Thankful

Today in Church, the topic spoken on was prayer. Prayer and gratitude go hand in hand. So I felt the theme was perfectly fitting for this upcoming week. For me, I am a little bit of a stickler when it comes to holding off on Christmas decorations, music, and other traditions until after I finish my last bite of pumpkin pie and say my last prayer of gratitude. And there is no shortage of Thanksgiving traditions in my home to replace the abundance of postponed Christmas traditions that I am anxiously looking forward to. Football, Turkey Bowls, turkey and mashed potatoes, the nap following my overeating (aka "Fat Dogging"), and, of course, my wife's amazing pumpkin pie. Perhaps most dear to my heart are the special moments I spend in the days surrounding this holiday on my knees expressing my profound gratitude to my Father.

Among all these traditions, I wish there was more Thanksgiving holiday music that I could queue up on my music player. Adam Sandler's Turkey song is a classic but doesn't quite inspire me the way that a handful of Thanksgiving hymns do. Sadly, as much as I enjoyed singing hymns themed around prayer in Church today, I didn't even get my standard fill of Come Thou Fount of Ev'ry Blessing, Prayer of Thanksgiving, or For the Beauty of the Earth. In contrast to Christmas where I can queue up different holiday albums all month long without repeating, my music collection includes maybe a single album by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with these and perhaps a few other hymns of gratitude. So I find myself yearning for more inspirational Thanksgiving music this time of year.

Because of this, years ago when I stumbled across a Josh Groban Christmas album, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had sneaked a Thanksgiving song onto his album. This beautifully moving song, called Thankful, has been my go to choice in November when I am looking for inspiration to guide me back to my knees. And it has become such a favorite that I don't mind queuing it up on repeat as often as I need that urge me to look beyond the distraction of everyday life to find some perspective, some humility, and some sincere feeling of thanks to my God and to my fellow man. Whether I take that one step further to give that thanks through word and action is another matter.

I hope this song can become a favorite part of your Thanksgiving traditions, regardless of when you decide to trim your Christmas tree. And to each of you, whether I know you personally or not, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this world with me and for contributing your goodness to it.

Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

*******

Somedays, we forget to look around us;

Somedays, we can't see the joy that surrounds us;

So caught up inside ourselves, we take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be,

And on this day we hope for what we still can't see.

It's up to us, to be the change;

And, even though we all can still do more,

There's so much to be thankful for!

Each of us must find our truth; it's so long overdue;

Look beyond ourselves, there's so much sorrow;

It's way to late to say, 'I'll cry tomorrow';

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be,

And on this day we hope for what we still can't see.

It's up to us, to be the change;

And, even though we all can still do more,

There's so much to be thankful for!

Even with our differences, there is a place we're all connected;

Each of us can find each other's light.

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be,

And on this day we hope for what we still can't see.

It's up to us, to be the change;

And, even though we all can still do more,

There's so much to be thankful for!

There and Back Again: Your Great Adventure

 

A few weeks ago, amidst the unique circumstances our world finds itself in dealing with the uncertainties and unsettling challenges of COVID-19, my family was excited to hear that our local movie theater was showing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies over the course of a few weeks. Had we been in more normal circumstances and the theater been showing new releases, we might not have given the establishment our patronage. But the prospect of seeing these wonderful movies on the big screen complete with Dolby digital surround sound was simply too much to pass up. The fact that they were airing the extended editions sealed the deal.

And so I prepared for a proud Dad moment as I introduced my children, including my two year old who was all too excited to go "on an adventure," to these cinematic masterpieces (and no, by using that word, I am not willing to engage in a heated debate on the merits or pitfalls of The Hobbit trilogy). I watched my 8 year old, Andrew, especially closely as he he was perhaps the most transparent with his emotions. It was easy to see his nervousness, excitement, and even sadness at times. 

When the reinforcements showed up for the good guys in the final battle, Andrew was on his feet punching the air with is fist and trying very hard not to shout out as he felt the tide shifting in the good guys' favor. And when Andrew whispered to me during my personal favorite moment in all six films--that moment when Sam carries Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom--"Dad, I've changed my mind... Sam is my favorite hobbit!" I wiped a tear from my eyes for more than one reason.

The opportunity to watch these films once more on the big screen and to experience them with my children was priceless. And it sent me back to the original source material to listen to all four audio books. Needless to say, I have been immersed in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien for the past many weeks and have felt awe at its majesty and magic. 

Last year, during the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, one of the speakers, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, shared a message about the grand adventure of life. He likened our adventure to that of Bilbo Baggins' journey there and back again. I was inspired by his message. Given my hobby at amateur video editing, I resolved to make a video featuring Elder Uchtdorf's words and selected footage from Peter Jackson's movies. However, the task seemed daunting and one that I kept pushing off, feeling intimidated by the time and effort this project would entail. 

I wasn't worried about my capabilities with my video editing software. Nor was I worried about having enough footage to pair with the portions of the message that I had chosen. No, I was most intimidated by the prospect of having to select just 8 or 10 minutes of my favorite scenes from over 20 hours of source material that would somehow capture the inspiration that I felt from Elder Uchtdorf's message. And so, much like Bilbo, I procrastinated and dragged my feet before undergoing my own journey of making this video.

My family's experience in the movie theater and my immersion in Tolkien's world these past weeks was all the push I needed to finally hold to my resolve and finish this. I am very much an amateur and hobbyist when it comes to making videos like this. And I struggled to try to keep this video under 10 minutes as I would have loved to have shared more of Elder Uchtdorf's words and more of these wonderful movies. Whether or not I succeeded in my objective of bringing a new dimension to Elder Uchtdorf's message can be left up to those same critics who weigh The Hobbit trilogy up against The Lord of the Rings. 

I can simply add my own testimony to that of Elder Uchtdorf and J.R.R. Tolkien in saying that I am truly grateful for the great adventure of life that we have been gifted by our Heavenly Father. Our adventure is fraught with peril and great trials. I know that great rewards await us as we make it back again. But the greatest treasures are to be found all along our way there. 

I am grateful for the Gandalf's and Sam's in my life who help me find the courage and the resolve to take each step forward. It is my hope that you and I find ourselves on the winning side of the battle, the side of our God, whose victory is assured and who brings the hope and the renewal of the first light on not only the 5th day, but each and every day, as we look to the east.

As Elder Uchtdorf said in a different message:

"You are the hero of your own life's story! Do not be discouraged. Do not give up. The future is bright! Someday you will look back on the person you are now with kindness and compassion, and you will know then that the steps you took today molded you into the wonderful person you have yet to become."

Happy Journeying and God Bless!