We are all searching for peace. We each find peace, but we often find it in different places. What brings me peace may be something totally different than what brings you peace. I may find peace while watching an old movie, and you may find peace while planting a garden. Peace, like so many experiences in life, is an individual journey and a unique frame of mind for each of us. These differences may make peace seem like it is harder to find and to hold on to, but in many ways the varying ways of finding peace makes it easier to find and easier to hold on to. You see, we can find peace anywhere. It is in the little things in life. It is in the simple pleasures of everyday living that peace can be found. It is in the verse of a song, the sound of the rain, the laugher of a child, or the hug of a friend. It is everywhere; we just have to choose to see it.

We often find ourselves saying that there is no peace to be found. This statement may seem true, especially when we are in the depths of the valley, but really this statement is false. There is always peace to be found. One of the most common ways to find peace in our lives is by having gratitude. Nothing brings more peace to our lives than being thankful for all we have and reciting those blessings to ourselves. We ALL have something to be grateful for. We ALL have blessings to count.

I have personally known people who to me seem like they have nothing to be grateful for, but still I hear them telling others about all of their blessings. They may be enduring a personal, life-threatening struggle, but they continue to see the blessings in the problem. I admire these people so much and strive to be more like them. My grandma was one of these people and there are many, many others in my life, and I know that all of you can think of people in your life who are like this. These people have peace in their lives. They have true, unyielding peace because they have an attitude of gratitude. They have an unshakable belief that everything is going to be okay, and they find blessings in every problem.

We should all allow these people to be a beacon of peace to the rest of us. We should use these people as a compass to help us find more peace in our lives, and it all begins with two simple words—thank you.

Today I will be sharing another one of the collections that bring me peace, my collection of salt-glazed crocks. I do not have very many true salt-glazed crocks, but the ones I have truly bring me joy. I love the surfaces of the crocks, and I love looking at the cobalt blue designs painted on those surfaces. All of these crocks have seemingly found me over the years, and I truly believe that some of our most treasured pieces of any collection are the ones that have found us. It is the ones that we just happened upon that bring us the most satisfaction and joy. This is another life lesson that I think we should examine at a later time. For now, I hope that you enjoy my collection of salt-glazed crocks, and I hope that you will think of the people in your life who are professors of blessings and you will join me in trying to be a little bit more like them. When we are truly grateful for all of our blessings, the big and the small, and we speak those aloud, we will have more peace in our lives and as we all know, PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~