Forgiveness leads to more Gratitude!

Forgiveness is one of the steps we must take when practicing Gratitude, for we cannot be Grateful and Unforgiving at the same time! Today's message from Unity's Daily Word can help us take another step in the direction of forgiveness and letting go of the past, thus leading to experiencing more Gratitude and Grace and Blessings in our lives!

- Blessings.b

Friday, October 26, 2007 - Forgive

With unlimited faith and understanding love, I release and forgive.

Dear one, know that I am holding you in prayer. Enfolding you in love and understanding, I release any need to control outcomes for us. I am assured that God is in charge, and that Divine Love infuses our circumstance.

As we go forward, I trust God to lead us with divine wisdom. As we follow, we are guided to refreshing levels of insight, newfound options of action, and renewed belief. Making right choices, we move ahead with faith and trust. Our desire is for the best for ourselves and each other.

Assured with serenity and comfort, we feel, acknowledge, and affirm: Wherever we are, God is, and all is well.

With unlimited faith and understanding love, we release and forgive.

“When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.”—Psalm 65:3

Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you'll find prayerful support with Silent Unity. Visit Silent Unity online today or call 1-800-NOW-PRAY (669-7729).

Taking Stock

It's good every once in a while to just stop and take stock of what there is around you to be grateful for. There is so much if you really stop to think about it! As I write this, I am grateful for:

the little fan blowing a draft my way
the music playing softly nearby
good lighting
a great computer system
the availability of reaching people through blogs on Blogger and other electronic means
shoes on our feet
transportation and traffic lights (what chaos without them!)
before-and-after school programs that ensure the safety of children whose parents have to be at work before and after normal school hours
the craft of photography that allows us to capture images of our loved ones - freezing in time those moments, those smiles, those freckles, those adorable faces we love so much
automated calendar systems that help us remember important events
telephones that allow us to communicate at a second's impulse
alarm clocks that help us get up on time to start each day
electric coffee brewing systems
refrigerators that help preserve foods for more than a few days
creative genius that develops toys and objects to entertain us
people who make movies

The list could go on and on - but you get the idea! If it comes to mind, it deserves your gratitude!

What are you grateful for today!??????

Gratitude Works!

http://www.gratitudeworks.com/links.html
This site does a fantastic job of providing a plethora of gratitude resources! Check them out for all kinds of inspiring resources on Gratitude!

A Complaint Free World!

What a fantastic concept!

Can you go 21 days without complaining?

I'm going to try! I've got my purple wrist bands on order!!

http://acomplaintfreeworld.org/

Call it a "McGratitude" Moment!

I had three recent experiences (or Gratitude Awarenesses) that fit perfectly the "treasure on the beach of life" idea expressed by Sherrie Austin in her 365 Days of Gratitude daily offering!) And they all actually occurred in a McDonald's drive-thru lane! I guess you could call them "McGratitude!" :)

1 - waiting in drive-thru lane at McDonald's, at about 6:20 p.m., evening is approaching, air becoming cooler (thankfully!). The first thing I noticed was the birds in the little trees - dozens of them had just come in to roost for the night. What a cacophony of sound! All the chirping and excitement as they seemed to be sharing their day! What were they saying? I wondered. I imagined they were talking about what goodies they found for nests - a piece of straw or string or extra strong grass; perhaps they talked of the near misses - the bus, the biker, the bigger bird. It was such a joyous sound! Everyone chirping at once! Isn't that how it is when we go home? Or return from a trip? It was such a joy to listen to them! Listen to the birds!

2 - I wondered how many people noticed the little ground hog who had come out of the taller grass to the edge of the lawn south of the drive-thru lane? He was munching on the shorter grass where it was easier to get at the roots and bugs. Going along, minding his own business, doing his thing, feeding himself while the humans passed by in too much of a hurry to notice him while they focused on feeding themselves. But I noticed, Little Friend!

3 - What creativity we have in transportation! Not just the fact that we have moved from horse to wagon to automotive to airplane! But the next time you are in line at a drive-thru (or even walking through a parking lot!), notice the array of vehicles parked there - of how many DIFFERENT kinds of cars and vehicle styles there are! What creativity goes into designing these modern conveniences! Every one has its own unique character! Some are sloped. Some are squared. Every color of the rainbow and then some! There are differences even among the same brands and no two are the same once given personal touch by their owners. Just like people - one species, but so many variations and no two ever exactly the same, thanks to Free Will and the Creator's Individual Spark placed in each heart!

These three occurrences happened in a span of about 7-10 minutes - however long the wait was, which I didn't mind at all because I was enveloped in a Gratitude Moment, noticing just a few of the little treasures waiting to be discovered there...

Can there be too much?

Can there be too much Gratitude? I don't think so. If anything, there is not enough. Have you ever felt so grateful about something that the feeling filled you to overwhelming and overflowing? Is that too much? What if we could attain a sustained state of Gratitude and Grace? How wonderful would that be? To always be aware and Grateful!? To be able to look beyond any physical appearance presenting itself and move directly into the Gratitude State!
My Prayer: Make me grateful. It's simple really. Just allow me to be grateful. Nothing is holding me back except my judgment so I choose to release that now. How free I will feel without the bondage of judgment! Make not my eyes to see the dishonor people have for each other. Instead let me see the Love. Make me a channel of that Love! Make me a channel of Grace. Make me a river flowing full of Gratitude!