Are you grateful for the simple things

We never know the worth of water

till the well is dry.

~ Thomas Fuller

How true, how true. This quote reminds me of the faithful mother who labors diligently for the care of her family, never with complaint, yet also without praise, and keeps on loving and loving anyway. Her love and presence are often taken for granted because they are so reliable and ever-present. But if gone, they are sorely missed.

Or the humble worker in the office place that adds a special cheer and smile to the meetings she attends and the co-workers she passes in the hall. The smile and joy are taken for granted because they're always there. But one day, the worker moves on, and...suddenly, where's that bright smile we had come to expect!

It's right and well to acknowledge these niceties of life while we're experiencing them. They are gifts from above. We shouldn't wait until "the well runs dry" to notice their presence and appreciate the blessings they bring.

Perhaps, the more we notice now, the more we'll see and continue to see from now on!

Gratitude keeps the well full.

Reasons to be grateful

It’s two days to Thanksgiving Day here in the US. It’s a holiday that reminds us to remember the things that we have to be grateful for, small and large, and there are many.


It’s been a tough year for millions of people struggling to make ends meet in a recessionary economy. When faced with mounting debt, unemployment, and looming rental payments, it can be hard to find reasons to be grateful. But there is always something good to notice and acknowledge no matter how dire circumstances appear.


Hidden behind the dashed hopes and crushed dreams of the human mind is God’s hand at work bringing one to a better place than occupied before. It takes humility to discern what God is doing, and faith to accept a new order for our life, but when we listen and follow, trusting the divine plan to unfold, we leave the old behind and walk toward the new and improved.


One of you sent in a link to an article titled, “Recession gave me a new opportunity.” The piece tells about people who have risen from the ashes of despair and loss to regain composure and new direction in life. It’s a nice report, and reminds us to look for the opportunity, see the possibility, not to get hung up on the loss, and move forward to the gain. I thought you might enjoy reading it.


Happy Thanksgiving.

The "I want" list

Do you have a list of “I wants?” Many people do.


I want a new IPOD. I want a new cell phone. I want a new car. I want new clothes. I want to earn more money. I want more respect. I want a spouse…and the list continues to grow.


Spending one’s days thinking about what one wants all the time is not an enjoyable way to live. It’s a feeling of lack constantly objectified. And the antidote is to replace the “I want something material…” with “I want to know God better. I want to grow spiritually. I want to express God better!”


When your “I want” list transforms from selfish pursuit to God-reflection, life is fun and pleasant. One doesn’t spend all day thinking about what he or she lacks, but rejoices in what he or she already has!


God has endowed you with the greatest assets life has to offer. And these assets are not material things that come and go. They are the riches of Spirit which put bounce in your step, light in your thought, purpose in your work, and hope into your future. They are the treasures of love, gratitude, peace of mind, spiritual mindedness and boundless joy.


So, instead of thinking about all the material things you don’t have, think about all the spiritual things you do have. And enjoy a most satisfying day.

Something to be grateful for

One of the liberating truths Christian Science has helped me understand over the years is that happiness attached to Spirit is endless. Happiness attached to things, status and position is fleeting.

I remember in my early days of youth, that when my goal was to earn money, I was never satisfied. I always needed more. Genuine happiness was always just out of reach or not quite yet attainable.

Once I learned that “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love,” as Mary Baker Eddy wrote, I dropped looking to money and things for joy, and found it in Spirit. I found a deep abiding peace within that I’d never known before. And it has stuck with me.

In today’s economy, which is tough for many, millions of people are severing connections with things, position and status, either by choice or not. Jobs have been lost, income reduced, homes foreclosed, job searches lengthened. It’s mortal mind fodder for getting down on life, feeling depressed, hopeless, and even sorry for self. And it needs to be guarded against.

Any downward spiral in morale can be checked by remembering what the most important things in life are and being grateful for them. The things that matter most are not the temporal items that can be taken from us. They are the spiritual things built into us.

God made us joyous beings. God made us happy beings. God made us complete beings, independent of cash in hand, job status, or societal standing.

When I traveled to South Africa about 8 years ago, I was struck by the severe poverty endured by millions. Huge shanty towns, with homes made of cardboard, tin roof, and dirt floor housed thousands and thousands of residents. Some people looked sad, to be sure, but there were also signs of great joy and happiness. Children, not weighed down by worry and fear, played with delight through the alleyways. Woman greeted us with big smiles and happy welcomes at stops we made. Men carried themselves with dignity and determination to make something of themselves. Where it might seem unimaginable to find signs of hope and joy, they were easy to spot.

There is a spiritual dignity in all of us that is greater than any trial we face. We are spiritual beings endowed with worth, value and importance that far transcends any material status quo.

We are not the money we make, the position we claim or the reputation we garner. We are more. We are valuable beyond any economic measurement, loved beyond any human evidence of it, and worthy beyond any other’s estimate. We are spiritual. We have eternal life and ability to live it. Our help comes from God, and no picture of lack in this world can deprive us of it.

When there seems to be little materially to be grateful for, we can count our spiritual blessings. We can think. We can see beyond the picture of lack. We can find hope in God. We can love. No one can stop us from expressing love.

And in love, we find life. It is enough to meet the human need.

No time for complaint

The economic hardships many people face today are a call on all of us to be grateful more than ever for every good thing we can find in our life.

As a practitioner, I pray for supply with people who can’t afford food for the day to businessmen running multi-million dollar businesses. And one of the basic spiritual principles we almost always come back to, is to look for the good that is obvious and be grateful for it. It has been proven time and time again that the blessings you recognize opens thought to see more supply right next to it.

When I hear people in the neighborhood, on the news, or at random complain about not having enough, I ponder, “I don't think this is a time to complain." And I remember the people who have far less to keep a sense of perspective on it all.

I think of the simple life Jesus lived. He owned the garment he wore, and that was about it. Yet, he never complained about not having enough. Why? Because he knew he was rich, wealthy and totally cared for. He never saw himself as lacking. He was spiritually minded.

If Jesus was ever tempted to compare his economic situation to another’s I’m convinced that he saw himself possessing much more wealth than anyone he saw because he knew real supply was love, gratitude, joy and faith in God, which he had in great amounts. Money and possessions were as dead weight to him. And so Jesus led a perpetually grateful life. He frequently thanked God for blessings before they appeared humanly, like the time he lifted the scant loaves and fishes up to heaven before feeding the hungry thousands. Jesus never lacked.

So, anytime we are tempted to complain that we don’t have enough, that we need something more, or covet a neighbor’s paycheck, it’s a call to be more grateful for the blessings we have, for they are great! They come from God and are freely given. They are the riches of life, truth and love.

Be grateful for what you have

If there is a sin against life;
It consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life

as in hoping for another life.
And in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.

~ Albert Camus

Replace "I want" with "I have"

Last night, during dinner, our son listed off a couple of things he wanted to get. As with most families now, we’ve been more conservative in our purchasing decisions, and have decided it wise and prudent to be happy with what we have rather than thinking we need more. We’re teaching our children the same.

There was nothing wrong with acquiring the items our son desired, and we could certainly afford them, but they weren’t necessary things to have. He had fine back-ups, if you will, that worked fine for him.

When searching for a reply, I said, “Well, if you look over your whole budget, see how much money you have to spend, and decide these are priorities you want to spend your money on, you can get them.”

Truthfully, though, his budget was not big enough to buy these items! He was expecting mom and dad to foot the bill. We all knew this, but it was unspoken.

Soon the conversation ended, and peacefully so. I believe he decided quite rapidly that he had other priorities he wanted to spend his money on some day, and became content with what he had. I haven’t heard anything more about it.

I liked this outcome. By being asked to live within his means, he made an intelligent choice.

In these challenging economic times for many, the temptation looms large to think “I need, I want, I don’t have.” But when we step back from the arguments of lack and rejoice in God’s ever-present care, it’s amazing how we find contentment and peace with what we already have. It’s enough.

