Just Gave Birth--Long Labor/Not Much Pain

Reminder:  If you've been keeping a Gratitude Journal now is a good time to update it.  Who blessed your life this week?  What events lifted your heart?  What did you see, hear or read that inspired you?  There are so many reasons to be grateful!   

Today  I give birth to a new blog:  Essential Oil Savvy. 
It's taken me a lot of years of study.  However, getting the information together to share has been a joy.  No pain at all, other than the details of setting up a blog.
So, if you use essential oils and would like to know more about them, this could be a great site for you.  If you really don't know much about essential oils, even better.  Personally, I think they are wonderful and have so many uses.  To learn more, please visit my new blog,  Essential Oil Savvy, at http://essentialoilsavvy.blogspot.com

I will still be maintaining my gratitude blog.  The essential oils are an addition to help further enhance your quality of life.  You will notice 4 pages listed on the right sidebar.  These are:   an introduction to my experience with essential oils

                  a welcome to the site 

                  some cautions you'll want to know about when using oils          

 and            a little primer on the most common methods of extracting oils from 

                  plants

                                                               

You will also see the main post for the day, and an archive for past postings.  A search bar will make it convenient for you to find material you've read and want to reread.  

Because I have found that various companies make excellent oils, some for one purpose and some for another, my site does not endorse any particular brand of essential oil.  It is merely for your information so that you can make informed choices as you use these wonderful gifts of nature.

I am really grateful for a chance to share this information, and hope you will use it often as a reference site when you are looking for the right oil to meet your needs.

TODAY'S INSPIRED QUOTATION:  The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem for that sweet odour which doth in it live. - William Shakespeare - Sonnet 54

                                                          

Music, Beautiful Music

     If you've been reading this blog for the past week you know I've written a few posts about adversity, and thanking God for the challenges in our lives.  There are also some other really practical ways of getting though our more difficult passages.  Today I will write about one of my favorites: the gift of music.

     Maybe it's in my blood...probably is...but I love music.  One of my Italian uncles was a voice teacher, another could play just about any instrument and had his own studio, teaching many kids and adults in the community where I grew up. I also have a cousin, Sugar Ray Norcia, who has been a grammy award nominee on a few occasions for his blues music.   I also love to sing, though I can't claim any special musical talent.

     There are so many kinds of music and I love a bunch of them: Doo Wop from the 50's; Motown and rock from the 60's; some classical--Pachelbel's Canon in D is a big favorite; soft sounds like Secret Garden; inspiring and calming stuff like the work of Phil Coulter from Ireland and Sissel Kyrkjebø from Norway; and then, one of my all time "happy sound" favorites, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po8rG4nXpUs

His music just makes me feel like dancing, so I do!  Happily then, not only do I get to hear great sounds, I also get a little exercise and a good laugh (all you need to do is watch me dance to know exactly why I'm laughing).

     So, my simple message to you today is, enjoy some of your favorite music.  What a great gift to lift our spirits and snatch us out of the doldrums.  So refreshing!  Not to mention giving us a wonderful reason to be grateful.  I so appreciate that God gave some of His children the gift of beautiful voices, some the ability to play instruments, and some the creativity to compose.  All to bless the rest of us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for music, beautiful music!

Today's Awesome Blessing:   Music, so many kinds, so many reasons to feel uplifted and blessed!

   

A Living Example of Gratitude

     From time to time, if we are very fortunate, we are blessed to know someone who is a brilliant example of "grace under pressure,"  "gratitude in the midst of adversity."  This is my friend, Rosie.  Rosie recently completed chemo therapy treatment following cancer.  She also suffers from multiple sclerosis.  She has weathered numerous difficulties in her life, yet Rosie usually seems so, well, rosy.  She has a determined spirit, and one of her greatest determinations is to be grateful and cheerful, no matter what may be going on.  She tells me that two of her favorite phrases from the scriptures are, "be of good cheer"  and  "it came to pass."  "Not," she emphasizes, "it came to stay."

     I was chatting on the phone with her the other day, and when I expressed my admiration for her positive outlook, she was quick to say, "Oh, that's not really me speaking.  That's God.  He gives me the strength to face each day and be happy.  It does take effort, but He makes it possible.  I figure,"  she goes on, "if I wake up in the morning and read the newspaper and my name isn't in the obituaries or the police log life is good."

     Rosie certainly has a great attitude!  I am especially impressed that she takes none of the credit for her optimistic approach to life, though she could--for, as she says, "it does take effort."  But, for Rosie, first and foremost, the honor goes to God.  He is helping her though every trial and supporting and lifting her up to rise above her difficulties. 
     I have known this good woman for many years, and though I've seen her at some of her most discouraging moments, she has always chosen to leave pessimism behind, to refocus and adopt a hopeful outlook.  In other words, yes, I have seen her discouraged and confused, but it has always been within the context of looking for the best way to approach her concerns and solve them.  Self-pity is short lived; anger is absent; she is just seeking after the right way.  Is this ability to readjust and adopt a positive perspective a gift, or a well-honed skill she has acquired as she has valiantly faced and wrestled down the challenges life has sent her way?  Probably some of both, for life has sent her what I consider a disproportionately large share of woe.  

     When I think of her many trials and how she handles them, I think of the account in the New Testament when the disciples asked the Lord, concerning the blind man,  "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?   Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him"  (John 9:2-3).  

