I am grateful for crisp. Crisp crackers. Crisp potato chips. Crisp tacos. Crisp cereal. Crisp paper money. Okay. Now that word seems funny. Crisp.

I am grateful for people who wear their emotions so that I know pretty much exactly how they are without them having to fake a “fine.”

I am grateful for tap water that tastes good.

I am grateful for a happy daughter who calls me.

I’ll have just one potato chip…said no one ever.

I am grateful for the feel of soft petals on a delicate flower.

I am grateful for a text message from Kristi, our Minnesota pastor who is coming to Overland Park next week!

I am grateful for naps.

I am grateful today for the reminder of a certain wisdom that Sam sometimes shares. Before sharing a story, a complaint, an opinion, he offers, “For what benefit is it to share with others? What good can come out of it?” If there is no benefit, it should probably stay within.

And I am grateful for the reminder this morning in my church devotions that “you become like the five people you spend the most time with.”

I remember school days. I loved the smell of a working eraser, but I never liked the fact that it didn’t quite erase everything if the mistake was hard on paper. You could always still make out the mistake even after you erased and erased and erased and created that wonderful rubber smell. And if you erased too much, your Big Chief paper would tear, and then the mistake was even more glaringly evident.

There’s a lesson in there.

That’s the way we are as people in this world. We mistake. We try to correct our mistake. We attempt to cover our mistake. We sometimes, many times, fail in our elementary attempts. And those who see our “work” can see right through our attempts to erase our big, heavy, black-marked, fat pencil mistakes.

I love that God doesn’t use an eraser to wipe out our mistakes. He’s more of a Big Chief tablet ripper-outer. Fresh page, new beginning, try again. What mistake? I don’t see any mistakes.  Or in 21st century speak, He’s partial to the delete key. The delete key that comes after the “Are you sure you want to delete this?” box.

I am grateful that He forgives my mistakes and forgets them.

I am grateful for Psalm 103:

God is sheer mercy and grace;
    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
    nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
    so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
    he has separated us from our sins.

And I am grateful for Delores, who needed a computer eraser today on Facebook and inspired my brain to think about God and the delete key.

I am grateful for toilet bowl brushes and the water to flush.

I am grateful for friends who share the ugly.

I am grateful for a day with Dad on Saturday.

I am grateful for new clothes to wear.

I am grateful for my pastor’s message.

I am grateful for this scripture today, because I need a right spirit to be renewed within, and this is a simple prayer:

Speaking of that right spirit, this was in my inbox today.

Tips for the houseguest, tips for the host:

1. Be clear about how long your visit will be in order to be respectful of the hosts and their schedule.
2. Never show up unannounced.
3. Bring a small gift, and make it something the hosts are not obligated to display each time you will visit. A delicious delicacy from your hometown is always a nice idea.
4. Notice the house: no clutter means you shouldn’t either. Light clutter means you shouldn’t either.
5. Be appropriate – no walking around with just a towel or nightie, and use etiquette always.
6. Remember these words: “Would you mind if…?” “May I…” “Would it be alright if…” Don’t take advantage.
7. You should offer to help with extras like cooking or watching their children, but you shouldn’t even bother asking before clearing the table, doing dishes, or filling the car with gas if you borrow it.
8. If your hosts have to work, entertain and feed yourself and let them know when you will be returning.
9. Never offend. If your host doesn’t smoke or social drink, don’t assume it’s okay. 
10. Bring your own toiletries, and by all means, stay out of their refrigerator unless they offer their leftovers and milk.
11. Leave no trace of your stay. That means, the bathroom should be cleaner than when you arrived. The sheets should be stripped from the bed and carried to the laundry room. The kitchen sink and counters should be dirty dish free.
12. Give thanks three times. Three. When you arrive, when you leave, and once more, in a HAND-WRITTEN note.

