100TH POST: THE GREEN BENDIX

WISDOM NUGGET: "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

David, was in distress when he said, ".bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits." He was on the verge of almost being ripped apart by crisis on every side. Yet he said to himself, "never forget all." That is part of what the devil tends to achieve, when he hurls affliction at you. He knows that affliction has a way of making you forget in a hurry, the goodness of God and of men.

John Claypool was a pastor in Louisville, Kentucky many years ago. He and his wife lost their daughter, Laura Lou, to leukaemia.

He later explained his loss by telling a story from his childhood. During WWII his family didn't own a washing machine, and since gas was rationed, they couldn't afford to drive to a laundry. Keeping their clothes clean became a challenge. John's neighbour went into the service and his wife moved in with her family. They offered to let John's family use their wringer washer while they were gone. They reasoned it would be better for it to be used than to sit rusting on the porch. John helped with the family's laundry, and he said he developed a fondness for that old green Bendix. When the war ended his neighbours returned, and they reclaimed their washing machine. Over the course of the war, young John had actually forgotten the machine was loaned to them, so when the neighbors removed it, John was upset and angry that they would take his washing machine. His mother sat him down and said, "John, you must remember that the washing machine never belonged to us in the first place. It was a gift for us to have been able to use it. So, instead of being mad at it being taken away, let us use this as an occasion to be thankful that we ever had it at all." John Claypool would say years later he struggled with the death of eight-year-old Laura Lou, until he remembered that old green Bendix. He wrote: "When I remember that Laura Lou was a gift, pure and simple, something I neither earned nor deserved nor had a right to; and when I remember that the appropriate response to a gift, even when it is taken away, is gratitude, then I am better able to try and be thankful that I was ever given her in the first place." According to Aesop, "Gratitude is the sign of noble souls"

Studies have shown that gratitude is strongly correlated with optimism. Optimism in turn makes us happier, improves our health, and has been shown to increase lifespan by as much as a few years.
Check this out:
1. In one study of keeping a weekly gratitude journal, participants showed a 5% increase in optimism.
2. In another study, keeping a daily gratitude journal resulted in a 15% increase in optimism.
3. Optimism is significantly correlated with gratitude (r=.51). The above studies show that it isn't just correlation - increasing one's level of gratitude increases one's level of optimism.

In order to build positive momentum toward a more happy and fulfilling life. Try;
1. Keeping a daily journal of three things you are thankful for. This works well first thing in the morning, or just before you go to bed.

2. Making it a practice to tell a spouse, partner or friend something you appreciate about them every day.

3. Looking in the mirror while brushing, and think about something you did well recently or something you like about yourself.
Yes, this world gives us plenty of reasons to despair, but understand that thankfulness feels good; it's good for you.

BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE

WISDOM NUGGET: "Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all." - William Faulkner

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Experience must have shown you somehow that it is not in the habit of the natural man to remember to show gratitude. Please understand that "showing gratitude is more than good manners or courtesy. It is good spirituality."- Alfred Painter.

One time tested strategy for not forgetting to be thankful is to keep records of God's blessings in your life, especially through the people around you. When was the last time you took stuck of God's goodness in your life?

There was a teenager who didn't want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother's arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was.
Understandably hurt, the mother waited an hour before going to her daughter's room to tell her, for the first time, what happened. "When you were a baby, I woke up to a burning house. Your room was in flames. I could have gotten out the front door, but I couldn't abandon you to die in there, what life would there have been without my little baby? You. I chose to die with you than leave you alone. I ran through the fire and wrapped my arms around you. Then I went back through the flames; my arms on fire. When I got outside on the lawn, the pain was agonizing but when I looked at you; your little cute sparkling eyes and charming smile on your face, your little mind not aware what was happening. That joy of your safety was worth my difigured arms." Stunned, the girl looked at her mother through new eyes. Weeping in shame and gratitude, she kissed her mother's marred hands and arms. The little girl knew nothing of the awesome benefits she had in her mum, let alone remember them.

Researchers affirm that gratitude can also boost our mental health and well-being. They found that people who kept notes on what they're thankful for have reported higher levels of positive emotions, more joy and pleasure, more happiness and optimism. They felt more alert, alive, and awake than others who did not practice gratitude. Notably, people who are focused on things they are thankful for are less depressed and less angry. From our previous write up, remember how researchers found that gratitude can increase your set point of happiness by 25%?

Alfred North Whitehead puts it this way, "No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."

I'd Rather Be Grateful. You?

 Wisdom Nugget: "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
                                                                                                                           - Frank A. Clark

Sun Salutation
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'God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say "thank you?"' - William A. Ward.

Our world is pretty messed up. No doubt. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism. But what you are grateful for could change your life.

