Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Attitude of gratitude (part 1)

In the spirit of this Thanksgiving holiday season, I wanted to present a series of blogs on an attitude of gratitude.  To begin, I wanted to share a list of things that I’m thankful for, from each letter of the alphabet.  Let me just dive right in and you’ll see what I mean.

A: American.  Whether or not your favorite Presidential candidate won in the recent election, it’s still a tremendous blessing to be a citizen of the United States of America.

B: Breath.  Every breath that we breathe is a gift from the hand of God.  While it may be easy to do so, we should never take it for granted.

C: Creation.  Recently, I was driving to work, and the sun was just beginning to rise.  I was treated to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.  Everywhere you look, you see the beautiful creation that Almighty God created.

D: Diversion/decompress.  I love to be able to rest, decompress, and recharge after a hard day by watching an old TV show that is a wholesome sitcom.  The sitcom I’m referring to is the delightful diversion of the “Dick Van Dick Show” (I can’t help myself with the alliteration).
   
E: Eyes/ears.  Once again, it’s easy to take the gift of sight and hearing for granted.  I, for one, want to stop and express my gratitude for these incredible blessings.

F: Faith.  Simply put: without my faith in the amazing God of the Bible, I am nothing.

G: Grace (and mercy) of God.  If I didn’t have the grace and mercy of God, I would be sunk.  Praise the Lord for His abounding grace and steadfast mercy to me.

H: Health/healings.  I recently came across the last Thanksgiving list that my dad composed.  One of the things he said he was thankful for was health.  I echo the same sentiment for myself.  Health is a gift that is very fragile.  I’ve been reminded of this many times in my life; I’ve been miraculously healed by God on more than one occasion.

I: Impact and influence of my dad.  I will always be grateful for my dad’s selfless influence and example.  I'm inspired to follow in his footsteps.

J: Job. Thank God for the blessing of a job!

K: Kindness. The word “favor” could also be used here.  I’m blessed with kindness or favor in my sphere of influence.  Whether we are talking about family, friends, coworkers, etc. I am showered with kindness.  Perhaps that’s because I try to be kind in my dealings with others, and because (as the Bible says) you reap what you sow, kindness is given back to me.

L: Laughter.  I hope one of the things that I’m remembered for long after I’m gone is how much I laughed.  Laughter is like a medicine for whatever ails you.

M: Mom.  The Bible says to honor your father and your mother.  Even though my dad is in Heaven now, I continue to honor him.  I also honor my mom.  Further, I consider it a sacred responsibility to take care of her as best as I know how.

To be continued!

Kevin

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