Chapter 11, Page 30, Book 12

Look around right now;
See all that you possess,
All that is yours.
Now remind yourself
That it all belongs to God;
It is in your hands
For just a moment.

Live your life today
Grateful
For the abundance
Of grace that is yours
To give away.

# 30 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

 Generosity 

 Being generous to others really does give one a good feeling.  Sharing what I have with others is a part of who I am.

I love to give gifts and with the size of my family, there are plenty of reasons to give them.  Birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, and Christmas are just a few.  Besides that I give a lot of my time.  Time to see them, time to babysit for them, time to pray for them, and time to rejoice with them.

  I think that if you have more, even more than just one person, then you should help.  If you can, you should make efforts to improve the lives of others.  Giving doesn't stop with my family either.  I give to my church and to the poor.  What we have much of is meant to be shared with others.  

Some of the best advice I ever received was to:  Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible. Make each day your masterpiece. Pray for guidance, and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Today ends my 30 days of THANKFULNESS.  Coming in December, I'll be preparing for Christmas and for me there is no better way to do that than to celebrate the Advent Season.   It's a season of HOPE,  JOY, LOVE, and PEACE.  

You learn about gratitude by giving. You learn about humility by receiving, and in the pecking order of human qualities, I'd probably put humility somewhere before gratitude. 

Jean Harris

Chapter 11, Page 29, Book 12

Our Christmas gathering 2011

In bringing up children, spend on them half as much money and twice as much time.  

Author Unknown

#29 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Children

I am thankful for my children.  Each and everyone of them is special and I'm very blessed to have them all.  

Khalil Gibran is my favorite on the subject:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself….
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit,
Not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them be like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday

You need only watch a child’s free spirit for a moment to see the pure joy they hold inside. Children living in the moment, without much regard for what has happened in the past. They love openly, without restriction, and they take pleasure in every thing they do. If you have children of your own, enjoy them every chance you get because they grow for too quickly and before you know it that time is gone. If you do not have children find ways to enjoy others, or embrace the values that they live by and find a way to incorporate them into your life. You will be amazed by how much you can learn from a child if you are willing.

Even if the relationship you have with your family is not good, you should still be thankful that you have them at all. So many people throughout the world have no one at all that relates to their past, their blood, and their lives.

 A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. 

Author Unknown

Chapter 11, Page 28, Book 12

Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.  

Elizabeth Stone

#28 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Parents 

 Without them we would not exist. Many of our ancestors, and possibly even our parents, struggled and fought so that we could live life. Learn about your family history if possible and appreciate all that your ancestors did in order to survive and thrive. Appreciate your parents as well, even if they are no longer together, or if your relationship is not well, realize that it is because of the two of them that you are alive and able to live at this moment. If nothing else, you can be grateful for that.

I'm thankful for the parents  that don’t always say yes,  and in doing so help children learn and grow.  To me being a good parent meant that I was to teach my children how to be responsible, and dependable adults.  When we know they can take care of themselves and make wise decisions, it is a good feeling. 

Yes, to be a good parent, you have to sacrifice, but this is not a requirement of parenting, it is a requirement of being good at something.

Robert Brault

Chapter 11, Page 27, Book 12

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

# 27 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Rest 

 I am thankful that I do get enough sleep to start a new day. And I am thankful that I do have comfortable place to rest.  

I do love my miracle foam mattress.  It was a good investment that really didn't cost much at all compared to some mattresses I've seen.  One thing about growing older is that these old bones like things soft and comfy.  

Nothing of significance is achieved without effort and hard work and weariness.  Everyone needs rest.  When you don't get enough, nothing seems to go as well as it could.  Rest makes us better so that we can be better for others.

But being busy in an endless pursuit of things can leave us empty and hollow and broken inside. The faster we go the emptier we become.
To bring our lives under control and realign our priorities we need to pause and just rest. 

The pause that REFRESHES improves our attitudes, increases our energy and makes us more positive.


Remember one of the things that steals health and happiness is stress. Take time out.
Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity.

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

Nursery rhyme 

Chapter 11, Page 26, Book 12

The mind is like a trunk: if well-packed, it holds almost every thing; if ill-packed, next to nothing. 

Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare,Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers

# 26 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Minds 

I'm thankful that we can show our feelings positively and think on good things throughout the day to get things done.

Without your mind you would have nothing. Appreciate that your mind is a big part of your happiness, and your life. It holds your thoughts, opinions, memories and emotions within it, without those things you would be a walking shell of the person you are today.

