Author: iandthoureflections

Brewing Up Gratitude – Part 4

Showing kindness and compassion need not be complicated. Nor does it need to be outwardly displayed. It can be as simple as paying for the person’s coffee behind you in line.

Pay What You Can

Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company has always been more than a café; it’s a community hub where friendships are formed, and where a cup of coffee represents comfort and connection, especially in times of need.

In Newport, TN, the owners of this haven for coffee waded through water and debris to ‘unflood’ their store. Not just to reopen for business, but to restore a sense of normalcy and community support after the storm. And because they wanted to give back to the people they serve each day, they created the “Pay What You Can” to give back to their community.

What an awesome way to show compassion.

This hands-on approach to gratitude invites us all to experience the warmth and hospitality of those around us who show gratitude with action.

What unique ways can you offer kindness?

While some acts of gratitude are small and spontaneous, others are part of organized efforts, where groups prepare for the worst to bring hope in the darkest times.

Encourage and Uplift Others

Gratitude and kindness come in many forms—sometimes as a warm cup of coffee, other times as an organized response to disaster. What unites them is the desire to uplift others and provide a glimmer of hope when it’s most needed.

How might our simple acts of kindness, or even our preparedness to help, create ripples of gratitude in our own communities?

In Part 5 we will look at how the Cajun Navy prepares as it responds to disasters.

Image Credit: Cadence Captures dot com found on Snowbird Moutain Coffee Facebook page

#Gratitude #LifeQuestions #BowlofStrawberries #Thanksgiving #Action #SnowbirdMountainCoffee #PayWhatYouCan

Gratitude in the Disaster – Part 3

Gratitude is Action

Gratitude is more than a feeling or an emotion. It is an action. It is a way that we can speak our faith through our deeds. Through a faith-based lens, gratitude isn’t passive; it’s an active expression of love and kindness. James emphasizes this with the reminder that ‘faith without works is dead’ (James 2:26).

The faith-based approach seeks to put our faith into service. And we do it through kindness and compassion.

How do you show gratitude?

Gratitude Amid the Hurricanes of Life

There is no doubt that Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton left indelible marks on families. From the beaches in Florida to the mountains in North Carolina, the hurricanes left a trail of devastation of unprecedented proportions.

It was unexpected.
It was quick.
It was devastating.
Many experienced the loss of family members and friends. People lost their homes. Businesses. Livelihoods.

Gratitude For Humankind

Yet, amid such devastation and tragedy, so much kindness and compassion poured out from so many. Neighbors, relief organizations, and the anonymous donated time and resources to a myriad of groups to show gratitude.

Often, in moments of crisis, love and compassion shine bright. The worst of times seems to draw people together in unity. It helps us to realize how essential our basic needs are as opposed to all of the materialism that is around us.

Gratitude for humankind.

This type of gratitude causes me to pause and reflect. It reminds me of the thought that has been on my mind for a few days now…“Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus.” It is as if a voice whispers this to me as I wake up.

Christianity.com does a beautiful job of answering the question:
What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus?
Being the hands and feet of Jesus means that Christ’s followers, past, present, and future, are obedient in their commission to preach the gospel and co-labor with Christ to love, serve, and heal the broken, hurting, and hopeless of this world.

Joel Ryan, Contributing Writer -www.Christianity.com

As we walk through the hurricanes of life, let’s remember to show kindness and compassion.
Why?
Because actions speak louder than words.

How can we bring kindness to our own situations as well as to those walking through their own storms?

In Part 4, we will look at how the Snowbird Coffee Cafe became the hands and feet of Jesus.

#Gratitude #LifeQuestions #BowlofStrawberries #Thanksgiving #Action #Hurricanes #HandsandFeetofJesus

The Attitude of Gratitude – Part 2

In the last post, we compared the ups and downs of life to a bowl of strawberries. Just as each strawberry represents different aspects of life, our attitude towards them can take on various forms. In other words, gratitude can be an emotion, a feeling, or an action.

Today, we will define gratitude from two different sources.

Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative and is associated with several mental and physical health benefits. When you experience gratitude, you feel grateful for something or someone in your life and respond with feelings of kindness, warmth, and other forms of generosity.

What is Gratitude & How Can You Practice It? http://www.verywellmind.com

The first source suggests gratitude is a positive emotion. But is gratitude only an emotion?

What do you think?

GRATITUDE (εὐχαριστία, G2374, [1] thankfulness, gratitude; [2] the rendering of thanks, thanksgiving; [3] Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, 1 Cor 10:16). The condition or quality of being grateful; an emotion or sentiment of thankfulness. A warm sense of appreciation for a kindness received; accompanied by a feeling of good will toward the benefactor, and a desire to repay the favor.