1. Guest room essentials: Always have clean sheets and towels ready, and lay out mini-toiletries for your guests’ use, just in case they forgot something.
2. Double check schedules to insure that arrival days and times coincide and if you are providing transportation, your guests are not waiting for you to arrive at the gate or train station.
3. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with a few essentials and offer access to your guests. 
4. If you have ideas for entertainment or have made plans while your guests are visiting, let them know ahead of time so that they can pack accordingly. If they will be on their own to explore your area, leave a nice note of ideas in their room.
5. Provide a warm and cozy welcome with soft lighting, soft music, and light a candle for ambiance.
6. Offer a snack or beverage upon your guests’ arrival, no matter the time of day or night.
7. Show your guests to their room and offer to carry their bags.
8. Explain the quirks of your home – remember the first time you tried to flush and had to find out the hard way that jiggling the handle “just so” was the only way to achieve success.
9. Empower your guests to help themselves. Hopefully, they won’t just help themselves but will wait for your encouragement. Show them where the coffee pot is kept, show them the recycling bin, and if they are staying for a few days, offer the laundry room for their needs.
10. Provide relaxation. Don’t fill every moment of the visit with activity. Sitting on a patio for conversation and peace and quiet is essential to an enjoyable visit.

I’m still working on my shortcomings, so I guess I’m grateful for my shortcomings, so that I have something to work on. I am also grateful for wonderful hosts in my past. Charlie and Patsy are at the top. Someday, I hope to be more like them.

So, is it hee hee, hehe, haha, ha, lol, rotfl, woot, yay, yeah, or yeh? If you want to type out your happy talk, how is it s’posed to go?

I seriously do not like when someone types “woot.” What, in Heaven’s name. No one SAYS woot, so why would you type woot? Now, ya-hoo, I get. Yippee, I get. Those are definitely words named in Heaven.

And, on top of that, who is Pete and George?

For the sake of Pete or Heaven or land or pity or mercy, someone please simplify things. I have wondered about these phrases for such a long time. Mom used to say, “For pity’s sakes.” Huh? What in the world does that even mean.

And why would George have anything to do with getting it? “By George, I think he’s got it.” Huh? I must be slow, or I don’t have a George to help me get it.

I am grateful for that devotion this morning to set me on the right track.

I am grateful for people who type out Hi instead of Hey. Ya-hoo instead of woot.

Mercy sakes alive, I love to be happy.

One more thing. This beautiful lady made me laugh today. I am grateful for her:

I am grateful for devotions that are “ah-HA” devotions.

My devotion this morning from Dad’s David Jeremiah devotional he received a year ago from Aunt Patsy and Uncle Charlie:

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord for the Lord heard it. – Numbers 11:1

Leadership expert Erik Calonius tells of a study of 12,000 interconnected people in Massachusetts that found that happiness passes from one person to another like flu. The closer you are to a happy person, the happier you’ll be. Statistically, each happy friend a person has increases that person’s probability of being happy by about 9%. Every unhappy friend decreases it by 7%. Experts call this “contagion.”

Readers of Exodus aren’t surprised, for negative attitudes swept through the Israelites in epidemic waves. For example, in chapter 15 the Israelites burst into hymns over the parting of the Red Sea; but by the end of the chapter, they were grumbling again.

The attitude you’re carrying right now will spread to somebody else today. If you’re joyful, you’ll lift their spirits. If you’re angry, you’ll infect them with negative feelings. The Bible tells us to exhort one another, to hold fast to our faith, and to spread abroad the love of God with overflowing hearts.

I am grateful for the sound of:

• rain pattering on the umbrella as I walked into work this morning.
• giggling.
• tearing open a potato chip bag.
• Natia’s happy howl that says “Come ONNNNN! Let’s GOOOOOO!”
• Parker and Reilly’s voices.
• a bird outside the window, singing in the rain.
• squishy/crinkly diaper.
• soft piano.
• three part harmony.
• the state fair.
• Katrina’s laugh.

• Winnie the Pooh when he talks, thanks to Sterling Holloway and Jim Cummings.
• Melissa’s Texas accent.
• Sam sleeping.
• bacon frying.
• ocean waves.
• a lawnmower working on a lazy Saturday morning.
• a really good rendition of The National Anthem.
• my Mom’s voice that, sadly, is becoming faint in my memory.
• the crackle of a fire on the patio.
• the roar of a Royals crowd after a win.
• Avis saying, “Well doesn’t that just bust yer buttons.”
• clean sheets snapped, I think that’s what you call that action, just before the bed is made.
• just about anything Resurrection Singers sing.
• a master trumpeter playing “Taps.”
• gravel crunch.

