10 - On your Ice cream when you receive extra

A dose of God is on your Ice cream when you receive an extra scoop

Transcript

Current Episode Introduction

This episode is informed by the verse of the poem representing the letter:

• I

• A dose of God is on your Ice cream when you receive an extra scoop

It includes a brief description of the verse, a personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with Doses of God in my life, a statement of gratitude, and a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Description

Here is description of the verse:

• A dose of God is on your Ice cream when you receive an extra scoop

• At times in our lives, we receive a little more than we requested. In the case of ice cream, the server might add one more scoop to our sundae even though we didn’t ask. This is an opportunity for us to indulge in the little bit extra that was added to our treat. It might be a few more calories than we bargained for, but we accept and enjoy the extra scoop that was specifically given to us. Every once in a while, a little extra of something can be good for our soul. Many extras grace our lives. They may come in the form of food at a restaurant, praise from a parent, an out of the blue “I love you” from a spouse, a bonus on your paycheck, or an unexpected call from a friend. It’s the grace of God shining down on us with a little token of appreciation. When we are given extra in excess, however, the extra becomes the norm. Consequently, we lose our appreciation for the previous norm as we heighten our expectations. We must learn to appreciate the many extras that are given to us throughout our lives. As we express genuine appreciation towards them, we will receive the extra things in life more frequently because we have not spoiled our authentic appreciation with heightened expectations.

Reflection

Here is my personal reflection on the verse:

• To me, this verse is about seeing life through a lens of abundance by recognizing and appreciating things and experiences that exceed reasonable expectations. It may be considered the opposite of perceiving life from a perspective of scarcity, which could be thought of as an inadequate or nonexistent amount of something that would be required to meet a need or expectation. Although I haven’t always felt this way, I tend to think there is more than enough of what I need to meet my expectations. I think this type of worldview has helped me realize that I often have what I need, and if I feel like I am lacking in an area, a belief in abundance has allowed me to identify and act upon opportunities to acquire tangible and intangible things I want or need but may be lacking. Although my focus on abundance had previously been more in terms of material things such as shelter, clothes, transportation, money, food, and water, my focus has gradually grown beyond the scope of tangibles and into the context of intangibles. I have experienced an abundance of ideas, opportunities, friendships, positive emotions, physical health, social situations, interests, passions, time, and love. I have more than enough physical, emotional, social, and intellectual capacities to carry out normal tasks in my life. I can increase my abundance of these capacities by using them and taking care of them. For example, since I have more than enough emotional capacity to navigate the joys, frustrations, and complacencies in my life, I can increase my abundance in these areas by taking care of my emotional well-being. Furthermore, there are more than enough opportunities for me to do things that I currently like or could potentially like, find importance in, want to spend time doing, and want to put energy into. Here are a few examples of things and experiences that exceeded my expectations and served as reminders that the world is full of abundances.

• I dropped off a pair of shoes at my uncle’s shoe store with an expectation to have the soles repaired and to pick them up at the store a couple weeks later. My expectation was exceeded as he repaired the shoes much sooner than anticipated and personally delivered them to my house.

• I dropped off my vehicle at the mechanic with an expectation to have a battery replaced on a bitterly cold morning and to pick up my vehicle the following day. My expectation was exceeded as the repair was completed in only a few hours, and I was able to pick up my vehicle the same afternoon.

• I went with a friend to a game show event he hosted with an expectation to have fun by providing technical support for the event. My expectation for enjoyment and activities was exceeded as I also had an opportunity to dress up in funky clothes and dance as music played after the show ended.

• My wife and I had an expectation to purchase property at a lake several years in the future when our finances were better equipped to afford a property. Our expectations were exceeded as we were unexpectedly presented with an opportunity to purchase a vacant lot with a spectacular view at a reasonable price and, shortly after we finalized the purchase, we acted on a subsequent opportunity to buy and move a small cabin to the lot for a reasonable price.

• I accepted an invitation from an old friend to play tennis with an expectation that I would have fun doing something physically active. My expectation was exceeded as we also engaged in intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually stimulating dialogue before, during, and after our time on the court.

• My wife and I made a decision to improve the efficiency of space in our bathroom by removing sections of deep shelving in the closet. My expectation was that I would need to measure and cut each shelf so they would be appropriately sized. My expectation was exceeded as we realized the shelves were already in separate sections. We created the desired extra space in our closet simply by lifting the front section of each shelf off its supports in a few seconds with no tools required.

• Each of these examples represents an experience when I received more than I expected and, as such, serves as a reminder of the many abundances that exist in this world. I currently tend to perceive life through a lens of abundance; however, there were many moments in previous years when I looked at life in a deficient way, sensing scarcity and lack of opportunity to acquire the things I needed, wanted, or otherwise expected. Periodically paying attention to things and experiences that exceed my expectations reinforces my perception of abundance and comfort in knowing that there is more than enough in the world to meet my needs as well as the needs of others.

Gratitude Statement

I am immeasurably grateful for:

• all the abundances in my life, regardless of their magnitude, and will attempt to remain attentive to and appreciative of such blessings.

Guiding Questions

Here are a few guiding questions to consider that might facilitate your own personal reflection upon the verse:

• A dose of God is on your Ice cream when you receive an extra scoop

Take a moment to reflect on:

• times when you have realized abundances in your life by receiving or participating in something that extended beyond your expectations.

For example:

• What are examples of extra things or experiences you have encountered that pleasantly exceeded your expectations?

• How do you feel when you receive such abundances?

• In what ways do you express gratitude for the abundances in your life?

• What strategies could you implement to maintain awareness of the abundances in your life?

Closing Statement

In closing:

• when you embrace the extras as a blessing in your life, you receive a Dose of God.

Next Episode

The next episode in this series will focus on the verse representing the letter:

• J

• A dose is there when you find Joy as you twirl a hula-hoop

Positive Vibes

Thank you so much for listening. May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the Doses of God that are ever-presently here for you.