Chapter 11, Paagae 30, Book 19

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.  To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas

Calvin Coolidge

November 30th - Christmas on my mind.

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first.  the birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years. Underneath all the bulging bundles of this beating beating Christmas heart.

George Matthew Adams

My hope is that now you that you have experienced 30 days of ideas on the attitude of gratitude, that You will be a more grateful person, which should help you to enjoy Christmas even more,  Gratefulness produces lots of positive thoughts that make you happy and we all want a MERRY CHRISTMAS this year

We are what we think about and thinking good thoughts brings about a lot of good things.  Tomorrow my thoughts will turn to the Most Wonderful time of Year.

Christmas is not a date.  It is a state of mind. 

Mary Ellen Chase'

Chapter 11, Page 28, Book 19

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.

Robert Caspar Linter

November 29th - Don’t stop giving thanks

There is always something to be thankful for. 

Author Unknown

Just be cause Thanksgiving Day is over, it’s no reason to stop being thankful.  Givng thanks every day is one habit that is worth developing and one you can do everyday. There  are still a couple days of November left and I’ll continue with the thankful theme until November is over, but that doesn’t mean I’ll quit being thankful.  It’s become a habit for me and something I do every day.

The best way to reap the benefits of gratitude is to notice new things you’re grateful for every day. If we all practiced gratefulness more regularly, the world would be a better place.

This is because gratitude will  give us a more positive disposition and motivates us to pursue positive pursuits.  Gratitude or appreciation for the good things that happen in life is essential part of building happiness. When you’re going through a tough time it can be hard to remember to be grateful for the good stuff.  If you want to boost your mood, count your blessings.  You cannot be sad and thankful at the same time. 

Thankfulness makes every day better and happier.

The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.

James E. Faust

Chapter 11, Page 28, Book 19

We should worry less if we praised more.  Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.

Harry Ironside 

November 28th - don’t let the stress of Thanksgiving, lead to discontent, Praise God for today!

Do not be anxious about any thing, but in every thing by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the Peace of God, which transcend all understanding will guard you hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7

God always has a plan.  He is in complete control and everything things will work out for those who love the Lord.  We cannot change what happens but by praying we can put our trust in Him that his plan is going to be the best thing for us.  

Come ye thankful people come,

raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

for our wants to be supplied

come to God’s own temple, come,

raise the song of harvest home.

Henry Alford

When you start to worry. thank Him for your clothing, thank him for what you have and put your faith in Him.  Thank Him for the food you have, even if it isn’t your favorite. When we thank and praise, we can put thanksgiving above our worries .  

Look at the birds of the air, for their neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature.

Matthew 6:26

Sending Thanksgiving Day wishes for a safe and happy holiday!

Chapter 11, Page 27, Book 19

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for.  He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he has no fire.  Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient.  But a thankful heart hath a continual feast.

W.J. Cameron

November 27th- there is always something to be thankful for

The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest..

William Blake

Every day is a gift and there are always new things everyday to be thankful for. No two days are alike.  I live in awe and wonder of all the wonderful things that come my way.

Although we all have problems and life looks pretty bleak sometimes, there are still some things we can be thankful for.  Think about it and you’ll be glad you did.

We might not have all we want, but we do have what we need. There is a difference and that is what we are thankful for.  

Our lives can turn from horrible to wonderful when we count our blessings.  And every person has a few.  If nothing else, we can be thankful that we are alive and breathing.   We might not feel good or we might be sick but we have medicine and doctors to  help us. I try to remember always that I’m in the best hands that there is.  I’m always blessed to have what I need.  And I’m ao thankful for all of you!

When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.

Gilbert K Chesterton

Chapter 11, Page 26, Book 19

Kindness is a choice

Giving is a choice

Respect is a choice

Whatever choice you make,

Make sure you.

Choose wisely

Roy T. Bennett

November 26th -Thankful for choices to make

Be miserable .  Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, its always your choice.

Wayne Dyer

We are sum of all the choices we make.  What we are is up to us.  Nobody else can chose for us what we will do.

What we choose to do today can affect all the days ahead.  Choices matter, and we need to be careful when making them.  To choose wisely.  We need to think about what we do before we do it.

We also need to accept the choices we’ve made and be responsible for them.  We shouldn't blame others for something we choose to do. The only faults are the ones we make.  

I , not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.  I can choose what it shall be.  Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet.  I have just one day , today , and I’m going to be happy in it.

Groucho Marx

Chapter 11, Page 25, Book 19

If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.

Dolly Parton

November 26th - smiles are meant to be shared

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.

Author Unknown

Whenever we see someone without a smile we assume that person needs to be cheered up. A smile is one of most vibrant means of communication and its beauty lies in the fact that it can be understood world wide  It doesn't matter what language you speak or if you can speak at all.  

A smile has the power to bring happiness to those around us. A smile reflects the way you feel. Let your pasitive attitude change the people all around you but do not let a bad influence affect the way you feel.

Use your smile to change the world , don’t let the world change your smile. Always try to smile, because your smile can give others a reason to smile back.  A smile has special powers.  You can calm fear, insecurity,hurt and anxiety not only in yourself but in those that are experiencing those feelings.  

A smile is a contagious thing. Give to the world and world will give back to you .  We can brighten the days of those around us and make a difference in the lives, simply by smiling.

Smiling is like a circle of happinesses.  Smile and you feel happy, you feel happy and you smile.   Smiling elevates your mood and creates a sense of well being.  Every time you smile, you throw a little feel good party in your brain. So why not invite others to the party.

