Gratitude Before the Miracle

What does it mean to give thanks when we don't yet know how things will work out? In this week's enLIGHTen episode, we explore one of the most beautiful patterns in the life of Jesus Christ: His expressions of gratitude to His Father, even before extraordinary miracles unfolded. From the feeding of the five thousand to the raising of Lazarus and the Last Supper, we discover how the Savior's example teaches us to acknowledge God in moments of abundance, uncertainty, and even suffering. Drawing on President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's message Grateful in Any Circumstances, we consider how gratitude can become more than a response to blessings. It can become a way of living, an expression of faith, and a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father. May we learn to thank God not only for what He has already done, but also as we trust Him with what we cannot yet see. Carpe diem! 💛

What if the peace we're searching for isn't somewhere ahead of us, but waiting in the moments we're rushing past? We live in a world that celebrates faster, more, and next. But Jesus invites us to something beautifully different. To slow down. To be still. To receive His light. This week on enLIGHTen, my husband Adam joins me for a heartfelt conversation about the unhurried joy of Jesus Christ, the sacred gift of stillness, and the power of creating with God. Together, we explore: 🍂 Why slowing down allows our souls to catch up. ✨ How Jesus remained unhurried even in moments of great urgency. 🤍 Why meekness and humility are the keys to finding His rest. 🌿 How creativity becomes communion with our Creator. ☀️ What a single autumn leaf can teach us about receiving the Light of Christ. As we enter this beautiful season of gratitude, perhaps the invitation isn't to do more, but to notice more. To stop chasing time and start catching the light. We were born to catch the Light. And to let it shine through us.

Can the hardest rocks in our lives become the foundation of something holy? This week on enLIGHTen, Eva welcomes Will Humphries, host of the Temple Bound podcast, for a conversation inspired by her artwork Building Bethel. Through Jacob’s story, Jesus’ teaching that He is greater than the temple, and Elder Gong’s invitation to cherish the house of the Lord, they explore how Christ transforms trials into offerings and gives us rest through His presence. They also reflect on the temple, our homes, and our bodies as places for Him to dwell; the twelve-year-old Savior listening and asking questions in the temple; and the quiet power of helping someone else carry a burden. Come with a question, pick up the shovel, and let Jesus build something holy with you.

Sometimes the smallest things become the greatest miracles .A smile. A conversation. A hug. A prayer. A simple act of love. In Mark 4:26–29, Jesus teaches us about a man who plants seeds and watches them grow, even though he doesn't understand how. Isn't that so much like our lives? We plant seeds of goodness, love, and faith, often without knowing what will become of them. But God knows. He sees what we cannot see. He works in ways we cannot fully understand. And in His time, even the smallest seeds can bring forth beautiful fruit. Our responsibility is not to control the harvest. It is to faithfully keep planting, keep loving, and keep trusting Him. Because growth is happening, even when we cannot see it. 💛What small seed of goodness can you plant today?

What if the very winds that challenge us are also the winds that can lift us? This week on enLIGHTen, Eva Timothy welcomes Julie for a beautiful conversation about trusting Jesus Christ, embracing His promises, and discovering His peace in the midst of life's chaos. Inspired by Eva's artwork Wind Waking and Elder Dale G. Renlund's general conference message How Long Will It Be Ere They Believe Me?, they explore the powerful symbolism of a kite: the winds of mortality, the covenant connection that holds us to Christ, and the divine power that lifts us heavenward. Together, they ponder Martha's extraordinary declaration of faith—"But I know, that even now"—and the Savior's invitation to bring Him into our deepest grief, uncertainty, and struggles. They also share practical ways to create more spiritual and physical order in our lives, notice God's goodness in His creations, and replace complaining with gratitude and trust. Because Jesus Christ is faithful. His love does not change. And even now, He has the power to lift us. ✨ More Jesus. More light. More joy.

What does it look like to live in the lift of Jesus Christ? This week on enLIGHTen, begins with a reflection on a beautiful weekend at General Conference, unexpected moments of ministering, the gift of a needed embrace, and Elder Patrick Kearon’s invitation to recognize the spiritual lift that comes from turning toward the Savior. We also return to one of the tenderest miracles in scripture: Jesus entering Jairus’s home, shutting the door on the noise and disbelief outside, taking a little girl by the hand, and speaking the intimate words: Talitha Cumi. Arise. It is a picture of what Christ continues to do for each of us. He separates light from darkness. He bears us up. He carries us. He takes us by the hand. And He reminds us that with Him, it is never too late. Then, when we have found the lift ourselves, He invites us to help someone else rise.

This week on enLIGHTen, my beautiful friend Tana and I talk about breath, resurrection, physical stewardship, slowing down in the storm, turning off the artificial light, and learning to see our bodies as part of God's magnificent creation. You don't have to have a perfect body to be grateful for it. You don't have to be free from pain to recognize its sacredness. And you don't have to outrun every storm. Sometimes you can simply look toward the light… and let God carry you. ✨ “Spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy.” — Doctrine & Covenants 93:33

What happens as we behold the Gospel through the lens of Family?  We see: a God who asks us to call Him Father. A Savior who is not only our Redeemer— but our Brother. A covenant path that is not simply about getting somewhere better but about bringing us home. This week on enLIGHTen, Richard Eyre and I talk about what changes when we begin to see things this way. Because family isn’t just one part of God’s plan. It is woven through the whole story. Before this life, we were His children. Here, we learn to love, forgive, sacrifice, grow, and become. And through Jesus Christ, families can be bound together far beyond the limits of mortality. Our families may not look perfect. Some relationships may ache. Some prayers may still feel unanswered. But God’s story is longer than the chapter we are living right now. So keep loving Keep reaching Keep turning hearts toward one another. Because perhaps one of the greatest invitations of the gospel is this: To see every soul as family and help walk one another home.

What does it actually mean to live a consecrated life? Maybe it isn’t about doing more. Maybe it begins with looking up. Today on enLIGHTen, we ponder the beautiful law of consecration through scripture, prayer, art, and everyday life. We look at Jehoshaphat’s powerful prayer—“we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee”—and discover a pattern of praising God, remembering His goodness, trusting His promises, and then surrendering our need to Him. We sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus and remember that sometimes the “good part” is simply making space to listen. And we consider a question that can change the way we begin every day: “How can I live a consecrated life today?” Consecration can happen in quiet prayers, repetitive work, motherhood, repentance, listening, serving, trusting, and doing small things with great love. We may not know what to do. But we can keep our eyes upon Him.

What if BEAUTY + THE BEAST is actually a story about learning to LOVE like Jesus? 🌹 I absolutely loved this conversation with my dear friend Cassie Shepherd @homecenteredlearning. We talked about fairy tales. The scriptures. The sparrow. Learning. Beauty + the Beast. Transformation. And the God who created galaxies—but still notices ONE. Because that is the miracle of His love. God loves ALL. And God loves EACH. And as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are learning to do the same. Maybe that means looking beyond someone's rough exterior and seeing the wounded heart underneath. Maybe it means asking a more thoughtful question. Maybe it means giving someone their “library”—not what WE think they need, but something that tells them: I see you. I know you. I know what matters to you. And maybe LOVING MORE doesn't always mean DOING more. Sometimes it means SEEING more. Seeing people the way Jesus sees them. Seeing their divine potential. Seeing the person underneath the Beast. And loving them toward the person they were always meant to become. 🤍