Gratitude Archive

Last summer I was having difficulty attending my church regularly.  I felt lost and was longing to be part of a church family.  I wanted to be in a church where I was spiritually charged when I walked in the door.  I found that church and found some incredible ministers within that church.

There is one particular pastor I am very fond of his teaching style (although each minister we have is brilliant) and he is Pastor Blake.  He is so kind and vulnerable.  He will share anything about himself in his sermons.  The first time I saw him preach, he was having difficulties getting the screen on stage to work.  He clicked and clicked buttons and even dropped the remote for the screen onto the stage floor.  The technical team had to come on stage and switch out remotes for him and turn the screen on.  Blake just took it in stride and continued with his sermon.

Our ministers rotate giving the sermons so I only get to hear Blake every few months.  It is always a highlight when he comes because he is so entertaining and easy to understand his message.  I also should mention that he wanders during his services and gets off topic.  I can so relate!  Blake always returns to the sermon but when he wanders he talks about thing like Reese’s pieces candy or alligators leaving the congregation laughing.  He does tie the random comments into the sermon and I think that’s what keeps me engaged.

About a month ago I went to church and was surprised to see Blake was giving the sermon that day. He was talking about God’s calling  (www.chaseoaks.org/sermon/listen-gods-calling/).   This was  a very timely and appropriate sermon pertaining to my life.  He spoke about how we all have a calling from God and a purpose to be on this earth.  There is even one part of the sermon he says “When God calls,”  someone’s cell phone rang.  An awesome nudge from God that was unexpected to Blake.

I listened intently as he talked about his charity  (https://gifted.global/)  and going to the Dominican Republic. He was going to build beds for doctors that were tending to the medical needs of the city’s residents.    They needed a substantial amount of beds built in a very short amount of time.   The next thing he showed us on the screen was a picture of the beds he completed for the doctors.  They weren’t just beds to sleep on, he had added charging ports for the doctors and shelves along the sides.  He superseded his requirement.  You could see how pleased he was.

At the end of the sermon it is always announced that anyone that needs prayers they may go to the bottom of the stage and the minister that gave the sermon will say a prayer with you.  I decided I wanted to go to the bottom of the  stage to meet Blake.

The line for prayers was about 8 people deep ahead of me.  I was the last one in line.  I heard Blake ask each person in line what their prayer request was and hear him bless and pray for each of them.

It was now my turn to see Blake.  He looked at me and said, “What do you need prayers for today?”  I looked at him and said, “I don’t need any prayers today.  I want to give you this gratitude heart.  You have touched my life and fully opened my heart to God.  Please take this heart and put it somewhere you will see it and know you are touching many peoples’ lives.”  He looked at me and gave me the warmest hug which I did not expect.  He then said, “You have no idea how much I needed that.”  I didn’t realize at the time but part of his sermon was about how he hears from God through His people. I continued to tell him that because he seems so real and honest I was able to relate to him and hear God’s word.  As I told him this, I felt a tear run down my cheek.  It was my first true tear of gratitude.  I guess God allowed Blake to received what he needed at that moment and I received what I needed in those quick few minutes.

God placed Pastor Blake in my life to teach to me in a way I can hear and understand.  He touches so many lives without even knowing it.  I had no idea that Blake would need to hear the words I said to him on that particular day at that particular time.  I never considered that although I liked Blake because he seemed so human that he might possibly just be human and being human he would need prayers too.

When I tell this story to others they say it gives them chills or they may get a tear in their eye.  If someone touches your life please tell them.  You have no idea what it may mean to them.  Tell someone from you heart how important they are or that they are making a difference.  You will feel the effects of your kindness many times over.  If we spread enough love our world will be a much better place.

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday was a day for a miracle.  I was attending a soft opening for a new restaurant in our community.  I had been invited to come to the new restaurant to try their food for free and I could bring three guests with me.  I invited my daughter and my new grand baby to join me for lunch but I had one reservation that I hadn’t filled.

Before I was going to go to have lunch I was meeting with a good friend for coffee and help with a project.  My friend is very spiritual and has quiet a love for God so I always enjoy meeting with him.  We finished our talks about my project and I asked him if he would like to join us for lunch.  I told him it was free and he hadn’t met my new grandson yet so if he had time we would love for him to join us.  He accepted.

When we got to the restaurant we were seated and the waitress told us it was served  family style and everyone would be sharing the meal.   As we talked about what we would order I commented to my friend, “Look, the firefighters are coming in to have a free lunch too!”  I thought this was awesome because  in today’s society we need to thank those always doing for others day-to-day.

Our food came very quickly and there were bowls and bowls of food to enjoy.  We had pot roast, creamed corn, fried chicken, green beans, rolls, cakes and cobbler.  It was going to be a feast.