Encyclopedia of The Bible – http://www.biblegateway.com

Gratitude – Is it an Emotion? Feeling? Or an Action?

In both definitions above, gratitude is related to a feeling or emotion.

How would you define it?

In the next post, we will explore gratitude through The Book of James. James would argue that gratitude is an action. What are your thoughts?

What if gratitude is something more? Something active, something that can change us and others?”

#Gratitude #LifeQuestions #BowlofStrawberries #Thanksgiving #Action

Berry Grateful – Part 1

Life is like a bowl of Strawberries

Let’s picture luscious fresh strawberries in a beautiful crystal glass bowl.
What do you see?
I see about fifty strawberries with green stems. Some are perfect, and some have leaves that are wrinkled or missing.
I see strawberries that are large and some that are smaller.
Then, I bend down and take a whiff and smell that heavenly strawberry aroma that dances in the air and into my nose.

In every bowl…

Every once in a while, a small, almost rotten strawberry gets mixed up in the bunch.

Just like our lives

Some lives have more rotten strawberries than others.
But what if we were to be grateful for all the strawberries, no matter their condition?
You may ask, how can I be thankful for the rotten strawberry?
You have a choice to make.
You can eat it and maybe get sick.
You can throw it out.
Or you can toss it out the door for insects to have a feast.

What do you see when you see a bowl of strawberries?

What would life be like without a few of these rotten ones?

Could they actually serve a purpose?

And, how would you define the ups and downs in life?

In Part 2, we will define gratitude and dig a bit deeper.

Image Credit: Karen Arnold, PublicDomainPictures.net

#Gratitude #LifeQuestions #BowlofStrawberries #Thanksgiving

Penny and the Polarization of a Country

A little story about a girl named Penny.

Penny is hardly described as a political person, which is ironic since she holds a master’s degree in public administration. She took several government courses and found them interesting at the time. But that is another story.

Today, Penny wants to write about how she is dealing with the polarization of political views where she lives. It could be scary to some.

An Alien in a Foreign Land

Yet, for Penny…She is not of this world. She is an alien in a foreign land. At least, that is how she has felt since the day she was born.

Penny’s hope is in her faith.
Her faith drives her to calmness.
To hopefulness.
To gratitude.

How Awesome is the Universe?

She can’t imagine how any human can question how the universe was formed. It didn’t just happen. Did it?

Penny spent many waking hours wondering how the universe was formed. How the stars got to be in the sky, and why the sun doesn’t fall out of the sky.

For Penny, the universe is how it is. It is awesome, as is nature itself.

Penny had a few experiences that made her think twice about coincidences.
Like when she was in a car accident, and the car flipped over three times. She and her two friends walked away with minor scrapes and bruises.

Or when she had $3 and change and didn’t know how she would buy groceries. She had to decide: “Do I pay my bills or eat?” Then, a $200 check arrived in the mail, which was the exact amount to cover the difference between her inflows and outflows. For two years! The check came each month, and she could buy fresh food for dinner for her and her youngest child. Her older child chose to live with his father and not speak to her for over a decade.

So, you may ask, how could Penny have faith when her kid didn’t talk to her?

Or that her marriage failed her after repeatedly praying that it wouldn’t?

Good questions!

Life is Funny

Life is funny that way.

It doesn’t always go the way you expected. And there lies the rub.

Penny believes we must place our whole selves into the hands of our Creator and follow the inner voice in our hearts. It’s pretty simple. Although it took her a long time to figure it out.

Penny’s prayer went like this in 2015:
“Almighty God, I have tried to find a job to no avail. I fully surrender to your will. I will expand my job search to a national level and go where you lead.”

A few months later, she was on her way to a foreign land. (the midwest)

Now, let’s get back to the day at hand. The day after the Election of 2024.

Just like any other day. A day where Penny will put her trust in the Almighty God and go where she is led.

Today, her prayer is:
“Almighty Creator of the Universe, You define the trajectory of the world. I fully surrender to your will. I will go where you lead. I trust you will give me the strength and energy for what lies ahead.”

What is your prayer today?

#Polarization #Election 2024 #Faith #Prayer

The Spirit of Topaz

The Spirit of Topaz

O Spirit of Topaz,
Speak to us.
Grace us with your luminescent presence.
Reds, yellows, blues, and browns,
Illuminate a beacon of seasonal warmth.

Soothe our souls, you mighty warrior,
From the Baltic Sea to the ancient Red Sea.
Purify, sanctify, and sustain us, we pray.

Release your powers and cleanse us,
From unhealthy attachments that swirl around.
Guide us to a place of emotional equilibrium and inner peace.

