Skip to main content

Ten Things of Thankful: Inspiration Edition


"Fear not, I am with thee, o be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid." source

This week, I received news that a friend has an advanced-stage cancer. She has requested that her friends send her inspirational thoughts and images to help her during this difficult time, so for this week's Ten Things of Thankful, I thought I would express thanks for those things that I have found helpful when I am going through hard times. Hopefully, something in my list will resonate with her, too. 

1. I'm thankful for music. It has the power to soothe souls, bring peace, and spark motivation. As you read through this post, feel free to listen to this collection:



2. I'm thankful for faith. My friend and I happen to both be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but regardless of your religion, faith in God can bring strength beyond what is humanly possible otherwise. The power of prayer is real. 

A photo of clouds over the ocean, with the caption, "If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing." source

3. I'm thankful for humor. Laughing relieves stress, but doesn't leave your eyes sore, like crying does. (I know some people find crying cathartic, but I'm generally not one of them.) Here's a clip of a comedian  at Dry Bar Comedy, pre-COVID:



4. I'm thankful for friends. Friends are there for you, in good times and bad, to listen and cheer you on. 

5. I'm thankful for family. What I said about friends counts at least double for family. 

6. I'm thankful for nature. Whether the sky is blue and cloudless, or winds howl and rain falls (within reason, of course--I'm not talking about putting myself in danger), being able to look outside at the majesty and beauty of nature lifts my spirits. 

7. I'm thankful for service. I've been on both sides of it. Most of the time, it is easier to give than receive, but receiving is also an act of service, because you provide an opportunity for someone else to help. There should be no guilt in accepting help when it is needed. (And don't get into a debate about the definition of needed! If help would help, say yes to the offer!) 😊

8. I'm thankful for distractions. I can get lost in a book. Some people find the same thing with games, crafts, or videos. Sometimes trials can seem all-consuming; having a distraction can help give your mind a break.

9. Similarly, I'm thankful for naps. Rest works wonders, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

10. I'm thankful for others who have gone through similar situations and can offer hope and encouragement. Of course, everyone is unique, and no one should assume to "know exactly how you feel," but sometimes I want to hear from someone who has gone through something like I am going through. (There's a reason parenting books sell!) I'm thankful for the valuable resources someone who has been there, done that can provide.

I'm sure there are many more. What have you found you are most thankful for when you are sick, worried, or stressed? Let's lift each other up!

Joining the blog hop this week:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Comments

  1. These are truly awesome gratefuls! I am grateful for my faith too, weak as it may be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! No matter how weak faith might be, it is always a blessing.

      Delete
  2. My heart goes out to your friend. This is a lovely list, i hope it helps remind her of things that will bring her comfort at this time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Praying for your friend. I'm confident that this list will help.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a perfect list for anyone grieving in any way. Accepting help is probably the hardest item on the list to fulfill, because (right or wrong) inside, it can make you feel defeated. I hope your friend feels all the love surrounding her. I wanted people to make me laugh, so I hope she is able to find humor comforting, as well. Prayers for her. PS love the song - Methodists sing that hymn as well, although not nearly as well :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I know everyone is different, but those are the things I have found helpful.
      Funny story on the hymn--the last time the hymnbook was revised, Come Thou Fount was left out, and no one seemed to miss it. Then Mack Wilberg (Tabernacle Choir director) came out with a rendition, the choir sang it, and everyone noticed it was missing from the hymnbook. The hymnbook is currently under revision again, and Come Thou Fount is one of the most requested hymns to put in the new book. I'm looking forward to the publication of the new hymnal. I think lots of people will be looking for Come Thou Fount.

      Delete
  5. Very good (and true) list... surely it is the context that we accept that offers a path through the most trying of time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a beautiful list, Kristi. I love the Tabernacle Choir app! I listened to it for quite a while on Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you know you can ask Alexa to play music from the Tabernacle Choir?

      Delete

Post a Comment

Conversations are so much nicer when more than one person does the talking. :-) Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts; I'd love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

Ten Things of Thankful: Autumn Edition

It's autumn time, one of my favorite times of year.  I just couldn't leave this weekend as a one-post weekend.  

Ten Things of Thankful: Last Two Weeks

  Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, as viewed from an overlook I apologize for not commenting on your blog posts this past week; John and I took a vacation to Yellowstone National Park, leaving behind our computers and, to a large extent, cell phone service. We escaped the outside world and just spent time in nature. Though we have friends near Yellowstone (who we love to visit) we made this trip just about us, so please forgive us if we were nearby and didn't stop by. The crowds were minimal (though we did mask up whenever we passed someone on the trails) and we spent our days hiking, taking photos, and watching geysers erupt. Today, we are back home and back to work, and, in the case of my computer, back to old shenanigans like not letting me import my photos. (I was able to add the above photo by using blogger on my phone, but that isn't my preferred method.) I want to write about Yellowstone and have photos I want to share, but will leave that for another

Monday Mentions: Equate Crutches

Have you ever needed crutches? I hadn't, until a week ago.  I'm pretty sure I strained a muscle while running a half-marathon.  (That sounds kind of cool, doesn't it? I'm not actually that cool; the last time I strained a muscle it was from carrying too many shopping bags at once.) In any case, I found myself in need of some crutches. I sent my husband to the store to get some. Photo: A pair of crutches leans against a wall  Not that crutches are all that complex, but because I hadn't used any before, I wondered if I could figure out how to adjust them to fit me properly. I shouldn't have worried. John came home from Walmart with their generic store brand of crutches, complete with instructions. First, I needed to take out a long bolt that went through the hand grip. Then I needed to find my height range, push down two metal pieces, and slide the crutches until the little metal pieces came up in the hole near my height range. (Having two people for this