Monthly Archives: December 2021

Looking Towards The Future With Gratitude For The Past

Tomorrow is the last day of 2021 and oh what a year we have had. During the past eleven months, since beginning this blog, I have focused with gratitude on positivity for all of our many blessings in life. I have met many new friends and have tried to offer assistance to my family and friends in need.

Against the light I perceive from “joy”, “peace”, and “calm”, I admit I have noted the apparent stressors on people around me because of the ongoing variants of the virus, whether to wear masks or not, if and when we should take the vaccines, the economy going up or down daily, strategies within political parties, all the necessary zoom calls, changes to the educational system, changing weather systems, persons who are ill and dealing with death and dying, and more. Some days such news breaks my heart, but I purposefully try to steer my focus away from these negative forces in life. I go towards the “light” of life, and focus on the positive I feel, and I encourage you to do the same, if possible. Why?

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Gratitude For Parents’ Christmas Spirit of Love-Joy-Peace

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My mother and father were minsters and comforted many people during their lives. I am so grateful for my parents and their giving spirits. I found an old poem my mother gave to her church one Christmas, and I offer it to you this year. Marian wrote this poem for the church congregation and sent it out as a holiday gift with Bob.

The Christmas gift I would give to you

Are costly and precious, ancient but new.

They’re wrapped not with paper, tinsel or string,

But they glitter and sparkle and great happiness bring.

They’re sealed and they’re signed by God in the sky,

Sent special delivery by angels on high.

These gifts are surprises to most of mankind,

Multitudes seek them, but never to find.

God showed me His storehouse of gifts one day,

And said unto me, “Just give them away.”

But most folks won’t take them, they cannot believe

They’re free for the taking and will not receive.

JOY IS GOD’S GIFT, a state of the soul

More precious than diamonds, silver or gold.

PEACE IS GOD’S GIFT, sought since time began,

But it has eluded the wisest of men.

LOVE, GOD’S MOST MARVELOUS GIFT, I believe,

For the more that you give it, the more you receive.

There is health, and wealth, and gifts galore

I’ve named a few, there’s many more.

He alone knows just what we are needing,

And always in all ways, God’s guiding and leading.

If we accept the gifts of His love,

We’ll be showered with blessings from God up above.

God’s gifts are free, if we believe

With eyes of faith we must receive.

But do not put undying trust

In what you see with your eyes of dust.

For the best gifts in life are truly free,

Just reach out and take them and you will see.

For our holiday gift to all, my son and I are putting my mother’s poetry online for all to read and enjoy in her own words with audio and videos we collected. Simply go to the website, AHouseInsideofMe.com

Her paperback book and Kindle versions are available on Amazon.com as well as an iBook from Apple Books. The title is, A House Inside of Me: Poetry by Marian Elsie Blake (2013) by Mary Blake Huer.

With gratitude I share my mother’s wisdom and love with you. Blessings!

#gratitudeultra

Such Joy From Baby Animals

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Last week I had the opportunity to observe parents and children feeding and petting baby animals. I wondered why baby animals give us such joy when we watch them run and play, so I did a little searching to try to answer my question: Why are baby animals so cute?

I actually found sites, animalhow.com and lifegate.com, to explain “cuteness”. Apparently, we are drawn to baby animals’ big eyes, large heads, small faces, squat limbs, soft skin, funny gaits, and playful behavior as they learn to walk, and eat, and explore their new worlds. There is a scheme, called the “baby schema” which explains why we feel such positive emotions when looking at baby animals.

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Gratitude For Immortality

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I am so grateful for my “Gratitude Stream”, my “moral virtues”, my parents instilled in me that I would like to share a bit with you. I believe that many people have a spiritual side and through such seek relief during times of illness and death, or when fearful, or worried. I also believe that we have “sacred portals” at specific moments throughout our life during which time we seek deeper explanations for particular events in our personal lives.

Personally, as a young child growing up, I observed my parents assisting many people because my parents were pastors. For my mother and father’s teachings I am deeply appreciative. In fact, as I grow older and watch tragedies emerge, I would like to share my parents’ wisdom with you, because I believe their words will give you peace and understanding too, during the stillness of the night.

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Gratitude For Simplicity

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Gratitude is beautiful. Gratitude is simple. Gratitude is free. Gratitude feels good. Gratitude may be shared or solo. Gratitude brings joy. Gratitude is happiness. Gratitude may be given.

But, lately when watching the recent tornados, when watching our politicians, when reading social media, and/or when watching the news it feels like I am at threat of losing Gratitude, so I seek directions or wisdom to help me hang on.

I am reminded within a fortune cookie that “everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.” My mind reflects upon an extension to “Gratitude may be found in everything, but not everyone finds it.” So, as I sit in the stillness of my room, I look up the definition of “simplicity” which means something that is easy to understand or do, or something that is natural.

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Walking The Pathway to Gratitude

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I have been posting for eleven (11) months now, 160 posts to date, as I walk and discover my own pathway to gratitude so I want to pause and reflect upon the meanings beneath my messages to you. First, living in a State of Gratitude is not always easy and takes being in a State of Mindfulness I would say.

I prefer to be mindful when I blog about gratitude. Intellectually, it feels the best!

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Grateful For Artists In Our Life

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I recently had the opportunity to visit the Laguna Beach, CA Annual Winter Fantasy Sawdust Art and Craft Festival. For over 30 years approximately 200 artists have shared their arts, culture and passion with the public to create a winter fantasy. They have baby animals to pet and feed, musical groups playing live music, glass artists blowing beautiful glass creations, jewelers, painters, woodworkers, potters, beautiful hats and garment creations, a marionette show, nutcrackers walking around, visits with Santa, and many more handmade treasures and gifts. It was simply a magical, uplifting, fun, enchanting day.

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Grateful For The Benefits From Mental Practice

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Physically, we are constantly faced with the need to perform various physical actions such as walking, running, sitting, skating, biking, swimming, opening bottles, lifting and many more. As we grow older, or if we have any illness, sometimes our physical actions become limited, or modified. Too often I watch people become increasing disabled by their perception of their limitations.

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Grateful For Caregivers, Caretakers, And Helpful People

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During the holiday season, I observe so many thoughtful and helpful people all around us. Typically we learn helpfulness from our parents, especially our mothers, who create magical moments for us as children with visits to colorful locations, cooking our favorite foods, decorating our homes, giving presents, and preparing us through their models to be kind and giving individuals as we grow up.

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