Do We Remember To Say Thank You ?

I know several of my recent posts have had a more negative or frustrated tone, which is probably why I found myself in a very reflective mood today.  Sundays are always great for reflecting on life.

Today my thoughts were centered around gratitude for people who have graciously sacrificied their most precious commodity (time) on behalf of me or others I care about.  Just one brief example should illustrate my point.

Yesterday, Trent V (our troop Scoutmaster), spent almost his entire day (before 7:00am until after 7:00pm) supporting our Boy Scouts.  Now I was there too, and I drove, etc. BUT there is a big difference here.  Trent doesn't have a son in our troop.  In fact, Trent has no real obligation to support these scouts, other than his own desires to serve other people and help these boys learn how to be successful men (husbands, fathers, adults, etc.)

Let me be clear here.  For scout leaders or other adults there is literally NOTHING to do at camp all day long!

There is no wifi or internet.  In fact, most of our phones were out of range, so you cannot even make calls or communicate with others outside the camp area.  Unless you want to learn about whatever merit badge one of the boys is learning about, it is just a lot of sitting and trying to stay cool and not get eaten alive by mosquitos or other bugs.

Trent did the best he could to put his time to good use (planning a lesson for church, catching up on some reading, taking a hike on the LONG nature trail - he did NOT expect it to be as long as it was), but at the end of the day it was mostly just a lost day.

I know I thanked him for being there, but I wonder if I really showed enough gratitude for his sacrifice of time.  And this is just one example.  There are many others I need to make sure know I appreciate their time and effort.


Song Of The Day:
I was unable to find the song "On A Hopeful Note" by John Jarvis on YouTube.  It is a very uplifting piece of music that fits perfectly with this post.  BUT ... I did find "A Perfect Rain" and it is a nice substitute!  :)

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Who Do People Expect You To Be ?

Sundays are great days to reflect and ponder on life.  In my house there are not usually "quiet" moments, but Sundays offer the best chances for a few minutes.

Today I have been thinking alot about my relationships with others.  Specifically, I have been reflecting on interactions from the preceding weeks where people around me seemed to expect certain reactions or behaviors from me in specific situations.  In some cases, I met their expectations by acting or being a certain way.  But in others, my actions or opinions seemed to surprise people greatly.  And I began to wonder if I am consistent in who I am and what I believe and how that rationale is implemented across all aspects of my life.

Some questions I asked myself included:

 - What do people count on me for?

 - What do people expect my action or reaction to be in certain circumstances?
 - Are my actions demonstrating my faith and beliefs?
 - Does how I spend my time support what I tell others is important to me?  Or is it contradictory, thus causing them to question my honesty and self-awareness?
And lastly ...
 - How would I live differently if I knew people were watching me and expecting me to handle situations in a certain way?
 - Would it give me strength in difficult situations?
 - Would it provide me with an ability to make wiser choices?

As with many of my posts, I do not have answers.  I only hope to share questions that may be of use to those who read these 'ramblings.'  I think we all can influence and be influenced for good.  Let us take time to reflect on the past and renew our commitments for the future.


Song Of The Day:
Of course I love a cappella music and the song "Take Me As I Am" by Completely Different Note is a great one for this post.  Although the message of the tune is more about learning to love again, the title ties in with the subject of this post.  Apologies for the mediocre recording of this song.

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