     I often wonder if Rosie's remarkable way of deflecting life's slings and arrows is so that others around her can see God working through her, and hear her say,   "That's not really me speaking.  That's God.  He gives me the strength to face each day and be happy.  It does take effort, but He makes it possible."   

     In my opinion, His works and His love are manifest through this good woman.  Her attitude of gratitude, and her positive outlook are a testimony that His spirit abides in her, because she invites it and then acknowledges its presence.  It is also a testimony to His involvement and concern for her--and for each of us.  I will always count Rosie's friendship among the sweetest gifts I have received to help me travel through life with greater optimism and success.


TODAY'S  GENTLE  ENCOURAGEMENT:  Check today's paper.  Is your name in the obituary column?  Cheer up, you still have lots to live for!

   

The Power We Possess Through Gratitude

     In my last post I spoke of the blessings that come from adversity.  I also encouraged readers to express gratitude to God for their afflictions.  However, when we are in the midst of great pain, it can be extremely difficult to marshal our thoughts and focus on any blessings that might result from what we are going through. Therefore, I decided to elaborate a little on what I wrote on Wednesday, and make some suggestions for just how to accomplish the task. 

     The benefits that come from adversity most often aren't the blessings we want or think we need. Therefore, finding words to express gratitude for them can be difficult.  Our effort to do so is, at the very least, an act of humility and obedience, showing God that we are willing to trust Him and try to explore our situation for any good it might contain.  

      Being schooled in patience and submissiveness to God's will are great lessons, but they are not easy lessons.  God knows that, and is aware of our struggle to find the meekness and faith it takes to say "thank you" even when the "gift" is one we would rather not have received.  There is a true tenderness that enters our hearts during such humble prayer, as we pour out our soul and express our gratitude that He knows better than we do, and we are willing to accept our situation, believing that He is watching over us, that He cares about what we are going through, and that He will turn our suffering into a blessing.
      Such humility, I believe, touches not only our heart, but His, and I think He cannot be restrained from blessing us.  At least I have found that, as I have thus prayed, there is an outpouring of guidance and a tangible feeling of His love. Sometimes I think He is just waiting for us to recognize that He is always there--not just in good times, but in difficulties, too.  He wants us to have the experiences that develop our trust in Him; that show us He can make all things work together for our good, if we don't remove ourselves from His influence through bitterness and anger.  As we express thanks for our difficulties it is a manifestation of that recognition, and I believe His heart swells with appreciation toward us for saying, in effect, "Thank you, I know you love me, even though I am in pain just now.  I know you haven't abandoned me.  I know that you understand my suffering because you have already experienced this kind of pain and so much more.  Thank you for always abiding with me."  When we are angry and bitter, we can't convey that message. We aren't feeling the truth of that message, or having faith in it.
      Severe trials present us with such difficult life lessons.  My heart goes out to anyone who is suffering through adversity that seems to them more than they can bear.  In truth, it probably is more than they can handle on their own.  Consequently, our times of trial are not times to close ourselves off from God.  As we express our thanks for adversity, and our confidence in His love, I believe it actually opens up a channel between us and His divine power.  Through that channel flows peace, understanding, and guidance.  Through it comes greater patience and faith so that we can endure for as long as we must.  It is interesting to me that we possess such power.  Indeed we, and only we, have the power to open that divine portal.  He stands at the door, but we must open it (see Rev.3:20).  It is accomplished through our humility, faith, obedience, and gratitude, and it is rewarded.

TODAY'S  INSPIRED  QUOTATION:  God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.                  John Aughey

Gratitude for Adversity

     It might seem crazy, but one of the greatest blessing we receive in this life is the opportunity to experience adversity.  Challenges don't seem like blessings when we're going through them, but if we can realize there are lessons contained in every hardship, it helps to ease the pain--at least a little.  Not only are there lessons to be learned, there are also attributes to be acquired, if we choose to acquire them, rather than give in to the temptation to become bitter and angry.

     I'm not speaking from some theoretical point of view here.  I've certainly gone through my share of heartaches, disappointments, and trials.  Life can get messy.  It can present problems we never suspected we'd have to deal with.  It can throw us curve balls that hit us smack upside the head, and demand our attention to ordeals we thought we'd never face, given our careful preparation for life, and our desire to avoid  pitfalls.  But, we soon learn that the best laid plans can, indeed, go awry.  Though our intentions may have been good, life's outcomes don't always go according to plan.  I think of my own situation here.  My husband and I had our life pretty well planned out:  have our babies, get them raised, send them on missions for our Church, then on to college; we would work for another ten or twelve years and retire.  Didn't work out that way.  Our daughter still had two years of high school to complete when my husband became ill and life took a drastic and unexpected turn for us.  Sometimes it seems like this particular trial will never end.  It takes its own peculiar twists and turns, but so far, it is still with us.

     So, how do we handle these unsettling, sometimes prolonged situations with gratitude?  And why should we? 

     How?   I think a good starting place is being humble enough to realize we don't need to handle them alone.  We are told in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  Since God knows all things and has all power, and He loves His children, we can go to Him in confidence, trusting that He is aware of our situation, and desires to help us.  All we need do is ask, believing He will extend the blessings that are best for us.  That doesn't mean our trial will end quickly, but it does mean that we are not going through it alone.

     We are also instructed in scripture to "giv[e] thanks always for all things unto God" (Ephesians 5:20).  and, "In everything give thanks;... waiting patiently on the Lord....and all things wherewith ye have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord." (Doctrine and Covenants 98: 1,2,3). It is comforting and wonderful to know that the difficulties of life will be turned to our blessing as we remember to thank God for the trials we encounter and must work through.

