YA REALLY WANNA TALK
"GRATITUDE"?
"GRATITUDE"?
My home group, The Naples Group, will be having our 55th Anniversary Dinner the last Thursday of this month. A speaker--Barry W--from New Hampshire is featured.
At our recent monthly meeting to 'take care of business' (eight members attend, out of 150-200 regular meeting attendees) we were bandying about who we might ask to give the Invocation for this annual affair. A priest, a rabbi, a minister, were considered (none by name), when suddenly one girl said, "What about HIM"? And seven pair of eyes turned toward me. And, well, they appointed me, Steve E., to deliver the Invocation before the dinner-meeting. I truly thought they were joking. They were not.
I didn't allow anyone to see the tears forming in my own eyes, at being so honored by my peers. Probably I'm making too big a thing out of it. You see, this is the same A.A. group whose door I was pulled through that night of March 19th, 1974. At that moment, I KNEW that I would be resigning my position in that group the next day, March 20, 1974. And here I am, almost 35 years after, going to lead them in a 'short' prayer! God, what have You done for this formerly drunk hunk of flesh and bone?
I am grateful for many other things
--among them:
--among them:
Music, which lifts me from this worldly world
I will get to ride to my meeting tonight
It is my home group meeting (Thursday)
I am librarian for this group
Never figured I'd be proud to be a librarian
I will tell my weekly joke tonight to about 200 people
They will laugh
Laughter is good
I use my computer for God's purposes
I have several 'families'
Prayer Girl and our children is one family
My early 6 AM meeting is my other 'family'
You bloggers are my 'DEAR' family
I love all my families
My families love ME!
I wear a beautiful solid gold cross
Anna gave it to me
Daily Reflections (A.A. Readings)
Anthony De Mello (Author)
The Cloud of Unknowing (Book)
Water aplenty
A roof that does not leak
A toilet that does--
A wide TV screen
I don't watch TV: well, VERY little!
Knowing how to pray
Learning how to meditate
Contact with God through others
I am most peaceful, most serene, most happy, most thankful, and I know that God is closest to me--at these moments in front of my computer. This is whether I'm reading you, blogging , commenting, Emailing--and/or praying with you. I love you, and Prayer Girl loves you.
MUCH Gratitude.
Steve E.
13 comments:
I did not know you love Anthony DeMello. I love his work, too. His little book, The Way To Love is one of my near daily reads. I've had to tape the cover to keep it together.
what a post. gratitude is jumping of the screen at me. thanks for sharing it...
Such gifts are given....such gratitude responds.
Wow. You are the perfect pick and you probably thought you would always be the last guy chosen for the team. See, now you are the captain. (Sort of a Gilligan's Island feel)
I will be your little buddy.
LU
J
I love this blog. I agree with Shadow that gratitude is fairly bouncing off each sentence.
Maybe you all might be able to guess that I sometimes have to do some jumping of my own to grab and bring Mr. Steveroni back to earth.
Signed MsJumpingWithJoy,
PG
Wonderful post and congrats on the AA Honour - I know you are gonna make em all laugh and then quietly they will apprecaite your candor, your honesty and your abillity to see the best in all of them.
(Ps - thank you so much for your kind comment at my other blog - it really made my night!)
Cat
I am so excited for you!! How awesome an honor to be chosen for. You deserve it so much. Thanks for sharing with us
Thanks, Steve, for your gratefulness and your willingness. It is deeply appreciated. Thanks for the suggestions, it was an attitude adjusting experience.
YUP, I am grateful for YOU, and Prayergirl too. Thanks for writing, and for your support. I will be blogging better for now. I have missed you all. Thanks for being here.
What great news! I am very happy for you and your achievement. You're a funny guy I'm sure you'll have em in stitches, Mr Bach.)
Steve. Wanted to say thank you for the greeting about Mrs. Lane. Thanks for your kind words at this time. On my family blog that you have access too is the letter that was sent home. We have friends out of state who have her as a teacher so I posted the letter in our more private family blog. take care of you. and again. THANKS ♥
It's an honor you've earned, Steve wish I could be there.
what a beautiful post dear a roni! I love and feel the gratitude and like Hope I love DeMello, have read many of his books and appreciate him and Merton immensely. Not surprising they would choose you for the invocation at all...at least not to me!
hey steve. back again. i went to Heathers site. yes, she needs us. we need her. i am thinking a lot about the forgiveness part, after reading her. tonight. it changed my frame of thought to be there with her. hmmmm. i d k. i want to drink sometimes so BAD. to just not think. drink don't think. that used to be my motto. but then I came back to you. because you are such a strength to me. thanks for writing, and for checking on me. it's late and I ramble alot. hmmm. g'nite
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