GRATITUDE TRANSFORMS HOW YOU LOOK AT LIFE, PEOPLE, THE WORLD

-- Gratitude is such a feel-good-feeling from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet. It transforms how you look at people, things, experiences, the bigger world outside big and small. It lends fresh enlightenment and understanding on how every part and speck of creation tangible and intangible fits into the bigger tapestry of life and how it shapes your own tiny world.

'Thank you'. It's a wonderful word. Say it often. Specially to the BIG GUY upstairs.

And yes, thank you for dropping by my page. God bless you.  

GIVING SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE

This post is in remembrance of kind hearts and gentle souls who have touched my life through the years.  With their hearts spilling all over the place they gave me a glimpse of rainbows, moonbeams, lovely meadows, heaven, hope and faith where at times there seemed to be none.  They gave me so much with so little. With just being their simple, sincere, and humble selves they showed me and taught me about the beauty of the soul... of life... of the world... of a Magnificent God.

Thank you from my heart to yours.

God bless you.

GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS - THE GRACE OF SEEING GOD BEHIND EVERYTHING

 

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"We don't need more to be thankful for,

we just need to be more thankful."

Author Unknown 

Gratitude as defined is .....
the quality of being thankful;  readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Thankfulness is .....
warm friendly feelings of gratitude, appreciativeness, gratefulness, gratitude.
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As you can see, they are close cousins and run on the same engine of appreciation. I still recall what my mother pointed out to me some years ago when I was just a kid in pigtails with a glaring gap up my front teeth... she would say ----
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"Always be thankful, not only because you have to, but because you see beyond the gift --- to the true Giver of the gift."
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Thank you is not just a word nor a show of politeness and good manners. It is understanding and seeing far beyond the person standing before you doing the good you receive. Because in truth, he is simply the carrier, conduit, or channel of good and blessings and miracles which a Higher Presence wants to gift you with. Thank you is acknowledging the power of the Divine.
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And because we also know that the same Higher Being works in ways beyond our limited knowledge, so when things come to us wrapped in awe and magnificence way beyond our human understanding, these entirely and without a doubt point our eyes, minds, and hearts back to Him. Gratitude is the grace of understanding His magnificent work in our ordinary tiny mundane lives.
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As mom would simply put it --- 'We are simply tools for good in God's loving hands.'
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On this note, I would like to thank you -- my blogspot family and community -- for being there and tirelessly appreciating what I do. I hope that you enjoy the writing as much as I do writing it.
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May God bless you and your family with everything good far more than your hearts can hold. In Christ I pray. 

TODAY IS EVERYTHING. LIVE IT WITH GRATITUDE.

Today is a new day .... literally a new day. Yesterday is gone ... no matter how much you may want it to stay because you had a great time with it ... it can't because it's time is done. Like everything else in life has its own appointed time and too has its beginning and its end.
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But admittedly we live our days like we own it and behave such that if it should end it will when we feel it should. So thus we continue to ... waste time instead of organizing it... waste resources instead of building upon it... waste opportunities instead of nurturing it... waste moments instead of making it count... all with and in gay abandon. Parang wala nang bukas. Que sera sera.. whatever will be, will be. Our wrong. Our bad.
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Maybe nice because, as many believe it, it can relieve us of a few if not all unnecessary and perceived stress and anxiety over the unknown future which we fear so much. Yet have you ever tried to think that those worries and anxieties of the past are no more in the present? Check it out; you'll find most of them gone. Though some of them may be valid when it comes to life's basic needs but the rest of it .... just plain worry and anxiety creating mountains out of mere mole hills.
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Life and time stops for no one. It moves on and along with or without you and me, like it or not. But it does leave the big choice to us whether we want to come along... or just stay where we are and as we are. A friend once said to me that it is something we have no control over. Agreed but only on things which require age or aging. But in the area of growth, development, progress, and maturity is a choice which we each have to make for ourselves alone. How often must we be told that?! Nobody can do it for us. Time won't do it for us either because it is not its business to make us grow inside out .. as we are expected to by a higher authority and divine design.
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So what's my point? What I'm trying to say is this.... hold on to your today with your best! Treasure it... savor it... relish it... love it... make it count... be grateful for it... fill it with worthy things... learn whatever there is to learn from it... create good memories... be the best person you can be TODAY...... for yourself and for others, too. We do not live solitary lives; we all stand connected in many ways, tangible or intangible.
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Allow me this quote from my favorite book (as you all may well already know -- 'Good Morning... God') ......................... "The heart of gratitude is one of My most priceless treasures. The heart of simple childlike thankfulness. How I respond to such a one. How I delight in doing all things well for that dear person. The one with the grateful heart!"
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Also .. Philippians 4:6 reminds us.............
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
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Unquote. 
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Today is a gift.... God's wonderful gift. Let's do with it what we usually do with something we love...... handle it with care!! Love it for it may never come again. Today is for today, not yesterday nor for tomorrow.
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God bless you and your dearest ones.

