Yep! I'M GRATEFUL!

YA REALLY WANNA TALK
"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:

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.