So, I am grateful my ears still work.

I am grateful for the invention of the air conditioner.

I am grateful that I have air conditioning in my home, in my car, and in this office.

I am grateful for cool fronts in July.

I am grateful for days with low humidity.

I am grateful for a breeze.

I am grateful for ice.

I am grateful for a refrigerator that works.

I am grateful for cold watermelon.

I am grateful that I do not have to work outside in this swelter.

I am grateful for a memorable 4th of July evening at the ballpark, even though the Royals lost.

I am grateful for hummingbirds found.

I am grateful for barbecue on a patio celebrating Pete’s birthday.

I am grateful for a few days with Natia.

I am grateful to be included in remodeling plans.

I am grateful for text messages from Katrina.

I am grateful for my brother who sacrificed his time and his money to help a stranger.

And I am grateful for these:

I am grateful for the colors of my world. By that, I mean the diversity of friendships, the mixed experiences I am privileged to take part in, the sights and sounds and smells of a new life, the richness of personalities that make every day so interesting.

I am sitting in the pickup tonight as I accompany Sam on an emergency call, and the quiet of the night is a concert, a symphony playing softly through the speakers. While a violin cries, it is comforted by its cousins who play along and grieve in lower tones. And then, a piano dances and playfully giggles as her friends laugh and pull her back into their circle, but she darts away and is able to click her heels one last time before…silence.

I love how each instrument is so different, but so important in the piece of music. Just like this life. As we stood in line at the warehouse store earlier tonight, I commented how interesting people really are. In the several lanes of checkout, there were nationalities, there were generations, there were varieties of social and economic classes. Some were friendly while others apparently had a rough day or a rough life and could no longer wear a smile or treat others with kindness.

I just read the above and am thinking, “How ridiculous and cheesy.” It’s 11:30 at night. That’s my excuse.

Okay. So gratefuls for today…

I am grateful for:

• lots of work at work, although it has caused me to become sporadic in my counting of every last thing.
• the privilege to witness history.
• being asked to be on call, even if I am the backup plan.
• fun with my CASA girl and her sisters.
• a day off.
• reassurance finally, that my sister and family were okay and Natia was home, too.
• red, white, and blue.
• symphony music that makes me happy and sad and scared and anxious. Dances with Wolves and Schindler’s List soundtracks are THE BEST and so emotion draining.
• our new friend, Hong.
• my high school Bible teacher, Mr. Yount.
• the magic of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
• a finished soapy puzzle!

Today is Delores’ birthday.

I was up at about 4 am just thinking about memories I have of this lady, my other Mom in this life:

• Mom’s best friend
• My first babysitter, at least that I can remember
• The best board games were at the top of the stairs
• Sheets and towels drying on the clothesline just outside the door, and she didn’t mind if I wrapped myself in them
• I don’t believe she has ever in her life raised her voice in anger
• Working at The Medical Center
• Ginger, the wiener dog
• Penny, the cocker spaniel
• I don’t think her hair has ever been out of place
• She always had the best junk on her Christmas tree
• Harold
• She let me eat what I wanted
• Miniatures and shadow boxes
• Nativity sets for Mom at Christmas
• Many evenings spent on the patio, just visiting
• Taco Johns dates with Mom
• Her hugs
• Riding my yellow bike with the flowered banana seat to her house just down the street
• Her cards
• She always gave Mom the best birthday and Christmas presents
• Knowing I am loved by her no matter what

Oh, there are so many more memories. I love Delores. She is the definition of a lady and a role model in my life. Someday, I hope to be just like her.

So, today, I am grateful for Delores and for her friendship to my Mom and my Dad, and me. I am grateful for her cards she sends, her silliness and ability to tease, her care and concern for our family, her dedication and example to her own family. I am grateful for her witness and example of trusting in God no matter the situation. She deserves nothing but the best this life has to offer.

Happy Birthday, sweet friend.