Gratitude365

One of the things I love about being a full-time RVer is being able to go somewhere warm for the winter. This year, we chose to winter on the Gulf coast instead of where we’ve been going the past five winters in the Hill Country. We arrived at the RV park on Sunday, and so far there’s nothing not to like. It fits my parameters of being safe, quiet, and clean.🙏🏽 Oh, and it’s warm.🙏🏽

Most of the RV parks here roll out the welcome mat for Winter Texans and go through a lot of effort to provide ongoing activities to keep us as busy and involved as we want to be, some going as far as having actual activities directors. I’m more interested in meeting new people and participating in activities than my husband is, so I was eager to see what activities this resort had planned for January. Something caught my attention immediately: Mexican Train on Thursdays.🙏🏽 I’m in!

My neighbor had intended to go with me, but something came up at the last minute, so I ended up going alone. I’m getting better at jumping into the sandbox by myself; as a rule, fellow RVers are very kind and hospitable to us new kids on the block. I knew I’d be welcomed, and I was.

The two hours we played Mexican Train went by so fast, and I had so much fun with my new friends Sherry and Silvia and her husband, Terry, in addition to the other table of players. The game employs strategy and was rather fast paced with just the four of us, so I really had to pay attention so I’d know when it was my turn. I love spending my time doing something that taxes my brain to a certain degree, and if it’s combined with ‘fun,’ all the better!🙏🏽

I’m grateful for my wonderful life and for my good health that enables me to live like I do.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for the joy that comes from playing games! 🙏🏽 There’s always laughter and joking around, even amongst strangers. Spirits are uplifted, and cares are forgotten. I’m grateful for usually making good use of my time, especially when it’s spent playing games and having fun.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for strangers who become friends through playing games.🙏🏽

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. ~Psalm 90:12

Vowing to write every day (most days?) about gratitude is one of my better choices, and it’s become a part of my daily morning ritual, along with reading Scripture and various uplifting spiritual devotions. Coffee and my ritual are the cornerstone of my day. Still, my routine does not keep me from being a jerk sometimes, as evidenced earlier today. I barked at my husband first thing this morning over something inconsequential.

I’m grateful I recognized my hypocrisy immediately.🙏🏽 My actions were completely contrary to everything I’d read only 30 minutes before—the Beatitudes. I felt rather ashamed of myself. I’m grateful I didn’t feel justified in what I’d barked, although I easily could have. Old behavior.🙏🏽

I’m grateful I knew an apology was in order even though I could feel my pride and ego wince at the thought.🙏🏽 New behavior! Still, I felt compelled to do it because it was the right thing to do. So, I did. Right-thinking is prevailing these days.🙏🏽 Thank God.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. ~James 4:10

One of the best outcomes from participation in any worthwhile effort, I think, is when it leads to a lifelong habit, whether it be to benefit one physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Practicing daily gratitude has enhanced all of these for me. I just wish I’d picked up the habit sooner. As it is, I started doing it by way of another avenue.

Gratitude was not a subject I was very familiar with before I quit drinking alcohol in October 2011. But it was often discussed in the AA meetings I attended. With time, and sobriety, I began to think more clearly, and realized I had a lot to be grateful for. Like, my very life! I also realized the gratitude I had I for the things didn’t happen because of my disease—my husband didn’t divorce me, for example. Over time, it occurred to me that gratitude awareness didn’t have to be just a November-thing. It could be every day. It was a choice, and a heck of a game changer.

Gratitude has enriched my life exponentially. Like my daily routine of prayer and Bible reading, I wouldn’t dream of taking the practice of gratitude out of the mix. It’s my choice. All three are very important to me, and the routine ensures that I stay focused on what’s truly important. In today’s completely messed up world, it’s more important than ever to keep my eyes on Jesus.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:2

The past couple of days have been unusually active, to include packing up, leaving South Padre Island, and driving to our winter home a couple hundred miles north in Rockport, Texas. I was grateful for an uneventful trip 🙏🏽, especially since I was beginning to not feel well. Then I was glad for the Mucinex that I picked up in Mexico a couple of weeks ag0.🙏🏽 I was also grateful my husband drove the entire way, not just because I wasn’t feeling well, but because a lengthy causeway over a large body of water was involved at both beginning and end of the trip.🙏🏽 And not only that, fog and wind also contributed to ratchet up the pucker factor. I was grateful where we finally pulled into the driveway here, unhooked the car, and parked Felix.🙏🏽

The sole reason we’re at this particular RV park is because some friends from Minnesota had made reservations to winter here, and we trusted their judgment. We didn’t even bother looking elsewhere. We supposed that whatever they chose would be fine with us.

Just as we suspected, our friends chose a great park. Nice and clean, concrete slabs, lots of trees and grass, nice and quiet. Sight unseen, I knew we’d like it, too. Having faith in our friends’ judgement saved us tons of time doing research and making phone calls.🙏🏽 And the fact that we’re next door neighbors was an unexpected surprise; that was the park’s doing.🙏🏽

My trust in a lot of things—the government, the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, entertainment, sports, the news media—has waned over the past few years to the point of complete distrust. In a very unbelievable and uncertain world which seems to get more and more confusing and absurd by the day, I became introverted. It wasn’t ‘me,’ but it was safe.

