Drove back home to Roanoke from Alexander City late morning under an overcast sky. Before I got home the sun burned off her coat of gray cotton ball clouds and welcomed me to my home here with blue sky and bright sunshine. I had a wonderful spend the night party with my dearest friend. My friend and I drove down my road where Chief and I and our children lived for 41 years and visited our family cemetery where Rosie and Chief are buried. Hard to believe I’ve been back in the family home here in Roanoke for four years.

My friend and I did lots of porch sitting and porch talking and porch laughing. We perched in our chairs and pondered and watched the birds on her feeder. The most exciting moment of my visit was when her Alka Seltzer tablets blew the top off her water bottle. Scared us to death, her dog Charlie B ran for cover under a chair. Don’t know why it didn’t hit one of us in the eye and blind us. When we finally got our breath back from laughing we realized God looks out for fools and maybe we should both pack up and head on to Shady Oaks. I would write about the headlight debacle on our snack run to Publix but saving that tale for another day. Just let me say, I think she might want to drive us on my next visit.

Read the best quote today. “Remember, happy people don’t always have the best of everything. But they know how to make the best of what they have,” Joe Florence. My friend and I follow that wonderful but simple advice. We’ve weathered some dark storms but we always manage to find the sunshine and rainbows through our faith.

We all need to learn to accept what we have with gratitude and stop obsessing over what we lack. We all have skills and talents that can be used for walking our path through life. It’s hard to focus on and appreciate what we have without always looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We have to intentionally focus on the positive aspects of our lives. Realistically, we know we can’t have everything we want. When we accept that thought and thank God for the blessings we do have, happiness and contentment come easy.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 states, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude is such an important attribute of living a Christian life. Even in difficult times we can find joy and peace through our relationship with God. We strengthen our relationship with God when we express our gratitude through prayer. Colossians 3:17 states, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

August von Kotzebue said, “Grateful people are like fertile fields, they give back what they receive tenfold.” You plant a garden in fertile soil and nurture it and you get a bountiful harvest. Gratitude is the same. Showing gratitude makes us appreciate what we have. Being grateful and accepting our situation in life is part of walking a Christian path. Scripture tells us God commands us to be grateful.

“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for,” Norman Vincent Peale. Gratitude is an important aspect of a happy and fulfilling life. Be grateful for your many blessings every day in your prayers.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey