Happy?

"Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy" (David Steindl-Rast). True! My grandmother was a tiny woman with huge strength and heart. She faced the full human range of sorrow and struggle, but even now, more than 20 years after her death, her words ring in my ears: "I'm so thankful that . . . ."

So I want to speak words of thankfulness, borrowing from David in Psalm 145:

"I will praise you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
I will bless you every day,
and I will praise you forever.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
His greatness is beyond discovery!
Let each generation tell its children
of your mighty acts.
The Lord is kind and merciful,
slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.
The Lord is faithful in all he says;
he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely."

I'm thankful to be safely home, and thankful for wonderful hours with wonderful people. Keith returned from Boston yesterday about the time the children got home from school. (Airlines being what they are, neighbors were ready to step in if he'd been delayed.) Karin is enjoying her work in Mississippi. Her team is installing drywall (sheetrock/plasterboard, depending on where you live) in a new home on a lot that was swept bare by Katrina. (An emergency weather alert broke in on our radio listening yesterday as we traveled through Virginia. The sky immediately behind us was as black as night. We hoped we could outrun the storm as we drove south, and we did. Haven't heard yet what happened in the area, so I'm assuming it wasn't newsworthy. I'm thankful for that.)

I'm thankful to be feeling well, and looking forward to a good day at work. I'm thankful for the promises of God. I'm thankful for you!

Happily,
Carol