Grateful Friday

grateful, adj., feeling or showing gratitude (ie. "a grateful heart")
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We all need to be grateful - we all have so much, wouldn't you agree? Being the richest country in the world affords us things that third world countries just don't have. Fresh water to drink, right out of the tap, I might add. Flushing toilets, public transportation and police, fire and medical emergency service at the touch of 911. How 'bout grocery stores that carry anything and everything we may need or want without having to grow it ourselves? Even if you are on a slim budget, we still all have the opportunity to have so much. I am grateful.

In response to my recent downturn in mood, as you may remember, a friend who lives in the next state (my favorite, by the way), suggested that we lift each other up by sending daily 'grateful' messages. I have been blessed each day with a happy thought and smile for what sweet Susan sends me. And I have sent her my own grateful nugget each day, making myself smile in the process.

As a way of recording these thoughts, I will be collecting them and posting them on Fridays under the label A Grateful Heart. I am hopeful that it will give my readers (read friends) a bit of a lift and inspire grateful thoughts of their own. I'd absolutely love it if anyone felt so inclined to add their own grateful nugget as a comment - the more the better!

Just to add to our pondering of blessings, we are including one day of our favorite inspirational and/or motivational quote(s).

So, here it goes, the first Grateful Friday...

As I was coming to check on things on the computer, I was thinking (just out of the blue), "gosh, I love my shul". OK, where did that come from??

So, I immediately started to try to think of things I love about congregation life. yeah...let me think...um....!!

Haha! Just kidding...

Seriously, I love being part of a group; a group that, for the most part, has the same goals/values as I do. There is a great comfort to being understood and accepted and I thank our LORD for the loving people that He has placed in my shul.

I am thankful for the quiet, early hours on Shabbat mornings when no one else is up and I can quietly enjoy a cup of coffee and slowly get things ready for the day. :-)

I am grateful today for the chance to give encouragement to a sick friend. She is so sweet and I thank the LORD for her. Oh, and I liked the leftovers for breakfast :-P

This morning I'm grateful for the opportunity to work out again. Yeah, that may be a push, but I'm gonna find "it all joy"...haha!

"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.

Thus meditating you will no longer strive to build up yourself in your own prejudices, but forgetting self, you will remember only that you are seeking Truth."

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Ps 19:14)

This morning I'm grateful that we are able to have my daughter enjoy Miracle Ranch for the whole summer - what wonderful memories for her! G-d is good :-)

OK, I'm grateful for one of my most favorite things in the whole world:
Getting that first cup of coffee, stepping out onto the balcony and turning my face to the glorious sunshine. Taking a deep breath of fresh, morning air, listening to the birds flitting in the trees, loving the endless blue sky and hearing the sounds of neighbors starting their day. I just am so grateful for warm, sunny mornings.

I'm grateful that I can brighten people's days with just my smile. :-D

I went to a choir concert last night, and afterward, was (jokingly) asked to join them on tour. You guessed it, they just want me to smile at them from the front row! lol!

I'm so thankful to our LORD for granting safe delivery of the newest member of our congregation - a sweet little girl! We are so blessed! :-)