The joys and blessings of life are not material. They are spiritual, and they come freely from God. They are wisdom, gratitude, knowledge, understanding, cheer and love. These riches of Spirit, lived and actively expressed, build wealth, balance checking accounts, pay bills, keep us out of onerous debt, and make life a joy to live.

When we value the spiritual over the material, we make better decisions, we find contentment with what we have, we don’t crave more than we can afford, we find reasons to be grateful and enjoy the moment we’re in.

To experience more of the riches of Spirit, and live a contented life, it’s helpful to replace “I want “ with “I have.”

I have…God, love, spiritual understanding, peace of mind, trust, faith…

These spiritual states of Mind bless one from within and lead to practical solutions without. And like my son saw, we realize we have what we need. It is enough. The greater need is to be grateful for the blessings already in hand.

Be grateful

Are you grateful today? Have you counted your blessings? Are you conscious of the good things happening around you and in your life? For they are many….

With the media broadcasting pictures of lack and despondency by people struggling with their finances, it’s extra important to remember our blessings to keep our perspective from sinking unnecessarily. And one of the most effective ways to stay on top of discouragement, despair and hopelessness, is to be grateful!

God is always sending supply our way, but we must be receptive to receiving it. Gratitude keeps the mental doors open to the supply of wisdom, insight, foresight and spiritual sight that God provides to meet our human needs.

Ingratitude slams the mental door on this supply and causes one to believe they lack, when they don’t lack at all. If they lack, it’s not supply that's missing, but the right perspective that enables one to see supply.

Gratitude is an attitude. Carry it with you all day long! It will bless you and reveal bounty untold before your eyes that previously appeared elusive or nonexistent.

Give thanks and you’ll find even more to be thankful for.

Mary Baker Eddy wisely asked, “Are we really grateful for the good already received?" And then added, "Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more.”

Finding contentment

Have you ever been told to, “Be content with what you have”?

Grumblers might complain, “That’s easy for people who have plenty in the first place to say!”

Whether we agree or not, it is a wise adage and proven method for finding peace of mind in times of squeezed budgets. When the checking balance runs low and desired purchases must be delayed, it helps to step back from the “I want” or “I need” list and be grateful for what one has.

But there’s more to this wise adage than being grateful for immediate material possessions. Spiritually considered, the significance of the instruction extends far deeper than finding contentment with one’s material status quo.

It’s a call to be grateful for one’s spiritual assets and possessions.

“Be content with what you have,” to me, signifies a command to remember what I’ve been divinely endowed with and realize that those blessings from above are sufficient to meet human needs.

As Christian Science teaches, our substance is spiritual. It's not measured in dollars and by things bought at the store. It’s the wisdom, intelligence, creativity, sense of humor, joy, cheer, love and goodwill that are built into our being.

Each of us is richly endowed with spiritual qualities that meet human needs. These qualities, when recognized and actively expressed, translate into wise and inspired human action that leads to productive and profitable results. To express these qualities is to have everything we need to prosper and take care of our family.

When substance is measured spiritually, and correctly appreciated and valued, it’s very easy to “Be content with what you have,” because, honestly, you have everything you need. You do not lack. The wisdom and intelligence coming from above is sufficient to meet the demand of the moment.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain," Paul taught.


In light of this truth, you can now let go of all fears and worries about what you don't have, and rejoice in what you do have. It's enough!

Gratitude

“Two kinds of gratitude:
The sudden kind we feel for what we take;
the larger kind we feel for what we give.”

~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

Be content with what you have

One of our early stops was at the Gruyere castle and neighboring town.

Have you ever heard of Gruyere cheese?

The Gruyere family ruled over a beautiful lush valley and surrounding area for 500 years, building a family fortune, castle, and powerbase. However, Michal, one of the descendants who eventually ruled, was not content with what he had. He borrowed money from neighboring aristocrats and merchants to finance expansive ventures and lavish spending habits. He went heavily into debt and failed to repay his creditors.