Robust in your resilience,
From translucent to transparent,
Infuse us with calmness, truth, and clarity,
To heal our broken hearts.

We ask, O Spirit, to help us discern,
Thy wisdom to which you impart.
Energize us with compassion,
As we attune ourselves to the world around us.

Set us free from fears that bind,
Let faith and forgiveness bloom within.
Lead us to the path that shimmers,
Guide us toward eternity.

image Source: http://www.gatsbyjewellery.co.uk


#NovemberBirthstone #Birthstone #Spirituality #Poetry #Relationships

The Dark Side of Halloween: A Journey from Innocence to Faith – Part 2

In Part 1, we discovered that Halloween is a fun, family activity full of delight and sweets. Today, we will continue our post with the transitions from the innocence of youth to the darkness of teenagers and beyond.

The Transition from Innocence into the Dark Abyss

Teenagers are another breed. They dress in dark, scary costumes and carry pillowcases clustered in bunches as they “trick-or-treat.” Sometimes downright frightful.

The once light-hearted fun transitions to a darker tone of fear. As often depicted in horror movies, haunted houses, and scary costumes.

This shift causes us to pause and ask:

What is Halloween?

The origins of Halloween are rooted in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It marked a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was thin. Like a veil.

This festival involved lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off roaming spirits. Hence, it evolved into the more commercialized secular day we call Halloween. Its supernatural roots still linger with a sense of dark, demonic elements.

Darkness Can’t Exist without Light

Halloween can veer into the demonic easily. Yet, it also allows us to reflect on the light. For darkness cannot exist without light. It can be a time to reflect on deeper spiritual truths and the enduring light of faith. For those who feel uneasy about Halloween, you are not alone. Faith and spirituality offer a power counterbalance.

Agree?

The Light & Love of God

When we emphasize the light and love of God, our positive values can be transformative. We can love our community and be the hands and feet of Jesus by shining God’s light on others. Churches and faith-based organizations can host “Harvest Festivals” or “Trunk-or-Treat” events. We can offer safe and wholesome alternatives if we want to change the world. With a bit of motivation and planning, it can be done!

We have a choice.

We can gravitate toward the negative. Or we can gravitate toward the positive.

Our children need to be aware of the dark side of Halloween. They need to be cautious about climbing too far into it. As we try to instill good values in our children, we need to be able to distinguish good from evil. Highlighting goodness over evil is a great place to start. 

God’s love and light are for all who seek faith. 

Our trust in God overcomes darkness and death.

Thus, Halloween can serve as a metaphorical reminder of this eternal truth.

#Halloween #Love #Light #Faith #FamilyFun

The Dark Side of Halloween: A Journey from Innocence to Faith – Part 1

Cobwebs, Witches, Pumpkins, Oh My!

Cobwebs, witches, pumpkins, and tombstones seem to pop up everywhere in October.

Do you see them?

From storefronts and public squares to front lawns all across the country. There is no doubt that Halloween generates considerable sales for retailers.

Children can hardly wait to pick out their costumes as summer fades and fall approaches. It’s become a rite of passage, starting with the Halloween Parade that begins in pre-school. Which, of course, continues in grammar school. And typically ends in middle school.

Pretty as a Pirate

For parents of pre-schoolers, it is a joyous time. Families choose together what their little ones will be for Halloween. More often than not, these young children choose happy and pretty types of costumes.

Would you agree?

Young children pick superheroes, cute animals, or princesses. Which adds a flair of innocence to the holiday.

Then come the parties. 

School parties, town parties, and neighbor parties. All preceding the ‘trick-or-treat’ tradition. Where children go from door to door ringing doorbells in the neighborhood. Having fun as they fill their bags with sweets. Children clad in costumes. Parents prompt and prod along the way. They roam the streets with their pumpkin-shaped baskets as parents linger behind.

In Part 2 we will explore the origins of Halloween and the transition from innocent into the dark abyss.

#Halloween #Innocence #Love #Light #Faith #FamilyFun

The Spirit of the Opal

The Spirit of the Opal

O Spirit of Opal,
Awaken your creativity,
As you fascinate us with your rich spiritual guise.
Transform us with your imagination,
And lead us to where we need to go.

Adorn our sacred spaces with divine presence,
So we may focus our minds and open our hearts.
Provide protection over us,
While we foster deep introspection and emotional clarity.

O Spirit of Opal,
Stones of metamorphosis.
Grant us divine revelation,
As you purify us for heavenly glory.

Image Source: Boulder opal, Queensland by Stuart Humphreys – Australian Museum

#October, #Birthstone, #Poetry, #Spirituality, #Spirit, #Transformation