I saw “The Ultimate Life” last night, a sequel to “The Ultimate Gift” with James Garner.

The movie “The Ultimate Gift” is a story about a spoiled rich boy who is to inherit his Grandpa’s riches. But when they read the will, Grandpa has left a video of himself instead! In this video he sends this spoiled brat to accomplish 12 tasks before he can see a penny of the inheritance. Furious, the boy, in a desperate quest for fortune, goes on a journey of discovery and is changed by Grandpas wisdom.

This second movie, “The Ultimate Life” is the sequel about the boy all grown up into a man, all wise and good, finding out that he still has a lot to learn.

About to lose everything, including his fortune and the girl he wants to marry, he reads his grandpa’s journal. (In the movie they explain, ‘girls have diaries, boys have journals’ ) His grandpa writes about his childhood of poverty and his rise to riches, along with the lessons he learned along the way.

This is a great movie if you like movies about depth of character, insights, wholesome characters, and need a break from movies about spies, Marvel Action heroes, machine guns, bombs, explosives, and silly 90210 teenagers…

One of the things the heir learns from the journal is the Golden List. Every morning make a list of 10 things that you’re grateful for!

Today I’m grateful for (not in order)
1. my health,
2. my family- 1 husband, 5 kids, 2 cats and 1 dog.
3. my Faith
4. That my husband has a job
5. That my parents and my husband’s father are in relative good health (mother-in-law passed away.)
6. Heat. (The midwest is quite cold today and getting colder in next few days. Monday and Tuesday will have a high of -4, low of-20… (I will pray for the poor and cold homeless today!)
7. Friends
8. Good books and great movies
9. Heaven to look forward to…
10. That the household is still asleep and I can ‘borrow’ my daughter’s laptop to write this…