Very recently concluded studies show that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods and even the survival of our marriages...(huh?) Gratitude is really amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits." In one study, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D. of the University of California at Davis, and Mike McCullough of the University of Miami randomly assigned participants one of three tasks. One group kept a journal in which they were told to briefly describe five things they were grateful for that had occurred in the past week, another five recorded daily hassles from the previous week that displeased them; and the neutral group was asked to list five events or circumstances that affected them, but they were not told to focus on the positive or  negative. Ten weeks later, participants in the gratitude group felt better about their lives as a whole and were a full 25% happier than the hassled group. They reported fewer health complaints, and exercised an average of 1.5 hours more.

In a later study by Emmons, people were asked to write every day about things for which they were grateful. Not surprisingly, this daily practice led to greater increases in gratitude than did the weekly journaling in the first study. But the results showed another benefit: Participants in the gratitude group also reported offering others more emotional support or help with personal problems, indicating that the gratitude exercise increased their goodwill towards others, or more technically, their "pro-social" motivation.

Several studies have shown depression to be inversely correlated to gratitude. It seems that the more grateful a person is, the less depressed they are. Philip Watkins, a clinical psychologist at Eastern Washington University, found that clinically depressed individuals showed significantly lower gratitude (nearly 50% less) than non-depressed control.

This world would give us a plethora of reasons to despair. But when we cultivate instead an attitude of gratitude, things don't just look better - they actually get better. Hear Frank A. Clark "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." And Henry Ward Beecher adds that, "The unthankful heart...discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"

Gratitude made the leper whole, multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fishes, gave Solomon wealth & wisdom. It preserved Winston Churchill's life, brings good health...etc. Listen to this, "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus. Wouldn't you rather be grateful?

Little Is Much

Wisdom Nugget: "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
                                                                                      - Frank A. Clarks,

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Gratefulness attracts blessings and brings about more outpouring of unending favor. A fact proven from an illustration in yesterday's story.
 "How often are we grateful? Do we show gratitude for blessings received?" Not often enough. Some of us do not at all.

Nothing just happens without reason; no matter how insignificant it may seem to us.

Rev. John R. Ramsey tells how in one church a certain person provided him with a rose boutonniere for the lapel of his suit every Sunday. At first he really appreciated it but then it sort of became routine. Then one Sunday it became very special. As he was leaving the Sunday Service a young boy walked up to him and said, "Sir, what are you going to do with your flower?" At first the preacher didn't know what the boy was talking about. When it sank in, he pointed to the rose on his lapel and asked the boy, "Do you mean this?" The boy said, "Yes, sir. If you're just going to throw it away, I would like it." The preacher smiled and told him he could have the flower and then casually asked what he was going to do with it. The boy, looked up at the preacher and said, "Sir, I'm going to give it to my grandmother. There is nothing special that we can do. She is so good to me. She cooks for me and takes care of me. I wanted to give her that pretty flower for loving me." When the little boy finished, the preacher could hardly speak. He reached up and un pinned the rose. With the flower in his hand, he looked at the boy and said, "Son that is the nicest thing that I've ever heard but you can't have this flower because it's not enough. If you'll look in front of the pulpit, you'll see a big bouquet of flowers. Different families buy them for the Church each week. Please take those flowers to your granny because she deserves the very best." Then the boy made one last statement. The boy said, "What a wonderful day! I asked for one flower but got a beautiful bouquet."

Like that boy's grandmother, we have been so blessed. We haven't just received the flower of taking care of our daily needs, We have been given the bouquet of life. We ought to be thankful for little blessings, for the little we see, smell, hear, feel and can share with others. Whatsoever it is, give thanks.

And according to Frank A. Clarks, "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."

Want To Unlock Doors? Stop Whining And...

Wisdom Nugget: "When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."

                                                                                                         - Tecumseh 

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In my local language, there's a saying translated in English thus, "He who shows gratitude for a little favour, qualifies for a bigger favour"

Fleming was a young poor farmer in Scotland, who one day, while working to get some money to feed his family, heard a cry for help coming from a nearby. He dropped his tools and ran in the direction of the cry. There he saw a terrified boy, who was half submerged in black swamp, screaming and struggling to free himself. Fleming saved the boy from the swamp who would have died a slow and terrifying death drowning in that swamp.

The next day, a stylish carriage driven by handsome horses stopped in front of poor Fleming's front yard; It was very weird to see such a beautiful carriage in that surrounding. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Fleming had saved. He expressed his gratitude: "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." To this Fleming replied, "No, I can't accept payment for what I did." He waved off the offer. At that moment, Fleming's own son came outside hearing all the noise. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," Fleming replied proudly. "Ok" replied the nobleman, "I'll make you a deal. Let me take your son and give him a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And he did become a great man.

Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to be known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia; but was saved by Penicillin.
That nobleman was "Lord Randolph Churchill" father of "Sir Winston Churchill." Does the name ring a bell?

