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Thank you God! A prayer of gratitude
Published August 13, 2010 | 
When I was a child we learned a prayer that we sang, giving thanks to God. It went something like this:
Baruch atah Adonai, Thank you God!
Thank you for my mommy, thank you for my dad-
Thank you for my……
I can hear the tune in my head but I don’t remember the rest of the words. Essentially, we sang a list of things that we were thankful for. We sang about the blessings in our life. We acknowledged and thanked God for them.
My childhood religion happened to be Reformed Judaism. I am sure that no matter what religious background you were brought up in, you may remember something from your childhood too? A bedtime prayer perhaps? Giving thanks at the dinner table?
The practice of gratitude is so important and powerful. I believe life just works better when we come from a place of thanks and we are mindful of our blessings. Life is so rich! Let’s be thankful for each day.
I encourage us today during our quiet reflective times to express a prayer of thanks to God, the Universe, or whatever spiritually works for you. In your journals, you can write down a list of things you are thankful for. You can think of them during a meditation or while taking a walk. You can sing them to a tune like I did as a child.
The feeling of gratitude can show up in the way you go about your day today: your stride, how much you smile at others, how kind you are to other drivers on the highway etc.
I feel so blessed and thankful for many things on this morning.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Thank You God!
Debra : )
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Posted in Affirmations, Benefits of Journal Writing, Family life, Journal Prompts, Love, Meditations, Most Popular Posts, Parenthood, Prayers, Prosperity, Self-empowerment, Spirituality, walking | 
bedtime prayers, blessings, god, gratitude, Jewish prayer, journal writing, prayers, thanking God | 
Leave a commentCounting your many blessings: a wonderful exercise for bedtime or anytime
Published August 6, 2010 | 
Counting your blessings:
- If you had a reason to smile today, you are blessed.
- If you made someone else smile today, you are blessed.
- If you have people and pets in your life to love, you are blessed.
- If you are loved by people and pets, you are blessed.
- If you met someone new today, you are blessed.
- If you learned something new today, you are blessed.
- If you were challenged today with something, you are blessed, for challenges are opportunities in disguise…
- If something caused your mind to think in a new expanded way, you are blessed.
- If you ate something that tasted good and nourished your body, you are blessed.
- If you were able to get to where you needed to go today, you are blessed.
Your turn: In your journal, write down a list of all of the ways you are blessed. A nice touch is to add “thank you” after you acknowledge each blessing. This is a wonderful meditation as well. For example, “My family loves and supports me. I am blessed. Thank you” or “Today I learned all kinds of new things about the publishing industry. I am blessed. Thank you”.
What we focus on grows. What we appreciate appreciates. Focusing on our blessings and then feeling and expressing gratitude for them is very powerful. It is an affirmation for all the good things you have in your life already and will only manifest more good to you.
This is a wonderfully positive state to be in before bed time. I recommend it.
Sweet dreams,
Debra : )
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Goodnight: verses for the end of the day
Published July 15, 2010 | 
Goodnight small children, their parents, and friends.
Goodnight to all those who worked hard and tried their best.
Goodnight to humble beginnings and rewarding finishes.
Goodnight to the hopes and prayers of people with loved ones serving overseas.
Goodnight to beauty.
Goodnight challenges.
Goodnight blessings.
Goodnight.
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Posted in Most Popular Posts, poetry, Prayers, Spirituality | bedtime prayer, blessings, goodnight, prayers for military, verses for sleep | 1 CommentTen wishes for you on this day…
Published July 15, 2010 | 
May this day bring you:
- Many reasons to smile
- New friends
- Opportunities to grow
- A different perspective about something
- Playful energy
- Peaceful calm
- Good food
- A chance to help someone
- One challenge to help you stretch
- Gifts that appear when you are least expecting them (they could be people, places, or experiences)
Have a delightful day!
Debra : )
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Posted in Affirmations, Self-empowerment | affirmations, blessings, helping others | Leave a commentOh happy day, what are you thankful for? The power of gratitude.
Published July 14, 2010 | 
When I get in one of my funky down moods (which does happen from time to time), one of the quickest ways I get myself out of it is to think about things in my life that I am thankful for. It gives me a different perspective. Self pitying is a weak and not very constructive way to spend one’s time. Focusing on gratitude and our blessings, however, is quite empowering.
Writing gratitude entries in our journal is a great way to start or end the day. For years I have owned a neat little book called The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It’s a simple book, really. There are a few inspirational quotes in it and basically some lines to write down a few things that we are thankful for every day of the year. I don’t do it everyday since I have other journals that I write in, but when I think to I will turn to whatever day it happens to be and write the year and a few of my current blessings. I have had this Abundance journal since 1997 so it is a fun record of my life for the past 13 years.
What are you thankful for? What we focus on grows and what we appreciate appreciates.
Have a splendid day!
Debra : )
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What are you thankful for?
Published June 14, 2010 | It is so important to focus on the things we appreciate about our lives rather than the things that we are not happy about.
This may take some training and time especially during those times that we are really stressed out and feel like nothing is working out for us. So even if you had a really crummy day today, what are you thankful for? You are breathing, are you not? You have the gift of life. That is incredibly awesome. Do you have a roof over your head? Food in your pantry and refrigerator?
You get the idea. No matter how miserable and victimized we may think we are, we can always think of something to be thankful for. Getting in the habit of a gracious, thankful mindset will have profound positive consequences in your life.
Remember: what we appreciate appreciates!
Get out your journal tonight and write down as many things as you can think of that you feel thankful for.
Sweet dreams.