Minds are like parachutes - they function only when open

Be careful of your thoughts, they may become words at any moment.  

Iara Gassen

Chapter 11, Page 25, Book 12

#25 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Bodies 

Our bodies are  important and  we should take good care of them each day

Your body moves you, helps you, heals you and takes you places you want to go. Be grateful for your body and treat it with the respect it deserves. Fuel it with proper nutrition and care for it accordingly. Be gentle with it, and challenge it. Use it to the best of your ability, and most of all enjoy it no matter its shape or size. It is a great gift.

Time wastes our bodies and our wits, but we waste time, so we are quits. 

Author Unknown 

Chapter 11, Page 24, Book 12

To give someone a piece of your heart is worth more than all the wealth in the world.

Michael Jackson

#24 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Hearts 

I am thankful for how our hearts fuel our bodies to work and our minds to do good

Your ability to love is what makes you grow as a person. Love can teach us deep lessons we would never learn any other way. It can teach us about ourselves and about others. It is an amazing feeling, and it is unmatched through anything else. It can lead to pain, or heartache, but it is worth every second to have experienced it at all. Love freely and deeply, for being able to love is what makes life worth living.

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.  

Cicero

Chapter 11, Page 23, Book 12

If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it.  

Albert Einstein

Number 23 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Clothing 

This is one of those things we take completely for granted. We have the ability to choose what to wear, we have the choice to buy what we want. Many people don’t have this option, be thankful.

 I am thankful for the warmth and comfort  my clothing provides on these chilly days.  I'm certainly not a fashion model of any sorts, a warm comfy set of sweats does it for me most days.  While my closet still holds a multitude of clothes I used to wear to work, most aren't worn at all anymore.  

This time of year I start layering up.  An extra layer or two of clothing helps to save when it comes to the fuel bill too.  After a long winter and things warm up again, I shed the layers and feel like I've lost a pound or two.

People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile.  

Lee Mildon

Chapter 11, Page 22, Book 12

The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. 

Thomas Jefferson

#22 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Talents 

 I'm thankful that God provides us each with special abilities .  We all have different talents and when we work together amazing things can happen.  

Your talent may be keeping your family happy. It may be that you can laugh when life is not so great. You may have a talent for making others feel good.  Perhaps you are a good listener.

 Whatever your talents are, utilize them, and be thankful for them. Most of all, enjoy them.  

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. 

Leo Buscaglia;

Happy THANKSGIVING  everyone!

Chapter 11, Page 21, Book 12

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.

Ben Williams 

# 21 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

 Furry Friends

I'm thankful for pets and for what they bring to our home and lives.  Here at my house I no longer have any pets.  I'm getting older and can no longer care for them as they should be cared for, but I do have a lot of them in my life.  Thanks to my children, I have grand dogs and cats.  They do bring a lot of joy into our lives.  Any time I need to pet a furry friend, all I need to do is visit one of them.

From the time of my early childhood until just a few years ago, I always had a pet or two around the house and I do miss having one.  There were many days when one of them was my only companion.  I counted on their warm greetings when I would return home each evening.  An empty house was hard to bear.

Pets are good for your health, apparently. Health wise, it can lower your blood pressure, improve your immunity and even decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. 

 A cuddly cat, a loving dog: Some people are so attached to their pets you'd think they were part of the family. Well, as any pet owner will tell you, they are! 

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.  

Author Unknown

Chapter 11, Page 20, Book 12

Lord, thank You for loving us and meeting our needs.

Often You bring people into our lives who need 

Your love and care. Give us wisdom to creatively reach

out a helping hand that we might share Your kindness.

#20 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

 Help 

I am thankful for the people that help me. and for the joy I receive when I help someone else.   Sometimes we each need it and  we are blessed to have people on our lives willing to do it  Asking for help is often a very difficult thing and I think it's far easier to help someone else 

While my family and friends are of great support to me, my greatest help comes from the Lord.  Whenever I am in need, I go to Him in prayer.  If I have doubts or concerns I only need to ask.

Psalm 102: 2-3

Bless the Lord, my soul

Do not forget all the gifts of God

Who pardons all your sins,

heals all your ills.

God blesses us so that we can bless others.

Give thanks today with a grateful heart, trusting in the God who provides for your needs.  Take account of your blessings and explore the ways you can be a blessing to others.

The more we understand God’s love for us 

the more love we’ll show to others

Chapter 11, Page 19, Book 12

A Recipe For Sanity

Are you worsted in a fight?

