November, 2016 | Norma L. Brumbaugh

Just in time for Thanksgiving! This lovely book offers practical advice for getting on the bright side. The author encourages the reader with many short true stories of people who faced difficult circumstances but found a way to be grateful anyway. The very act of gratitude is life transforming. It is like putting a smile on instead of the frown you’ve been wearing. This book was recommended to me by a friend who was deeply touched by its message. After four decades of marriage, she was left by her husband. It was devastating. She did an Amazon search and found Choosing Gratitude. It was like a life-line. Soon she found herself anchoring her thoughts in gratitude. It took a lot of prayer and effort but when the dark thoughts came or the pity-party started, gratitude became her resource to chase the gloom and doom away. Gratitude is a choice. This is a spiritual book.

A Close Friend

I’m so thankful for friends. I’ve had some very good friends. Some friendships have been defined by trust and goodwill. I think of David and Jonathan. Theirs was a remarkable friendship especially considering Saul’s envy-turned-to-hatred of David. Jonathan was loyal in a remarkable way, doing all he could to protect his friend. Read 1 Samuel 20. That’s how it is with the best of friends.

Thank you, dear God, for the gift of good friends.

Ronda and me during our freshman year at Western Baptist Bible College, 1973. She was bold and I was shy but we both liked being a little bit crazy. We could be found hanging out at the Manna Shoppe playing ping-pong as partners against the guys or whomever. We also went chicken-picken with the Senior class. If you want to know what that is, you’ll have to ask me. We were also known to have done Chinese Fire Drills at stop lights after having pizza at Pietro’s.

A Thankful Heart

In every stage of life I’ve had one or two close friends. These friends and I can pick up where we left off whenever I see them. Some I have lost track of like Debbie, my grade school chum. She loved horses and had her own horse and rode it over to my house. Debbie got all the latest Nancy Drew books and would share them with me. We would play checkers or hangman during rainy day recesses. Once in awhile she would go to church with me. In high school she made a profession of faith through involvement with Young Life. The friendship endured until we graduated high school. I’ve often wondered about her and how her life turned out.

Friends have special places in the heart. We can tell our stuff to them and they don’t hold it against us. We can whine and complain and they realize we’re venting. They rejoice in our successes and don’t get jealous. They come alongside when we need someone to care. When our world falls apart, they step in and make themselves available to fill in the gap. They accept us and like us. We feel safe with our best friends. A trusted friend is straight with you, even when it’s uncomfortable. Friends are good listeners.

This image is from a card I was sent by my bff Ronda back in the 1970s. We really hit it off as friends our freshman year at WBBC. We were always together. She and I even had a mud fight in the irrigation ditch when she came to visit. Such good times. The words in her card to me express the appropriate sentiment. It was that kind of friendship. Later we were in each other’s weddings.

Ronda was the first to support my dream of writing a book by buying me a publishers resource manual soon after I mentioned I’d like to write children’s novels with time travel plots. She believed in me and said so.

“Thank you, Ronda” if you’re reading this.

Here’s living proof of the infamous mud fight.