*contented sigh*

Monday night, I left town with very little warning. My husband went with me, but we didn't take our kids. When we left, we weren't entirely certain how long we'd be gone. I had not packed a single thing for any one of my kids, and left rather abruptly without really knowing who would be getting Keilana to and from school, making sure she was ready for her last-week-of-school activities, etc. And yet I left with total and complete confidence that all three of my little loves would be well-cared for, happy and safe until we returned, whenever that might be. With little-to-no notice, my sister-in-law and several different friends stepped up and took care of my little girl and other kids without a second's hesitation and with very little knowledge of where I was or why I was gone. All I heard from them about it was what a delight she was. Not a word was breathed, nor I doubt even thought, of inconvenience or burden. I have never doubted my friends, and it was gratifying to see their love for my family in action.

Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with my dad, where I could hear the smile in his voice for much of the time we spoke. He talked of the power of the scriptures to heal a wounded heart or darkened spirit, and stated so clearly and concisely the importance of having a strong relationship with the Savior, of what that means in our lives (namely, everything). I smiled as he told me had resolved a personal/work crisis that day, then stopped to correct himself and clarified that he didn't do anything, other than be "ambushed by the solution". I spoke with him for more than an hour and delighted in hearing his voice again and being reminded strongly by many of the things that he said to me that I am, indeed, very much my father's daughter. And have never been happier to be so.

Today I went to the temple. I received no profound answers to any particular questions, nor received any significant new enlightenment about any particular topic. I was simply at peace and filled with the Spirit. That's all I needed today. As I looked around the ordinances rooms and then the Celestial Room, I was again struck by the utter simplicity of the place. The layout of the building is very simple--nothing superfluous anywhere. It is extraordinarily clean and neat and beautiful, but nowhere is it ostentatious in any way. There is nothing in the building's design or decor to distract from its purpose. And so, there in the House of the Lord, we have a more complete peace, a truer fulness of joy, than can be found anywhere else on Earth. I believe that when we step into the temple, we do step out of the world in a more literal way than we can possibly understand yet. The simplicity of the building itself, and the simple profundity of the things taught therein, always reminds me that the rest of life is just stuff. Oh, sure, its stuff we have to take care of to keep life running smoothly, but its not what life's about. Its really about individual and families, all trying, and helping one another, to get back to a Heavenly home, to Heavenly parents who know us and treasure us. Its about diligently pursuing, individually and together, our eternal potential and destiny. And its a joyful process.

As I started to prepare my lesson for tomorrow, the week I've just had ran through my head, and I thought to myself, after such a week how can I feel anything but gratitude and joy for all that I have? Is there one richer than I?