Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,639
Cooking my turkey on the grill this morning led to the inevitable consideration of what to do with the leftovers? My solution is to make White Turkey Chili to take along with me tomorrow as I go hunting with my boss and try to get him his first MT big game.
However, I was short a couple cans of beans and completely out of onions so I had to make a trip to the grocery store before my daughter and son-in-law and granddaughter arrive to share Thanksgiving lunch with us.While on the way back I found myself reflecting on a quote that is percolating in my brain.
“Gratitude is the ability to extend the middle finger at adversity by focusing on our blessings instead of the negative things in life.”
Everyone has their struggles and everyone has blessings. It’s easy to look at others and try to compare our experiences with their experiences to get a sense of how good our lives are in relation to what others experience. To whatever degree I engage in comparison, I find myself struggling with either feeling superior or inferior to others instead of feeling contentment with my life experience or with dealing with the reality that I have room to grow and improve based on my own introspection of myself.
Holidays are a time that bring out mixed emotions for many. Remembrances of relationships lost, relationships that are struggling as well as relationships that are strong create a depth of emotion as complicated and nuanced as the very flavors of the meal we cook to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Today, I am focused on being thankful for the blessings and people who inspire me. Many of the people who I am inspired to become a better person as I watch them navigate adversity are members of this community and I want to affirm them that I appreciate their efforts and how they exemplify compassion, commitment and empathy in the face of trials that I don’t believe I would have the strength of character to navigate graciously.
Two individuals that immediately come to mind are @JLS and @DaveN. I know you guys aren’t perfect people but you are inspiring and I am thankful I get to see how you approach life and difficult circumstances.
I am thankful for many things, most of all the graciousness of God and salvation offered to me because of the willingness of Jesus to bear my sins.
I am thankful for my wife, my children, my family because of and in spite of the challenges relationships bring.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you within this community. Thank you for the entertainment, the encouragement and the friendship that you have shared with me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
However, I was short a couple cans of beans and completely out of onions so I had to make a trip to the grocery store before my daughter and son-in-law and granddaughter arrive to share Thanksgiving lunch with us.While on the way back I found myself reflecting on a quote that is percolating in my brain.
“Gratitude is the ability to extend the middle finger at adversity by focusing on our blessings instead of the negative things in life.”
Everyone has their struggles and everyone has blessings. It’s easy to look at others and try to compare our experiences with their experiences to get a sense of how good our lives are in relation to what others experience. To whatever degree I engage in comparison, I find myself struggling with either feeling superior or inferior to others instead of feeling contentment with my life experience or with dealing with the reality that I have room to grow and improve based on my own introspection of myself.
Holidays are a time that bring out mixed emotions for many. Remembrances of relationships lost, relationships that are struggling as well as relationships that are strong create a depth of emotion as complicated and nuanced as the very flavors of the meal we cook to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Today, I am focused on being thankful for the blessings and people who inspire me. Many of the people who I am inspired to become a better person as I watch them navigate adversity are members of this community and I want to affirm them that I appreciate their efforts and how they exemplify compassion, commitment and empathy in the face of trials that I don’t believe I would have the strength of character to navigate graciously.
Two individuals that immediately come to mind are @JLS and @DaveN. I know you guys aren’t perfect people but you are inspiring and I am thankful I get to see how you approach life and difficult circumstances.
I am thankful for many things, most of all the graciousness of God and salvation offered to me because of the willingness of Jesus to bear my sins.
I am thankful for my wife, my children, my family because of and in spite of the challenges relationships bring.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you within this community. Thank you for the entertainment, the encouragement and the friendship that you have shared with me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