     Why should we be grateful for them?  What possible good comes from the challenges, illnesses, injustices and heartaches of life?   It is only in such uncomfortable circumstances that we learn true compassion for those who suffer pain;  develop faith, patience and humility; discover strengths we didn't know we had;  learn to forgive;  and come to know our reliance upon God and His mercy as He helps us and gives us insight.   I have also learned, through personal experience, that it is sometimes while suffering some great heartache of our own that we learn to rise above ourselves to serve a loved one or friend who is also in need of help. Thereby we come to know that, at our best, we are stronger and less selfish than we ever knew we could be.  These are no small gifts, and it is only by traveling the path of adversity that we come to acquire these attributes.  

     So, be grateful for the path you find yourself traveling, even if it is steep and rutted, and strewn with obstacles.  It is your path, lovingly watched over by God.  And if you let it, it will lead you through many wonderful, though sometimes difficult, experiences.  In fact, I am confident that, no matter how careful you were with your life plan, as you gratefully travel the path you find yourself on, it will lead you to a more beautiful place than you ever could have imagined. 

TODAY'S  AWESOME  BLESSING:  A friend brought me a wonderful book* that was filled with amazing insights regarding forgiveness and gratitude.  In fact, it gave me a whole new perspective on some things.  Although the grammar and spelling were sometimes awkward, and some of its content might seem a little "out there" to some readers, the stories that were related were insightful. As I read, I certainly felt there were possibilities to be considered that had never occurred to me.

    

*Possibilities by Doug Mendenhall.  Available on Amazon.com

   

  

Gratitude for Everyday Blessings

     It only takes a day of feeling BLAH to really begin to appreciate the simple gifts of life:  your bed, a warm house, a hot bath, simple food, someones expression of concern.  Having spent the day yesterday feeling not so great, it was nice to have those essentially mundane, but oh so meaningful conveniences.  In fact, I know these are things that people in some situations would regard as luxuries.

     Most of us in the United States are blessed to enjoy the necessities of life.  I wonder how often we think of those who have no roof, no medical attention, no wholesome, delicious food, no hot water.  There are so many needs in the world that go unmet.  If we were to ask ourselves, in all soberness, what needs we have that are  unfulfilled, most of us would have to confess, "not  many."   Lots of wants may be hanging out, unaddressed, but few, if any, needs.   We are so incredibly blessed!

     In my mother's personal history, she writes about her childhood during the Great Depression:

               "One day Mama went downtown to get a bag of flour.  When she got to the

              store, the storekeeper told her he didn't have any, but she saw a bag of flour

Children of the Great Depression

              sitting in the corner and mentioned it to him.  He told her he 

              couldn't sell it to her because it had gotten wet.  She told him

              she would take it anyway and offered him a quarter. He 

              refused the quarter, but told her to take the flour.  

              She lugged that 25 pound bag home.  When she had used 

              about a third of the bag for biscuits and pancakes they began 

              to taste moldy, so she changed from baking powder to baking 

              soda to camouflage the taste.  After a while the taste got so 

              bad she had to give up using the flour for cooking and saved 

              the rest for wall paper paste.

                  "I remember many mornings going to school after eating a breakfast of chocolate

              pudding and canned milk.  This was not very nutritious but it filled our bellies."

     These simply are not conditions we think of as we eat our bacon and eggs or purchase baked goods from the supermarket.  Hopefully, we will never be as desperate or need to get as creative as my grandmother.  Hopefully we will never know the deprivation that so many people experienced during that horrible time in the 1930s. 

     I believe that, for the vast majority of us, our needs are pretty well taken care of.   Pausing a moment to assess how blessed we are is a humbling thing.  Giving thanks for those blessings, a measure of our recognition of the very fortunate situation in which we live.  Don't wait until you have a "sick day" to realize the gifts you enjoy.  Take time today to express gratitude for the seemingly simple, but ever so wonderful comforts of life!

TODAY'S  INSPIRED  QUOTATION:
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."  Author Unknown

Photo Credit:  FDR Presidential Library & Museum

What If?

Bringing a Treat to a Friend

     I wonder, what if everyone decided--I mean absolutely everyone--to spend the next 24 hours committed to doing, saying, and thinking positive things.  No backbiting, no fault-finding, no criticizing, no unkind jokes, remarks or thoughts.  What if everyone spent that 24 hours looking for the good in others, overlooking faults, helping a neighbor or friend, volunteering for an hour, cleaning up someone else's mess without complaining, bringing someone a treat, saying "thank you",  letting someone else go first in traffic or at the supermarket.  I wonder how those actions would change the world and the level of happiness we all experience? While we can't create that kind of positive wave worldwide, we can practice it in our own life, and influence our own home, friends and workplace. 

     Negative perspectives seem so much a part of our culture.  You can't scan down your Facebook page without seeing someone complaining about the president of our country. I can't say that I'm a fan, either, but I wonder, wouldn't it be in the best interest of all of us if we prayed for him instead, or redirected our negative energy to pray for those who might be able to facilitate the changes we want?  There are positive ways to approach negative situations, and loving ways to consider people with whom we disagree.  We are, after all, all God's children.  He loves our enemies--"flawed" as they are--as much as He loves us.

     Closer to home, it's also difficult to find a 4-way stop where everyone is amicable about who should go next.  We're in such a hurry that we've somehow come to believe we are "entitled" to skip ahead in line, or be waited on right now.  Everyone should think like we think, act like we act, believe as we believe, and if they don't, surely, there is something wrong with them!  

