Chapter 11, Page 30, Book 20

Be happy with what you have. Be  excited about what you want.

Alan Cohen

Day 30 - thankful for excitement

Happiness is a direction , not a place.  

Sydney J. Harris 

Every day is as good as we make it.  I’m content with what I have, but I’m also excited about what might happen next,  

Thinking  about all the people in my life and the impact I may make in their lives, makes me excited, makes me want to do more.  My family is my greatest motivator. 

I might not be able to achieve a goal the first time I try, but I’m excited that I can try again. It’s exciting to know that I’m able to take a day whenever I want, and just start driving any place I want to go.  Right now I’m self isolating, but it won’t always be this way.  It’s my choice to decide when and where I want to go, nobody can make the decision but me.

There are so many things I can do even when I’m right here at home.  I have enough on hand to keep me busy the rest of my life.  I have art projects to do and lots of books to read and recipes to try out.  It seems unending.  All I need to do is get busy doing something.  It’s always exciting to start something new.

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness.

Charles Spurgeon 

If I don’t do the daily tasks I have to do, who will?  There is only me, myself and I that live here and every day is my day to get something done. I’m excited to know I am still able to do what needs to be done. I am never bored. There is always much to do. The older I get the longer it takes for me to get things done, but at least I can still do them.

Every day, no matter how bad or how good, is a new start.  Another chance for me to set things right.  A blank slate to fill up.  I’m encouraged to make the most of each one. 

Happiness depends upon ourselves.

Aristotle

Chapter 11, Page 29, Book 29 - Thankful Pictures Photo Hunt

Warning…warning:  Advent Virus

Be on the Alert for symptoms of inner hope, love, joy and peace.

Yes it’s that time of year once again and I wanted to send this alert 

The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus ad it’s possible that people every where could come down with it in epidemic proportions.  This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of the Advent virus:

- A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

Am unmistable ability to enjoy each moment

A loss of interest in judging other people.

A Loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

A loss of interest in conflict.

A loss of the ability to worry, This is a very serious symptom.

Frequesnt, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

Frequent attacks of smiling.

An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than to make them happen.

An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well  as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends.  This virus can and has effected many systems.  Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

Anonymous via email

Day 29 - thankful for Advent,  a season of preparation and anticipation.

Advent like it’s cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts.  Since it comes of winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent.  If Christ is to come more fully in our lives this Christmas, If God is to become really incarnate for us, the fire will have to be present in our prayer.  Our worship and devotions will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly cleanse our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time.

Edward Hays 

Before the end of my Thankful posts and the end of November, I wanted to play along with the THANKFUL Picture Photo Hunt that was suggested by one of our fellow bloggers, Martha, at Seaside Simplicity.

THANKFUL 

Turkey 

Hosts 

AirHugs 

Nice Day

Kids 

Fire

Ultimate feast 

Love all around us 

This December I will be bringing you everything Christmas!

The Lord is coming, always coming.  When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life.  Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.

Henri Nouwen

Note  I had wanted to share pictures from Yesterday's family feast but blogger won't let me add new pictures so I had to make do with the ones from the google Albums archive. 

Chapter 11, Page 28, Book 20

Treasure the love you receive above all.  It will survive long after your good health has vanished.

Og Mandino 

Day 28 - thankful for togetherness  

Love is, above all the gift of oneself.

Jean Anoulth

I am thankful for any time I get to spend with family and today is our family gathering for Thanksgiving. I’ m thankful for the small group  that will be together.  I guess 3 out of 7 isn’t bad considering the times we live in.  Two sons won’’t be here as they live too far away to come for the day and 2 sons have opted out of coming due to safety cautions, another family won’t be here because one has been tested positive for Covoid 19 and is quarenteened.  So I’m thankful for the ones that can make it more than ever.  Our small group will be missing them and praying for them as we celebrate.  

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

He chastens and hastens His will to make known

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.

Sing praise to His Name, He forgets not His own.

American Text written by Theordore Baker, 1894

We’ll be outside and masked and practicing self distancing and keeping warm by the fire.  It’s supposed to be 52 degrees and partly sunny today which is about as good as it can get in November in Ohio.  Thankfully it is not raining or snowing which is often the case this time of year.  So yes, I’m thankful for this gathering.   DD has done a lot of work to make sure we are all safe there at her house while we gather.  

Praying we all keep well and happy and make the most of what is possible. 

A family is a little world created by love. 

Author Unknown

Chapter 11, Page 27, Book 20

Be thankful, every day

Author Unknown

Day 27 - thankful for thankfulness 

Reflect On your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Charles Dickens 

Being grateful is not something to practice once a year.  Building a habit of acknowledging all the good in life will add more meaning to your life .  It’s a reminder that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

We grow in the direction of what we regularly focus on.  Being thankful promotes a positive mindset— daily gratitude will dramatically improve your well being.