THE THANKSGIVING ROOM

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There's a story that goes this way (It's a long one so I took the liberty to shorten it)....  in heaven there are many rooms and in every room dozens of angels can be seen going about a particular task assigned to that special room. All the rooms are buzzing in such a big frenzy as the angels take to their tasks ministering to every concern everyday.  There is always plenty to do in ...  the petition room, request room, complaint room, grief room, sad room, sick room, jobs room, deliverance room, divine intervention room... even one called the anger room.

Except ... for this one room where only one angel is seen working or seems to be as he appeared almost dozing off. Apparently already finished with that one task in his In-Tray. And nothing more is there to do. It was the same everyday with an almost empty tray and a sleepy angel.

Do you know what this room was or is called?

--- The Thanksgiving Room

Maybe... we don't understand what authentic 'Thank you' means. Maybe... we don't understand what a true 'blessing' means. Maybe... we take so many things for granted like life is there and it will be there tomorrow and the next and the next. Maybe... we are so busy with our lives that we don't stop awhile to see God's part in it. Maybe... we see God as a 'vending machine'.... just stick in the coin, press the button, and out comes the goodie.

Maybe... we don't understand God enough.

As we have expectations in our lives and in prayer.....  God has his expectations, too. Oh no his expectations does not make the world go round as we make of ours; it is HE who makes the world and the universe go round needing no help from us. But in His magnificent godly heart He still waits for his beloved children to say just a tiny simple .. 'Thank you, Father.' A typical father who loves His children this B-I-G!!! ... and so mightily pleased when His children remember Him.

Let's keep that little solitary room busy now, pack it to overflowing.... and have that solitary angel screaming frantically for reinforcements.

Thank you, God, that you nudged me to write this post. We needed to see this. I do!

Have a blessed week, friends! I thank God for your wonderful friendship.

TUNE INTO ABUNDANCE

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On the subject of abundance, people are used to talking about it in the material sense. The having of things, possessions, money at ready disposal and caprice or whim. It's flaunted... advertised... celebrated... gossiped about... or in some instances criticized for its source or manner of use. But regardless those too are blessings.

This morning after a breakfast of fruit and oatmeal I picked up a book which I haven't read for a long time, cruised through its pages not really intending to read it and stopped on the page which had this quote...........

"Not what we have but what we enjoy 

constitutes our abundance". 

--- John Petit-Senn

What are the things you truly enjoy in life? Let's not talk of money. Let's bring it to a higher plane of understanding this time.

While you ponder on the question, I shall take the liberty to list down a few things I enjoy most. Maybe you can find some of yours too on the list.

----- Books. I have boxes full of books in storage waiting for the library I had been planning for it. Some of them might get to the donation box perhaps but most will stay for a long long time yet. There are such books which you just can't part with, which you enjoy reading again and again. Timeless.

----- EasyStitchMax sewing machine. It's perfect for sewing together a purse, shopping bag, or tote bag out of old pairs of jeans. Creative juices burst out of the flood gates of creativity which could even surprise yourself as you bury yourself in it. It's always a fun and enjoyable activity.

----- Peace and quiet. Usually in the early dawn of sunrise. This is when the world seems to stand still.... before life awakens to the usual hustle-and-bustle of life and living.

----- Serenity. Just being there in the moment... calm, untroubled. Sometimes I get this just sitting there with my dogs... together we look out to the street outside or look up to the skies of blue I so love.

----- Mother Nature. Trees swaying in the breeze, waves splashing on the shore, mountains high and mighty, meadows of green and gold... every magnificent thing in our physical world. I run to her to be healed in my soul.

----- Gratitude. Oh but so much to appreciate and be thankful for! Tangible and intangible. The list can be very long and more gets added to it day by day. Always there will be something to be thankful for.

----- Blessings. They come in all sizes, shapes, reason, unexpected, timely, and many other wonderful things which point to one Magnificent GOD. He who showers on us his favor, love, and protection unconditionally. My cup runneth over with joy!

Have a great day, folks! Thank you for your friendship. God bless you with all good things more than your kind hearts can hold.

WHAT JOY IS MADE OF

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I heard a bird chirping outside my window. In fact, I heard many as if joined in concert at this early time of day. But this one sang beautifully a melody all its own. I sat still in my chair trying not to miss a single note. It blew my heart away I didn’t dare to breathe nor move, then images began to form of ------ flowing streams, rivers, seas, and waterfalls, of glistening water gurgling merrily down its way....... of gentle breeze swirling down hills and meadows of green and gold....... of infinite blue skies heedless of walls and borders....... of placid clouds softly gliding through the wide blue space...... of a smiling sun hugging all of life with its warmth....... of cool gentle waves hugging the sandy shores....... of tall graceful trees swaying in the wind...... of hills, valleys, ridges, cliffs, and mountain tops........ and of a girl quietly sitting by the window enthralled by a bird’s morning song and the pleasant magnificent memories nudged to life by it.

