connections with people that we would not have been able to, if we weren't in this situation.  We allowed God to do His work, and we made an effort to see His hand in everything.

Merry Christmas and the HAPPIEST of New Years!