Laundry List of Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!  Hopefully your holiday was filled with time spent seeing family and friends.  Relationships rekindled and strengthened, blessings recounted, memories made, and so much more.  While the rest of the world moves on to "Black Friday" shopping, my goal is to maintain a spiritual posture of thanksgiving for the many blessings Father God has provided.  The day was spent at the A.A. support group for their Noon meeting and subsequent meal.  As usual, there were quite a few people in attendance and more than enough food to go around.  I even took two containers of food to friends who quite possibly don't have anyone with which to spend the holiday.  Following this time of fellowship, I headed to Greenwood Cemetery in order to contribute to the Find A Grave website.  After a few hours spent working on taking pictures and setting up memorials, I felt fulfilled and satisfied with how the day was spent.  There was another individual out there paying her respects to a deceased husband.  Of course I walked over to wish her some holiday cheer.  During our fifteen minute conversation, I added her husband's grave picture to his profile along with the corresponding GPS coordinates.  She was moved by the "gift" of time and attention for someone I didn't know.  Paying it forward can be gratifying.  Before the holiday fades from existance for much of the world, I desire to list several items I am thankful/grateful for:

1) Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ
2) Family and True Friends
3) Sobriety
4) A stable residence of almost nine years.
5) The emotional, mental, and physical ability to enjoy life.

What are you thankful for?  If you're honest, there is quite a bit to rejoice over.  Many blessings in life may not have been what I wanted, but it's exactly what I needed.  Often those blessings are leaps and bounds beyond anything I could have ever asked and much better than the very thing I wanted.  Let's make thanksgiving a part of our everyday life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Party on the Porch (Amon Carter Museum)

On Saturday, September 30th, I attended the annual Party on the Porch sponsored and hosted by the Amon Carter Museum.  I attended this function about twelve years ago with a friend and his family.  For whatever reason, the festivities fell off my radar till I saw a banner for it a few weeks prior.  Deciding it would be good for me to get out, even if it was alone, I requested a ticket and downloaded it to my phone.  The best part of the shin-dig was it's free of charge!  Yes, you read that correctly.  Both Party on the Porch and the Museum itself are funded by a perpetual trust established upon the death of Amon Carter himself.  (Take that, you other museums who charge an entrance fee!  Because of the lack of admission, I am able to frequent the art gallery as often as I can.)  Free parking for the event was available across the street at the surface lots of the Health Science Center.  (Another plus to showing up for the event.)  There were several people managing the entryway.  On
Read more

Seeking Closure!

Last week I was able to get away from the land of exile in order to visit and spend time with family.  Even though part of our plans for a trip to East Texas fell apart, I very much enjoyed spending three wonderful days with my mother in Yoakum.  During this time, as she still had to work her shifts at the church, I was able to scratch off quite a few items from the bucket list.  Many of these items have been on there for several years awaiting much-needed closure.  On top of the list, but really in no particular order, was to visit the Alchoholics Anonymous group in Victoria where I tried to get sober in 2004.  Even though I didn't recognize anyone in attendance, I did enjoy the time spent in fellowship.  Then a visit was made to Memory Gardens Cemetery where three acquaintances are interred.  One in particular, my friend Amy, was buried there in 2021.  Regretting not being able to attend her funeral services, I made every effort to locate her grave, along with the graves of her m
Read more

Reprieve from the War Front

** This is another letter from my father in Korea during the war of 1950-1953.  My intention in posting these letters is to capture the very personal side of war.  The letter is typed as written.  Any mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and etc. are intentional. 17-Oct-53 Dear Mom & Dad           I have just returned from a splendid seven days leave in Japan.  My seven days were filled with just about everything a person could want in a leave.  Steak, lobster, french fried potatoes, and onions, and many other fried foods.  The special service hotel at which I stayed is the most beautiful in Tokyo, Ga-Jo-En KANKO Hotel.  It is composed of three buildings connected by hallways, five stories high.  It has many facilities such as Grill, Bar, Cocktail Lounge, PX, Game Room, Barber Shop, Dining Room, Wrapping Service, and Dining Room, where meals are very cheap: 15 cent breakfast, 25 cent lunch, 45 cent supper.  The elevators of the Hotel are lined with mother-of-pearl formed into wa
Read more