Debra : )
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John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed
Published June 6, 2010 | 
The sports world lost a beloved figure Friday when former UCLA coach, John Wooden, past away at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 99. Coach Wooden was a legendery basketball coach, leading his players to win a historical 10 NCAA championships. He was also well respected for his humility, wisdom and life philosophy. Coach Wooden often shared his Seven Point Creed which he says his father gave to him. I would like to post it here because the values in Mr. Wooden’s words are very much in alignment with much of what I write about here at the Warm Milk Journal.
Here it is:
- Be true to yourself.
- Make each day your masterpiece.
- Help others.
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
- Make friendship a fine art.
- Build a shelter against a rainy day.
- Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
Source: Florida Times Union, June 6, 2010
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Posted in Self-empowerment, Spirituality | Bible, blessings, friendship, helping others, humility, John Wooden, making each day count, prayer, success | Leave a commentBless what you want: applying the ancient Polynesian Wisdom of Huna for a good night sleep
Published June 3, 2010 | 
What we focus on is what we get in life.
What we put out there we attract and manifest in our lives.
What we appreciate appreciates.
What we bless comes into our life.
I grew up in Hawaii. An ancient Hawaiian philosopy, Huna, teaches that what we bless we bring into our lives.
For peace of mind and restful sleep, try this:
1. Bless anything you see that is asleep (a partner, a pet, a stranger snoozing on your bus, commuter train, airport gate, or airplane)
2. Bless anything that appears to be peaceful to you: another person, child, baby, animal, the sky, trees, ocean, a garden, etc.
3. If you hear music that is relaxing or peaceful to you, bless it.
4. If you see in a person’s smile peace and serenity, bless that person and his or her magnificent smile.
5. If you read or hear words that bring you peace today, bless the source of those words.
6. If your bed and linens and pillows and blankets bring you comfort, bless them.
7. If your bedroom soothes you, bless it.
8. If there is a fragrance from your herbal garden, your cooking, your home, the cologne you or someone else is wearing, the candle(s) you are burning, your bubble bath, the massage oil you and your partner are using, the flowers in your home, the fur of your beloved cat, the smell of a baby, child, loved one- any smell that gives you a feeling of love, peace, joy, and serenity- bless it!
9. If there is a food or beverage that is nurturing and calming your body, spirit, and soul with its warmth and good nutrition, bless it.
10. If there are people in your life that support you and give you peace, bless them.
11. when you are watching a tv show or movie and there is a character snoozing away, bless them
12. Whenever you catch someone yawning, bless them.
13. Whever you feel a calming breeze on your body when outdoors, bless it.
14. Whenever you feel the warmth of the sun and it feels so good and relaxing, bless it.
15. Whenever you think of memories that give you a feeling of peace, bless them.
16. Recall times in your life when you slept very well at night, and bless them.
17. If there are particular sounds you hear that relax you and make you sleepy such as frogs or crickets at night, the white noise of an air conditioning fan, etc., bless these sounds that give you peace.
18. Are there particular colors that soothe you? Bless those colors…
Bless you, dear Warm Milk Journal reader….
Goodnight
Debra : )
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Posted in insomnia, Prayers, Spirituality, Tips to help insomnia | blessings, getting a good night's sleep, Huna, joy, Law of Atraction, peace, serenity | 2 CommentsTen thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.- Wu-Men (1183-1260)
Published May 27, 2010 | We have so much to be thankful for.
As you begin or end your day today, take a deep breath in and think about all the things you have to be thankful for.
Breathe out anything that is not serving your greater good.
Get out your journal and write down at least ten things that you are grateful for right now.
Tell yourself “I am blessed!” “My life is so rich”
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Posted in Meditations, Self-empowerment, Spirituality | Being thankful, blessings, gratitude | Leave a commentFor All You Mothers Out There
Published May 8, 2010 | For the new mothers: You are losing sleep right now feeding and nursing and soothing your babies throughout the night. You are chasing toddlers and arranging play dates and countless other activities for your families and households.
As your kids get older there will be school issues and different life issues as the years pass. Kids grow up. Moms remain moms.
I am 44 years old and I still need my mom. I am thankful for the talks, the cheering up during times I am down, the candles and clothes from Kohls sales she likes to send me, and her just being there.
There are moms out there who may still have children at home and are also dealing with the strain of aging parents. God bless you.
There are moms out there adjusting to life with empty nests. Kids in college or out on their own working , marrying and raising families of their own.
I am thankful for my two kids, Stephen and Aimee, ages 15 and 12. They are getting older but still need me. The best thing that ever happened to me was when my son was born (almost 16 years ago now). I can still remember those early days with that new baby and thinking: now what do I do? I don’t know how to be a mom. Here was this most exquisite little creature completely dependent on me. The days of being home with him, nursing him, holding him, watching every little development…it was a magical, miraculous time and I really felt like I was hanging out with God.
I am thankful to know what it is to love something greater than myself and learn to give so much of myself. There were times during those earlier years that I didn’t think I would make it. Lonely days as a young stay at home Seattle area mom. Sleepless nights. Tears like the rain that so often fell. Older moms would tell me that they are little for such a brief time. Enjoy the time with them. I would nod my head, but back then not really understanding. Back then, it would seem I would always be the mom of little kids: immersed in the world of plastic toys, baby board books, mommy-toddler story times at the library, play dates with other kids and their moms ….., intricately planned themed birthday parties, camps, girl scout troop meetings, etc.
Now, they are older. Instead of trips to Toys r Us for presents during the holidays or for birthdays, it is gift cards or cash. They want to do their own shopping. We still have family time but what they really want is time with their friends. They are older. They still need me. But it is different.
I remember when I first found out I was pregnant. A coworker of mine excitedly exclaimed: “Oh, Debra, you are going to have a little boo-boo! Children are such a blessing!”
Children are a blessing. And so are their mothers.
Happy Mothers Day
Debra : )
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