Healing Thoughts

It's hard for me to just sit and think about my current situation. My closest place to peace is when I turn to gospel truths and words of the Lord through our leaders. I found great comfort in these words today. 

These first three paragraphs are from the First Presidency Message this month:           
            "The pioneers learned that doing hard things deepened and strengthened body, mind, and spirit; magnified their understanding of their divine nature; and heightened their compassion for others. This habit firmed their souls and became a blessing to them long after their trek across the plains and mountains had ended."
            "Happiness doesn’t come from external circumstances. It comes from the inside—regardless of what is happening around us."
            "The pioneers knew that, and with that spirit they found happiness in every circumstance and in every trial—even in those trials that reached down and troubled the deep waters of their very souls."

President Uchtdorf gave a talk on being grateful in any circumstance a couple conferences ago.                 
                 "Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges."
                 "This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind."

I've thought a lot about having a spirit of gratitude. I can only have it if I remember that the Lord loves me, that He is in control, and has wonderful plans for me. If I truly believe that, a spirit of gratitude is accomplished.