A Farmer

While at seminary our paths crossed with an amazing man by the name of JD Walt. I believe JD was named after John Deere, yes the big green tractor, and he was raised on a soybean farm in the great state of Arkansas. He use to be a Lawyer and I bet he was a good one, but God called him to be more for Him so JD became a preacher. After being in the church for a while, Asbury asked him to come and be the Dean of Community Life and the Chapel. He writes our "Reader" for the seminary and is a poet, song writer, speaker and dreamer. We were in Weight Watchers together and he asked me why he had to write everything he ate down, I told him so he could stay within his allowed points, and loss weight. He said it was all a waste of time and just wanted WW to tell him how to loss weight, he didn't want to have to change anything he was doing. I think the world of JD and he seems to be one of those people that you either love or hate. He inspired me to start my blog because he was doing it and good grief if he could do it surely I could. The name of his blog is "FarmStrong" and today this is what he wrote:

The degree of true gratitude in my heart increases by the same magnitude in which the degree of entitlement and expectation toward others decreases. Gratitude is a gift which must be freely given and freely received. It cannot be the repayment of a “debt.” (as in a debt of gratitude–”I owe you a big thank you”) To repay what is owed is not a gift but an obligation. This is how a culture of “reciprocation” kills an environment of gratitude.Summary: renounce your entitlement to anything and you can be truly thankful for everything.

Wow! I love this stuff! So are you feeling like your owed something? Get over yourself and start being thankful for everything! I am going to do this today and see if I can keep it up all day. There were some ladies that pushed my buttons yesterday and I didn't deserve it. Today, I will be grateful that they have walked into my life and shed some of themselves on me. (That's not a typo). Be blessed this day friends as you go forth with a grateful heart and change the world!