The Brantingham's are Back

Today has been a good day.

A very good day.

I felt like an absolute dork taking those pictures by the way, but I just wanted to document the fact that I am feeling hot.

Thats right, I am feeling good looking and loving life on this beautiful, but gloomy, Wednesday.

I woke up on the right side of the bed, I actually slept beautifully without going to the bathroom thousands of times, I'm not feeling gigantic today, my face is clearing it's way up thanks to my forever gracious new beauty products..

And Jesus is real.

Yes I know, the Jesus comment was probably completely out of place, but today is just one of those days where I am seeing the miracles right in front of me and I cannot help but shout to the world that yes, Jesus is most certainly alive and real.

Very real.

I will not go into the intricate details of how I came to powerfully declare that sort of statement, but I guess I could give some examples you might be able to relate to.

Lately I have felt that Rob and I just don't get any breaks.

I know that trials are for all of us, and it is through those trials that we learn and grow and are being molded into that person Christ sees inside of us... You know, that person that we don't ever seem to see at that moment.

Trials are for the bettering of His Saints.

Trials, especially, are for the perfecting of our dependence on our Savior.

I have found that through my specific trials, I have come to know my Savior that much better, and have come to need and learn that reliance process that much better.

Sometimes I think that is the only true purpose in all of it; that we are learning to better rely on the Lord.

 So we have been handed some pretty difficult stuff.. Haven't we all actually.. and I have just felt like there should be some sort of break from it all.

I have almost been annoyed about it.. Like, what about our happy moments? Or what about our good fortunes? And in the meantime not paying attention to the things that really are my good fortunes, but just liking the focus to be on that trial while it consumes my entire life...?

Is this clicking for anyone?

I think we all go through that process. It's the process of trials in general it seems.

You get consumed. You cannot see past the hardship, and then you start blaming the Lord and looking to others who might have it better than you do.. or so you think.

So this has been me.

I am finally getting out of the blame portion, but the whole "can we just have a break?" portion has been lingering around longer than I would like it to.

Until today.

No, nothing incredible happened... Well, it was incredible for us.. but nothing earth shattering, so please don't go looking for us on the nightly news.

It was just a small break.

A small, tiny, little light at the end of the tunnel sort of break.

Sure, it brought me to tears, but what doesn't these days?

It just was so refreshing to finally feel like things are looking up.. That things are starting to fall into place.. and that yes, life really can exist amidst the hardships that trials seem to throw at you.

It was a stamp of approval. Almost like the Lord was saying, "Yes, I hear you.. be patient.. good things are always on their way."

It was almost like this little stamp was telling us we need to keep pressing forward.

And we must always press forward.

Its the little things that bring you that sprinkle of hope, that strong self-esteem, and that knowledge that yes..

Jesus is very real.



So here I am, here I am just embracing life and feeling cocky about it..

Here I am feeling good, and beautiful, and ready to fight off whatever comes our way..

Partly because I know we can do it, partly because we look dang good in the process, and partly because this tiny break makes me feel like we have conquered the world.

So you better watch out world.

The Brantingham's are Back.