It is Thanksgiving Day. We are all grateful for our families and for other blessings bestowed by God. Right? In younger years, I would have parroted these Thanksgiving thoughts. But as God and life’s experiences have tutored me, the importance of family now emanates from the deep recesses of my heart. I am learning to have true joy in my family. I am so thankful for my dear wife and five sons. I am thankful God’s restored authority on earth allows us to be sealed together beyond this mortal sphere. I feel very blessed.

We all want to be happy. Deep down, I really believe all people want this. But how do we bring happiness into our lives? Opinions vary greatly on how to accomplish this goal. I have learned for myself that one of the most powerful tools to bring happiness to my soul is to have a grateful heart. When I make the effort to recognize and understand my blessings from God, I feel more happy, and my life is lighter and brighter. Many of the richest blessings in life are not obvious to the outside world. But these blessings are real and they are priceless. I love the perspective of the seasoned farmer in this brief video.

We had a wonderful morning as we witnessed Alan being sworn in as an attorney by Judge Doug Smith on Nevada Day, 2013. We are very grateful for Alan’s hard work and persistence, and we are happy he can spend this year clerking for Judge Smith.

I am grateful that Michael has persisted in his long-term goal to be a firefighter. Michelle and I are thrilled with his recently-landed, full-time position in Big Spring, Texas. As a tribute to Michael, I want to quote the kind words shared by a dear friend who texted us the following about Michael:

“I am so thrilled to see Mike living his dream! What a handsome devil he is;). It makes me feel good to know that he is striving to be a hero, we need more of them. What a good man he has turned out to be- sure u are proud & I am proud for you!”