Laughter

I love it when I'm reminded of something funny.

Alan Carr on Tuesday night was very observational with his stories. At one point during the night he made a comment about taking money out from the hole-in-the-wall and people who are overly suspicious (cue incredibly dramatic, over the top reenactment from him...) of those in the queue behind them.

Yesterday morning I was taking money out, and found myself turning around and checking if anyone was watching, and just laughed realising that I was that guy...

I'm also thankful today for pictures of lightning scars from far-flung places, and warm jumpers in cold weather, even if it does feel too early to put them on.

In the words of Eddard Stark, "Winter is coming", but unfortunately in this case, I think it's already arrived...

Village Life

I had a day with lots of wandering yesterday. Not aimless mind. I just had a few different things to do in different locations in the village I work in, so I spent a lot of time walking through Malahide. 

Malahide, Co. Dublin

I've been working here just over two years now, and yesterday I had so many small encounters with people that I saw just walking through the village that errands and jobs took twice as long as they otherwise would have. I'm thankful to feel at home and truly at ease somewhere that wasn't my first home. 

And even more so that the the coffee shop barista knows me by name and order. It reduces my coffee waiting time by a few very crucial seconds...

The Chatty Man

A great night out with my sister Anna to go see the comedian Alan Carr for her birthday. (This was her birthday card...)

He is one funny gentleman. I appreciate a comedian who can handle a heckler well! Great night out, though I felt sorry for the man sitting beside me who had me laughing in his ear the whole night as we were facing right towards the stage. I woke up laughing this morning thinking of a few of the stories that he told, in particular a tirade against the self-service checkouts in supermarkets, and a question as to why floats in swimming pools always seem to have a bite taken out of them...

Alan Carr - Odyssey Arena

I headed down the road to Dublin after the show. The motorway between Belfast and Dublin is a well-travelled one for me over the past few years, but by the end of each trip I'm always (or at least mostly...) thankful for a chance to think through things and the week ahead for a few hours!

"Tom Tate of Earth, you have been chosen for the Green Lantern Corps..."

Today was one of my days off work, I'm up in Belfast at the minute and popped into a shop where I have a few comic subscriptions to pick them up. I've only met the owner once before about three weeks ago, and yet he remembered my name and that I live in Dublin. Not only that, but with my purchases he threw in this free collectors edition Green Lantern ring. A little geeky I know, but a great little bonus to make me feel valued and appreciated as a customer.

I then headed towards the cinema, there wasn't really anything on that I wanted to see, but I figured there wasn't much else going on. As I was walking there though I passed by a second hand DVD shop having a closing down sale. I got everything in this picture for a mere £5! Just over the price of a cinema ticket. Should keep me going for a lot longer than a mediocre film in the cinema...

Travelling Mercies

(This is a "Glimpse of Grace" I gave for Whitney's 5-year "blogaversary". Thought I should start out with it...)

The Malahide Estuary, North Co. Dublin

When I drove to work from my old house, I used to have to contend with busy lanes of traffic through rush hour for 20 minutes, but a year ago I moved to a new house where this view accompanies my current commute to get to work. Every time I turn out of my street straight onto this quiet road by the sea I'm struck by the view and by the hand of God that put it there, and so thankful that this is what I get to look at every day instead of the back end of someones car.

Why Me?

Twice in the past few weeks I've come across this little piece of wisdom (paraphrased):

We are so quick to say "Why me?" to God when things go wrong, 

yet, when things are going well and we are surrounded by 

blessings at every turn, will you ever hear us turn to Him and ask 

"Why me?"

The subject of thankfulness has cropped up time and time again in my little corner of the world recently. I've realised I'm not great at it, and am not quick to say thank you for the things I am given. 

This new blog is following in the footsteps and deep dedication of a good friend Whitney (who you can find over at www.glimpses-of-grace.blogspot.com) who has just passed the five year mark of acknowledging moments of grace in everyday situations. I count this little experiment as a descendant of her blogventures and hope to be even a fraction as disciplined in recognizing moments of God in the little and big things. 

So basically this is an attempt to keep my eyes open to moments of God in the everyday, to remember to say "thank you" for the moments of grace and the good things that I don't deserve and yet find myself at the receiving end of anyways. 

And as Whitney has inspired me to glimpse grace in the everyday, it's my hope and prayer that these thanks and thoughts of mine can do the same to whoever stumbles on here.

Here goes...