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile but  sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Chapter 11, Page 24, Book 19

True forgiveness is when you can say, Thank you for the experience.

Oprah Winfrey

November 24th - let go of hurt, resentment and anger

Excerpts from one of my daily devotions…

  One thing that helps me to forgive is to remember that Ged forgives me for much more than I ever will have to forgive others for.  I may not have done what others have done, but then again I may do things that are worse. I think we do ourselves a favor by forgiving quickly and freely without expectation or stipulations.  The longer we hold a grudge the more difficult it is to let go. It’s something we need to do for ourselves so that we can move on with our lives.

Mercy is the most beautiful gifts we can give or receive.  It cannot be earned and is not deserved, Otherwise it wouldn’t be mercy.  It’s about looking beyond whats been done wrong or why.  If I cannot forgive, I’m poisoning my own soul with bitterness that will surely come out in bad behavior or attitude.  I am thankful I can do such a valuable thing by doing my self a favor when I forgive. 

To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return you will receive untold peace and happiness.

Robert Muller

Chapter 11, Page 22, Book 19

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions.  Once expressed, It changes attitude, brightens outlooks and broadens our perspective.

Germany Kent

November 23rd - always be grateful 

It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude.  It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.

Anonymous

An attitude of gratitude is not only a great rhyme but a great way to live. We should always be grateful for what we have.  Thankful for everything, big and small, that fills our life and makes it special. To have an attitude of gratitude means we try to be positive, to acknowledge the good things that happen and to speak about what we are grateful for, and to have a positive attitude toward life.  Gratitude is an attitude.

If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.

Stever Marabolie

You cannot be uncomfortable or unhappy and still be grateful.  This is one of the greatest blessings of gratitude, being in a constant state of feeling grateful helps us to put things into a true perspective. It helps us to rise up and above the things what would weigh us down.  When we are grateful we put things in their proper  perspective.  because the small things like annoyances and disappointments won’t overwhelm  us so easily .  We remember how blessed we are in every moment and won’t get caught up in the pettiness of life that can suck the joy right out of us. 

Gratitude blesses us.  It opens us up so that more can come in.  It expands the space around us. When you live with gratitude , more of everything will flow into your life.  Gratitude is a form of abundance.  When we are a good receiver, we will be offered more.  

Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle.  The more you use it, the stonger it grows, and more power you have to use it on your behalf;  If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefaction will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished.  To be grateful is to find blessings in everything.  This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.

Alan Cohen

Chapter 11, Page 22, Book 19

We inherit from our ancestors gifts so often taken for granted.  Each of contains within this inheritance of soul.  We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise.

Edward Sellner

November 22nd - don’t forget where you came from

Family faces are magic mirrors,  Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past present and future. 

Gail Lumet Buckley

I’m thankful for my ancestors.  I come from a wide and varied heritage.  But one thing seems to be predominant in their character.  They were all strong people who worked hard for what they had.  The were committed to each other and made a good life for themselves and their families.

While I’m 50 per cent Hungarian, but I also have English, German, French, Irish and even American Indian in my blood. Maybe more!   One of my Great Greats settled in Virginia and took an Indian for a wife.  I would love to know more about their story.

My dads parents came from Hungary.in search of a better life.  The were immigrants from the Old World. My grandpa worked in the steel mills and didn’t have an easy life.  They lived through the great depression and like most lost everything and had hard times to overcome.  

I come from a long line of hard working people that wanted a better life.  I’m thankful for each and everyone of them. They have made who I am.  

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family. 

Anthony Brandt

Chapter 11,Page 21, Book 19

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

Cynthia Ozick

November 21st - Don’t take anything for granted

In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.

Betrand Russell

It’s easy to take health an feeling good for granted.  Until we get sick.  It’s easy to take for granted the pantry that is  filled with food until we don’t have what we need.  It’s easy to take for granted our good morning cup of coffee until the coffee maker quits working.  

That goes for the people in our life that we take for granted because they are with us every day until suddenly they are not there.

I take for granted my eyes which give me vision and let me experience the colors of the rainbow.  I take for granted my sense of hearing, which lets me hear the voices of my loved ones and the wonderful sounds of nature.

I take for granted my voice.whic allows me to speak to people I love

Truly there is nothing and no one in the amazing experience we call life that deserves to be taken for granted

I believe that its better to be looked over than it is to be overlooked.

Mae West.

Chapter 11, Page 20, Book 19

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

Henry David Thoreau

November 20th - I have enough

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend;

Melody Beattie

We could always have more , but you could also have less.  Always be grateful for what you have for some people have nothing at all.  Life isn’t about how much you can acquire to look good.  You may not be aware, but if you have clothes on your back. Any food in the fridge and any money at all in your pocket, you’re among the 8% of richest people in the world.  Gratitude 
 is about being happy with what you have, and you’ll always have more.  Being grateful for everything puts a smile on you face.  

Gratitude turns who I am into enough.  We don’t often say we are grateful for our own gifts and talents, and even weaknesses.  I’m working hard on myself every day, and who I am today is enough. It’s ok to be who I am.  Weaknesses and all.  I still struggle but I’ve learned to let go of perfectionism and be me.  I’m a wonderful work in progress.  We have to accept that we are not perfect and were never meant to be.  The mare I express my gratitude for what I have.  The more reasons life gives me to be grateful for.

The more gratitude you show and the more appreciation you build up, the greater your wealth of happiness.  

I’m enough. You are enough.  I’m content with who I am and what I have.  

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

Jean Baptiste Massieu.