Thursday, November 23, 2006

A Day of Thanks?...Where does one start?

Today I am thankful for….

The numerous birds that I watch out my kitchen window each morning

That I live in a country where we can freely express our thoughts, beliefs and opinions

The health of my children

Continued daily reruns of Seinfeld

The majesty of a color-filled sunset

Twenty three years…and counting…with someone who loves me, no matter my numerous flaws and eccentricities

Being able to shut out the stress of the world and lose myself in music…if only for a short time

Real moist beef jerky

The ability to laugh so hard, that for a few moments, everything else is forgotten

Being able to discern the difference between spiritual and religious men

The wonderful homemade pumpkin pies my wife bakes this time of year

Learning that patience, love and compassion are stronger and more productive than anger and pride

The irreverence of Dane Cook

Knowing what it’s like to score the winning touchdown

The ability to visualize something and then being able to recreate it in a drawing or painting

Dogs and puppies

Knowing that someone who created all we have is interested in knowing me

The Rocky Mountains

The ability to experience striking out the cleanup man, with a sweet curveball

The multi-colored quilt my grandmother made me to keep me warm in college

The power-supply I draw on daily through the Holy Spirit, to energize me, direct me and lift me up when I am feeling low

A snowfall on Christmas Eve

Being able to make people laugh

The wisdom and knowledge that God has patiently waiting to share with me

James Bond marathons on Spike TV

Seeing my children grow into young adults

….and so much, much more!

When I sit and contemplate a list like this, I feel kind of ashamed of everything God has given me over my life, (not the tangible things like money and "stuff" but the little things), which for the most part I just take for granted. It's kind of like how we all feel once a year at Christmas....that we feel enveloped within the joy and spirit of giving and go out of our way to be nice and do things for others this one week a year.

If only we could be this thankful and filled with the spirit of joy and giving every day of the year, like we are around thanksgiving and Christmas...what would our world be like? Oh yeah...it would be like the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, that Jesus talked about so much! It has always seemed like an impossible dream, when you look at everything that is going on in our world, but it can come closer. All it would take to start the ball rolling is you....each one of us makes the decision to change the way we live and simply shares that with one other person and instructs them to do the same.

It will be the MLM of Love!

Now that would be something to be truly thankful for!

RJ Luedke
www.HEADPRESS.info