Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Everything is by grace.  Today is a good day to count my blessings.  I am not in dialysis.  My kidney function has stabilized (the last three years).  It is not good but it is livable.  My wife loves me.  And my two sisters and my brother-in-law (and a friend) sent me birthday cards (and one check).  There is so much to be grateful of–two well running cars and a roof over my shoulders.  There is no pressing financial needs.  And I am surrounded by animals I love (in fact, there are eleven in this house).  I love watching the birds out my window.  And now I am waiting for the first hummingbird to find the nectar I just put out.  My life is not perfect but it is good.  I am aware God does not owe anything.  Everything is by grace.  And He owns everything.

Tags: animals I love, be grateful, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birthday cards, birthday check, cats, count my blessings, dogs, everything-is-by-grace, God, God does not owe anything, God owns everything, grade, house, hummingbird, kidney function stable, my birthday, my brother-in-law, my friend, my life, my sisters, my wife, nectar, not in dialysis, pets, two cars
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In every life some tragedy falls.  It does no good to bemoan your fate.  Some people die, get sick, have accidents.  Life is not fair.  It does no good to compare yourself with others.  You deal with the “cards dealt you”.  That is all you can do.  Every life has tragedy.  There is no way to get around that.  Each life has problems.  You should be grateful.  Life is, indeed, very precious and all you can do is deal with your unique set of problems.  And how you face them will determines your character.  We are all tempered by the crucible of fire.

Tags: accidents, be grateful, bemoan your fate, crucible of fire, death, everyone has problems, God, gratitude, life is precious, sickness, tempered, tragedy, your character
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Joy is gratitude.  It is looking at your life and every aspect of it and thanking the Lord for every simple thing He has given you.  Sometimes it is others you need to give a simple “thank you”.  God works through other people all the time.  Don’t take any gift you have for granted.  As well as all the simple pleasures that come your way.  Joy is gratitude and thanking the Lord for the simplest gifts He has given you.  He has given your life.  And every morning you wake up you need to thank Him for every breath you take.  Get in the habit of thanking others and the Almighty for every single gift.  Life is composed of myriad details.  And prayerfully thank someone for every detail of your life–every pleasure-every thing.  He does not owe you anything.  And He usually gives us abundance.  Don’t be an ungrateful taker.  Thank Him for every detail of your life.  Joy will always follow gratitude.

Tags: abundance, be grateful, every breath, gifts, God, gratutude, joy, joy is gratitude, Lord, prayer, simple gifts, take for granted, thank Him, thank the Lord, thank-you, thanking others, The Almighty, your life
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Every person gives what they can, when they can, to whoever they can.  It is important to have low expectations of your acquaintances (and certainly your friends).

Thus, you can never be disappointed and when one comes through and gives you something unexpectedly (and let us not forget the gift of their time probably the most precious commodity a person possesses), you simply can be grateful and consider it serendipity.

One can not live inside another and know what goes on, what pressures and concerns that person is facing.  It is hard enough when you live with someone so you can imagine how difficult it is with someone else.

When another person reaches out to you, you ought to be grateful and accept the gift.  Others give what they can, when they can.  That does not mean you should not try to reach out to others around you.

Just be aware others often do not acknowledge your efforts and certainly do not always return the “favor” to put it one way.  You need to love others particularly your neighbors (and even strangers) unconditionally.

A relationship may blossom when you least expect it to.  And that is how it usually goes.

Tags: accept the gift, acquaintances, be grateful, blossom, gift of your time, give what you can, give when you can, hard to know what others are facing, love strangers, love unconditionally, love your neighbors, precious commodity, reach out to others, relationships, return the favor, serendipity, your efforts, your friends
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It is so easy to take even the simplest things for granted.  I took a shower this morning and I had to remind myself this was something I should be grateful for.  For fifteen years not that long ago the house I lived in did not have a shower just a bath tub.  That was the big thing when we traveled — the motel always had a shower.  I forgot about that and silently thanked God for my shower.  It is so easy to take even the smallest freedoms for granted–like being able to take a shower in your house.

Tags: bathtub, be grateful, freedoms, God, house, motel, simple things, take a shower, take things for granted, thank God, travel
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The isolation that follows depression is the worst thing about it.  It is self perpetuating:  you feel all alone and then depressed.  You are depressed, thus you feel alone.  It is a vicious cycle.

Somehow you need to break it.  In the beginning it is very difficult.  I was there.  I started to think of everything I should be grateful for.

Some things were material like the fence we made taller this year so all our dogs could be contained in our yard.  One dog could jump the fence and we wanted him to run wild again.

Four dogs who love me all in their own way was a thing to be thankful for.  I had a special relationship with one–“Tilla.”  That was no small thing.

I had to look for a crack in my depression.  At first it would be small but if I continued it would get bigger and bigger.  Finding things to be grateful for was a start.

Tags: be grateful, break the cycle, crack in my depression, depression, difficult, dogs, dogs love me, feel all alone, fence, find things to be grateful for, four dogs, isolation, material things, pets, self-perpetuating, small crack, thankful, Tilla, vicious cycle, yard
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