When I moved to Sacramento, after living in Long Beach, California  for 25 years, I was offered a place to stay in a small cottage that my cousin owned.

Whenever I offer up this prayer “How can I serve you, Lord?  Show me the way”  something interesting always comes around.

This would be my second home since returning to my home town of Sacramento, California.

I had started a new job and on my days off I was helping my cousin renovate a small duplex on her property that I named ” Zen Cottage”.

 

 

My cousin was planning on selling her property and moving further north.

Originally on 10 acres our grandparents had owned it.  My grandfather had built the house while the family of wife and 9 kids lived in tents on the property.  My mother was in high school at the time.

My cousin had purchased the house and 5 acres after my grandmother had passed just before her 90th birthday.

The other 5 acres had been sold in lots and houses had been built within the block for several of the siblings.

Returning H(om)e…

 

My parents home was just across the field from Grandma’s house, and many times my sisters and I would hike across the field to Grandma’s , exploring, marveling at the wild flowers, birds, bumblebees and butterflies, and occasional jack rabbit or a family of quail.

I especially loved the meadowlark’s song and the random carpet of wild grasses, poppies, and various purple, yellow and white wild flowers.

Life was an adventure in the country and we were so free.

My cousin and her husband had made many improvements to Grandma’s property during their time there.

There were many trees on the property including apple, orange, grapefruit, plum, fig, pomegranate, peach, apricot, and walnut trees that my grandfather had grafted with black and English walnuts.  There were also grape vines, and blackberries, and a thriving vegetable and herb garden.  There were 3 dogs, 3 cats, plus the feral cats out back that my cousin always fed, and the chicken coup with 17 laying hens.

It was a wonderful property and a place where all of our families would gather.

During my time there, which would be only 6 months, my cousin knowing that I was a meditator, asked if I would teach her to meditate.

I told her to come by at 8am every morning and we could meditate before I went to work.

She was very punctual and showed up every morning.

Prior to this, she had been told by her doctor that she had a brain tumor and that they might need to operate.  So, this was a concern that she carried with her day and night.

When someone is just learning to meditate, music is a great catalyst.  I would play Pandora, Heart Meditations music and usually start with a simple prayer, or guide our meditation time by speaking my heart, usually expressing gratitude for everything.

She especially loved the gratitude prayers, so we did those every day.

I felt the two of us meditating together was very powerful – ( When two or more are gathered in My name, there will I be also) Matthew 18:20

Even though she wasn’t a meditator, she is very connected to Nature, having grown up in the country, and she was able to get right into it ( the silence).

After about a month of our daily sessions, she had another visit to the doctor and a brain scan, and was told that her tumor had disappeared.

I can’t really say what caused the tumor to disappear, but I do know that our meditation sessions, and offering up prayers of gratitude must have certainly helped.

Now, I want to offer this to you.

For 30 days, we will offer up our gratitude prayers, and look for ways to feel more gratitude in our lives.

I hope you will join me on this journey.

Who knows what kind of adventure awaits?

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