I woke up this morning, lay in my bed, and counted the movements of my lungs. I had to smile because, for many, that is foolishness, a waste of time. I call it awareness.
Turned over and left my bed without needing someone to help me, showered, chose what I wanted to wear and dressed, and then went downstairs.
Had what I wanted to eat for breakfast and began planning the tasks I needed to do before they became urgent, and pushed me into a stressful mode that would make my week difficult and me angry.
Yes, my calendar is full. However, a full calendar shows me the necessity of putting God first-–to show gratitude if I want to see any progress in my tasks. Whether cooking, writing, reading a chapter in a good book, listening to good music, or paying attention to what is happening around me and reaching out to help, taking the time to meditate first is necessary for me. It’s my time to look toward Heaven, regardless of whether it is night or day, and to tell God I am truly thankful.
Have a lovely week, and take care.
Shalom shalom
Pat Garcia
Hi, Pat! I chuckled at your moments of gratitude and how they match mine. Each morning, among the MANY, MANY, MANY blessings that we have to be grateful for, I thank GOD for our health, I take a deep breath and thank HIM for the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the fact that we have the blessing of ‘choice’ – that we can choose to follow HIM (or not). I also thank HIM for “the fact that we are able to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom ALONE and take care of our personal needs, without the help of man or device.”
As I’ve shared in many posts before, I begin my day ON MY KNEES – first in TIME WITH GOD, then in meditation. Afterwards, I head to my bath to have that all-important-conversation with that person staring back at me in the mirror – “What will you do today to be better than you were yesterday?” “What will you do today to make someone else’s day better?”
Pat, as they say, great minds think alike. So glad that we have THAT in common 🙂
Pat, you make me smile. Have a beautiful week!
Hi, Pat! I love how you start your day in awareness, and how you express your gratitude to God. It’s a blessing to be able to do the things most of us take for granted. We usually become aware of how blessed we are only when something goes wrong and we can’t function normally for a period of time. That’s also when we most often turn to God for help. He is worth our awareness and gratitude every second of every day. Being human, we’re blessed when we can at least start the day with that. Everything else falls into place when we begin our day in the presence of God. His breath fills our lungs. His blood runs through our veins. His presence lifts us up, gives us awareness, sets our life in order, protects us, heals us, and blesses us every second of every day. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Blessings,
Patty
A lovely post, Pat. Being independent and able to care for yourself and all your needs is a great blessing 💓
Pat, I felt my own heart fill with gratitude as I read your spiritual practice preparing for the day & week ahead. Thankfulness is the gateway to joy, I firmly believe.
May your enjoy rich blessings as you journey through this day, this week! ((( )))
Hi Pat. Thank you for sharing your thoughts today. Very inspirational.