A NEW YEAR

We had a quiet New Years Eve. Jamie went to bed about 11:30, I stayed up until 1:AM but I called out Happy New Year softly as to not awake Jamie. It was good to have a quiet evening, we had enough celebration on Friday and Saturday. Our six children and eight grandchildren were here to celebrate Gregory's visit from California. We had an excellent meal featuring barbecued ribs. We had eighteen people in all. We had a marvelous time.

I awoke this Morning thinking of the New Year. Before I opened my eyes thoughts were running through my mind. I wondered what single thing will uplift our minds and thankfulness occurred to me. I remembered how thoughts of thankfulness always brought me up if I was troubled or gloomy. I was still in a semi-sleep state and I was wondering if that fit with New Years; that seemed more of a Thanksgiving or perhaps Christmas exercise. Then I thought of forgiveness! Can't forgiveness make everything new? It does. How about Thankfulness and Forgiveness in combination, wouldn't that be a powerful way to start the New Year.

I opened my eyes and rolled over to look at the clock. It was 7:30. That was only six and a half hours sleep. I wanted to sleep until at least 8:0 clock. Actually six and half hours for me is normal and for somebody who can nap at will in his chair, enough. I was anxious to get up anyway and start a new wonderful year. I got downstairs and discovered the cold water pipe was frozen under the kitchen sink. I had an opportunity to practice forgiveness right there. Sure we can forgive inanimate objects too. It is no big deal, an hour or two of the hair dryer treatment. It was 21 degrees below zero when I got up, but it has been colder than that and the pipe didn't freeze, however it was breezy, that may have been the difference. It is on our agenda to get that problem corrected. I had the cupboard doors open and a fan on, that generally solves the problem. Forgiveness helps.

Yes, I am thankful, very thankful, our problems are so small, a frozen pipe now and then. This has been a long cold snap even for us Minnesotans. It looks like it will be another week before it lets up.

Most of us haven't discovered yet the extent Forgiveness can free the mind. So many of our unwanted thoughts and little fears are tied to people and situations that need our forgiveness. We can tie up a great deal of consciousness with regrets, recriminations, bitterness etc. We may not even realize were doing it. We might feel our resentments are a natural result of what happens and not feel a need to forgive. Some folks feel that forgiveness is for the perpetrator, no, no, no, forgiveness is for the forgiver. It frees us and clears our minds of trash and drivel, we don't need, that attenuates our happiness.

Forgiveness is useful even with situations that don't involve people. Like my frozen pipe or a car that won't start. Why would we want to go around huffing and puffing about the inequities of nature when we could be content?

So I resolve to begin my New Year by being thankful for all the wonderfulness that is my life and be forgiving of any person or event that seems to intrude on my happiness.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Love and Peace, Gregg