6-28-2012 Faith

Sometimes you hear people say to just believe, use your faith.  It's a good philosophy.  But, the times you really need to put it into practice can seem daunting.  Those times when logic and reason seem to fail and emotions can get the better of you, it's time to listen to those people who tell you to have faith.

One time I went running very early in the morning, before it was light.  I was on a trail that went through an old train tunnel which was pitch black.  Kind of scary inside, but I kept running and came out the other side.

Faith is kind of like that, you just keep going despite the darkness because you believe you can.

Of course, I'd prefer to not have to run on faith, but when you need it I'm definitely grateful for it.

6-27-2012 People Who Remind You to Be Grateful

A facebook friend and someone who I have run with once or twice (although she is way faster than me) posted a good lesson in how to look at stressful things and see something to be grateful, she said:

So today when I started to stress, I reminded myself of a few things: instead of stressing that the house is messy, I'm thankful for my babies that love to play; when work started to get the best of me, I'm thankful for a job and a great organization to work for; the laundry wasn't all done but I'm thankful I'm able to go out there and run adding to those dirty clothes.

Work was stressful today, other problems arose like the lawn and the pool and the house being empty as well as other ongoing things.  But, the lesson above is that if you have something to be stressed out over, you can look at it and be grateful for it instead if you just look at it differently.

6-26-2012 Refunds

I bought something a while ago which it turned out I didn't need.  So, I took it back to the store where I bought it for a refund.  There aren't too many things that can be so easily undone.

I was going to write about yesterday being grateful for not getting flooded from all of the rains and thought about writing it about it again today and hesitated because the storm has not gone past yet.  I guess, for now I'll be grateful for not being flooded so far, and will remain hopeful that the storm passes without too much more damage.  A lot of people have suffered already and despite it all, many of them are grateful for not having it even worse.

6-25-2012 Right Place at the Right Time

I went to go check on my parents house to make sure they didn't get flooded with all of the rain.  I got there and saw that things were fine, but also saw some people on the neighbors dock looking at the boat.  Next thing I know a woman was knocking on the front door asking for help.  They were the neighbors from two houses down checking on their neighbor who was out of town.

The boat had flooded and was about to sink.  It was very low in the water and the outlet to the pump was under water so that didn't do any good.

So, we attached a line to the boat and dragged it to my parents boat lift.  I turned on the power to the lift and we brought the sinking boat out of the water so it could drain.

I didn't think there was anything wrong at my parents place but I decided to check anyway.

I happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Not too long ago someone helped me out with my boat, so now I've repaid back a small piece of boat karma (I hope) because I was at the right place at the right time.

6-24-2012 Carpe Diem!

It rained all day today, a tropical storm was just sitting there somewhere off the coast of Florida.  It wasn't like a fast moving hurricane, just lots and lots of rain, steady all day.

This all day rain is the kind of weather that could make one stay inside and feel trapped.

A kid might see things otherwise and say something like, "I want to go play in the rain"

No thunder or lightning out, so I say "Ok".

I see him run outside with his bathing suit and jump into the pool, get out and jump back in again, splash around and have fun.

It looks wet, but it's actually kind of warm out.

So, I get decide to seize the day, get my bathing suit on and run out there, cannonball right in to the pool, get out and do it again.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I'm grateful for Carpe Diem!  I will remember that moment.

6-23-2012 A Noisy House

Sometimes the house is very quiet, when no one is around.  If there are a few people, and maybe a dog, then there is noise.  The noise is better than silence.  There was some good noise today.  The noise of people and dogs going about their business inside of a house is part of what makes a house a home.

So, for the noise house today, I was grateful.

6-20-2012 Someone to water my Tomato plant

I was out of town this past week, the rain had not gotten here yet and I was pretty sure the tomato plant I have in back would have died if there was no one here to water it.

I asked someone, he watered it while I was gone, and so it survived.

I'm sure there are lots of bigger things to be grateful for, but sometimes it's those little things you need to recognize because it's those little things that could go wrong and suddenly end up looking bigger than they should.  So, be grateful for the little things, like someone watering your tomato plant while gone.