Shortly after we began to eat, I hear my friend sneeze and I blessed him.  I thought it was a very odd sounding sneeze but thought no more until I heard him again make an odd noise and I saw he began drooling.  “Are you okay?” I said suddenly.  He shook his head NO!  I realized he wasn’t sneezing, he was choking.  Something lit a fire under me because I jumped out of my chair and screamed, “I need someone who can do the Heimlich.  Can anyone do the Heimlich?”  I am now standing in the middle of the restraurant holding my baby grandson fervently looking around for help. I looked like a crazed woman.

One lady from the next table stood up to help as a large man who is a waiter in the restaurant also rushed over.  The lady told the man, “You are stronger than I am, you help him!”  The man stood behind my friend who was choking and place his fists under my friend’s rib cage.  It took three tries before the food was clear of his airway.  I stood in awe of what this man had just done.  He absolutely saved my friend from dying within a few moments of time.  He was an angel placed in that restaurant by God to protect us.

Immediately after this the firemen rushed over to give aid to my friend.  Fortunately my friend was doing well  but very shaken up at the experience.  I looked around the diningroom and saw the colors of the restaurant were soft gray and muted white maybe like the colors in heaven.  Calming colors that we had commented on earlier during our pre-dinner conversation.  Maybe another suggestion God was looking over us.

God offers us so much protection and blessings every day.  Look for the ways God helps you , maybe stopping you at a green light because another car is running the opposite traffic light and would have hit you.  Or possibly you are standing on a ladder and miss a step but you somehow hold onto an upper rung of the ladder preventing you from falling to the ground.  I once picked up a staple gun to staple fabric to a wall without me realizing the gun was backwards and facing my forehead.  I squeezed and squeezed the trigger but the staple gun wouldn’t discharge.  When I looked at the cord, it wasn’t plugged in yet I had personally plugged it in.  Then it hit me that if the staple gun worked properly I would have been hit right in the eye or forehead by a 1 1/2″ heavy-duty staple.  God’s protection again.  When you feel the adrenaline rushing through your body after a close call, know that God has taken over and protected you.  That adrenaline rush is God’s love touching you.

When you go through your day today, think of my friend and the angel put in his path to save him and send them God’s blessings.

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”  Psalms 91:11

I sometimes find myself daydreaming.  My mind seems to just wander off and little movies begin playing in my head.  Great movies with great endings. The definition of daydream is a pleasant visionary usually a wishful creation of the imagination. Recently they have discovered that those who daydream improve their focus, enhance their memory as well as increased creativity and problem solving according to Wake Up World.  Those are pretty awesome benefits.  I know daydreaming has been studied for many years but I have my own ideas on why we daydream.   To me, a daydream is God’s way of connecting to us or planting the seeds of our dreams.  When I daydream I tend to see things I wouldn’t normally think of myself.  I become inspired by my daydreams.  One reason may be that I am awake and I can remember them.  I rarely remember a dream at night but always recall my daydreams.    Daydreaming to me also seems like nature’s way of allowing us to meditate without thinking about the process.  It allows us naturally to zone out for a bit.  When I daydream it normally happens during a stressful day when I am trying to accomplish too much at a pace I am not comfortable with.  It’s my mind’s way of saying, “Slow down you’re rushing your life” and I wander off into a daydream.  I look off, not focusing on any particular thing but releasing myself in thought.  I once read a pin on Pinterest that said “If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.”  Wow, how powerful is that? My heart is very vested in God and when my mind wanders off I tend to think of loved ones.  I often wonder if it is God sending me a message to stop and send love to the person I am daydreaming about.  Maybe God knows my husband may be having a difficult day and He is reminding me not to forget others.  Sometimes if a daydream is particularly strong, meaning it pulls my attention often then I will text my husband (or whomever I am thinking of) and tell him I love him or I am grateful he is my husband.   There have also been times I daydream that when I bring my mind back I have a solution for something that has been bothering me. Even if my ideas about daydreaming haven’t been proven  I am still putting my emphasis on God and showing gratitude to my husband.  Both are very beautiful things.

