Grateful Things ...

In the eulogy for Steve Jobs read at his funeral by his sister. she said that at the end he looked at her, at his wife, at the children, and then said looking just passed them, " 'OH WOW.  OH WOW.  OH WOW.'" I try to image what wonders he might have glimpsed at that moment, just beyond the veil.   It made me wonder, right here on this earth, how many moments of "Wow"  I miss daily because I have come to take them for granted or don't stop the rush of my perceptions to truly see.  Surely, greeting each day with "Wow!" is a divine exclamation worthy of a prayer.Thank you, God."  Gratitude, I know, sets the tone for a day in which "wow" can pop up frequently.  In the space that gratitude carves, I see clearly that everything is a gift.  Either it is a recognizable gift or it can be reshaped to become a gift.  This Thursday we will focus on our blessings and say thanks with friends and family at the table.  What if everyday we could take a moment and say, "Wow.  Thank you, God."

Today I want to say Thank you to my Father in Heaven for the most precious blessings I have; my family and friends, the gospel, my testimony, His unconditional love and caring for me. I am grateful that even in this difficult time in my life that He has my back. That I feel my Saviors love everywhere, in everything! I am grateful for temporal blessings. My house, my car ... indoor plumbing, pillows! I am grateful for hope and laughter! I am grateful for diet coke and donuts and sweet and sour chicken or Dave's bar-b Que! (hmmm bar-b-Que).  I am so grateful for the kindnesses that have been shown to me ... by friends, family and anonymous surprises in the mail. The best way to thank a kindness, is to pay it forward ... I was reading about a woman who turns 70 this month, and is celebrating by doing 70 "Random Acts of Kindness"! Opportunities for kindness show up many times a day.  A person enters our mind...another shows up at the door to our office or our home...a creative idea pops up that might be a blessing to many...the weary clerk needs a warm smile and a special thank you...the person on the other side of the kitchen table needs to be really listened to...  Maybe it's sort of like, "Ask not what God can do for you but what you can do for God."  And maybe those two things magically turn out to be the same.  And perhaps I can repay the many kindnesses shown to me by being kind to others.