The Biggest Day for This Inn Arrives Tomorrow 11/27/13

“Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine  perception.  Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.  Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.”      John Henry Jowett        

       How are you?

Thank you for dropping by this inn of encouragement and praise.  What thanks have you?   Of all the days of the year, tomorrow will be
tops for this inn.  In America, this Thursday is about the vision of this cozy place in cyberspace: singing our praises for the lovely things happening in our lives. Tomorrow, we celebrate thanks.

My Gratitudes for Wednesday:
1. I'm thankful for the nation in which I live. We enjoy great freedom and abundance in the United States.  I pray this country continues to maintain its great faith in God. It was the foundation upon which this nation was built.
2. I love the beauty that surrounds where I live.  California is a marvelous place to live.
3. I appreciate the sound of waves lapping against the shores of the island city that I call home. I delight in the smell of kelp and hearing the occasional complaint of sea gulls circling above and the honking of geese.
4. I know God's unconditional love and am empowered by life-giving principles.

"If thy law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction."  Psalm 119: 92

They are slate stones that allow me to confidently trek across the miry bogs of life. Wow.  For more about this, please read here.
5. I'm fortunate being the father of terrific young men.
6. I am grateful for the hope I have and the positive principles that fill my heart. They are a result of the daily and of over twenty years working on my personal growth.

No Emotional Vampires for Me
       I appreciate emotionally healthy friends. They are not emotional vampires. You know the type: they brighten a room by leaving it. They easily suck our joy and energy, if we are not on guard and don't exercise boundaries.

       Instead, friends offer love. They are an oasis within the desert of today's hectic, overburdened, technology tethered (iPods, smart phones, laptops, online addicted, twitter-fed, FaceBook oriented, email stuffed) society. Our relationships are reciprocal.

       They support me when I need it, at all times. They encourage and love me for who I am, not for who I appear to be.

“God gave us minds to think with and hearts to thank with. Instead, we use our hearts to think about the world as we would like it to have been, and we use our minds to come up with rationalizations for our ingratitude. 

"We are a murmuring, discontented, unhappy, ungrateful people."   ― Douglas Wilson

7.  I love the dynamic, stimulating, vibrant relationships I enjoy with positive people. I had such discussions with several today.  I am blessed.

8.  I appreciate the must haves and can't stands I have regarding relationships.  They provide clear boundaries.

9. I relish the smiles others have when they stay in the solution, looking at how they can overcome the challenges they face. They rely upon their community of support, their connection with God and the strength gotten as they live by healthy principles placed above their personality.
10. I value that I do NOT stay within my mind. How sad that would be.

        Instead---to my delight---I feel the depth of my feelings without being overwhelmed by them.  I spend time with God, embraced by His deep, patient, supportive love.  I transcend difficult circumstances. I know the gift of equanimity.
11. I routinely discharge the emotional and mental toxicity that built up in my childhood. I'm thankful for exercise, journaling  talking with friends. for punching bags, jump ropes, cycling, screaming while watching a sports event, running, swimming, sports and other vehicles that are wonderful channels that allow negative feelings to be released from my soul, body and spirit.
12  I love cycling.  I am encouraged by the vigor I feel after riding.
13. I look forward to being with friends and family tomorrow.  I'll ride the crest of positivity that tomorrow's holiday offers.
14.  I love the work I do.  I'm glad I serve my fellowman.
15. I am ecstatic that I have my voice.  I'm able to say what I mean, mean what I say, but not say it meanly.

The Healing Power of Forgiveness
       I am indebted to the deep healing power of forgiveness. It frees me from the corrosive toxicity of bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness is the bolt cutter that removes the handcuffs of any resentment I have towards others.

"Forgiveness is not forgetting, it's letting go of the hurt."                    Courage to Change, p. 178

      When I forgive, I'm conforming to God's nature.  I'm thankful that I've been forgiven for my faults and what I've done that has caused harm towards others, myself and offended the God of my understanding.

How About You?
What are some areas where you are thankful? Please share. You contribute to the joy we have here, when you do.  Thanks!