What joy is made of!

And oh by the way, have a pleasant weekend, friends! Blessings to you all.


(Thanks to the internet for these beautiful images.)

WHEN YOU THINK HE ISN'T -- HE IS

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No matter our brilliance, wit, or perceived independence or strength of beliefs , there is still this one simple truth which no one and nothing can ever refute ....... the presence of God in our lives. When you think He isn't -- He is. When you think He is not there -- He is. When you think that He does not matter -- He did, He does, and He always will. Because you or any of us won't last this long without Him. We owe our lives to Him... its protection, provision, continuity, healing, abundance or prosperity, justice, forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and a whole lot more we can't even imagine. That is the simple truth.

So how do we thank Him? Simple. Just say 'Thank You' and live a life with gratitude emblazoned in the heart. Be blessed and stay blessed.

Here is a simple yet magnificent piece of advise from a parent to his child. Unfortunately nobody knows who wrote this. But I think it's similar to something I once have read in the Book. Or maybe.

To quote:

My son, do not forget my teaching
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years in life
And peace they will add to you.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good  repute
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
(Anonymous)

Unquote.
Big thanks to friend Mr. Quote Man for sharing this with me in email.

May your weekend be blessed with plenty. Have fun, friends! Be blessed; stay blessed.

GRATITUDE FAITH TRUST AND HOPE

Today is JANUARY 04, 2011 .......... O Lord, Bless us with simple and humble hearts to live our lives according to You. Thanks a zillion for the past year, not only for the blessings but for those times when we needed to learn some mighty essential lessons there. Help us to always understand that You only desire the best for us. Indeed you, Lord, are our Good Shepherd.

Jeremiah 29:11 --- "For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and to give you hope."

WHAT BIRDS TELL ME

I like birds. But I don't know how many species there are, how they live love or die. What I do know is that I love birds. Oh don't tell me bout the scary ones and there are scary ones too but I guess they too have their part in the order of things in nature.

Do birds cry? Have you seen one struggle, suffer, sad, disappointed, afraid or angry? Or work very hard? Or simply lounge back lazily and watch the sky? I haven't. Or maybe I just don't know or can't see it. But does it matter? Birds tell me many other things... things which I didn't pay much attention to or simply took for granted.

Birds tell me.....

- to have a song in my heart and let it reign in my soul
- to soar and not just fly towards my dreams
- to be one with the wind, the sun, the sky
- to enjoy the freedom of flight... no boundaries, no borders, no limits, no chains
- to like who I am and what I stand for... and it should be for good
- to see everything big and small and that everything matters in this big tapestry of life
- to trust in a Greater Being who orchestrates all living things below and above
- to act in faith that by being me I am doing what I am supposed to be doing (it's right there in the heart)
- to be always thankful for everything.....

..... and that, by the way, is what birds do when they sing. How do I know that? I don't. But every time I hear a bird sing -- I feel their joy - their peace - their gratitude. They can't seem to stop singing. (Oh others will call it chirping lols) But they seem to be endlessly grateful for many things, for everything. Maybe I should start doing that too. :-)

THE 'DONE IT' LIST

We have created so many different kinds of lists for every plausible activity in our small mundane lives. There’s the to-do list, priority list, shopping list, friends list, grocery list, Christmas list, appointments list, book list, popular song list, best dressed list, worst dressed list, or the top ten Hollywood hunks list (hmmm, I’d like to see this one! Lols).

But I haven’t seen anyone do this list --- the “DONE IT” list. Well, have you or anyone you know ever done a list of that kind? Or maybe they have but given a different name.

So what’s in a “Done It” list? If a “To-do” list holds goals, hopes, plans, wishes, and dreams aimed for… the “Done It” list records ‘been there – done that’ moments, eureka moments, and victories. When a ‘To-do’ list is all about work, the ‘done it’ list is its celebration and reward. The former could bring in tension and anxiety, but the latter will bring in joy, happiness, and gratefulness.

Jill is a good friend of mine and here’s what she sent me. A partial list because to quote her ‘everyday I get more and more added to the list and each time it simply doubles up my pleasure’. Unquote.

My Done-It List

-Took driving lessons two weeks ago (Whew!)
-Drove to work and back by myself last Monday (Hurray!)
-Bungee jumped for the very first time last summer (Exhilarating!)
-Danced boogie-woogie in my super high-heeled shoes (Owee feeling sexy!)
-Got on a sailboat for my first sailing in Boracay (Felt good!)
-Led a team of four in a major sales presentation to stockholders and was commended for a good job (Yippee!)
-Parted with a favorite bracelet which reminded me of a bad relationship (Good riddance!)
-Finally read and finished the book that was sleeping under my pillow for weeks and weeks (That WAS a good book; why didn’t I do it sooner?!)

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There you go, Jill and her ‘Done It’ list.
What about you, what’s on your ‘Done It’ list?