Even Jesus, was moved to do more for that grateful leper who came back to show gratitude for being cleansed. If he had gone away like the other nine he would have gotten nothing more than the others-just being cleansed. If Randolph Churchill hadn't come back to show gratitude, it's possible there wouldn't have been a "Winston Churchill" as we know him today.

Who knows, if that desire burning in your heart isn't tied to an "arrears" of gratitude owed to your helpers in the past?

Go back and start showing gratitude to those who have gotten you where you are today. STOP WHINNING, START SHOWING GRATITUDE...it can unlock more doors!

The Cleaner Who Rose To Be First Lady

Wisdom Nugget: Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.

                                                                 -  Oprah Winfrey  

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Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”

We have all heard about the 3 magic words :(1) Please (2) I am sorry & (3) Thank You. Those who said "Thank You" is a magical word couldn't have been more correct. It  opens doors, commands favour and earns you respect in relationships. On the contrary,  ingratitude is the greatest destroyer or poisoner of most relationships. Ingratitude not only reveals a very proud and arrogant spirit, but it says to people : "why should I thank you when I deserve it." It makes you repulsive, disagreeable and a very unpleasant person to be with.

In some parts of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side—and because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry and boil their clothes in the hot springs and then rinse them in the cold ones. A tourist, who was watching this procedure commented to his Mexican friend and guide: "I imagine that they think old Mother Nature is pretty generous to supply such ample, clean hot and cold water here side by side for their free use." The guide replied, "No senor, there is much grumbling because she supplies no soap."

In the anecdote above, Ruth fell at Boaz's feet in appreciation for a little Favour at the farm. That was how she ended up marrying her boss. Boaz was perhaps tired of too many women who never show appreciation to their husbands at home. He figured out that if Ruth could be this appreciative over such a little Favour  then she was the kind of woman he would want for a wife.

Singles take note: perhaps next time you pray for a husband or a wife, you should change. Resolve your ingratitude issues. A heartfelt "Thank You" for every little act of kindness received might be more potent than all other charms .

By the power of a thankful heart, Ruth moved from cleaner to a First Lady.

Gratitude Brings Happiness

WISDOM NUGGET: "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
                                                                                                      Gilbert K. Chesterton

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A woman who was getting ready to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said that she did not look like the type of person who would do such a thing. All the attempts made by the police to get the woman off the ledge had failed. One of the officers asked if he could call his pastor in to see if he could help. When the pastor arrived, he asked permission to go to the ledge and talk to the woman. As the pastor neared the edge the woman screamed, "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!" The pastor took a step back and then said, "I am sorry that you believe no one loves you." This got the woman's attention and it got the attention of the police. That was something that you don't usually say to a person who is threatening suicide. The woman took a step towards the pastor and said, "My grandchildren love me and so do my children. My whole family loves me! I have 8 wonderful grandchildren and they love me." The pastor took a step towards the woman and said, "Well then, you must be very poor, maybe that is why you want to take your own life." The woman who was a little overweight said, "Do I look like I go without any meals? We live in a very nice apartment. I'm not poor."

The pastor took another step closer to her and was now 3 feet from her when he asked, "Then why do you want to kill yourself? I don't understand." The woman thought for a moment and then said, "You know, I don't really remember." The story ends with the pastor and the woman walking towards the elevator as she shows him pictures of her grandchildren. Eventually this woman becomes a volunteer on the city's suicide hotline, helping others choose life. What did the pastor do to help this woman? He helped her get her eyes off herself and onto the many ways that God had blessed her. She learned a valuable lesson that day. She learned that thankful people are happy people. If you don't learn anything else today, I hope you learn this valuable lesson. Thankful people are happy people.

If your happiness is anchored on happenings around you, you might as well write your own obituary because I can assure you that the world will inundate you with so much negative stuff, enough to drown you in the waves of one bad experience to  another , until happiness completely eludes you and your face becomes like the Book of Lamentation.

Truth be told, for you to be thankful, you must be thoughtful. In the face of the menacing storms of life, we must learn to take time to reflect, not over the seemingly uncountable things that are not going well with us, but rather on the  many other good things that God has bestowed upon our lives , many of which stuff are not on display on the shelves of any supermarket. In other words, let us count our blessings and not discount the goodness in our lives.  It was Gilbert K. Chesterton that said, "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder".

