Ten Things of Thankful - Week 24, 2017

This above image is a quote by Karen Salmansohn at notsalmon.com printed in black lettering. It says "When you get something you've really wanted, stop to appreciate it. Don't always be seeking something better." The background is comprised of overlapping pastel shades of turquoise, green and white with a marbleized effect.*

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Happy weekend to you!  I am enjoying the quiet of this Saturday morning as I reflect on all the good things in my life. I love the quote in the above image, because it seems like it is easy to get into the habit of never being content with what we have or what we've been given. When something we've really wanted happens, we immediately start thinking of the next thing and the next thing, with barely a pause to be grateful. Maybe we don't need to want something else or something more so quickly, and just maybe we already have ENOUGH! :-)  I often ask myself if, despite some of the struggles we all have in life, I am content with just what I have. Do I need more to be happy? The answer is a solid awareness that at this stage of my life I am enough and I have enough. My life is blessed, and I am thankful for that.  I think the endless wanting of more leaves us feeling restless and unfulfilled.  Calm is a much nicer place!

This weekend is Father's Day in the US, a time to pay tribute to the fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, and any others who have taken on the role of father or mentor in our lives. They don't have to be male, many mothers have had to fill both roles for their children.  I am thankful for my own father and for all of those who have chosen to protect, care for, provide for, and encourage the children in their lives, and their adult children too. I am thankful for the good memories I have of my father and that he always provided well for our family.

 I am also aware that many, along with Papa Bear, whose father died when he was three, grew up without a father, or never knew their father, or experienced the horror of living with an abusive father or step-father. Father's Day can be sad time for them, and my heart goes out to them and I pray that they've encountered other people in their lives that provided some of the love and direction they needed. I also think of the fathers and grandfathers who will not hear from their children or grandchildren this weekend or most weekends. Please, take time to let your loved ones know that you cherish them. Give them a gift of your time and your presence in their lives!

I am thankful for the wonderful father Papa Bear is to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and to my children. He listens, cares, encourages, and offers advice when asked. He is never overbearing, recognizing that they have to make their own choices in life and learn their own lessons just as we did. He always ends a conversation with any of them by saying "I love you", and they will remember that long after he is gone.

We have had huge amounts of rain here this season, a very rare occurrence. I am thankful when the rains come in the early evening dropping our triple-digit temperatures by thirty or more degrees very quickly, it is so welcome! We have had several thunderstorms, with a particularly severe one on Wednesday night that left over 19,000 homes and businesses without power in the city near us and a terrible amount of damage to homes and autos with high winds and softball sized hail! I am thankful that no one was seriously injured and I am thankful that where we live, Northeast of the city, we only had a little wind and small hail with no real damage. I am thankful for the power crews, city workers, teams that come in from other areas, volunteers  and everyone who is working together to help deal with the effects of the storm. I was also thankful to learn that the city's large arena was opened by the Red Cross to provide shelter for not only people but also their pets if their home was not habitable or if the heat put them at risk. Blessings to those who remembered to include the pets!

I am thankful that my husband's daughter who returned to our city recently was able to secure a good job as a dispatcher and began working yesterday. It is a large company with room for advancement and the pay is better than average. This will enable her to begin rebuilding her life.

I am thankful on behalf of a close friend of my sister's who was received approval to be placed on the waiting list for a liver transplant.  She lost her twin sister several years ago and has been sick for a long time. This could be the miracle in her life, and all prayers are appreciated. Her name is Candi.

I am thankful for Google Photos storage!  We've been backing most of our photos up to the iCloud and it is cumbersome and problematic.  If you delete a photo from your phone it also deletes it from the iCloud storage and any other shared devices, like your computer.  Google Photos is simple to use, automatically saving photos from your various devices to one account, and accessing them is organized and easy.  It's also free for high definition photos. I am in the process of uploading photos from old laptops, etc now, and then will begin the long process of weeding out the ones that don't need to be saved so I can at last find the important ones that are mixed in. Google Photos also has several cool tools you can use to create collages, slide shows, and photo books. This is not a paid endorsement for Google, I'm just happy to find something workable at last! :-)

I am thankful that Papa Bear and I rented the movie "The Shack" to watch this week. I read the book several years ago, and most often the movie versions disappoint me, but this was an exception. It is very well done, the characters are great, and the message is intense and powerful. At points it made us both think of things in our own lives, and while that can be uncomfortable it is also a message that we need to address issues that have left hurt inside our hearts. I highly recommend it to anyone, the perspective on God is so refreshing! One of the thoughts I took away from it that I will remember is that sometimes when we forgive someone it isn't a one-time event, we may find that we need to forgive them in our hearts and minds many times if hurt or anger resurfaces. But there is power and freedom in forgiveness.

I am thankful for Toby snuggles!  When he was a kitten he loved to crawl up on my shoulder and snuggle next to my neck. Now when I am writing at the table or sitting in the recliner, he still does that, hauling all 15+ pounds of himself up on my shoulder where he snuggles in next to my ear and his belly rumbles with deep purrs while he kneads my shoulder in contentment and rubs his nose against me. He can be such a brat at times, but when he does this he just melts my heart, no matter how difficult it is to write with a large cat hanging over your shoulder. :-)

Most importantly, of all the thankfuls I will ever list and share... I am thankful for our Father, Creator, Great Spirit, Supreme Being, Greater Power... or whatever name you choose to call God by.  Without His love I would not be. 

Blessings to you this week. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!

The above photo is a click-button to the TToT link-up. It is photo of one of our beautiful Texas sunsets with blue still peeking through the clouds; yellow, orange and pink bands around the remaining sliver of bright sun, and a wide band of black earth below it on which I've written Ten Things of Thankful.*

* Descriptions of the included photos are being provided for those who may be unable to view the illustrations.