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091101
September 11, 2001, On that day no one will ever forget, after being bombarded with the
news and visual images, I felt overwhelmed, angry and fearful.
I left work and went straight home and gave my kids the biggest hug they’ve ever had. I felt
a little guilty that I was able to go home and hug my kids when so many parents would never
be able to do that again.
Since that day, my life like so may other’s has been changed.
I’ have prayed more then I ever have and I’ have started to give thanks
to God for all the blessings he’s given me.
Sunset
I’ve begun to look at the world with a different perspective.
I now observe the sunset, I don’t just glance at it while I’m driving or rushing to get
somewhere else. I hug my kids and tell them I love them more often. I let my parents know
how grateful I am that they raised me. I let my brother’s and sister’s know I appreciate
them.
I let my husband know he is valuable, even after he’s left the toilet seat up!
Why should we give thanks? Why should we give at all?
The bible tells us “Give and it shall be given back to you,
pressed down, shaken together and running over…”
Pressed down
Have you ever measured brown sugar, you have to press it down in the measuring cup, it
takes more brown sugar then if you measured it loose. That’s what we receive when we
give.
Shaken together
Do you remember being a kid and getting a bag of candy and shaking it down so all the
candy is at the bottom of the bag. I would grab the bag with one hand at the top and feel the
bottom of the bag. The bag had more weight and it felt like you had more candy when it
was all at the bottom of the bag.
Running over
Remember when you were a child and you first learning how to pour kool-aid from the big
pitcher. The weight of the liquid would force the pitcher forward and it would be overflow.
Imagine God wanting to bless you so much that the blessings overflow!
What do I receive when I give thanks?
Becoming aware of the things I am grateful for keeps me in a spirit of thankfulness. Which
spreads to my attitude, I can’t be unhappy when
I’m focusing on their blessings, continually adding things to my mental thank you note.
Am I positive and thankful all the time, NO!
I suffer adversity, trials and tribulations just like anyone else.
I have bad hair days. I get in bad moods. But after I get past the bad mood or trial, I have
come to appreciate even the trial.
It is true “what does not kill us makes us stronger”
Challenges make room for Gratitude
It’s really remarkable that when faced with genuine challenges
we can find room for gratitude. Of course when faced with major life changing crisis like
death, we must go through the grieving process. But the key word here is “through”. We
will go through this and come out of it a better, stronger and eventually more thankful person.
Sometimes the hardships we face may actually nurture our appreciation for the simple joys
in life. Jane Adams in the November issue of Health magazine said “You’d think that
people with pain and disability would be the least grateful, but it’s just the opposite”.
Robert Emmons a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis said
those who were ill expressed higher levels
of appreciation for the good things in their lives, while the healthy more often expressed
discontent. There is no shortcut to gratitude, you have to work through the adversity first.
What am I thankful for?
My family, my husband and I have reconciled after a 15 month separation. My children are
healthy and relatively happy well-adjusted kids. My daughter Hannah will celebrate her 10th
birthday tomorrow. My son Matt is 16 and looking forward to driving a car.
I live in a modest home that has indoor plumbing, running water and electricity. My parents
are still alive and healthy and all my brother’s and sisters are healthy and living a fairly
comfortable life.
Is everything perfect?
NO. My house is not my own, I rent. My car is 11 years old and needs a new muffler. My
husband snores and wakes me up at night. My daughter has been running a fever for 3
days now and the doctor can’t find anything wrong with her. The car my son is looking
forward to driving is a 1954 Chevy rusting in my driveway right now.
Am I grateful? Do I give thanks? Am I blessed?
Yes, a resounding yes!
So today, remember all your blessings
and Give Thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy one, give thanks…
Copyright 2007 Pat Edmondson
September 11, 2001, On that day no one will ever forget, after being bombarded with the
news and visual images, I felt overwhelmed, angry and fearful.
I left work and went straight home and gave my kids the biggest hug they’ve ever had. I felt
a little guilty that I was able to go home and hug my kids when so many parents would never
be able to do that again.
Since that day, my life like so may other’s has been changed.
I’ have prayed more then I ever have and I’ have started to give thanks
to God for all the blessings he’s given me.
Sunset
I’ve begun to look at the world with a different perspective.
I now observe the sunset, I don’t just glance at it while I’m driving or rushing to get
somewhere else. I hug my kids and tell them I love them more often. I let my parents know
how grateful I am that they raised me. I let my brother’s and sister’s know I appreciate
them.
I let my husband know he is valuable, even after he’s left the toilet seat up!
Why should we give thanks? Why should we give at all?
The bible tells us “Give and it shall be given back to you,
pressed down, shaken together and running over…”
Pressed down
Have you ever measured brown sugar, you have to press it down in the measuring cup, it
takes more brown sugar then if you measured it loose. That’s what we receive when we
give.
Shaken together
Do you remember being a kid and getting a bag of candy and shaking it down so all the
candy is at the bottom of the bag. I would grab the bag with one hand at the top and feel the
bottom of the bag. The bag had more weight and it felt like you had more candy when it
was all at the bottom of the bag.
Running over
Remember when you were a child and you first learning how to pour kool-aid from the big
pitcher. The weight of the liquid would force the pitcher forward and it would be overflow.
Imagine God wanting to bless you so much that the blessings overflow!
What do I receive when I give thanks?
Becoming aware of the things I am grateful for keeps me in a spirit of thankfulness. Which
spreads to my attitude, I can’t be unhappy when
I’m focusing on their blessings, continually adding things to my mental thank you note.
Am I positive and thankful all the time, NO!
I suffer adversity, trials and tribulations just like anyone else.
I have bad hair days. I get in bad moods. But after I get past the bad mood or trial, I have
come to appreciate even the trial.
It is true “what does not kill us makes us stronger”
Challenges make room for Gratitude
It’s really remarkable that when faced with genuine challenges
we can find room for gratitude. Of course when faced with major life changing crisis like
death, we must go through the grieving process. But the key word here is “through”. We
will go through this and come out of it a better, stronger and eventually more thankful person.
Sometimes the hardships we face may actually nurture our appreciation for the simple joys
in life. Jane Adams in the November issue of Health magazine said “You’d think that
people with pain and disability would be the least grateful, but it’s just the opposite”.
Robert Emmons a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis said
those who were ill expressed higher levels
of appreciation for the good things in their lives, while the healthy more often expressed
discontent. There is no shortcut to gratitude, you have to work through the adversity first.
What am I thankful for?
My family, my husband and I have reconciled after a 15 month separation. My children are
healthy and relatively happy well-adjusted kids. My daughter Hannah will celebrate her 10th
birthday tomorrow. My son Matt is 16 and looking forward to driving a car.
I live in a modest home that has indoor plumbing, running water and electricity. My parents
are still alive and healthy and all my brother’s and sisters are healthy and living a fairly
comfortable life.
Is everything perfect?
NO. My house is not my own, I rent. My car is 11 years old and needs a new muffler. My
husband snores and wakes me up at night. My daughter has been running a fever for 3
days now and the doctor can’t find anything wrong with her. The car my son is looking
forward to driving is a 1954 Chevy rusting in my driveway right now.
Am I grateful? Do I give thanks? Am I blessed?
Yes, a resounding yes!
So today, remember all your blessings
and Give Thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy one, give thanks…
Copyright 2007 Pat Edmondson
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