Gratitude

Blessings Faith Strength of The Small Gratitude

An Unexpected Blessing

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read1.7K views

No matter which time or season of the year is it, one thing I love about Holidays is that the Universe always conspires in our favor to make it a good day. A memorable day. Sometimes tragedy strikes and when that happens, we get trapped in our own gray clouds and we stop seeing beauty in the World. Words become silent. People become invisible. We feed, breathe, eat and live on our pain.

I know it all too well. Although it never comes to pass, some days are better than others. As time goes by, the emptiness gets filled with acceptance and gratitude. Tragedy is always devastating and God’s compassion’s are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). The unfathomable love of God comforts, liberates, transforms, strengthens, renews and restores.

Just because something didn't work out according to the way you planned it, doesn't mean it didn't work out for the best. Blessings are often disguised as pain first.
Image Source: SearchQuotes.com.

An unexpected Blessing to me is an answer to a Prayer said, trusting that God will get to it, no matter how long it takes. Such blessings usually come in small packages and gives so much joy to the receiver. After planting and watering my last bulbs, I decided to check the mailbox. Even though I wasn’t expecting any delivery due to Thanksgiving holiday, I felt an urge to check the mailbox. Underneath a pile of coupons was a white envelop. An unexpected Blessing. All I could do was smile and whisper a grateful ‘Thank You, Jesus.’

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4 (ESV)

Prayer is a miracle waiting to happen. Pray ceaselessly. Be patient. Ask with a clean heart, with faith and with obedience. When you are frustrated and get tired of asking without getting an answer, don’t give up. After your daily prayer, remind God of your request. Giving up means you don’t need His help because if you did, you wouldn’t. Pay close attention to your surroundings (to recognize answers) as your answered prayer may come through a different source. Above all, trust that God will get to you, no matter how long it takes.

“An unexpected Blessing is an answer to a Prayer said, trusting that God will get to it, no matter how long it takes.” — Joan Ambu

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Thanksgiving Strength of The Small Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read2.3K views

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.”  – Meister Eckhart

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” – Abraham Lincoln

While we are thankful for:

  • Our lives
  • Family and Friends
  • Love and Blessings
  • Joyful hearts and good health
  • Staying true to ourselves
  • Peace of mind and living in a War free country
  • Mistakes and Failures (“My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at His feet.”  – Mahatma Gandhi)
  • Pain and Sorrow (“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” – Isaiah 61:3 (NLT))
  • God’s Unfailing Love

We are constantly reminded that they are people out there who have little to nothing and who fight just to exist. Our prayers are with them, always.

 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Mother's Daughter Birthday Blessings Love Family Gratitude

For You, Mom, With Love

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read755 views

Mom! The sweet sound of your name echoing though my heart, Mom.
You were my first miracle, my very first gift from above and you’ve given me 32 amazing years. From a very young age, you thought us that ‘two are better than one.’ You stressed the importance of togetherness and you stood your grounds even after you lost a child, my only sister. Yes, Mom, ‘two are better than one.’

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV)

Mother. Oh! Mother. Today my heart rejoices with you.
Having a Mother like you is, without a doubt, one of the utmost gifts and prime advantages the Lord has given me. The confidence and values that you instilled in me made me who I am today. For that and much more, I can’t thank you enough. Every day that goes by is a gift from God to cherish and I am thankful to have you around.

For You, Mom, With Love.
(Last Year) With Mom at Starbucks before her Flight.

I didn’t have to become a Mother to understand how difficult being a Mother is because from the moment I learned to walk; I was by your side every step of the way. You made so many sacrifices to raise us, especially me. Every now and then I still wonder how you managed to hold both ends on your own. You give so much, constantly. You are such a transparent person and your heart overflows with Love, Faithfulness and Compassion.

We pray for you ceaselessly. You are a good role model, a Phenomenal Woman. You’re irreplaceable and we are blessed to have you in our lives. Every day brings with it an opportunity to do and try something new; an opportunity to live, to love, to share, to reach out to someone else, to forgive, to move on and to count our blessings. I love new beginnings and I know you do to. I hope you find that which you seek.

Wishing you a peaceful day full of laughter, blessings and many, many more great years.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Fruits Strength of The Small Gratitude People

“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.”

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read783 views

For all the things that suck about life; I for one, am grateful to have good neighbors.

You can choose your friends. You can choose your house and neighborhood; however, you cannot choose your neighbors. Good neighbors make good neighborhoods and can help improve your quality of life. Good neighbors are thoughtful and look out for each other. Bad neighbors are unpleasant to be around and can make life very difficult for others.

Good neighbors add to your set of skills allowing a neighborhood to maintain itself more efficiently since they are all working together. Look around your neighborhood and you will notice the ones that seem to work together and the ones that stand alone, doing their own thing.

Basket of freshly picked Peaches (a gift from my neighbor).
Basket of freshly picked Peaches (a gift from my neighbor).

HOW CAN WE BE GOOD NEIGHBORS?

Be considerate to everyone and practice the Golden Rule which states that “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you …” – Matthew 7:12 (NASB)

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Strength of The Small Inspire Life Lessons Gratitude

Strength of The Small: Finding Joy

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read1.6K views

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” ― Mother Teresa

What are some of those small things, you ask:

» Children (Psalm 127:3).
Good things definitely come in small packages and aren’t those little ones full of surprises? They teach us new things every day.

From the moment my Son started asking about his deceased aunt, (my sister); I realized he was ready to learn about the circle of life. My children never go to sleep without praying. Sometimes, however, my son will, “Mommy, pray for us tonight because we are too tired. We will listen and say Amen after you.” His sister will quietly nod, “um-hmm.” Here’s the part of his prayer that always melts my heart, “… we pray for people we know and for those we do not know.” As I listen to him pray, I think of 1 Samuel 1:26-26.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
Image Source: SearchQuotes.com.

» Relationships.
Togetherness is a powerful word. It represents love, unity, acceptance and much more. If you are fortunate to belong to a group of amazing people, sometimes, that alone suffices.

For all the things that go wrong in life, we have to remember that we are surrounded by good people who are willing to stand by us. I am particularly thankful to the friends I do not see as often in person, but wish I did.

» Walk – Meditate.
Take walks, admire and become one with Nature.
We obsess over the bigger picture that we completely forget about the wonders around us. We can only see such beauties by living the moment.

» Gardening.
Every gardener knows the joys that come from this activity. It sure requires time and patience to achieve ones goal. Not only does it allow us to get some time for ourselves; we also get creative (and eventually see results such as thriving plants). Gardening is a powerful stress reliever and we exercise in the process (yes, it can be quite a workout with all the digging, pulling, spreading).

» Remembrance (Philippians 1:3).
The power of positive remembrance is healing. Remembering positive experiences has the power to resuscitate feelings of gratitude and contentment as well as restoring inner peace and spiritual connection (Revelation 2:4-5).

» Love (1 Corinthians 13:4–8).
As Maya Angelou beautifully said, “People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Be loving and kind to every living thing as we are all part of the Universe. Love can only grow love, not the other way around. When we unabashedly show love to others, it inevitably opens doors to bigger and better things.

» Gratitude.
Start your day with gratitude. Be thankful for a new morning and for what you have.

» Be True to Yourself.
Embrace who you are and the body you are in. Don’t let society define you. Believe in yourself. Be Happy.

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JM Perez By JM Perez