Humdudgeons

I opened my Elisabeth Elliot devotional this morning and found this... the whole post is really good. If you want to read it, check out the link in my list of blogs that I read. It's really good. (Also the C.S. Lewis quote for today on this page is excellent!!)

"The word humdudgeon is a new one to me and I like the sound of it. It means "a loud complaint about a trifle."Heard any of those lately around your house? One mother thought of an excellent antidote:all humdudgeons must be presented not orally but in writing, "of two hundred words or more." There was a sudden marked reduction in whining and complaining."

Things about which I am tempted to complain this morning (but it would be less that 200 words).
Our car needs 2 new tires
My 16 year old son has the chicken pox
I have a headache

Well, I guess it's really not that much. In the grand scheme of things these are really minor irritations (well, for Joseph it's more of an irritation than that I guess). I really am glad for:

orange juice
a week off from school
cooler weather
a house to live in
food to eat
clothes to wear
my family
and the list goes on and on and on....

There is much to be thankful for.
I think I'll choose contentment today instead of humdudgeons.