     Doesn't it relax and uplift you when someone breaks that chain of negativity by smiling, acting courteously, stepping aside so you can go first, holding a door open for you, saying "thank you" for a kindness you've extended, treats you like you really matter?  Surely we can all find ample reasons for taking offense, finding fault, or being irritable.  It's our most basic nature to be selfish.  But what if, for just one day, we could all set that basic nature aside and rise to a higher state of awareness, love, and gratitude?

      On the blog, How to Raise Your Vibration, writer Sabrina Reber talks about the power we each possess to influence the people and the world around us.  In a post dated June 15, 2011, she talks about her belief that so much negative energy and criticism is projected to our national leaders that we actually inhibit their ability to do their jobs as effectively as they might.  She says, "WE aren't using our energy/power of intention/love/positivity to help our leaders fulfill what WE want. We spend too much of our energy focusing on what we don't want."  

     Because she was such a loving, peaceable person, Mother Teresa was once asked why she never attended anti-war demonstrations.  She said, "I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."   Like I said, there are positive ways to approach negative situations.

      So, I'm going to make a bold suggestion:  for the next 24 hours think positively; refrain from criticism; find a positive way to think about some negative situation; perform some loving act of kindness; smile at someone; say thank-you every opportunity you get; look for the good in others.   It won't cure all the ills in the world, but it will make your little corner of creation a happier, more loving place.  You will be ever grateful you did.  I promise!

TODAY'S  AWESOME  BLESSING:  I've been reading about the life of Mother Teresa--that alone is a wonderful blessing.  In addition, I found this quotation.  She said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."   This reminded me of the value of our small but positive efforts. We can't all be super stars, but we can all do simple things that improve the quality of life and bless the people around us!

Missionary of Charity holding child: Digital Photography School; 17-images-of-poverty
Bringing a Treat to a Friend: public domain photo

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

An Uplifting and Encouraging Weekend

     For me, this was an especially uplifting weekend as our church held its Semi-annual General Conference.  Twice a year, each year, our members are given two days of instruction--an opportunity to be inspired,  assess our lives, and refocus our priorities.  What seemed to stand out most to me was the counsel to do away with the habits and tendencies that keep me from being a true follower of Jesus Christ. Now this is not new counsel.  As Christians, every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made covenants at baptism to be a witness for Christ and to follow Him.  However, as very fallible mortals we sometimes get caught up in our frustrations and in the things of this world, and we forget the very sacred promise we have made.
      Maybe you're a little like me. Sometimes I get frustrated because there are failings I've had for years that I seem to overcome for awhile--sometimes even a long while--but then, in moments of intense stress, they reappear.  I have to wonder, will I ever really overcome my faults or do they just go unchallenged for a season or two?  As I assess myself, I am reminded of the words of Ghandi, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
     There is nothing that makes me more sad than to think that I am not living up to my promise, or that someone might look at me and be led to believe that I am not a Christian.  Yet, I know my weaknesses, and I've had to ask myself,  "How like Christ am I, or am I too often very much unlike Him?"   I admit to glaring deficiencies.  Happily, this conference, like all others, gave specific instructions for helping me do better. The spirit conveyed by each speaker was so positive that I actually found myself, not feeling defeated or discouraged, but believing I can accomplish this.  I can be more loving, more patient, more prayerful, more gentle, more forgiving, more faithful, more attentive to the needs of others.  I can, in short, be more aligned with my promise at baptism to stand as His witness.  Though I may never claim perfection, I can do these things more consistently.
      I was especially impressed by the counsel to "look up".
http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?lang=eng&vid=1194937426001&cid=8
When the burdens of life seem particularly heavy, it is easy to look down, to feel discouraged or unworthy, or angry.  In looking up, we can focus on the true source of strength, Jesus Christ, and be renewed with courage and hope.  We can be reminded that we do not have to do anything we do alone!
     Perhaps I was in a particularly searching frame of mind, but I heard many specific suggestions given for remembering the Savior and becoming more like Him.  Now, most of these are not new, but I could implement some of them more often.  Among them: 

• Memorizing some scripture passages that are meaningful to me, realizing those passages will provide inspiration and direction for my life

• Looking for specific answers to my problems as I study the scriptures, trusting that the Holy Ghost will communicate with me, giving me the guidance I need
• More diligently praying for and serving others
• Realizing that my challenges are a part of my eternal growth, not a punishment
• Recording personal impressions and insights and following the direction they supply
• Recognizing the blessings I have received and giving liberal thanks for those gifts
• Being more patient and charitable--for no other spiritual gift can compensate for a lack of charity  

     When the stresses of life are upon us, it can be so easy to forget who we are at our best, and who is our perfect example.  I am so grateful for the messages I heard this weekend. http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?lang=eng
They remind me that it is possible to try a little harder, do a little better, and become a little more like the my Savior.  I will probably always struggle.  I'm not perfect, though I try to be loving.  I am not always thoughtful, though I strive to be kind.  I'm not consistently calm, though I endeavor to be patient and loving.  Luckily, I have the best teacher--Jesus Christ, and the perfect pattern--His life.
     The  talks I heard this weekend were such great reminders because they were given in a spirit of love and kindness--which is a perfect reflection of His spirit.  The spirit I want to emulate.


TODAY'S  GENTLE  REMINDER:  "Be not weary in well-doing, for...out of small things proceedeth that which is great."  (D&C 64:33;
2 Thes. 3:13; Gal.6:9).

