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Gratefulness
Today I am grateful to be alive, to feel, see and know the grace and power of something we call Spirit. That alone is joy and gift enough!
Everyone I have ever met touches my life in one way or another.
Being with family. Being on the water rowing with my teammates. Working with young people within my faith community. Live musical performances.
That the “weeds” of life frequently have been just as beautiful and sometimes more reliable than the flowers I thought I had planted.
Recently, I have made it a point to intentionally walk out in our yard early in the morning just before the sun comes up, not to do a specific thing or chore, but to be, just be, and observe all that is around me in sight, sound, and early morning fragrance.
Today’s question is a good one for me because it’s all too easy for me to jump in and do the next thing that needs to get done early in the morning, returning emails, managing our Quaker meeting website, or doing something els...
Today’s question is a good one for me because it’s all too easy for me to jump in and do the next thing that needs to get done early in the morning, returning emails, managing our Quaker meeting website, or doing something else that seems to be clamoring for attention.
I can be still, silent, and listen, by myself or among others, in our Quaker meetinghouse. And when I’m centered, Spirit attends.
You are loved.
Pray, love, hope, smile, engage and repeat. Whatever gifts I may possess will find their way onward from here.
What happens depends on my state of mind and what my eyes are looking at. Besides, can we truly ever look at anything with fresh eyes if we’ve seen it before?
For thirty years I kept the following two passages regarding kindness framed on the wall in my office when working with children and teens:
Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; And bearing one with another, And forgiving one another, And not laying accusations One against another; But praying one for another, And helping one another Up with a tender hand… – Isaac Penington
I’ve learned that people will forg...
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Sitting here, letting this new day sink into my bones, and listening to the birds outside singing in the trees. And speaking of hearing, the next important thing is to pour a cup of coffee!
As a Quaker, silence is a gift and vehicle we use regularly in our worship, committee meetings, and, what we call our “meetings for worship for the purpose of business.” Yet, for us, we are reminded that simply being quiet isn’t the same thing as silence. We strive for a silence that invites worship, communion, meditation, peace, and release, which quiets the mind and beckons the presence of Spirit.
Live it Love it Fully.
“Thank you,” is probably the most frequently used phrase by me after the word, “Hello.” When honestly stated, “thank you” opens doors, softens hearts, and begs the offering of another phrase, “See you soon!” And while we’re on the topic, thank you to the Gratefulness team and organization that makes this site and all of its programs possible. And thank you to my friends here, who contribute regularly here with heart and spirit day after day. I treasure you all in my li...
“Thank you,” is probably the most frequently used phrase by me after the word, “Hello.” When honestly stated, “thank you” opens doors, softens hearts, and begs the offering of another phrase, “See you soon!” And while we’re on the topic, thank you to the Gratefulness team and organization that makes this site and all of its programs possible. And thank you to my friends here, who contribute regularly here with heart and spirit day after day. I treasure you all in my life.
When life is difficult, and for example, when we’re in the middle of a crisis or emergency, being aware of what there still is to be grateful for is terribly difficult. Let’s not kid ourselves here. What has worked for me in the past, which I actually learned from doing disaster response training many years ago, is to get out a piece of paper, pause, take a breath, and make a simple list of where blessings and positive things continue to be present even as I/we are in the middle of facing...
When life is difficult, and for example, when we’re in the middle of a crisis or emergency, being aware of what there still is to be grateful for is terribly difficult. Let’s not kid ourselves here. What has worked for me in the past, which I actually learned from doing disaster response training many years ago, is to get out a piece of paper, pause, take a breath, and make a simple list of where blessings and positive things continue to be present even as I/we are in the middle of facing a potentially life altering challenge. Reading our list aloud to ourselves, then folding it into our pockets further reinforces what is still good and happening. It almost seems too simple, but it works.
Beautifully stated, Don. Thank you.
Hello Maeve, I’m retired now, but when I was working long hours with children, teens and parents, I used to “try” to carve out 10-15 minutes in mid afternoon in my office for meditation, and sometimes worship. A real treat for me, which didn’t happen very often, is when a Friend from our meeting would call and ask me if I had five to ten minutes for a visit, which she meant, to worship. She’d come in, we’d sit, and for a beautiful ten minutes hold a brief ...
Hello Maeve, I’m retired now, but when I was working long hours with children, teens and parents, I used to “try” to carve out 10-15 minutes in mid afternoon in my office for meditation, and sometimes worship. A real treat for me, which didn’t happen very often, is when a Friend from our meeting would call and ask me if I had five to ten minutes for a visit, which she meant, to worship. She’d come in, we’d sit, and for a beautiful ten minutes hold a brief period of silent worship.
These days, having retired seven years ago, I pause in several spots here and there for the same amount of time, ten minutes, for what feels like worship to me. After I set our boat up for our rowing team three days a week, I sit quietly in the boat, staying with my breath and the sound of water lapping against the boat’s hull, or in a chair in the back yard. (The trick there though is not to fall asleep!) Have a good day, Friend!
Happy Saturday to you too, Michele! Have a good run for a very good cause indeed.
Good, good, good for you my friend! Wishing you the very best of luck as you prepare to take that leap of faith that honors your desire to lay claim to your work as an artisan. Of course, when your employer realizes that you are no longer accepting commissions they may try to entice you with a modest bump in pay and try to get you to stay, which can add to the stress of making a change to work for yourself. I will hold you in thought and prayer in the weeks ahead. Remember to breathe!
Christine, you warm up the pages of this site with your presence, with heart, joy, and honesty every day. Thank you!
As the saying goes, Antoinette, “Right back at Ya!” THANK YOU, my friend. Truly.
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