Naps, Chocolate and Clean Water

Today I'm grateful for naps. I can remember way back about 25+ years ago, sitting at my desk and desperately trying to stay awake shortly after lunch. All I wanted to do was put my head down on my desk and close my eyes for about 20 minutes. I remember praying for the energy to stay awake and do my job, and asking Him "Are you sure I wasn't born to be rich and idle, Lord? Are you sure I shouldn't be living in the Caribbean (where they have afternoon siestas)?" Well, flash forward to now, where retirement has finally allowed me the luxury of that afternoon nap whenever I want it! And I do still want it!! Thank You Lord for that delicious moment when I'm able to lay this tired body down in that wonderfully comfortable bed and close my tired eyes and drift away for my nap. I cherish that freedom!!

I'm also grateful for chocolate. I could write reams about chocolate. Thank You Lord for all the people everywhere around the world who do all the work to bring chocolate to my plate. I hope they know how much pleasure they bring to people like me.

Thank You Lord for clean water to drink. We've been places where there is none. We've eaten at tables in homes with no running water, with people who have to lug buckets and jugs for long distances in order to get water. It's so easy to take it for granted when it comes gushing out of a tap. I just want to say that I rarely ever take it for granted any more...and am always grateful to be able to take long quenching swallows of cold clean water...especially after eating chocolate. :))

Solitude, China Revisited and Companions-along-the-way

Today I'm grateful for a quiet morning of solitude...sometimes even fun jaunts to run errands can be tiring. So I'm glad to have a lovely pocket of quiet time today.Thank you Lord for this beautiful morning, for the gentle breeze rustling through my tree and the sunlight warming its way through my window...the perfect morning to just "be".

I'm grateful that, even though the China thing might not work out and we'll probably lose our depost, we found out before we paid off the balance! And I'm grateful for a faith that tells me there's usually a good reason for things working out differently...remember Cuba 2006 - we couldn't get any bookings to work no matter how hard we tried, which was very unusual. So I listened to my gut and we didn't go. It turned out that my brother Gary was hospitalized and eventually died right during the time that we would have been in Cuba. I would have been crushed beyond imagination if I hadn't been able to be there for him. But because I listened to that inner voice, I was able to be there to cradle his head in my arms when he died. And I wouldn't trade that precious time with him for anything (except to have him back with us). Thank You Lord that I'm learning to listen and trust that everything really does work out for good...perhaps there's somewhere else that will be even better for us at this time...I look forward to seeing what You have in store for us.

I'm grateful for all the tough journeying and scrabbling through muck and mire of the past few years, because I love who I've become now. Does that sound narcissistic? I hope not. There's a genuine joy and elation in my heart to feel new energy, empowerment and healthy sense of well-being that have emerged from these very brutal stretches of road I've had to travel lately. One day at a time works well. Thank you Lord for being here with me every step and moment along this treacherous way, for sitting in the dirt with me in those moments when I didn't have the energy to keep going, for reminding me in so many wondrous ways that I am never alone. Stay close, we're still fumbling through more of this fall-out rubble...I'm so grateful for Your presence and sustenance.

Stairs, China and Louis

Today I'm grateful because I was able to do something that I haven't been able to do for many, many years...I was able to RUN up the stairs! While stairs have not been a big problem to walk up or down, running up a whole flight of stairs has been impossible. So I not only ran up them once, I walked down and then ran back up a 2nd time!! Whoo hoo!! Thank You Lord for mended feet, knees that work and new energy I haven't had for many years!

I'm also grateful that we were able to book a tour to China in the fall. China has been at the top of the list of places that hubby wants to visit. His daughter was here a couple of weekends ago and gave us the name of a highly recommended tour agency, so we sent in a request for a quote, and it came back well within the budget we had set for ourselves, and so we booked! We haven't received confirmation yet, but I'm just so grateful that we have the means, time, energy and good health to be able to even contemplate such an adventure! I've come a long way since the days when I could barely afford to buy enough food to live on. Thank You Lord for all of the wonderful changes in my life over the past 20 years!!!

And I'm grateful today for Louis, Father Louis Caissie, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. Besides being a compassionate, gifted pastor, Louis has also been one of the most faithful friends a person could ever hope to find. We met 30+ years ago and I am forever grateful for how richly Louis has blessed my life over these past 30 years. He even drove 15 hours to co-preside at our wedding...people still talk about how beautiful that wedding ceremony was. He truly blessed all of us with his words and presence. Thank You Lord for that wonderful day when you brought Louis into my life.

Toilet paper and Independence

This morning I'm grateful for toilet paper...we travel, and many places we visit don't have what we have...one of the things we most appreciate when we return home is toilet paper.

I'm grateful that I have eyes to see the beautiful sunrise, ears to hear the chirping birds and legs to jump out of bed and open the window to let the fresh air and sunshine in.

I'm grateful that I no longer have to work...that I can look at the clock and then roll over and go back to sleep!

I'm grateful to have the energy to walk downstairs and make my own breakfast. Many won't be able to do that this morning, but have to wait in their beds until someone else remembers to come along and do it for them.

Gratitude is Contagious

I follow a friend's Gratitude Journal, and it always inspires me to find things in my own life to be grateful for. The problem is that there is SO MUCH to be grateful for, that I can't contain it. Thus this blog. I have another blog (Spirit Wings), but wanted to add this one specifically to express my gratitude for the various blessings in my life. So I'm going to come here every day (except when we're traveling and can't access the Internet) and add new thoughts to the list.

Today I'm grateful for all the amazing resources available on the Internet, for the beautiful people I meet here online and for how much they enrich my life through their stories and presence in my life.

I'm also grateful for my husband who delights in cooking supper, doing the laundry, and washing the dishes so that I can relax and do other things that he knows I enjoy doing.

And I'm grateful for all the years of typing classes in high school. It's serving me well now 40+ years later. :))