Warmth for Cold Hearts

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God has done!

Good Evening, Readers from the state of Missouri!  I am off on a new adventure.  It's been a good many years since I've driven solo from Texas to Minnesota.  I am very excited about reconnecting with family and friends.  Texas has hit records for heat this Summer and it looks like many other areas are in the same boat.  I have much to be grateful for.  More on that later!

Ingratitude ... the subtle temptation to first grow accustomed to ... then to expect ... and, finally, to demand.  Sound familiar?  Life seems quite easy when we walk on easy street ... good jobs, money in the bank, healthy bodies, fiends, family ... no real worries ... just livin' life to the fullest!  In the USA, we have been accustomed to the good life for many years.  Some are still doing that...  For others, those good jobs have dried up, stocks plummeted, and, illness and worries seem to fill the days.  What then?  How do we handle the downturns in life?

When I was reading The Chronicles of the Golden Frontier, I realized something ...  Jason and Jennifer bought a $300,000 house in Denver.  Now prior to 1900, that was some house!  One day, during a severe rainstorm, lightening hit a tree near the house.  The tree fell on the house and everything burned to the ground.  Today, we would just call the fire department then file a report with our insurance.  Yes, we would be devastated; however, because we were insured, our home could be rebuilt.  Not then ... no fire department nor insurance company existed.  The house and it's contents were just plain gone!  We have grown accustomed to having most things in our lives insured ... we expect prompt good service ... and, we demand more than often times we are entitled to.  So much in our lives runs along these lines.  Are we grateful for our insurance or do we take it for granted?  How about our lives as citizens?  We have grown accustomed to being given to ... are our wants becoming demands?  As a nation, in an effort to help our citizens, we have, often times, rewarded poor choices and, in turn, made them irresponsible.  I am all for the individual rights of others; however, I must say, I don't like to pay for the laziness of those who won't work.




There are those living amongst us who have cold hearts ... their glasses are half empty and people are always disappointing them.  They grow bitter and punish rather than work towards reconciliation.  Just turn on the TV ... if there weren't people with hard hearts there would be no need for Dr. Phil, Oprah, Jerry Springer or, yes, even soap operas.  My reading in my Daily Walk Bible was Psalm 78.  I listed 25 things that I was grateful for in 1990, 1995 & 2011.  Interesting, how much the same the lists were and yet how different as well.  Today, I wrote down 25 and wanted to keep on going.  Gone are the days of livin' fancy, gone is the healthy body I once knew, gone are many of the material things I had been grateful for ... in their place, I realize how much I have been blessed that has enriched my heart.  Maybe that is maturity?  I have come to depend on the Lord for my protection and provision ... day by day I have enough and then some!

I have gone through some strange times the past few years.  Often times, I have felt like I have been walking in a desert going through the motions of life with a sort of lost feeling.  I think many people go through this when they finally decide to "retire" from their 8 to 5 jobs.  I've always been a healthy financial contributor to my family and I must admit, I miss that nice paycheck and all the perks that go along with working outside the home.

Having a broken ankle and other various and sundry emergencies drained my cushion in the bank and I was saddened to find my trip to Minnesota in financial jeopardy as well as my physically being unable to drive.  I prayed about it and continued planning for a positive result.  A couple weeks ago, Michael called me and told me that a letter had arrived for me from Metlife Insurance regarding a life insurance policy that my former husband had.  I followed the directions on the letter getting a certified death certificate and telephoned them to make sure they didn't make a mistake.  No mistake ... all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I was blessed with just enough money to make my trip.  I was so humbled ... and, so grateful.  The Lord got my attention on this one!

Tomorrow I will get into Lily and complete my drive to Minnesota.  By this time tomorrow night, I will be hugging the tar out of my brother and sister in law.  My slate is full of things that I want to do but I am open to staying as spontaneous as possible.  You just never when a wonderful memory making moment will arise!

Good night readers!  I pray that your sleep would be restful and I look forward to sharing my new adventures with you!  Instead of counting sheep, count your many blessings!!