"SpiritSparkles" of Gratitude!

This morning, I remembered to put some lotion on my hands because they are very dry and handling papers a lot makes them look like old desert land! :)

I went to pick up lunch for visitors at my place of employment. As I was driving, I noticed how the sunlight through the car window made my hands "sparkle." I realized it was the lotion on my hands that must have had some kind of "sparkly" ingredient that remained on the surface of my skin after the lotion had been rubbed in. It made my skin shimmer with tiny bits of sparkle here and there - obvious only if looking for it. I became excited to think about it as a "Blessing from Spirit" - the "SpiritSparkle" on my skin was the blessing of Spirit in my life! Using this as a "tool" to help focus on what I want vs. what I don't want in my life, I let myself enjoy a "fantasy" about how fantastic and wonderful my life is now that I am so blessed with SpiritSparkle! (and my life is blessed when I choose to count the blessings instead of the boo-boos!) Yes! Thank You GodSpirit for the Wonderful Blessings You bestow on me today and everyday! Thank You for the Wonderful turn of events that has my life coursing through Your highway of Blessings - touching everything I do with Your Favor and Grace! Thank You GodSpirit for Touching me Today - right now this minute - with Your Divine Favor!!! Thank You for transforming my desert into an oasis of abundance!

Thank You for Covering Me with Your SpiritSparkle now and always, no matter what kind of lotion I use (or forget to use!)!!!!

Can you be grateful for 3%?

First, a friend who recently submitted a prayer request for her grandmother happily reports that Grammy is doing much better and is out of the hospital! Thanksgiving to Spirit for its Wonderful Healing Power! And blessings to the family! (prayer requests may be sent to heartlandprayer@yahoo.com or in care of us here at thegratitudeway@yahoo.com).

Another bit of good news - my own employer just gave me notice of a 3% merit increase effective in April! Thanksgiving to Spirit for its Wonderful Prospering Power!

Why be grateful for three percent? Why not!? I want to become more and more grateful, so that I can express the same degree of gratitude over a fraction of a percent of goodness that I can over a million times that amount! Three percent may not seem like much at first glance, but over the course of the pay period, it could amount to a tank of gas or a few extra groceries! During these challenging times, we are not called to panic and worry about having enough, but are given the opportunity to step forward and challenge ourselves to make the best use of our current and coming resources as possible!

Instead of becoming worried about how I will make the current grocery supply last until payday, I choose to look at the stock with a creative eye and see if I can come up with something a bit different from the norm. Maybe it will be "Mulligan Stew" (made of odds and ends) or a completely new creation! Instead of buying a new pair of pants, look deeper into the closet and see if there's something hiding there waiting for the opportunity to be worn in daylight!

Driving to pick up my child from her after school program, or going to work, instead of gripping the steering wheel, thinking about the miles rolling away under me or how late I am, let me instead choose to notice the geese flying overhead, the way the stark black tree skeletons stand against the dawning sky, softened by the gentle greening of the earth and life of spring.

We always have a choice when it comes to being grateful or not, and whether we will be grateful for only the big "significant" things that happen, or all things, no matter how seemingly small.

Yes! Thank You, GodSpirit, for Three Percent! And for every good thing You bring to me Now!