Saturday, I took a long boat ride down the Tennessee River.  As is our custom on such adventures we docked the boat on the bank of Mud creek and enjoyed some lunch from the Mud Creek Barbeque.  Now as far as the cooking police are concerned, Mud Creek Barbeque probably does not rank in the top 10 list in culinary skills.  But take my word for it, they know how to do two things really well; fry fish and make barbeque.

        While I was waiting for my brother to deliver lunch I walked around the bank with my camera looking for something to share with you.  I found a dead snake and a mutilated turtle floating in the water.  I chased a dragon fly around the waters edge that proved to be too evasive for me.  And just as I am about to collapse from overpowering effects of the mingling of hickory smoke and slow cooked pork I sat on the ground to wait for reinforcements.  About the time I began to relax and look around at all the beauties of the back water, I made a new friend.

        This glorious golden butterfly floated down from heaven and landed close enough for me to reach out and touch.  Slowly I pivoted my body around to take this picture and guess what he did?  He just sat there and smiled for the camera.  Had not the barbecue arrived to draw my attention away, I could have taken a hundred photos.  I remember thinking to myself as I watched the butterfly glide to my side, I am a lucky man.  I walk around looking for something of beauty to photograph and this magnificent creature gently floats to my side.

        I get hungry, and suddenly I am surrounded by barbecue.  Think about it; we are so blessed, so wealthy and consequently, so spoiled that we do not even realize it.  But instead of being thankful for all our blessings we sadly focus our attention on what somebody else has and grow bitter.  If you are reading these words, you are rich beyond measure.  So much of our world lives in such poverty, and we have the gall to complain when we see someone driving a nicer auto.  Perhaps, we are the ones living in poverty?  Live rich!

Something to think about:

• If you don’t enjoy what you have now, how can you be happier with more?

• Poor indeed is the man who cannot enjoy the simple things of life.

• The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have.

• Many people miss much happiness because they never stop to enjoy it while they have it.

• There are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with what you have.

• Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.

• Though a man without money is poor, a man with nothing but money is poorer.

The wealthiest poor man I know
Rickey Moore