Another time I feel God sends me a pause for my attention is at night.  There are times that I wake up around 1 am and I am wide awake.  I feel God is saying “This is a good time to talk (pray).”  I use these pauses at night to talk to God and thank him for my blessings or release any problems or concerns to Him.  Usually I pray or talk to God for about 10-15 minutes during these times and I am then suddenly tired and back to sleep not to wake until the morning.  You know, again, this is just another opportunity to come closer to God instead of restlessly trying to fall back asleep.  Once many years ago when I lived in a very small town and was divorcing my first husband I found everyone in town knew all the details of why I was divorcing.  This wore on me every day because I was trying to maintain a home for my daughter making $19,000 a year and work 60 hours a week.  My divorce was very uncivil and when I went somewhere people asked me questions regarding my divorce dragging me down more.  I remember it was a Wednesday night about 11:45 pm.  My little 7 year old daughter had fallen asleep in my big bed.  She looked so tiny curled up under the covers.  I said out loud, “Lord help me to know what is right for us.  Help me to give my daughter the best life possible.  I am releasing this to you for your help.”  I woke up at 6 am the next morning as I always did, sat up in bed and thought, “We are going to move away from this town to be closer to my family and start a fresh life in a new area.”  It was so clear in my mind thanks to God intervening while I slept.  My daughter and I moved 15 years ago and since that time I married my amazing husband, began a new career while my daughter became a successful dancer, wife and mother and our blessings continue to flow.

The next time you daydream or wake up in the middle of the night feel your emotions and see if God is communicating to you too.

“We have forgotten the age old fact that God speaks chiefly through dreams and visions.”

C.G. Jung

There have been times in your life that someone has told you to just breathe.  This normally comes when you are stressed or being unreasonable with your thoughts.  Although many people dismiss this advice because whatever has upset them is consuming them.  In actuality, they should hear these words.  You can get the quickest relief from an anxious or stressful situation if you just breathe.  Breathe in deeply right now.  Feel your lungs expand as the clean air moves in.  Exhale slowly removing the toxins (stress or anxiety) from your body. Be conscious as you take five long deep breathes.   You have taken your first breath now let’s do it again.  This breath should be a bit deeper as you become aware again of fresh air entering your body and stale breath leaving your body.  Do a few more and become more aware of your breath as you inhale and exhale.  Once you have taken your five breaths I want you to notice how much more relaxed you are.  It has been proven that if you take five deep breaths your mind moves to positivity away from negativity.    Also breathing is directly related to anger. If you breathe faster, your blood pressure increases resulting in anger. If you breathe deeply, the body temperature becomes neutral and you are able to control yourself in that situation.  Negativity cannot reside where posivity lives.  If I find myself getting overwhelmed or anxious I return to a few moments of deep breathing.  This can be done anywhere at anytime without anyone knowing.  I have found myself in line with someone ahead of me that wants to price match every stores’ weekly ad.  When I am in this situation, I find a nice focal point (mine is usually a Snickers bar on the candy shelf) and start breathing deep.  I block out what is happening at the checkout and just breathe in and out deeply.  I begin feeling my intolerance slip away.  I have also had someone say a cutting remark to me and instead of taking it personally I take one super long deep breath and release the hurt on the exhale.  This works for me every time. Deep breathing is a tool you can carry with you anywhere.   I will tell you though, this didn’t happen overnight.  It took time for me to learn how to remember to just breathe when I needed to.  I was reading several books by Jack Canfield and Bob Proctor when I began to hear them repeatedly say that meditation was the key to a calm life.  I always thought to meditate I had to sit on a mat with my legs crossed chanting “OM” over and over.  Little did I realize that meditation is just quiet time releasing your mind of thoughts.  You sit how ever you feel is most comforting and quiet your mind.  I didn’t know how to meditate effectively so I downloaded the Calm app.  It gives you a 7 day free trial and you can try several different meditation or sleep sessions.  I learned how to do a body scan which is just becoming aware of how your body feels.  Another one I tried was 7 days of gratitude.  This session began with a few deep breaths and a guided session on discovering how to be more grateful.  There are sessions on cravings, anxiety, self awareness and on and on.  Most of the topics have a 7 day block so you can practice one discipline weekly.  The sessions are usually 10-12 minutes long.  That was another misconception I had.  I thought you meditated for an hour.  I found after meditating for about 2 weeks that a new calm came over me.  I felt more like I was floating through life instead of letting the little things get me upset.  I even felt healthier since I was more calm and smiled more often.  I am actually more productive and it seems my days go by more slowly allowing more time to enjoy my day.  I think most people can find 10-12 minutes a day to feel this way too.  I choose to meditate every morning in my bath.  I decided to get up 10 minutes earlier to practice meditation before my husband gets up and our house is quiet.  If you go a day without meditation maybe because you are on vacation or overslept simply find  a quiet spot to sit and just breathe.  Once you train your mind how to meditate you can do it anywhere and it will come naturally.  Do not meditate in your car since you need to close your eyes.  I assumed everyone would know this but……..  Please consider taking the time to explore meditation for your mind, body and soul.  One small step and 10 minutes can lead to a beautiful calm.

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness. But if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.

Kelsang Gyatso