 Oh Great Spirit, thank you for the many blessings in my life.
Thank you for my friends and family, And the wonderful animals that have become part of the clan. Thank you for the work you grace me with. Thank you for the beautiful surroundings of nature I experience each day. Thank you for the lights in my world, lifting me up, motivating me, inspiring me to be more. I ask that you bless us all. Shower us with an abundance of your blessings. Protect and heal us physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Bless us with hearts that are filled with hope, faith, joy, compassion, kindness, and gratitude. And spirits of generosity. Minds that are filled with creative ideas and positive thoughts. Bless us with job security, new jobs, opportunities for promotion, and a steady flow of work and income. Bless us with financial prosperity and independence. Good friends, And a loving partner in a healthy, mutually satisfying, life-long relationship. Give us all that we need, For the highest and greatest good, And we will accept your many blessings With gratitude and love. Amen ____________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Daily Gratitude Week of July 24
7-24 “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”– Marianne Williamson (also attributed to Nelson Mandela) Some of my life I didn’t feel powerful, instead I felt powerless and dependent upon outside forces.  I recently received an email from someone saying she’s finding it difficult to live in gratitude in a challenging world. She’s stressed out and depressed by the news and the state of our country, and she wanted to know how I’m able to switch gears from being exposed to all the bad news and then going back to my place of gratitude.
I am not a news junkie and my advice to those who are is to either find a way to shut it down through meditation or a walk outside as soon as you get your daily dose of news before it impacts you, or if you find it difficult to do that, to stop making news part of your regular routine. You are the co-creator of your world. If you focus on the negatives, then you’ll pull in negatives. If you’re stressed out and worried, how effective can you be in living a life of gratitude? It’s not that I’m not interested in what’s going on, but I can be a hand-wringer and knowing this, I can only take on my world – my little circle of people I encounter in work, community and family. I’m in a very happy place most of the time, and when I falter, I’m much better about recognizing it and making a correction to stay the course on the path of gratitude. If I were to read the news each day, it would put me in a bad place. I pray for the world each day. I pray for our country. I pray for Mother Nature. I am committed to spreading the word about gratitude, teaching people to connect with their Angels and Spirit Guides, and teaching other spiritual courses. I’m devoted to putting light into the world. I believe if enough of us live our lives in this way it will change the world for the good. I pay no attention to the news, most of which is not trustworthy anyway, because it prevents me from doing the work I was meant to do. I’m sharing my thoughts about this in my blog for those who may have the same struggle. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Until recent years I was a people-pleaser. It was important for me to be liked by others, and if their acceptance meant my having to jump through hoops, well that was what I was willing to do. As I came to love myself more and more, I stopped this destructive habit in my personal life, but still found it painful to have difficult conversations in professional relationships. I just found it very hard to accept that I wasn’t pleasing everyone I was trying do a good job for. The more displeased they were, the harder I tried. I see a correlation between this dynamic and that of a child trying to win the love, acceptance, and affection of a parent. It was only recently that I realized when it comes to loving myself enough to be my own advocate, it has to cross over into all areas of my life.
