Man in the Mirror

I am grateful Alicia is coming out for the weekend. It will be an opportunity to express my love for her. I am grateful for Quinn's respect and affection toward me and the invitation to be a source of masculine love and guidance. I am grateful for this place in the country and the opportunity to live here and enjoy the beauty of nature every day. I am grateful for the solitude I have that gives me an opportunity to reflect and develop my ideas for sharing with others. I am grateful for my friend, Karen and her birthday today.

Number Won

I am grateful for Darwin's renewed energy and vigor. It helps me to have my friend back. I am grateful for the dream I had last night in which I won a battle and defeated the enemy. I take it to mean a good sign. I am grateful for the time and the means to apy attention to all of the gifts I have been given in life. I am grateful for the good decisions I have made and the blessings that have come despite the poor ones.

Seasonings of Life

I am so grateful to have a partner that is such a good person and loves me so much. She cares deeply for my health, happiness and well-being. She values me above all other things in her life. I am rich to have her amazing and profound love. She is a rare and wonderful soul in this world.

I am grateful for the humming birds who have returned for the summer to raise their young. Their playful and lively presence reminds me of the vibrance and beauty of my world. I am grateful for such a beautiful place out in nature. I live where most people go for vacations!

I am grateful for the playfulness of the gal who waited on my yesterday at the customer service counter at Shopko. My world is seasoned with serendipidous people and encounters that express the goodness of life and joy in living.

For these things and the gift of my life, I give thanks.

Compass or the Soul

I am grateful for neighbor, Tom and his wife, Dee. I am grateful for their prayers for me and for my health. I am grateful for my job and the ability to pay my bills. I am grateful for Kara and her kindness toward me. I am grateful for George and all he has meant in my life. I am grateful for the path he helped me to see and the course my life has taken as a result. There have always been the right people at every major junction of my life to allow me to learn, grow and find more of my own soul. For these things I give thanks.

Friends

I am grateful for the cool weather this morning that makes the air so fresh. It will help with getting things done today, both inside and outside. It will also be good for taking a much needed nap and fr getting my exercise. I am grateful for a situation that supports my life today rather than challenging it. I am grateful for Rose and her cheerful attitude. I am glad for her kindness to me and my dogs. I have connections with people that I can look forward to. I am grateful for Darwin's wagging tail this morning and his willingness to snuggle. I am grateful for Michael's call and his concern and compassion toward me. I am glad for Karen's call and willingness to take the initiative and maintain our frienship. I am grateful for many authentic friends who care about me.

Basics

I am grateful for the ideas of Ed Friedman and the opportunity to have studied with him and be exposed to his teachings. I am grateful for my training in systems theory that helps me understand where he is coming from. I am grateful that Alicia and I have jobs with benefits so we can afford our healthcare and remain healthy. I am grateful to have Alicia as a backup. I am grateful for a job that challenges me. I am grateful for my paycheck and the ability to live. For these things I give thanks.

Spring Reign

I am grateful for the mosquito-free weekend ahead with the woods in full bloom. It is a perfect spot from which to write and be creative. I am grateful for the colorful birds at my bird feeder, grossbeaks, orioles, scarlet tanengers, finches and cardinals. I am grateful for the spring rain that came during the night. I am grateful for Sarah and her skype call last night. I look forward to spending more time with her in this way.

Sweet Tooth

I am grateful for the passion that exists between Alicia and me. I feel alive and vibrant and strong when I hold her. I feel like she is a gift to me and I am a gift to her. I am grateful for the coffee in my cup this morning. It awakens me and gives me pleasure. It provides good things for my body in moderation. I am grateful for the ability to moderate the good things in my life to allow me a life of health and sobriety. I am grateful for the ability to accept what I cannot change; the courage to change what I can change; and the wisdom to know the difference. I am grateful for chocolate and all of the "sweetness" in my life that provides pleasure beyond subsistence living. Though we live in the middle world - a world of "tooth and claw," I have more. I am grateful I can have a life and not just a living. For these gifts and the life I have as a result of them, I give thanks.

More Precious than Gold

I am grateful for the people in my life that have been there for me at crucial times and also through times of stability. I am grateful for the loving mom and dad that I have. They have given me a rich perspective of life and a gold mine of core values. I have been blessed by teachers from Ms. Anderson to Jean Soderquist. 40 years of mentors and their wisdom have been imparted to me. In my years since schoool I have had Dean Larsen, Bill Kippley, Jane Kill-Kippley, Kathy Johnson, Shelby Peterson, Herby Church, Ed Friedman, Bill Brunton, Sandra Ingerman, Michael Harner and Alicia Gates. I have been blessed with the friendship of solid and thoughtful friends, Bill, Jon, Art, Howard, I have been blessed beyond my wildest expectations and and rich beyond belief! For these gifts I give thanks.

Passing the Mantle

I am grateful for George in my life and all that he has meant to my life. He showed me that many of the ways I was considering lead deeper into the woods instead of out of them. I am grateful for his lessons of clear thinking, humility and the courage to doubt. I am grateful for the computer skills I have developed over the years so I could help him stay engaged in life though this computer. I am grateful for the ability to learn and grow. I am grateful that I love learning and growing. For these I give thanks.

Anti-gratitude

I am grateful for the accident that DID'T happen on my scooter last night. It was a close call as a result of my lack of awareness of other vehicles. I am grateful for the protection I was given over my mind, body and my health. I am grateful to be alive this morning. I am grateful for this painless opportunity to learn and for this reminder to pay attention and exercise caution at all times when I am out on the road. I am also grateful for this reminder to watch for other motorcyles who may dart out in front of me from an intersection. I give thanks for all of the times my life and well-being has been spared allowing me to be here, healthy and strong today. I am grateful for all the terrible things that could have happened and didn't. I am either protected to some degree or the odds have been in my favor. I choose to believe I have been protected. A higher intellligence is watching over me. I am not bullet proof but I have dodged more than one bullet in my life. I give thanks to The Creator and to the Spirits for their gift of life and health moment by moment. For this I give thanks.

Weekend Thanks

I am grateful Mom got broadband and we can now video conference each other. I am grateful that my mom is growing and staying sharp and alert and learning new things and new technology. I am grateful that I have an equal in her to relate to. I have never known life without her loving presence. I am grateful she is healthy and I treasure her presence in my life.

I am grateful Darwin seems to be doing better this morning. I am grateful he was barkind and came for petting. I am gratful he could negotiate the stairs by himself. I am grateful his stool was normal and free from blood.

I am grateful for Alicia's kids who were so well behaved and treated me so well this weekend. I am grateful for Emma's love for Darwin and the time she spent holding him and petting him.

More than enough

I am grateful for the food that is provided for me daily. I am gateful I can sustain my life, my strengt and my health with more than enough of this gift to me. I am grateful for the cabin as a nice quiet place to nap when movies are playing and there is lots of noise in the house. I am grateful we are able to refinance our mortgages and increase our cash flow. I am grateful when people treat me with affection and respect that I deserve.

Only Beauty

I am grateful for the birds that grace the feeder this morning. Their colors speak to me of the extravagnace, variety and abundance that is in the natural world. I am gratful for my friend Bill visiting last night and for his contageous zest for life. Having such a friend engages me and challenges me to stay engaged in the goodness of life. I am gratful for the protection of the spirits from the unintentional damage done by angry individuals around me. For these things I give thanks.