Grateful Place - Heaven Entry #6

Describe your "grateful center" ["God's Joyful Surprise" by Sue Monk Kidd].  Each of us has such a center in our lives - a time and place where we were free of all the grasping and grabbing, all the pushing and shoving, all the disapproving and dissenting.  An appropriate place to retreat to during the Holiday Stress.

"Find the place that heals you", was the phrase I heard in one of my training classes about work/life balance in Accenture (see March 28, 2010).    "Your peaceful place allows whispered prayers and thanksgiving to flow" ["Prayer" by Richard Foster]. 

I like Foster's suggestion to try to live on entire day in utter thanksgiving. Balance any (and every) complaint with ten gratitudes, every criticism with ten compliments.  I have my own practice of writing down five things I'm grateful for each day (since December 3, 2007 and now starting it's sixth year and a new Volume IV) See 87th blog entry "Practice an Attitude of Gratitude" on December 16, 2009.   I asked Mom if she would join me in this "trained habit". 

On December 3, 2010 I ended Volume II with the "Top 10" things I was grateful for after reviewing the first thee years of entries - you could say that was my "grateful center":

(1) God's messages to me (Spiritual Growth)
(2) All my entries about family - Susan, Jenna, Ellen, Parents, Slanta Family, Murray Family, D'Lane/Ann & Family, Vana/Dayton and Family
(3) Nature's signs of God's Presence (The Seasons)
(4) Health of All
(5) Social Venture Partners & Vistage
(6) Friends and Relationships
(7) Home; Office; and Feelings of Security
(8) Library;Books;Movies;Concerts ... Intellectual Stimulation
(9) Memories - Blogging;Journals

and the top choice .......   A Loving Spouse

Find your Grateful Place - each day, each year, for a lifetime of peace.

P.S. >   It hit me as I was 'tagging this entry" with virtually all of my tags!  This is my Heaven Entry #6!