I feel so blessed, because when I struggle with something, God doesn’t say, ‘Forget it, you’ll never learn this lesson!’ Instead, I am tested again and again until I’ve mastered it. Now I know some would think a loving God would spare us the pain, but I believe we are here to grow and learn. This life is school, and death is our graduation. And God is good to allow me to take the same test over and over until I don’t even consider it a test anymore. I had a chance to be retested recently when a client was unhappy with each attempt of mine to create something wonderful for her. I tried and tried and became frustrated by continued rejection, and then I came to a point where I realized this partnership just might not be a good fit for us. That happens, and it’s perfectly fine, so why was I personalizing it? As soon as I found this way to detach, I calmly explained I would not continue on with the project, she would only have to pay me for the work I had done so far, and I wished her well in finding the right person to bring her vision to life. I was surprised, and happy, when she told me I was the one she wanted to work with. So of course, at that point I felt I had to set some parameters for continuing on, which I did, and she accepted. It felt liberating to find a way to nicely say, “Enough” to someone. I learned two important things. I realized that part of the reason situations like this made me so upset was because I was upset with myself – frustrated at not being skillful in handling things like this, with my inability to do so leading to my being upset with ME! The second thing I learned was that it’s really just a matter of finding the right words to say and the right way to say it, so I’m advocating for myself in an unemotional and fair manner, leaving the other person’s dignity intact. And this was easy once I asked myself how I would want to be told. Thank God we never stop growing and learning. As I’ve stated and written many times, I am a work in progress. Neither God, nor I, are finished with me yet! Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash ______________________Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. July 3 I am so grateful for FREEDOM -- not only the freedoms we do enjoy in the U.S. but the freedoms that are ours inherently as spiritual beings having a human experience. The ultimate freedom we have is freedom of choice which is why no psychic can truly predict the future. We are free to choose in every moment of our lives and this is a God-given freedom that we sometimes squander or don’t accept choosing victimhood instead. But we are free! I am so thankful for my freedom to love, to be in joy, to feel inner peace no matter what is happening around me I am thankful for all the choices I get to make o create a sublime life. Happy Independence Day! July 4 Grateful to have taken the day off and hope you did, too! July 5 “Yet to love someone is an art. It does not come simply or cheaply but is a lifetime’s work.” – John O’Donahue I am grateful for my own loving, caring, nurturing, supportive nature. I have honed it through the years so that I am no longer co-dependent, yet I still watch over my loved ones, and it does take experience, patience and wisdom to love deeply. It is perhaps most difficult for me to love myself. On the surface I do, but sometimes feeling compassion for myself comes harder. I am thankful to have learned to love myself and others in a healthy way, in an unconditional way, in a giving no-strings-attached way. And I know loving and being open to be loved is our most important work, and stretches over lifetimes. July 6 “A few fly bites cannot stop a spirited horse.” – Mark Twain I am in gratitude for my tenacity. If things go awry, I keep on keeping on until I get a better outcome. So much to be said for not giving up! Truly thankful for the determination and persistence I show, time and time again. And I enjoy that quality in others, as well. July 7 “All is Infinite Being and all is eternally becoming.” – Ernest Holmes To really understand that everywhere, everything, and everyone is part of the All-in-All is so amazing and so comforting. We, as little specks in the infinitely expanding universe are not alone, we are not separate, we are intricately linked by our very being. We belong. I am so grateful to feel the truth of what I am saying deep within me, without doubt. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 19 “It began in mystery and it will end in mystery, but what a rare and beautiful country lies in between.” – Diane Ackerman Life is a divine mystery! We don’t really know what lies beyond this life, and there is a realm we can’t see which is intangible but oh-so-real! The most important aspects of the unseen are love, peace, joy, and wisdom. And the most vital of the seen are, perhaps, the profuse outpouring of life everywhere, colors, music, art and beauty. What a fantastic life this is……. I am so very grateful. June 20 I am so grateful for the surprises of Spirit which appear each and every day if I am noticing. So often there are gifts bestowed upon me from the universe that are freely given, and fill my heart with joy and awe. The majesty and beauty of Mother Earth is so incredibly rich this time of year. Happy Summer Solstice! June 21 “Everything can be taken…but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl Once I finally got out of the victim mode in my life, I realized I was always at choice! How amazing to be set free like that! Knowing that nobody can hurt my feelings, only I can let myself be hurt. Knowing that I can choose to live my life exactly as I want, and I am free to co-create what happens in my future. I am incredibly grateful for this ultimate freedom that we innately possess! And I am thankful for inspiring people, like Viktor Frankl, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama, who show us the way. June 22 “The grace of a river is a reminder of how nature seeks elegance and achieves immense beauty of cohesion and balance… if only our lives could achieve, or indeed allow, such grace and elegance.” – John O’Donohue I am grateful for the steady flow of meandering nearby rivers! I have a passionate love affair with rivers, and it is pure joy to swim in them on hot summer days. Yet I am even more thankful for the flow in my life. If I relax and let myself float along, trusting I am being guided, instead of pushing or struggling, all is grace and ease. How happy I am when I can let go! June 23 Today I am simply thankful this workweek is over — it was hectic and somewhat stressful. I am grateful for the beauty and stillness where I live; for my hubby and darling dogs, and for my free form Saturdays where I can do exactly what I want with no “shoulds” or “musts.” I appreciate having a flourishing business with lots of money coming in, and I am also glad to take my little nose off the grindstone this weekend and reeeeelllllaaaax! ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  The road to living in gratitude can be paved with bumps and detours. Some people incorrectly think that once you learn how to live in gratitude, it’s a steady, ongoing state of mind. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but once you learn to shift your thinking about what’s going on, it becomes much easier. I actually have an exercise I use to help me in getting back on the road to gratitude.