Finally, the creditors, many headquartered in Bern, joined together to collect their due.

Organizing a raid against Michal, they stormed his castle and took all of his valuables and treasures, stripping Michal of his prestige, remaining resources, and ability to rule. Michal lost his castle and his kingdom, and his family’s dynasty ended.

Backside of Gruyere Castle

The castle sits on a hill with a beautiful view.

While we walked through the grounds I remembered the Biblical verse, “Be content with what you have.”

Michal was not too smart to squander away 500 years of family success in the span of a few greedy years.

In jest, I told my children, “If you don’t want to lose your castle, don’t go into debt!”

Debt can have a supportive role to play at times when managed correctly, held to a minimum, and used for purposes that enable the debt to be paid back. But in this age, when taking on debt has been taken very lightly in many cases, I’m doing my best to teach my children the evils of debt when incurred for selfish purposes.

Gratitude for what one has, however modest, can spare many a year of suffering for getting in deeper than one is able to climb out of.

My children chuckled and said, "Yeah, dad." They've heard this message before!

It is enriching to understand that the treasures of Truth and Love are the greatest riches of all. When one makes the pursuit of understanding, wisdom, and sound decision-making a priority, and stays constantly grateful for what one has, it's much less tempting to take on debt that can't be repaid. Wisdom steers us clear and helps us find spiritual solutions that keep us free of enslavement to the world. Then we can avoid the fate of Michal and preserve the hard work that's been done.

Gruyere cheese at a local factory

Do you mind being a caterpillar?

Have you ever chafed at making the most of who you are, or contrariwise, wished you were someone else?

Here’s a humorous and delightful article titled, “A Path to Butterflyness,” by Dalton Roberts, that a reader put me onto.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the piece, and I think you may also.

What are you grateful for?

I love Thanksgiving time. It reminds me to stop what I'm doing and be extra grateful for all the blessings that God has to offer.

I shared some of the things I'm grateful for this year in a blog posting, "Gratitude for spiritual awakenings," on tmcyouth.com that went up yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Acknowledge your blessings

Last weekend, my wife and I took our son to a large out-of-town tennis tournament for junior players. It was his first major event to participate in as a competitor, and we were all excited about the opportunity for him to play with other strong players from around the Pacific Northwest.

He did well, winning his first two matches, 6-4, 6-2, then 6-1, 6-1. He got trounced in the semi-finals by a far more experienced player who was also older and much bigger. But that was okay. We had reached our goal of gaining experience and playing the field to see what the competition was like.

The next day, I told a friend that I had spent part of the weekend watching my son compete in the tournament, and she replied, “How cool to be able to watch your son play tennis!” It was a simple statement, but stopped me dead in my mental tracks.

I hadn’t thought of being there in Ellensburg with Tyler as “way cool.” Yes, I was the one who encouraged him to participate in the first place. I was the one committed to getting him there and ensuring all went well. At the last minute, my wife was free to come too. And yes, I was excited about seeing him play. But I hadn’t thought in terms of “How cool…” I had seen the activity as just another part of raising children and living a family life.

But my friend was right. It was “cool!”

My friend had a different perspective. She was one longing for a family herself, and even children, and I had these things. So when she heard about the father/son activity, it was easy for her to see how special the experience was. I, as dad for fourteen years, had taken the privilege for granted.

I will not do that again! At least, to the best of my abilities… :-)

From that one simple observation of my friend, I have become more aware than ever to not take anything about our children’s growing up years for granted. It’s too precious. It happens once. Every activity they are involved in, every job they do, every assignment they complete, every smile they make, every idea they share, is cool! It’s the divine unfolding in their unique identities as children of God.

And what conscientious parent would want to miss out on even one of those special moments!

How cool...

Reason to be grateful

Check out this flash movie, “Drinking from my saucer.”

When we measure our good in life in a spiritual way, we readily see our cup, too, overflowing from Love.

There is no lack in Love.

Turn up your sound.

Getting untangled

The Whale

If you read the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle about a year ago, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her ...

