Ten on the Tenth... For these things and many others...

1. I'm grateful that my hope is not in the government, not in the Republicans and not in the Democrats.

2. I'm grateful that the Bible says God finds a woman's quiet and gentle spirit (I Peter 3) beautiful and it doesn't mention mascara, fat-free foods, platform heels, spandex tights,  or designer clothes...

3. I'm grateful the television has an "off" button that works and that I know how to use it...

4. I'm grateful for Hummingbirds that feed in front of our living room window during the day and lightening bugs that flit across our yard at twilight.  Seeing them brings happiness; something that observing fine jewelry really doesn't  do for me.  Man's best creation pales beside God's least...

5.  I'm grateful that I can slip into church on Sunday morning  and it's like coming home after a long, stressful  day; I can relax and set aside the cares of my heart.

6. I'm grateful for quiet week-day mornings when I can get back into bed  and enjoy the luxury of perusing  the morning paper while our two terriers curl up at my feet.  From the paper, I learn what's wrong with the world. From Lilly and Buddie I learn what's right with the world.

7. I'm grateful for summer nights when I can sit up until the wee hours, practically biting my nails as I pursue countless ne'er-do-wells across the spotlighted page of my Kindle.  It's amazing how many times the world has been saved over the past month around 2 or 3 in the morning...:)  Book lights and e-books are wonderful...

8.  I'm grateful for the way foliage is reflected on the still surface of a pond and for the Blue Heron who used to rendezvous with me at the Oasis from time to time. He would stand silently in the shallow water while I sat silently, watching him from the dock.  The first time we met in solitude  was Sept. 11, 2001.  Watching him brought peace to my troubled heart and mind.  I'm glad God created Blue Herons and sent that particular one into my world at that particular time.

9.  I'm grateful that my son still has friends who feel free to come and go at our house, sometimes bunking overnight.  And that I still never know for sure how many air soft guns I'll find in the living room or who will be sleeping on the couch and/or in the guest bedroom.  (I'm also grateful for frozen pizzas, pizza rolls, hot dogs, and cereal as well as for the fact that the guys are old enough to fix their own).

10. I'm grateful that over the years, as ordinary as our house is and as bad a housekeeper as I am, God has used this place as a temporary dwelling place for people who just needed somewhere to stay for a night, a week, a month, or even a year or two.  I wish it had been used more.  No one ever stayed here without giving as much or more than they received.  In some way, each one is still a part of our lives.

For these things and many others, I'm grateful....