Doing Gratitude--Listening For Needs

      There are certainly many ways to show our gratitude for friends and family:

•   thank you notes, letters and phone calls
•   sharing our love and talents
•   providing comfort during times of stress and illness
•   praying for them
•   and one of my favorites, listening for their needs.  

     This last expression of gratitude may be one of the most difficult, since it requires that we are really paying close attention to what is being said.  I am sometimes guilty of spending more time formulating a response than attentively listening. This can be a death knell to real communication, since often times needs are not openly and easily expressed.  Understanding them may be more a matter of our sensitive observation, and reading between the lines to identify the intent of what someone is saying.  So, really listening is essential if we are to truly understand the needs of others.

Really listening is an act of love and gratitude.

     Listening attentively and allowing others to fully speak their mind is an art.  More than that, it is an act of love and gratitude.  It says, "I appreciate our relationship so much that I am willing to listen to you until you are all talked out; to allow you to explore your emotions  until both you and I come to understand what it is you are feeling and needing."  Thus approached, listening becomes an expression of compassion, love, and for the listener, self-discipline; and who among us couldn't use more self-discipline?
      Hopefully, we all know someone who is a great listener, since listening is one of the most priceless gifts we can extend to another.  My mom was a wonderful listener.  As a  bride-to-be I remember sitting with her on the beach, asking a lot of questions about how to make a home, plan meals, and be financially responsible.  She was attentive to my questions and my enthusiasm, and as she answered thoughtfully, she made me feel like she had all the time in the world for me.
      I have a niece who seems to share that same talent.  Recently I was visiting with her and her dad.  I hardly remember expressing a particular need that I was concerned about,  but she heard.  A few days later I received a phone call from her offering a solution.  I was touched by her thoughtfulness.  Not only had she heard what I said, she heard the desire behind it.  Her gratitude for family, and her sense of compassion, caused her to really think about how she might be of help.  How grateful I am, not simply for her listening ears, but for her listening heart.  

     Talking is a big part of life, and we all find ourselves engaged in conversations.  Striving to really listen, and allowing others the privilege of fully speaking, is a wonderful art to cultivate.  It will strengthen our relationships, give us greater knowledge and understanding, and help us to form deep bonds of love and gratitude.   

     


TODAY'S  INSPIRED  QUOTATION:  "The first duty of love is to listen."   Paul Tillich



Photo Credit: Perry Photos

Doing Gratitude--Sharing the Abundance

     I just love this time of year!  The mornings are cool, the air is fresh, and the apples on my tree are ready to pick.  These are end of summer apples, and I grab one or two most mornings to add to my oatmeal and cinnamon.  What a spoiler to pick fruit from the yard.

     This morning I also gathered green beans, wax beans, peppers, and a few tomatoes.  In the distance I heard the noisy, riotous sound of wild geese making their way across the foot hills, headed for their winter retreat. A sure sign that colder weather is coming, like it or not!

     It's hard to believe, it's nearly the end of September with the daytime temperatures still in the 80's and the nights just pleasantly cool.  Makes me wish that winter would never come!  I know that sentiment isn't shared by the ski and snow boarding fans, but this time of year is a taste of heaven to me.

     One of my neighbors is still picking late season peaches, my daughter just put up pears, and now the apples are fast approaching their peak.  This is truly a season of harvest and plenty in this corner of the world. A great season for sharing my abundance with friends, and giving thanks for the magic of nature.

     I suppose if we were blessed with this bounty all year long we might begin to take it for granted.  God, in His wisdom, allows us to enjoy it but once a year.  Then we get to look forward to it for the next twelve months!  

     In some ways, this evidence of plenty is also evidence of just plain old-fashioned work.  Nature's magic aside, it requires time to tend and grow a garden. Then more time and effort to can, freeze and dry all the produce, and to make the jams, jellies and fruit leathers.  But that work turns into joy during the winter as we take a bottle of tomatoes or peaches from the pantry shelf.  Or when we grab a bag of spinach from the freezer, or spread sweet, fruity jam on bread.  As good as it all tastes in season, it tastes just as wonderful--maybe more--when snow flies.

     Don't know about you, but I'm counting my blessings as I gather up the last bits of evidence that I was attentive to my gardening.  Beautiful yellow squash, a handful of beans, a few cucumbers and tomatoes remind me that with my effort and nature's cooperation, there is so much to appreciate.

     Before too long the lawn will be white with snow.  The apple tree will stand dormant. The sounds of geese will be a distant memory, but spring will come again, then summer, then another glorious fall.   What abundant reasons for rejoicing in the knowledge that God's world is a world of order and renewal.  I rest, assured that in due time I will repeat the work of spring planting, summer weeding and watering, and autumn's joyful activity of sharing and putting away the fruits of my labors.

TODAY'S  AWESOME  BLESSING:  Sharing from my garden with a neighbor!  


Photo credits:  Apples, by azfotos.com
                       Pears, by freefoto.com
                       Basket of vegetables, by Richard Shipp 

Doing Gratitude--Say a Little Prayer

     In 1967 Dionne Warwick sang,  "The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you." (lyrics by Burt Bacharach and Hal David).  When I think of all the ways there are to express our gratitude, praying for those we love strikes me as being one of the most important and powerful ways of showing our concern and appreciation for them.
     Because prayers do have the power to call down the influence and intervention of our Creator, they constitute, in my mind, a wonderful combined effort in behalf of those we care for--our energies, combined with God's unfailing wisdom and support, to heal, encourage, remind, or in any other way intercede to bless lives.

     There are several things I love about sincere prayer:

• it has a calming and settling affect on the emotions of the one who is praying.
• in some studies, it has been shown to be effective in helping others to heal, even when they are unaware of the prayer (http://www.healingtherapies.info/prayer_and_healing.htm.)
• prayer does, indeed, connect to a higher power that has the ability to intercede in our behalf, or in behalf of the one for whom we are praying.
•   prayer is an act of humility and obedience to sacred direction, "Ask, and it shall be given you."  
• we are praying to our Heavenly Father, who loves us and is concerned for us and for those we love.  We are His children, and He is our Father, and we can be assured that He is listening.  Because He wants only the best for us, He will answer our desires in the way that will be for our greatest good.

 
     In the book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, Aibileen, a courageous black maid, writes prayers asking for divine intervention in behalf of her friends.  Minny, another maid, says that Aibileen's prayers are powerful, and that many of their group have been blessed by her unique gift to have her prayers answered. No doubt, as Aibileen wrote her prayers she was focused on the needs of another, and attempted to express, in words that would reach the ears of God, her desire for her friends to receive needed blessings.
     Whether we write our prayers, or humbly kneel in prayer, or prostate ourselves in prayer, or join with a group of friends to pray, our prayers in behalf of others can create change.  Without question, prayer in behalf of others is an unselfish act of love, an expression of our gratitude for having them in our lives, and an outward display of our concern for their welfare.  Prayer does, indeed, have power!

TODAY'S GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:  Consider taking a few moments today to reflect on the needs of someone you love.  Write or say a prayer for that person, pouring out your desires to God in their behalf.

If You Thought Life Couldn't Get Worse....

Reminder:  If you've been keeping a Gratitude Journal now is a good time to update it.  Who blessed your life this week?  What events lifted your heart?  What did you see, hear or read that inspired you?  There are so many reasons to be grateful!   
          

     For sure, life can be pretty overwhelming sometimes, and it can be tempting to lose sight of all our reasons to be grateful.  However, sometimes, just a little glimpse of the difficulties faced by another can realign our thinking.  
    My brother-in-law sent the following photo essay.  It came at a moment when I thought that I was having a bad day.  Thanks, Rod, if I ever think life couldn't get worse, this gives me a chance to readjust my thinking, feel a little sympathy for others, and also realize how blessed I am.  Perhaps you, the reader, will feel the same.    

How's your day going?

  

 





So, Really, How is Your Day Going?

TODAY'S  AWESOME  BLESSING:    The Realization That Life Is, Actually,  Going Pretty Well!

The Beauty of the Outside World!

     Summer passed so quickly!  Here we are, easing into this transitional season--cool mornings, sunny afternoons, lovely evenings.  I was outside last night.  The air had a slight chill and the sky was clear.  The Big Dipper was easily visible, along with a thousand other stars, the kind of nighttime sky you love to sit and study for awhile.  Cassiopeia, Pisces,  the Great Square--unimaginably far away, yet right there, above me!  For me, there is nothing quite like a clear view of the stars to pique my wonder and amazement at God's vast and inspiring power. 

     I guess I picked up the habit of gazing from my mother.  She used to point things out and encourage me to really look at them.  So, even now, I gaze at everything:  tiny flowers emerging from the lawn in spring; the shape of leaves; the underside of a mushroom.  

     There is so much in the "outside" world that fascinates me, and brings questions to my mind.  How does that huge squash plant come from such a small, flat seed?  Why are strawberries red?  How do the birds know when its time to come north in spring, and when its time to fly south for winter?  What puts the pungent smell in the leathery skin of a hickory nut?  God has made such a wondrous world, and I am so excited to be surrounded by it, every day!

     As a child my mom ordered a set of books for us.  It was called The Book of  Knowledge.  It had a bunch of volumes and every one was a treasure.  Each contained history, poems, kid friendly projects, and a section of questions with answers--the kinds of questions, like the ones above, that every kid asks.
     I was so fortunate to have a mom who appreciated the curiosity of her children and encouraged them to explore their world.  In fact, it was she who first helped me to realize the value of looking up as she pointed out the beautiful Milky Way, making its long, sweeping path across the sky.  We lived in a rural part of Connecticut, and without the intrusion of city lights, the night sky was sparklingly clear and sharply visible.  To this day, I am a star gazer.

     Do you ever contemplate what a blessing it is to be curious, not just about the stars, but about everything?  To ask a question and seek out an answer?  To be free to explore the world?  To read a book, wander through a museum, hike a mountain trail just to see what's there?   Not everyone enjoys such freedom.  Not everyone can pretty much come and go as he pleases.  Not everyone is encouraged to look beneath the surface.  These are such amazing gifts!

     As the days cool, I find myself more and more outside, soaking in the wonder around me. Not long ago my grandson slept over.  Before going to bed we sat on the front porch.  I pointed out the Big Dipper.  He was enthralled and asked if we could look through the binoculars.  Of course!  Would I discourage such curiosity?  Like autumn,  childhood only lasts so long!  We won't be out here come winter, sitting in the snow and cold, so now is our moment.  What a wonderful time of year to enjoy the wonders of nature.  To encourage a new generation of seekers.  To pass along a heritage of curiosity and appreciation for the beauty God has provided in the "outside" world!

TODAY'S  AWESOME  BLESSING:   Having curious grandchildren to share my love of nature!