The Essence Of Gratitude

 WISDOM NUGGET:
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

                                                                              - Melody Beattie

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When asked to list what he was thankful for, one little boy wrote, "My glasses!" "That's good," said the teacher, "they help you see better". "No," responded the child, "I'm thankful for my glasses because they keep the other boys from hitting and fighting with me and the girls from kissing me."
From the foregoing, this young chap clearly understood the meaning of gratitude. Perspective is key to living a life of gratefulness, whether to God or men. A glass for instance, containing half the volume of water it can contain, can either be said to "be half full" or "half empty", depending on the way you look at it.
Our perspective to the issues of life is a key factor that determines whether we will end up as "ingrates", or grateful people. But much more than that, it's amazing, how beautiful life can be, in a world where gratitude is a core value and an integral part of our lifestyle. It is quite mind blowing, how a simple act of gratitude can turn someone's life around. A lady worked as a janitor in a company for many years. Now being a janitor is a pretty thankless job, which many of us might consider a "dirty" job or at least pretty far down the totem pole. In other words, probably not a whole lot of fun.
It happened the company changed owners. Within a few days, the new owner wrote a personal thank you card to every employee in the company. He had his assistant go around and hand them out. When this lady received and opened her card, she burst into tears. She asked if she could be excused from work. Thinking she was sick, she was allowed leave for the rest of the day. What the story was - they found out a few days later - she had never received even a verbal thank you from the previous owners and management - much less a personal card. She had worked there 20 or 30 years! So she was really touched when the new owner sent her a card of appreciation. More so, she had been thinking the change of ownership, it was probably a good time to quit, and she was planning to let them know that very day. Which she didn't. Because the little time, the little extra effort of the owner to send a little business thank you card, helped the lady change her mind.

Melody Beattie couldn't have put in a better light whe he said, "gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

Gratitude And Perspectives

WISDOM NUGGET:  "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
                                                                                       - John F. Kennedy

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When asked to list what he was thankful for, one little boy wrote, "My glasses!" "That's good," said the teacher, "they help you see better". "No," responded the child, "I’m thankful for my glasses because they keep the other boys from hitting and fighting with me and the girls from kissing me."
From the foregoing, this young chap clearly understood the meaning of gratitude. Your perspective is key to living a life of gratitude. A glass for instance, containing half the volume of water, can either be said to be half full or half empty, depending the way you look at it. Our perspective to the issues of life determines whether we will end up as grouchy, grumpy people. But much more than that, it’s amazing, how beautiful life can be, in a world where gratitude is a core value and an integral part of our lifestyle. It is quite mind blowing, how a simple act of gratitude can turn someone’s life around.

A lady worked as a janitor in a company for many years. Now being a janitor is a pretty thankless job, which many of us might consider as a "dirty" job or at least pretty far down the totem pole. In other words, probably not a whole lot of fun. It happened the company changed owners. Within a few days, the new owner wrote a personal thank you card to every employee in the company. He had his assistant go around and hand them out. When this lady received and opened her card, she burst into tears. She asked if she could be excused from work. Thinking she was sick, she was allowed leave for the rest of the day. What the story was - they found out a few days later - she had never received even a verbal thank you from the previous owners and management - much less a personal card. She had worked there 20 or 30 years! So she was really touched when the new owner sent her a card of appreciation. More so, she had been thinking the change of ownership was probably a good time to quit. Beyond that, she was planning to let them know that very day. Which she didn't. Because the little time, the little extra effort of the owner to send a little business thank you card, helped the lady change her mind.

Melody Beattie couldn’t have put in a better light whe he said, "gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."

Do You Have A Gratitude List?

Wisdom Nugget: "Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously; and because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."
                                                                                     - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

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The dictionary defines "gratitude" as "the state of being grateful: thankfulness". Looking at the word, you'll notice its made up of two words "grateful attitude". Being grateful has to be evident in: the way you say it, to whom you speak it, in the words you speak and just in those, kind gestures, you exhibit which includes your mannerisms.

For some it could still mean appreciation, acknowledgement, gratefulness and honour. Severally we have underestimated the value, gratitude adds to one's life while some people have a hard time expressing gratitude outwardly. For people in this category, sometimes, all you will receive in return is a simple thank you when inside the recipient of your good deed, is welling up and ready to burst into tears of gratitude. Without mincing words, benefits accrue to those who show little acts of appreciation.

Gratitude has been said to mold and shape the entire purpose-driven life. It was Martin Luther king who referred to gratitude as " the basic christian attitude" Today its still referred to as the "heart of the Gospel" It's a personality trait, a mood and an emotion. Think back to a time when you were just so overwhelmed with something someone had done for you and you just had to blurt out a "thank you" That feeling of thanks, of gratitude could not be contained. Would you say the same? I am thankful for;

...the taxes I pay, because it means I'm employed.

...the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

...a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

...the lady behind me in church who sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

...the alarm that goes off early in the early morning hours, because it means that I'm alive.

...weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been productive.

Beloved, no wonder our nugget says "Giving thanks always for all things. No exceptions. The act of  thanks living. It is gratitude in action. It's a lifestyle. Every little thing in your life that gives you even the slightest bit of joy, every little thing that makes your day a little easier is worthy of true gratitude.

According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously; and because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."