My distrust of the above has led to an interesting development—it ignited a real desire to have a relationship with God, something I neither had nor understood. I’ve started reading the Bible intentionally, and am quite surprised at how interesting it actually is! It’s given me the peaceful reassurance that everything is going to be okay. I need to ignore all the distractions that get thrown our way and stay focused on God. God is reliable. God is God. 🙏🏽

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. ~Deuteronomy 7:9

December 31st. A day to think about the year that’s nearly over. The ups, the downs. The events that were memorable, and the ones I’d rather forget. Lessons. Journeys. Changes. Discoveries. Hard truths. Lots to think about…

Practicing daily gratitude helps by teaching me to be thankful for it all, planned or not. Liked, or not. Acknowledging what little control I have over life’s events and the people in it has pointed me straight to the Bible this year, something altogether new for me. I do that daily, too, and the combination of both practices all but guarantees a great day. I am grateful for comfort and much peace.

I reflect with gratitude on these and other positive changes that have enabled me to enrich my life spiritually, sanely and soberly. I’m grateful for the promise of a better year ahead.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ~James 3:17

Being here on South Padre Island over the holidays has conjured up a multitude of new “what if” conversations between my husband and me, which I’m really grateful for because they get us dreaming, and I like that.🙏🏽 It is beautiful here, warm, and peaceful.🙏🏽 I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be for the winter. Our time here is winding down time; such is the RVing life. But we’re definitely open to coming back someday for much longer.

Researching something of interest really jazzes me; it’s almost like an adrenaline rush. One thing leads to another, and the deeper I go, the more interested become. Whether or not I actually follow through with an idea isn’t the point; I’m learning something in the research process, and I love learning, My goal has always been to be a lifelong learner, and I’m grateful for all I’m learning, all because we chose this place to close out 2022.

I don’t believe in coincidences, but I do believe that if an idea is meant to be, it will come to fruition somehow, someway. I believe that an idea wouldn’t even come to the forefront of one’s imagination unless it was even possible. It’ll be interesting to see where our idea takes us.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. ~Proverbs 20:12-13

Good food is, and always has been, a big deal in my family. So much so that it’s equated with love. It’s all because of my dad; he was an incredible man. He’d been orphaned very early in life and was raised by family members. When he was a young teenager, he left the Philippines with an older brother and went to Hawaii.

The story is that my uncle, who went to work everyday on a sugar plantation, gave my dad money for lunch. But my dad went to the pool hall instead and used the lunch money to bet against other pool sharks. If my dad won, he ate very well. But if he lost, he wouldn’t eat at all. He would later go on to tell his own children—my brother and me—that we didn’t “know what it was like to be hungry” every time we complained that we were, as kids sometimes do.

My dad eventually became a really good cook, and I’m grateful he did!! In fact, he cooked our every meal; somehow my mom never learned to cook despite being one of 10 kids. We never went out to eat; there was no reason to. Both my parents worked blue collar jobs so I know our family didn’t have much money, but we ate like kings. When it comes to good food, I was spoiled.

My dad eye-balled measurements, so I gave up asking him for recipes. His specialties were chicken chop suey, green pepper steak, fried chicken, and steak. He’d ask you how you liked your steak cooked, and not only grilled it to absolute perfection, everyone’s steak would all be done at the same time, no matter the number.

The subject of food is always a safe subject to discuss whenever we get together with our kids and grandkids…food is the main event around which all other activities are planned. My father-in-law used to love to talk about where we’d go for the next meal while we we’re still eating the previous. I sometimes even recall obscure places we’ve been to because of a restaurant there—and at my age, recalling anything is a blessing!—like Juliette, Georgia, where we ate at the Whistle Stop Cafe, featured in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Good food will always be a passion of mine.

I’m grateful for all the good food that has nourished my body over the years, the grocers, farmers and ranchers that provided it, memories that’ve been made over breaking bread with special others, the joy of cooking, fabulous grocery stores that make shopping for it fun. I’m grateful for everything about it!

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ~Genesis 2:6

What I love and am grateful for here at the beach at South Padre Island🙏🏽…ripples in the sand designed by the wind…collecting seashells left by the receding tide…boardwalks that go on forever…sunrises…sunsets….horseback riding in the sand…watching those who are surf fishing…being amazed by sand castle builders.

They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ~Psalm 145:5

It’s early Christmas morning, 2022, and I’m grateful to be waking up on a beach!🙏🏽 I actually haven’t seen it yet, as the weather has been too brutal to do anything outside besides take the pups out to pee. So I’m grateful that the wind, which has been blowing relentlessly ever since before we got here two days ago, is predicted to die down later this afternoon.

I picked South Padre Island to camp at for several reasons, the main one being that we’d never been here before. So I had no expectations and still don’t, because the weather’s been so bad. But I was reading an article about 28 fun things to do here, and apparently there’s a lot of nature-type things, like birding trails, an alligator sanctuary, something to do with turtles, a sandcastle display….and the beach! I’m grateful we’re here for a whole week; there will be time to explore.🙏🏽

Yesterday afternoon we learned that our son and grandsons were coming down to see us and that they’ll spend a couple of days. That was unexpected.🙏🏽 It’s more than a five hour trek, so I appreciate his effort.🙏🏽 I did not expect it at all. Maybe that’s what makes the blessing so sweet. There’ll be so much for the kids to enjoy!🙏🏽

Because I had no expectation about today, I’m okay with just waiting to see how the day plays out. I’m not going to plan anything; let nature take its course! I’m grateful for knowing that peace comes with letting go and letting God.🙏🏽

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. ~Psalm 62:5