I’ve written before that I’m a hand-wringer, by nature. If I’m given some news that upsets me, it can be difficult to move away from worrying about it and fretting about an outcome. So what I’ve learned to do is ask myself some questions when I find myself in the place of worry.
Then I move to the first question – what is the absolute worst thing that can happen as a result of whatever it is I’m fretting about? The worst case scenario never seems as bad as the dread I initially felt. I also find that the odds of me experiencing the absolute worst outcome aren’t that high. It calms me a bit to acknowledge this. When I ask myself what I’m truly afraid of, I often find I’m fearing something that is superficial. I’m afraid I’ll appear less than perfect to others. (as though I ever imagined myself to be perfect in anyone’s eyes) I fear I’ll look like I’ve failed. (everyone fails – and it’s through failure that we learn the most) Someone will be disappointed in me. (usually it’s more a case of me being disappointed in myself because my expectations are unrealistic) People will stop loving me. (there it is! The fear many of us have because of conditional love we experienced as children. Old business – no longer applies!) I’ll feel shame. (this is the most destructive feeling we can have – and it’s a choice, so unless I choose it, I won’t feel ashamed.) What does this tell me about myself? That as far as I’ve come in my progression and growth, there is still so much to be done. And that’s okay! We are all works in progress. As long as we are growing, we are moving in the right direction. So self-discovery is a wonderful blessing. Is there something I’m to learn? There is always something to learn. Sometimes I have to go through a lesson over and over again before it becomes ingrained in me. Sometimes I’ve made a decision that wasn’t the best one, and I can examine that and learn something. Or maybe I’m on the wrong path completely and this is a sign. Look at all the positives the speed bumps and detours can bring! It brings me full circle from worry and dread, back to gratitude. There will always be a small mound of worries next to a big pile of blessings. Remaining in a place of gratitude depends on which thing you choose to focus on. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScPAuthor of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 12 “It doesn’t matter how much you have. It all means nothing if you are not happy with yourself.” – Donald Duck Who knew a cartoon character could be so profound?! I am so thankful to realize the true riches come from within, and at the top of that treasure is self-love. I am so thankful to love myself more and more as time goes on, letting go of petty complaints about myself and realizing deeply that I always do my very best. I let myself off the merry-go-round of expecting “perfection,” because the truth is that I am imperfectly perfect, or perfectly imperfect. And I am ever so glad to be me. June 13 “The sacred is not in heaven or far away. It is all around us, and small human rituals can connect us to its presence.” – Alma Luz Villanueva I am grateful beyond measure for the sacred everywhere — beneath my feet; in a new blossom popping up to surprise me; in the scrumptious dawn of a new day; in the heavens, in the acts of kindness and love witnessed constantly; in the creatures of earth, great and small. Everywhere I look and everything and everyone is sacred! I celebrate this, and know when someone has turned away from the sacred, and inflicted purposeful harm, they are not aware of, and not observing the magic and divinity of being alive. It is a blessing to live, and what’s more, to live forevermore. June 14 “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.” – Mary Jean Irion It’s almost trite to say “be here now” but it’s oh-so-important, hmmm? I cherish every single day, waking up at the break of dawn, embraced by the dazzling beauty of mother nature in my surroundings. I reside in the present moment, savoring it and honoring it, knowing that it truly is perfect and all that we really have. Thank you, God. June 15 From time to time, I feel compelled