New Eyes For the Beautiful End to Summer

     On Saturday evening I sat on the garden swing surveying the back yard.  Friends sat next to me.  The sun was just setting and its brilliant rays warmed the evening air.  As we gently rocked back and forth there were generous compliments about the beauty of our back yard.  "It looks like it should be a painting," commented one friend.
     I'm so used to this scene. Everything looked familiar and unremarkable to me.  So, for a few moments I tried to see it through new eyes:  a wheel barrow and hoe leaning against the apple tree; green and red peppers, growing fat and full, nearly ready to be picked; tomatoes ripening; the herb bed filled with thyme, sage, rosemary and more;  grapevines trailing over the fence--planted in our neighbor's yard, a sweet gift spilling over into ours.  "Take whatever's on your side," they tell us.  I realize that Robert Frost was right,  "good fences [hanging heavy with grapes, do] make good neighbors"!
     My friend is correct, this is a beautiful scene.  How did I become so blind to it in my daily walk around the yard, gathering vegetables for dinner or herbs for sauces and soups?   Where does our vision go as we hurry through the everyday routines of life?  How many other precious sights, quietly extended blessings, beautiful moments have I missed as I've gone about the tasks of each day?
     It's true, and not always our fault, that we are in a rush.  Life can be so demanding.  There are requirements to be fulfilled, many expectations to be met.  Lingering is not always possible or permitted.  In the process, unfortunately, we can become absorbed in the day's routines, failing to see the beauties so immediately before us. 
     I am grateful for my friend.  Her eyes were open and ready to see the unique scene.  Her gentle encouragement opened my eyes, too.  I felt such a sense of peace and pleasure as I viewed my small plot, just bursting with the evidence that nature supplies our wants, for both body and soul.  I had eagerly partaken of the vegetables, fruits and herbs to feed my body, but had neglected the food that was right there, waiting to feed my soul.  So, for a moment, the dishes can wait.  The phone can ring.  The shopping can be done later.  These days won't always be with me.  Taking time to enjoy their peace and beauty causes my heart to swell, my gratitude to multiply tenfold.
     We think so much of our temporal needs:  bills to be paid, work to be done; meals to be prepared; shopping;  laundry;  classes to attend;  errands--all so necessary in the scheme of life.  Yet we think so little of the soul that has equally important needs:  time to be filled with the beauty God has provided in nature;  time for quiet;  time for solitude, prayer and thanksgiving.   Perhaps we would be blessed to consider giving a greater share of our time to feeding the soul.


TODAY'S  GENTLE  ENCOURAGEMENT:  LOOK  FOR  A  FEW  WAYS  YOU  COULD   SIMPLIFY  YOUR  LIFE,  LEAVING  SOME  TIME  TO  SEE  THE  BEAUTY  AROUND  YOU, ALLOWING  YOU  THE  OPPORTUNITY   TO  FEED  YOUR  SOUL. 

Prayers Filled With Gratitude

Reminder:  If you've been keeping a Gratitude Journal now is a good time to update it.  Who blessed your life this week?  What events lifted your heart?  What did you see, hear or read that inspired you?  There are so many reasons to be grateful!  

    

     Nearly a year ago, 33 Chilean miners were miraculously rescued after more than two months underground. As they emerged from their dark prison, many of them were wearing t-shirts emblazoned on the front with, "Gracias Senor," or "Thank you Lord."  

2010 Copiapó mining accident, at the
San Jose Mine copper and gold mine, Chile

     While trapped, one 55 year old miner, Jose Henriquez,  had become their spiritual leader.  Twice each day he led the men in prayer.  From deep beneath the earth, he communicated with rescuers on the surface, expressing his faith that God's will would be done. He quoted from Psalms 95:4,  "In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him."  It was Henriquez and his fellow miners who requested that the t-shirts be made, and they asked that the scripture from Psalms be imprinted on the back of each one.  Their objective was to make a statement from the very first moment of their rescue, which they tenaciously believed would take place.  That statement: that God should have the praise and glory for their survival.

     I was deeply impressed last year as I watched the televised coverage of their rescue.  The faith of those men seemed, to me, incredible.  All the odds appeared stacked against them.  Who can survive 10 weeks underground?  And to survive such an extreme ordeal, remembering and praising God daily, is such a beautiful lesson for all of us.  I know my faith feels puny by comparison, my whining over discomfort way too frequent and loud. 

     Thankfully, most of us will never have to suffer as these men did.  Yet, they were so very grateful for all that was being done for them, and so appreciative to God for attending them while they were trapped, and for sparing their lives.  How many of us, in our relatively comfortable situations, are as eager to invite God's presence?  How many recognize His work and influence all around us?  How many of us express our thanks? 

     One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  I love this passage because it implies that no matter what our circumstance it holds a blessing for us.  As we give thanks to God (acknowledge Him) and trust His judgment for our lives, He will lead us and guide us. He will turn even the most difficult trial to our good, if we will have faith in Him and in His love for us.

     Taking a few minutes, each day, to sit silently and make a mental list of our blessings is time well spent.  Taking an additional few minutes to let that gratitude sink into our hearts might well change our focus for the entire day.  And expressing appreciation to God for all those blessings will draw us closer to Him.  We will feel His love more abundantly and come to experience a great peace and confidence that we are well watched over, truly cared for and remembered.

     Deeply felt gratitude is such a wonderful attribute.  It can fill us with supreme happiness and turn even our darkest days into a divine passage filled with the light of God's love.