A very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around, and thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love,
be so blessed and fortunate
to be surrounded by people
who will help you get untangled
from the things that are binding you.
And, may you always know
the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

Gratitude

Enjoyed a nice article titled, “Gratitude: A life difference,” by Benjamin Devey. He wrote in part:

“Gratitude unburdens our spirit from negative emotions and gives room for charity in our hearts. It opens the windows of heaven to work miracles in our lives. It shines light in our caring for others.”

In the spirit of generous giving and gracious receiving that should be a hallmark of this holiday season, we can never overdo gratitude.

We each have much to be grateful for, probably more than we’ve noticed recently.

Gratitude and happiness

A number of recent studies confirm happiness doesn’t come from having lots of money or showy things. It comes from attitude, perspective and outlook—qualities of life rooted in Spirit, rather than materialism.

Malcolm Ritter for AP reported in part:

“As a motivational speaker and executive coach, Caroline Adams Miller knows a few things about using mental exercises to achieve goals. But last year, one exercise she was asked to try took her by surprise.

Every night, she was to think of three good things that happened that day and analyze why they occurred. That was supposed to increase her overall happiness.

"I thought it was too simple to be effective," said Miller, 44, of Bethesda. Md. "I went to Harvard. I'm used to things being complicated."

Miller was assigned the task as homework in a master's degree program. But as a chronic worrier, she knew she could use the kind of boost the exercise was supposed to deliver.

She got it.

"The quality of my dreams has changed, I never have trouble falling
asleep and I do feel happier," she said.

Results may vary, as they say in the weight-loss ads. But that exercise is one of several that have shown preliminary promise in recent research into how people can make themselves happier — not just for a day or two, but long-term….”

I haven’t done any scientific survey, but I’ve noticed that grateful people are generally happy people.

Have you ever noticed the same?

And this makes sense when you think about it. After all, is a grump and complainer going to be happy? I don't think so....

You've probably heard it a hundred times, if not more. Gratitude is healthy for what ails you.

I'ts also a sure route to happiness.

Exercise it abundantly!

Thanksgiving more than a holiday

Thanksgiving is more than an annual holiday. It’s a way of life practiced more frequently than we may realize.

Have you ever avoided a near miss accident on the highway, caught your breath, looked up to the sky and said “Thank you?” Have you ever feared rejection by another but received acceptance, and said “Thank you” to an unseen presence about you? Have you ever been stranded in such a perilous circumstance that you thought there was no way out, but found a way out, and then paused to say “Thank you” to an invisible guiding hand?

If you think about it, there are probably countless times over the last year when you stopped to say “Thank you” to a power above yourself.

I know there are many times I’ve felt grateful, and knew the blessings I was witnessing came through a power not my own.

When my son and I came out of a car accident completely untouched last summer, I was grateful beyond words, and I knew I owed the hand of divine Providence a debt for the protection.

Giving thanks is an expression of spirituality. It is our true spiritual self coming out for all to see, including ourselves.

Selfishness, indifference, apathy, ego, self-centeredness are evil and lack the grace of gratitude. But they are not spiritual either, and are alien to our God-given individuality. We want nothing to do with them. They shrink in upon themselves and wither into an ugly paltry miniscule whimper of error that vaporizes into nothingness.

It’s nice to have an annual holiday to remind us of the value and importance of giving thanks. It’s Thanksgiving Day in the USA today. And my family and I will talk about all the things we have to be grateful for this year. But above all, I find great peace in knowing thanksgiving is not a rite imposed upon us by a political government. Giving thanks has been bred into our being by God Himself, and is a natural and normal practice for us as divine offspring.

We give thanks because we want to, not because we have to.

Enjoy your opportunity to give thanks today. The good you see and acknowledge opens the door for more to come.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10

Grateful today?

I don’t know who said it, but I picked it up on a slide show a while ago:

“We seldom think of what we have, but often think on what we miss.”

~Author unknown

In response, I’m reminded of a favorite from Science and Health:

“Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more.”

~Mary Baker Eddy