Laugh it off.

Are you cheated of your right?

laugh it off.

Don’t make tragedy of trifles,

Don’t shoot butterflies with rifles.

Laugh it off.

Does your work get into kinks?

Laugh it off.

Are you near all sorts of brinks?

Laugh it off.

If it’s sanity you’re after,

There’s no recipe like laughter,

Laugh it off.

Henry Rutherford Elliot

# 19 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Laughter 

I think we all have certain things that can make us laugh and turn our day around no matter how bad it seems to be! Anytime I have having a frustrating day or I'm upset I almost always look to one of these things to make me laugh.....and it works!

I am thankful for laughter  that makes everything better .  Here are just a few things that make me laugh

A baby's  smiles

Silly pictures of my kids having fun

Watching a cat play with a ball of yarn

Seeing a squirrel try to eat out of the bird feeder

And last but not least  - Myself, sometimes  the best laugh I have all day is at myself.

In every moment of every day, we all have a choice: laugh or cry, and life is way too short to spend it crying…

If you can remember a happy, peaceful time in your past........Rest there. Each moment has a richness that takes a lifetime to savor

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. 

Irish Proverb Life

Chapter 11, Page 18, Book 12

Thank You, God for everything

I've experienced here on earth

Thank You for protecting me

from the moment of my birth

And Thank You for the beauty

arond me everywhere

The gentle rain

and glistening dew,

the sunshine and the air,

The joyous gift of feeling

the soul's soft, whispering voice

That speaks to me from

deep within and makes my heart rejoice

Oh, God, no words are great enough

to thank You for just living.

And that is why every day

is a day for real THANKSGIVING.

by Helen Steiner Rice 

# 18 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Sunshine 

I do love the sunshine and how it starts each day, giving us light and the ability to grow.

The beauty of the sun, the warmth it brings, and the beginnings and the ends that it represents are something to be thankful for. Take time to watch a sunrise or sunset and revel in the beauty of the thing that keeps us warm and alive.

Gratitude is looking on the brighter side of the life, even if it means hurting your eyes. 

Ellen DeGeneres,

Chapter 11, Page 17, Book 12

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you

 William A. Ward

# 17 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Today 

 I try live in the moment and enjoy the gift that is today by doing my best. Thankfully, God has been so gracious to sprinkle my days with some sweet blessings

In hoping to be happy about something in the future, instead of being happy right now, we are missing out. We often want more time, more money for that new purchase, a better job, better health. 

There will never be another like it, so make today count!

No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, then enjoy it and bless God for it. Do not look back on happiness or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated of it.

 Henry Ward Beecher

In a chaotic world, time is precious. Enjoy what you do have because it flies by far too quickly.

Every day of our years should be a thanksgiving day.

Sweet Blessings to each of you today!

Chapter 11, Page 16, Book 12

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

Robert Caspar Lintner

# 16 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Tomorrow 

I am thankful opportunity to work hard,  to do my best, and for the  promise of another day.  For as long as there is time, there is hope.

There is no worry for me about tomorrow, because I know that in heaven there is no sorrow.

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 

Today might not have been the kind of day you wanted, but tomorrow may just be the perfect one.

And if I didn't get it all done today, there is always tomorrow.

In Christ, thanksgiving is more than a holiday, 

In Christ, thanksgiving is all of our days.

Chapter 11, Page 15, Book 12

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. 

Jean Baptiste Massieu

# 15 of 30 things I'm thankful for in November

Memories

I am thankful for thoughts of the past that fill my heart with joy.  I always like to think that we keep those we love close to our hearts and when they are no longer with us, we need to remember that.  They are just as close to us as our heart is.

November can be a bleak and lonely month. There are few hiding places only to face the reality that we do miss our loved ones in lots of different ways. In remembering all those who have died we acknowledge their influence in our own lives. These people were special and important to us. In remembering them during this month, it is our way of saying they are still special and important to us and always will be. May they rest in peace.

In our American culture, it seems to be a taboo to talk about death.  I have  had to deal with death, and I have learned that death often is a gift. For some, death is a relief from a hard life. For others, death is freedom from physical pain. And for still others, death is a rebirth into a new life that is eternal.

All of us are shaped today by all that has happened in the past. We need to realize that the life, culture and experience of those gone before us still have an influence in our lives. 

I've learned . . . .
to gather all the crumbs thrown my way.
They soon form a lovely, thick slice
of life and memories.

Thanksgiving is possible only for those who take time to remember; 

no one can give thanks who has a short memory.