I truly believe we can either see the connections, celebrate them, and express gratitude for our blessings, or we can see life as a string of coincidences that have no meaning or connection.For me, I'm going to believe in miracles, celebrate life, rejoice in the views of eternity and hope my choices will create a positive ripple effect in the lives of others. This is my choice.

I don't think my journey has to be harrowing to be important. Simply doing the tasks of the day is enough. Such as getting up every morning to go to work to support my family and sacrificing personal time in service to others, teaching my children to give thanks for what they have and to care for others.

My mind drifted to my family. I thought about how I had the opportunity to serve them. I didn't have to carry them across a freezing river in the middle of a snowstorm or give them my food when they didn't have enough. There would be other streams they would need help to cross, and I'd be there for them, always and in whatever way they needed me.

Suddenly a feeling swam over her with a mighty strength. The feeling was both overwhelming and peaceful, linking her to some cosmic and eternal force as the earth around her became more vibrant and alive. It was as if heaven and earth, past and present, were all one in an instant.

The things that matter most to me are eternal. The bonds of love shared within a family I believe to be eternal.

In my mind, past, present and future became a blur as I stood in the middle of the celestial room, in the middle of forever. It was as if I were to take a rope that went on forever in both directions and cut it anywhere then the cut would always be exactly in the middle. And if I cut it twice I would have a beginning and an end, but eternity would continue in both directions.