Siggy's Blurbs » gratitude

It Is So Easy To Take Your Blessings For Granted

siggy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:06:11 +0000

It is so easy to take your blessings for granted. Today I was grateful I could also buy some bananas along with a gallon of milk. It is near the end of the month and we are running out of cash. I was grateful I could buy what I could. It is always revealing what you would buy if you are down to your last dollar. It is so easy to take your blessings for granted. God owns everything. I had to remind myself of that.

In Every Life Some Tragedy Falls

siggy — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:17:33 +0000

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.

I Want To Count My Blessings

siggy — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:43:51 +0000

I want to count my blessings. It is so easy to center on what I call my “lack”. I am so blessed–materially and all kinds of ways that have nothings to do with things. I have a wife who loves me. And all kinds of other people who are glad to see me. And I have a history with them. My four dogs and even my cats who really do not pay much attention to me but I appreciate them nevertheless. My life is not perfect but then, again, whose is? Of course, this is a short and incomplete list. I can go on and on but I won’t. I am just glad to be home.

I Wish She Would Say That More Often: ‘You Add Something To My Life.’

siggy — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:04:05 +0000

‘You add something to my life,’ she said recently. It came out of the blue. I wish she would say nice things more often. Too many times she “jumps” on me for something I did not do or did incorrectly. It is so easy to criticize a mate. I am as guilty as her in this regard.

What if for everything I did wrong she said something positive towards me. I could strive to do the same. Gratitude is a two way street. It is so easy to focus on the negative. I have been as guilty as any one else.

Praise always has to be genuine to be effective. Others wilt in the face of too much criticism. And I need to work on this as much as my Other.

Everything I Am Grateful For In 2009

siggy — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:09:26 +0000

(1) My wife whose support makes it all worthwhile

(2) The extension of our fence so now all four dogs can run wild within it and we don’t have to worry about them getting out

(3) The seventh Christmas we are spending together

(4) The purchase of a “new” used vehicle

(5) another year

(6) my illness if you can call it that has given me a keener sense of the time bestowed to me

(7) my two sisters who are always there when I need them

(8) The four books Marilyn sent to me

(9) all my friends

(10) The safety of my trip to Boston during a difficult time: I know angels were watching me during my ride to Boston and back.

(11) I finally made it to “Walden Pond”

(12) All my animals particularly my four dogs who never ask for anything and just love you unconditionally

(13) For providing for all our needs

(14) All the people who take care of us: from Bob our mechanic to our dentist and all our doctors. They just serve us.

(15) My wife, the editor, lover and friend

(16) John, you know who you are

(17) The heat in our house

(18) My web site and “Siggy’s Blurbs”

(19) Sara’s support, you know who you are, also

(20) My two, Emma and Saul

(21) for everything I have forgotten to be grateful for

(22) Pastor Pete and his flock

(23) only “You” who without I can not do any thing

Why I Do Not Have To Own Every Good Thing

siggy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:53:56 +0000

I do not have to own every good thing that comes my way. With some things it is very difficult: I collect music and books. There is always another interesting book and another new piece of music I desire.

The trick is to be happy with what you have and occasionally when something comes your way, be happy. One reason coveting is wrong there is no end to it and being perennially dissatisfied is one result.

There is a certain freedom to saying “No!” to good things and there is even another result: more and more you let the universe surprise you when something good falls in your lap.

When you make a conscious effort to be satisfied with your possessions, you allow serendipity and gratitude to enter your life. And peace and contentment may also follow.

I Have To Go Back To My Center: Gratitude

siggy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:42:00 +0000

I have to go back to my center: gratitude. I have been struggling for at least two weeks with depression. Depression (or self-pity) is selfish and magnifies your self-importance. It has its place but you should not linger too long there.

I need to thank God for every blessing — to have a sense of gratitude for my life. Gratitude is my center. I think less of me when I go back there. There is so much I have to be thankful for.

Sitting in my driveway is our new used vehicle which was only possible to buy because my family (my two sisters and my aunt) contributed money toward a purchase of another car.

It is so easy to forget your blessings and get into a unforgiving cycle. When you start thanking God for your every blessing, miracles happen. You no longer have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity.

That is what I have to do today–keep returning to my center, develop a sense of gratitude for my every blessing. Then depression just evaporates.

It Is Too Easy To Complain and See What Is Not Done

siggy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:47:22 +0000

It is so easy to complain and see what is not done. It is much harder to live with a spirit of gratitude and count your blessings. It is the only way.

It is too easy to view your life and see what needs completing. It may be a phone call that needs done or a floor that needs vacuuming. It is more difficult to see the results of your labor. The things that were completed.

Gratitude gives you a sense of what you need to thank God for. There are so many things we take for granted: our health, faithful mates, shelter.

Yes, work on the things that need done but at the same time thank God for your many blessings. You will be much happier, as well as everyone else around you. A spirit of gratitude is infectious.

Thanking The Lord For Everything Is The Only Way To Go

siggy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:59:05 +0000

I was lying in bed and thinking as I was trying to fall asleep. I must thank the Lord for everything–even this comfortable bed and pillows I am resting my head on.

Everything Is by grace. There is no way around that. You can think otherwise but it is futile. You can rail how unfair life is but that is futile, too.

Less is always more. And God does not owe us anything and everything we have is by the grace of God. Life is never fair: some people have more and some people have less. The poor are always among us. The war on poverty–a campaign by Lyndon Johnson, the president of the United States, in the late sixties was a failure.

It is true each person has to help the other in any way you can but the poor will always be among us. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Being poor sometimes forces us to rely on God for our provisions. Money can insulate us from God.

There is the illusion we can provide for ourselves when we have enough money but that is only an illusion. We need one another. No man is an island, the famous words of John Donne.

It is far easier to lead your life with thankfulness. Gratitude is a blessing and each person needs to reach out to others in any way they can. In fact, in the bible it say that if it is in your power to help someone and do not you have committed a sin.

I have to count my blessings each day. My wife is only here by serendipity. My attitude of thankfulness for the provisions of the Almighty gives me grace that I can not earn. And everything is by grace.

Why You Must Always Face Death With Courage

siggy — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:01:23 +0000

You must always face death with courage. None of us knows, for sure, how much time we have on this earth. Sometimes death can come suddenly and other times slowly.

You have two broad choices: You can live your life with courage or you can live your life with fear. Death is the fear of the unknown.

I choose courage. And the wisdom that can accompany it. We are all going to die one day. That is a fact. But people act as if death does not exist.

It can only make your life that much sweeter. Imagine if we knew were were going to live for eternity. How awful that would be.

Face each day that God has given you with gratitude. Then it no longer matters how much time you are here on this earth. Face each day with courage and wisdom. Death then has no power.

All I Pray For Is The Gift Of Gratitude

siggy — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:36:19 +0000

All I pray for is for the gift of gratitude. I want to be satisfied with what I have and with the abundance of the Lord. It is so easy to want more and more. There really is no end to that desire. I want to be satisfied with what I’ve got. If He wants to give me more, fine. I want to thank God for everything I have and have the gift of gratitude. That is no small thing.