to share another gratitude aficionado’s thoughts of thanksgiving because they are just so good! Thank you, Lee Inkmann, for such an inspiring and beautiful one! Today, I am grateful for the tropical winds of change that come ricocheting off the Pacific Ocean. We are buffeted by gentle warm channels and cooled by gusts that whirl through our trees and gardens, our hearts & minds. Nature is a powerful reminder that we are simply spirits inhabiting these human forms temporarily. Stewards. I am thankful that I have so many choices as to: how to live, to manifest love, to share, to care, to create, to relate, to nurture, to extend, to let go – Guided by a force more sweeping and awesome than I can envision. June 16 “To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.” – Roy T. Bennett Today, as we move closer to the Summer Solstice, I celebrate and revel in the light -- the light of the sun which plays, creating amazing reflections and shadows, the early morning light, the magical dusk, and glorious sunsets. And I know that the light within, the illumination that we all have when we don’t let it be dimmed is the most dazzling radiant light of all. I am so grateful to shine my own light brightly. ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021  Here are this week’s offering of thoughts of thanksgiving, by Deborah Perdue, author of Daily Gratitude Reflections and Grace of Gratitude Journal.
To sign up to receive daily inspiring thoughts of gratitude in your email box, you can go to www.graceofgratitude.com home page and click to receive them. Enjoy! Get inspired! Email me at [email protected] and let me know of any you particularly like, or send your own in. I would love to hear from you. June 5 “Gratitude places you in the energy field of plentitude. Perceiving life in a consciousness of gratitude is literally stepping into another dimension of living. Suddenly the seeming ordinariness of your days takes on a divine sparkle.” ~Michael Beckwith I am grateful to delight in the divine sparkle of life as I relish and savor all that I have to be grateful for. There is so much more to appreciate than to complain about. I bask in the extraordinary world of thankfulness whenever I can. June 6 Incredibly thankful for the love and connections I share with so many — with my cozy family consisting of my husband and our two cherished furry friends; and with my dear sisters who are so close to me; and my stepkids and darling grandsons; and with the close-knit spiritual family I am so blessed to have chosen; and with all the fabulous friends who I share interests with like fellow authors and artists and prayer partners and progressives I know that love is of utmost importance in this life and I am happy to share my love with so many, including loving ME. Grateful grateful grateful! June 7 I am very grateful that I am usually able to keep a positive, optimistic outlook on life, even when things go awry in a less than ideal way. This is a true gift and I know not everyone possesses such a trait. So thankful to stay in a high vibration expecting the best and then watching it unfold! June 8 “Follow your nature and accord with the Tao; Saunter along and stop worrying.” ~Hsin-hsin Ming, 7th Century A.D. I skip and meander along my path, letting go of all worries! I am filled with great gratitude to cast off burdens as I go, assured that the Way is always shown. June 9 “When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated.” ~Brene Brown This week I had an opportunity to set healthy boundaries with someone. It can feel intimidating to do so, because I am unsure of the reaction, but I’ve noticed when I draw the line, a person is usually respectful and accepting. I am very grateful for this acquired skill that has gotten easier as I age. It is sometimes absolutely necessary, and let’s me feel powerful and autonomous and free! ______________________ Deborah Perdue, RScP Author of “Grace of Gratitude Journals” and “Grace of Gratitude Reflections” and “Path of Gratitude Coloring Book” all of these and much more at www.graceofgratitude.com 541 862-7021 |
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