Heat in the Home

 With the temperatures reaching below zero, I am grateful that I have heat in the house to keep me warm.

 My heart hurts for those individuals who do not have the means to heat their homes, or who do not have a home at all. 

 There are organizations that will temporarily help those in need; however, the number of those needing help is far greater than the number of those who can help and are willing to help. 

 So, how can we, as individuals, participate in lending a hand to those in need?
 Some of us are able to donate money to certain organizations or to the church we attend. It might not be much but, put it all together and we can make a difference.
 Some of us, are able to knit scarves, hats, and gloves, or to sew fleece blankets that will help with keeping warm.
 And some of us might even be able to open a spare room to someone we know, and who is in need of a warm place to stay.
 There may be even other ideas that I have not thought of, and that we can implement to help those less blessed than we are. 

 In reality, there is no easy answer to a problem that seems to be growing.
 What keeps coming to mind are the words of our Savior, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

 I ask myself, "Do I want to be kind towards my Savior, or do I want to pass by Him uncaringly?"

Dirty Dishes and More

I have mentioned before that I am working on the book 30 Days Change Your Habits Change Your Life by Marc Reklau.

Chapter 36 talks about gratitude. As I made the list of all the things I am grateful for (and I am sure I have missed many more), a poem came to mind. I do not recall the exact wording, nor I recall the author, but the gist of the poem was so:

be grateful for dirty dishes, because it means you had food to eat
be grateful for dirty clothes, because it means you had clothes to wear
be grateful for dirty sheets and a bed to make, because it means you did not have to sleep on the streets
be grateful for having to get up early and go to work, because it means you have a way to support yourself
be grateful for a messy house, because it means there are people living in it and you have a roof over your head

I do not remember the rest, if there was a rest, and I cannot guarantee that this is one single poem and not a mix of different ones. But the bottom line is that we should be grateful for all we have, even housework.

I try to be grateful every day, but many times I find myself being grateful only for the things I like and complain instead for others (like being interrupted while I am doing something else). What I don't realize, and I am going to try to remedy that, is that even those things that I don't like have a purpose in life.
Being interrupted means I have either family or friends who care to talk with me or need me. If they need me, it is an opportunity to serve. And I know that when I serve them, whatever I do, is as if I am serving the Lord (Matthew 25:40).

I feel like I am looking at an attitude of gratitude for the first time in my life. I don't know about you, but I am going to do my best to be grateful for all things that I have or happen, even the unpleasantness of some, on this journey we call life. 

Imagination

 I am grateful for imagination.

Because of it, I can look at clouds and see animals and city's outlines.

When I read books, I can imagine what the characters look like, based on the description. I can imagine the landscapes and the events taking place in the book. 

I can look at the markings on certain tiles or wood planks and see faces, animals, shapes.

I can observe people and imagine what their life is like. 

When I was younger, middle school age, I would come home from school and place LPs or 45s in a certain sequence to create a story; I would then act out as I sang along with them. I would listen to waltzes and imagine myself in an Austrian castle dancing the night away. 

As I read the scriptures, I imagine myself being on the scene. In my imagination, I have been in the Garden of Gethsemane with the Savior. I felt His love for each and every one of us.
I have imagined Him standing next to me and I felt the desire to be the best person I could be. 
I have imagined Him sitting next to me, during my travels, and I felt at peace. 

I am grateful for my imagination. It enriches my life and, especially, my soul. 

Gratitude

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more." Oprah Winfrey

I am grateful for gratitude. 

I have noticed that when I show gratitude for even the smallest of things, my day goes better. I feel happier and it is so hard to be upset when you have a happy heart. You start looking at things in a different light and many of the things that used to bother you now seem to be so unimportant.

In his address to the youth, The Amazing Power of Gratitude, President Russell M. Nelson has said: "Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. ... [Gratitude] provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life."¹ Ultimately, being grateful can draw you closer to God, who is the giver of all good things (see James 1:17)

Still not convinced about adopting a grateful attitude? Let me share with you other reasons to be grateful. 

"Gratitude recharges you with energy and boosts our self-worth. It's directly linked to physical and mental well-being." (30 Days -Change your habits, change your life, Marc Reklau)

I am grateful for many things. And today, I am especially grateful for an attitude of gratitude. 

Prayers

Today, I just want to take a moment and be grateful for prayers.

What is prayer? Prayer is a way to communicate with our Father in Heaven. 

"Prayer does many things. Prayer is one of the ways we can express gratitude. It brings comfort and peace. It is through prayer that we are able to receive a testimony. It helps us to sort out our feelings and thinking as we express our concerns and desires to our Heavenly Father. It can give us specific answers. Our minds can be enlightened because revelation comes through personal prayer. Prayer is where repentance begins, it is through prayer that we can know we have been forgiven, and prayer can help us to forgive ourselves and others. Prayer can help us find direction. It can help us in making decisions." Prayer, CHERYL C. LANT, General Primary President, September 9, 2007

I am grateful that I have prayer as a way to communicate with my Heavenly Father and receive from Him the guidance, direction, peace, and even reproach to help me see my wrongdoings. 

How To Be Grateful When...

 How can you be grateful for things when you feel sad or depressed, not valued, not important, not enough?

That is a good question. 
Today, I am finding myself in this predicament. 

What is getting me through this type of situation is the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves me and that His Son, Jesus Christ, has suffered and died for me (and each and every one of us). For these facts, I am extremely grateful. I know that They value me; They consider me important; They think I am enough just as I am. 

If you believe in a Supreme Being, even though you might call Him/Her by a different name, rely on your Supreme Being. 

If you believe in Nature, watch a sunrise, a sunset, the stars in the firmament, or the rain as it falls. Find the beauty around you and express your gratitude for such creations. 

No matter how bleak life might seem in this point in time, it will pass. This situation is not permanent. It is just a glitch that will soon disappear. If nothing above works, just be grateful that time will pass and will take this moment away. 

If you find yourself that these sad moments are more frequent that your good moments, please seek help. It is not a shameful thing to turn to specialists (and their prescribed medicine) that can help us through this rough patch of life. You are not alone and you are not meant to go through this alone. Ask for help.

New Name

 Given that the last post was written quite a while back, I have changed the name of the blog to just "Gratitude."

In our heart, we should be grateful every day for our lives, the people in it, the blessings we receive; hence, "365 Days of Gratitude," the original name of the blog. However, given that many things are very personal, I have chosen to post on this blog only once a week. I hope that my thoughts will reach you when you need it most, to give you a spark of gratitude even in the direst circumstances. 

Today, I accompanied my mom to the hospital for a consult. As we were waiting, I observed the people around us. Many were older individuals; however, there were a few that were young, way too young to be in the oncology department. In this mortal life, each of us has been given an imperfect body. Some ailments are less serious than others. Some make you wonder if our Father in Heaven (or whomever you believe in) loves you and why He has permitted such grave afflictions. 

As each of us is different in how we process challenges, I cannot tell you what you should be grateful for. I can only share my personal thoughts of gratitude.

I am grateful that I am able to accompany my mom and be with her in this stage of her life. 
I am grateful that I know our bodies, although imperfect in this world, will be resurrected to perfection in the eternities.
I am grateful that medicine has come a long way in helping people heal or, at least, cope with an illness.
I am grateful for the support groups that are available for those who need them. 

As difficult as your circumstances might be, strive to find one thing to be grateful for. Gratitude, has a way to make us feel a little bit better.