So don’t limit it to just one day.

Rewiring your brain to focus on the positive takes time.  You have to train your brain to acknowledge positive events and build a habit of creating good memories.

Acknowledging positive events is beneficial to your health .  It improves our mental healthy and physical well being.

Research shows that being a thankful person opens the doors to better relationships, improves your sleep, and boosts your self esteem.  

The secret lies in appreciation: to acknowledge and value  of good in something or someone.  An appreciative state of mind boosts both our happiness and motivation.  

Appreciation requires not taking anything for granted; to discover the value in what you already have. Gratitude connects you to something greater than yourself.  It’s experiencing life as a surprise gift. There is always something new to discover and be thankful for.  You have to keep your mind open.  Make room for the good memories, not the bad ones. Show your appreciation and return kindness.

Gratitude is more than saying thank you.  It’s about acknowledging the value of your experiences. Thankfulness requires genuine appreciation. Practice builds a good habit.  Focusing on the positive will feel more natural day after day. Don’t let your sense of gratitude fade away.  It’s a habit that will improve your physical and mental health.

It’s something to celebrate every day, not just once a year!  

                                 

Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.

Helen Keller

Chapter 11, Page 26, Book 20

 

 I am grateful for what I am and have. My Thanksgiving is perpetual. 

Henry David Thoreau 

Day 26 — thankful for today

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.

Ernest Hemingway

No matter what, the only thing we can be sure of is this day. Tomarrow is not guaranteed and the future is unknown. We only have today to do what we can in the best way possible.

Even though this world has gone crazy here in my world it’s an ordinary day in time. I have what I need and don’t want for anything more.  I’m alive and healthy except for the aches and pains of old age.  What more could I ask.  I can still do what needs to be done but not much of anything extra.  Still it’s good enough for me and I’m a happy camper to be alive and well today.  Nothing can disturb my peace and contentment.

I’m safe and happy here at home which s my favorite place to be.  It’s warm and cozy and comfortable.  

I don’t have any plans today, our family get together will be on Saturday this year..  I can look forward to it but the here and now is what’s important.  The past is long gone but I have today. 

Time is a very misleading thing.  All there is ever, is the now.  We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know  if there is one.

Each new day is a new beginning and I’m thankful for it. Focusing on the present moment can transform our perspective on life and rid us of our worries and depression.

Be happy in the moment, that’s enough.  Each moment is all we need, not more.

Mother Teresa

Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

  I love you all !

ma

Chapter 11, Page 25, Book 20

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but ;what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.  

Adelle Davis

Day 25 — thankful for my food

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

J. R. Tolkien

Every household is guilty of a lot of food waste per year.  This can work out to be a lot of money lost over a year's time.  Much food is discarded is in date and perfect;ly useable.  The lock down throughout the year hasn’t helped  in that as we tend to buy more to reduce our visits to the stores.  

We’ve all been there and we’ve all thrown out food without thinking of the bigger picture. We live in abundance whereas many parts of the world survives on little and nothing.  

A simple tip before we go shopping is to check our food cupboard and make a list of what we needed then buy only what we need.  Shops have many special offers,  but usually of stuff we normally would not buy.

I thank God for the food we eat each day, food that is our lifeline, Nourishing and wholesome.  May we never waste or take it for granted.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food.

George Bernard Shaw

Chapter 11, Page 24, Book 20

Many times there is a reason, beyond the reason .

Author Unknown

Day 24 — thankful for the reasons why

The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.

Blaise Pascal

Sometimes there are reasons beyond reason.  There is no figuring the reason for them.  We think about the why’s of things, but the answer remains a puzzle.  There is no motive for an action , decision or conviction.  It’s beyond reason.

Shocking and bad things happen and it goes beyond our reason as to why it happened. Most recently this pandemic, how did we ever manage to get into such a state as we are now and how do we get out of it.  The answers seem to be forthcoming with a new vaccine to end it all.  So I’m thankful for the people who figured out a reason why, a way to handle it all.  It’s nice to know the reasons why at times.  

My children were very fond of asking why.  Why this and not that, Why can’t we do something.  I’d get so tired of answering, that I resorted to the answer, because I’m the mom, that’s why.  I even found a sign that hung on the kitchen wall that said just that.  

Sometimes there are no answers at all and we just have to take it on faith that everything will eventually turn out the way it’s meant to.  There just aren’t answers to everything.

Faith consists in believing what reason cannot. 

 Voltaire