Peace and Contentment

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 298: Today, I am grateful for peace and contentment. 

October has thirty-one days, but it still seems to slip by like a whisper in the wind. You wake up one morning and it is suddenly time to turn the calendar to November. I am going to squeeze every ounce of goodness out of October in this last week. 

"There's just something about October that makes my soul feel content and my heart feel at peace." 

October's cooler temperatures work her magic on the trees. Soups come back out as a regular meal choice. Full disclosure... It is always chili season in the Smith House. 

Chili always makes me think of my brother-in-love, Monte. Chili was always a dinner option, any time of year. Monte served it up in Indiana and in Florida, no matter the weather. Sister-in-Love Jan is a great cook, but Monte enjoyed it, too. Especially when it was one of his favorite things. It is one of those things Randy and I agreed upon without even thinking about it when we married. 

There is a sense of peace and contentment that accompanies this time of year, if we allow margins in our schedules. The harvest is still going full throttle, but on Sundays and when the harvest is complete, life takes a different pace that last for a couple of weeks before the holidays kick into high gear. Savor any slow, peaceful, and content moments when you can. In fact, schedule them. Block out time for the things that make you feel peaceful and content. 

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"-Luke 12:24

Savor the sweet contentment in knowing our God provides for the birds and for us. 

Today, I am grateful for peace and contentment. 

A World With Octobers

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 297: Today, I am grateful for a world with Octobers. 

I love this quote:

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

Autumn is glorious! The cool mornings and nights compliment the sun-filled days. The dying leaves become more vibrant before they let go and die to replenish the soil where they land. Oh, it is truly magnificent to live in a world with Octobers. 

It is almost as if the leaves have been soaking in the summer sun just waiting to give it all back in the fall, like a farewell gift before they are gone. It is truly a show I would hate to miss if I lived in a place without fall.  

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

 Today, I am grateful for a world with Octobers. 

Burden Sharing

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 296: Today, I am grateful for burden sharing. 

Sometimes things are just too heavy to carry alone. I am always grateful for the people who step in to help shoulder the load. Our burdens can be physical or emotional. Both are eased when shared. 

We were designed for relationships. We can do hard things, but it is such an encouragement to face tough stuff with a partner, a cheerleader, and a friend. Together we are better. 

"Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2

Today, I am grateful for burden sharing. 

Humor

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 295: Today, I am grateful for humor. 

"Every time you find some humor in a difficult situation, you win." 

Humor can be a great diffuser in times of tension. It must be respectful. Done well, it can be powerful. Humor helps us reframe things that do not make sense. Other times, it helps us laugh at ourselves. There are times it can help us see more clearly, too. 

A little wit can save the day. A little laughter can get endorphins pumping. Finding humor in hard times is a win. Helping others find a little relief through humor can be a random act of kindness. 

"Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!" -Proverbs 15:23

Look for the things that make you laugh. Animal memes with human observations always make me laugh. The internet is full of them. Life is pretty absurd at times; finding humor is not hard if we are intentional. 

Today, I am grateful for humor. 

Sanity Pause

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 294: Today, I am grateful for the reminder to take a sanity pause. 

Do you ever want to stop and shout, "Stop the insanity!" Kurt Vonnegut once said, “A sane person to an insane society must appear insane.” I've liked the quote since high school, and it rings with clarity at this moment in time.  

"I was told technology would eliminate unnecessary work. Instead, I now have sixty passwords, thirteen verification codes, and a robot asking if I'm a robot."

I am not sure we have ever lived in a time when technology has developed so quickly. I remember learning that the first computers filled rooms and now we carry them in our pockets and on our wrists. 

We are living with tools and toys that were science fiction in the recent past. Yet, no one seems to have more time. It does seem a little crazy, doesn't it? 

Sometimes we need a sanity pause. Part of that pause is remembering who God is. Confidence in who He is allows us to relax, even when things seem a bit crazy around us. 

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

The first part of that verse is comforting; the second half is commanding. When the world feels like "too much" we can trust His heart and hand. 

Today, I am grateful for the reminder to take a sanity pause.   

love, justice, and truth are connected

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 293: Today, I am grateful love, justice, and truth are connected. 

"Courage separated from justice, separated from wisdom, is hardly a virtue at all. In fact, it may be a recipe for evil." 

I saw this image and searched to find the author of this quote. I could not find one. I did find that it reflects the Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus have long been in my quote collection. 

Although the quote does not mention "moderation," it is implied. Moderation is about mastering our desires. Wisdom comes from God. Godly wisdom builds courage and helps discern what is injustice and what is just chatter. 

Several years ago, a survey of youth asked the age old question of "What do you want to do when you grow up?" An alarming amount want to be influencers on social media. The world needs more healthcare workers, electricians, plumbers, teachers, farmers, and shop owners. The world needs workers... it has always had plenty of social influencers and many do not know or speak the truth. 

Love, justice, and truth are connected. This was my verse of the day: 

"It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out." -1 Corinthians 13:6

His truth never fails, but it can take time to be revealed. 

Today, I am grateful love, justice, and truth are connected.

Small Things That Keep the Darkness at Bay

 

Daily Gratitude Year 14-Day 292: Today, I am grateful for the small things that keep the darkness at bay. 

"I found it is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... small acts of kindness and love." -Gandalf, The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien

I love the wisdom in this quote. It reminds us that little acts of kindness and love not only matter, they are much more powerful than we realize. Light always dispels darkness and small acts of kindness and love keep us human. We can all do those things. 

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

There will be many opportunities to show grace and love today. Small acts of kindness and love can be exactly what someone else needs to get through this day and this week. Showing up in love and kindness at just the right time is a superpower. No cape needed. 

Today, I am grateful for the small things that keep the darkness at bay.