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

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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Coveting is always wrong.  There is a reason one of the ten commandments was ‘Thou shall not covet’.  The truth is everybody has something that someone does not have.  Some people have less and some people have more.  Poverty has always existed through the ages.

Be thankful for what you have.  Then it no longer matters what someone does not have.  View all your possessions with a spirit of gratitude.  If the truth be known, what you have is only on loan.

If you can be thankful for what you have you will have peace of mind, which is priceless.  So guard against covetousness.  The world is full of good things.  Accept what you have and thank God for it.  You will sleep easier at night.

Tags: accept what you have, be thankful, Bible, covet, coveting is wrong, God, peace of mind, possessions, poverty, sleep easier at night, spirit of gratitude, ten commandments, thank God, thou shall not covet, what you have is only on loan, world full of good things
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Thanks God for habits.  I have been struggling with depression for a few weeks.  Thank God for habits.  Thank God that each day I have to get dressed, shaved, feed the pets, and I am sure this is an incomplete list.

There are tasks that have to be done every day despite how we feel.  These tasks that have to be performed every day prevent us from giving in to our feelings.  We absolutely have to do these daily things.

A job can be like that.  No matter how you feel you have to perform your job.  Depression can make you very self centered.  Tasks you have to do, that get you going and out of your self can be a good thing.  Thank God for habits.

Tags: depression, everyday tasks, feed the pets, get dressed, God, habits, Job, perform your job, self-centered, shave, thank God
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I was doing something this morning I was not looking forward to:  Replacing the urine stained newspaper and then getting rid of the poop in the dining room.  I simply did not want to this morning.  One of my dogs (we have four) still uses this room as a bathroom.

A little voice told me to thank God for doing that.  Most of my life I did not have pets.  I always wanted them although growing up my mother was simply too fastidious to even consider having them so I do not remember even asking her permission to have a pet.

The last twenty-two years I have had pets.  My two wives both loved dogs and cats.  So I decided to thank God for the task of picking up poop and handling soiled newspaper.

That is a small price to pay for the joy of having four dogs and eight cats.  Each pet has a different personality and are a joy to have.  All that is only by grace.  And cleaning up the dining room reminded me it is a privilege to have pets.  So thank you God for that!

Tags: cats, dogs, each pet has different personality, eight cats, everything-is-by-grace, four dogs, God, joy, joy to have pets, my mother, pets, poop, privilege to have pets, thank God, urine
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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.

Tags: be thankful, blessing, car, depression, depression evaporates, God, gratitude, gratitude for every blessing, miracles, my aunt, my center, my family, my sisters, self-importance, self-pity, selfish, thank God
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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.

Tags: complain, count your blessings, God, gratitude, happiness, health, mates, results of labor, shelter, spirit of gratitude, take things for granted, tasks, thank God, your many blessings
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Less is always more.  One of the ten commandments is, ‘Thou shall not covet.’  I did not realize for awhile I was breaking that commandment all the time or even it was one of the commandments.  Things are always distributed unequally in this world.  Some people have more.  Some less.  That is reality.  The trick is to be happy with what you have.  I do not like game shows and lotteries because both pander to greed.  God gives to each of us abundantly.  He only promises food and shelter.  Everything else is given to you by serendipity.  The poor will always exist in this world.  We are commanded to help the less fortunate.  In fact, if it is in your power to perform a good deed and you don’t it is a sin.  Thank God for all your blessings all the time and help the less fortunate.  Again, I will quote Mother Teresa:  ‘Do small things with great love.’  Never forget your blessings.  And always pray to God with thanksgiving.

Tags: 'do small things with great love', balance, be happy with what you have, Bible, blessings, covet, God, God gives abundantly, God's grace, greed, help the less fortunate, less is more, Mother Teresa, pray to God with thanksgiving, serendipity, ten commandments, thank God, thank God for all your blessings, thanksgiving, thou shall not covet
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