TODAY'S  INSPIRED  QUOTATION:           You say grace before meals.  All right.  But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.     G.K. Chesterton

Every Day, We Get to Choose

     One of the things I like most about a new day is that it's a new beginning.  A new chance.  A new opportunity.  On any given day I can completely alter the way I choose to relate to life.  Yesterday may have been a purely awful day, and I may have acted in some purely awful way to its challenges, but today is a new start, and I can throw off the old way of doing things and approach life with a new perspective.  How great is that?!
     I love being positive.  Shifting from a negative to a positive attitude gives me a sense of power over my circumstances.  Even when I can't change those circumstances I can change how I relate to them.  Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, wrote:  "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing:  the last of the human freedoms-- to chose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."  Think of it.  We get to decide how we will respond to whatever may be going on in our lives.  That is a very enabling thought.
     Handling unpleasant life experiences probably doesn't come naturally to most of us.  However, there are habits we can form that will assist us in getting through difficulties more successfully.  Here are some things that I do.  I think they can help you, too.

• Try to eliminate or at least reduce refined foods--especially sugary foods--from your diet.  They do not support you nutritionally, and sugar, especially, causes a lot of stress in your system.  Stevia is a totally natural sweetener that you can safely use when you want to sweeten a drink, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. It comes from the stevia plant and you only need a little because it is extremely sweet.  It also has no calories!

• Make it a habit to walk every day or to do a stress reducing exercise, like yoga.   
• Spend some time simply being quiet and still.  Arrange your day so that you have 15 minutes of alone time.  This can be first thing in the morning, last thing at night, while the baby is napping--any time you can fit it in.  Quiet your mind and empty it of any unhappy or contentious thoughts.  Allow yourself to breathe deeply and be still.
• Get out in nature as often as you can.  Being surrounded by trees, grass and flowers has a very calming affect on the body and mind.

• If you live near the beach or a waterfall, walk in that environment daily, if possible.  The air around moving water is filled with negatively charged ions that have a deeply calming, yet energizing, affect on the body and mind. http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes  By contrast, computers, televisions, air conditioning, traffic and many other things that surround us in our daily lives emit positively charged ions that can sap our energy and make us feel tired and listless.  High concentrations of negative ions have, in fact, been found to help us feel more energetic and have more positive moods. 

     If we can get into the habit of doing two or three of the things mentioned above, we will find that our whole being is generally calm and at peace.  When difficult days do arise--as they inevitably will--we will be better prepared to handle them.  And should we have an occasional bad day, we will more readily be able to shift our perspective and choose a more pleasant attitude.
     It is such a blessing to know we have the freedom to choose how we will relate to life.  No matter what is going on, we get to make that choice.  And having some effective ways of relaxing our mind and body only makes it better, because engaging in those calming activities just feels so good!


TODAY'S AWESOME BLESSING:          WATCHING  MY HUSBAND  WALK,  TALK  AND  ACT  LIKE  HE'S FEELING  BETTER.   I  AM  SO  GRATEFUL  WHEN  HE HAS  A  GOOD  DAY,  AND  I  CAN  TELL  HE  IS  ENJOYING  LIFE!
  

Realizing What's Truly Important

Yesterday, the anniversary of September 11, 2001, was truly a day of remembrance.  Along with so many others, I paused to view the images and feel the sorrow brought on by the violent and senseless attacks on our nation.  It was good to do that.  I realized, in the process, that ten years ago I was in such shock that I never cried.  I was numb.  Yesterday, I cried.  Releasing those tears was an important part of my healing.  Praying for those who lost so much was also important.
     I am blessed to have a deep faith in a God of love and mercy--a God who watches over and cares for His children, but does not take away their agency to do what they will, even when that means they will take the lives of the innocent.  I also believe that God is a perfect judge who will measure the deeds of 9/11--both the acts of cowardly injustice and the acts of unselfish heroism--and His judgments will be perfect. 
     As I sat through some videos recounting 9/11, I was touched that so many people focused on their love of family, and the way this tragedy almost instantly changed their perspective of what is important. Many had placed their energies on making money and obtaining material possessions. Suddenly they realized that, while they had been pouring their lives into their work, their spouses and children would benefit more from having their time.  Priorities shifted, jobs changed, energy was rechanneled.  The result was greater gratitude for important relationships, greater emphasis on expressing love, and greater happiness within the family. 
     Nothing can take away the horror of 9/11, but if it has helped us to cherish more earnestly the freedoms and blessings we have, then it has brought with it an important message that is positive and, hopefully, lasting.  Mortal beings tend to easily forget.  We tend to shut out the unpleasant from our minds.  May we never forget 9/11 and the lessons it has taught us about what really matters and how quickly we can lose those we love.  May we also remember the goodness, the sacrifice, and the courage of those who risked their lives, and gave their lives, that others might live.  Their bravery is an example for all of us to study and strive to emulate.
     As we reflect on that day, I hope it will be with gratitude, not fear.  Perhaps it would help to remember the words of Mahatma Ghandi who said, "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always."

   There is so much good in life, so many beautiful places for our thoughts to dwell:  all the peaceful days we have known since 9/11;  all the loving relationships we enjoy;  the beauty of the vast and varied landscape of our nation; the freedoms and joys that fill our hours.  May we cherish these blessings in faith and gratitude to God who has granted them to us, for these are, indeed, treasures to be appreciated, safeguarded and enjoyed.

TODAY'S GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT:   Hug the ones you love and consider how to spend just a little more time with them.