Giving and Receiving

What better time than two weeks before Christmas to talk about giving and receiving?  Let’s chat, shall we?  Because giving and receiving are more than just presents under the tree.

Giving

Most people probably classify themselves in the “giver” category.  Everyone has been a parent, a child of an aging parent, an employee, a manager.  Whatever you’ve been in your life, giving has most likely been a big part of your relationships.

And let me just tell you right here.  Your gifts to those in your life have been a blessing.  And I ask God right now to bless you for blessing those around you.

Sometimes giving feels thankless.  It is exhausting.  It can suck the joy right out of you.

And believe me, my cats never thank me for cleaning out that box several times a day!

But it’s important and what you have done, even privately or in secret, is known to God.  And it might be known to the rest of us.  Because it shows up in your dear face, in your posture, in the words you choose.

You expect nothing in return.  You know you are blessed just to be in a position to give and you are thankful.

Spiritual laws will never bring you anything but good in the long run.

Thank you for being a giver.

Receiving

Ah.  Being a “taker” in life is considered negatively, am I right?  No one wants to be a mooch.

So just by being a member of society, receiving is difficult. 

Accepting a gift, a tip, prayers, even a door being held open can take a minute to process, can’t it?

But receiving gracefully and gratefully is a blessing to the giver.  So enjoy and relish in the moment.

What I’m Reading

Okay enough with the December philosophy!  Let’s move on to the good stuff.  You know I’ve been reading.

Breath:  The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor is my latest non-fiction recommended by my dear sister Monique.  The book was recommended to her by her dentist to correct some issues she had with her teeth and jaw.  After reading and taking some steps outlined in the book, her problems seemed solved. She also had improved sleep. Yippee!

Improved sleep improves everything in life. I speak from a little experience here.

I now have read the book, am incorporating suggestions and wow!  Life changing.  Really.  I have recommended this book to others and feel like it should be required reading for dentists everywhere.

Now onto fiction. My first reading love.

Tell No Lies by Gregg Hurwitz held a lot of promise because he is the author of my beloved Orphan X books.  But, meh.  So so.   Of course, I will continue to read EVERYTHING this man writes, but a bit of a let down.

The Kill Clause, also by Hurwitz is an earlier book and features a different protagonist.  It was engaging, but I’m not going to recommend it unless you love the thriller genre.

What I’m Eating

Taking hub in for some oral surgery which requires anesthesia.  So homemade chicken soup for him.  I found gluten-free egg noodles online and we found gluten-free saltines (which are now available at Sprouts, Walmart and I imagine lots of other places). 

John loves chicken noodle soup and it was always a big cheat for him, but now with these subs, he can have a light and healthy meal.

Wrap Up

The past few weeks have been a flurry of doctor, dentist and physical therapy appointments.  Nothing really wrong, just the effects of aging, I guess.  I won’t trouble you with the details, but let’s just hope for more exciting posts in the New Year 😉.