So Very Blessed
Here I am, excited, motivated, and full of joy. Why? Because I've come to a crossroad that is wonderful! My Lord's words have compelled me to consider not only the words that I say but the thoughts that I choose to think. And having followed His gentle, yet somehow firm prodding, I find myself reminded of just how blessed I am.
Having looked over past postings that may lead the reader to feel sad, worried or otherwise discouraged, I decided to delete quite a bit from the blog. In other words, if you as a reader would not be blessed reading it, it was deleted. Why? Well, if through my writing you are not encouraged to live a Christ-filled life, you are not motivated to be the person you were designed to be, you cannot rejoice in the work that the Sovereign is doing in my life, you do not step away from your computer contemplating the significance of your life, then I am truly not doing what I set out to do here.
For a while there, I was stuck in a spiritual rut, wondering when it would end. The fog that was clouding my ability to write, think, pray, and enjoy the blessed life that I have was taking over my life. Little by little, I was becoming scared, bitter, and less enjoyable to be with. That happens so easily when less than perfect circumstances become my focus (and who of us doesn't live in less than perfect circumstances) rather than focusing on the God who created me, who saved me, who sanctifies me...
So here I am, a young and fit woman with five amazingly beautiful children, a husband who is passionate and tender (not to mention quite the talented musician), a great career which allows me to be with my children more often, and the most encouraging friends that a woman can hope for. Did you ever hear the song which starts out like this, "Count your blessings, name them one by one," and ends with "Count your blessings, see what God has done." How is it that something so simple can give so much joy? Well, that's where I am right now. I'm counting my blessings. And I'm hoping that you will do the same. If you are reading this, please respond where you are able to leave a comment, by naming ten to fifteen blessings in your life. Once you do that, take some time alone with God, thanking Him for what He has given to you and asking Him to show you how to use those blessings wisely.
Having looked over past postings that may lead the reader to feel sad, worried or otherwise discouraged, I decided to delete quite a bit from the blog. In other words, if you as a reader would not be blessed reading it, it was deleted. Why? Well, if through my writing you are not encouraged to live a Christ-filled life, you are not motivated to be the person you were designed to be, you cannot rejoice in the work that the Sovereign is doing in my life, you do not step away from your computer contemplating the significance of your life, then I am truly not doing what I set out to do here.
For a while there, I was stuck in a spiritual rut, wondering when it would end. The fog that was clouding my ability to write, think, pray, and enjoy the blessed life that I have was taking over my life. Little by little, I was becoming scared, bitter, and less enjoyable to be with. That happens so easily when less than perfect circumstances become my focus (and who of us doesn't live in less than perfect circumstances) rather than focusing on the God who created me, who saved me, who sanctifies me...
So here I am, a young and fit woman with five amazingly beautiful children, a husband who is passionate and tender (not to mention quite the talented musician), a great career which allows me to be with my children more often, and the most encouraging friends that a woman can hope for. Did you ever hear the song which starts out like this, "Count your blessings, name them one by one," and ends with "Count your blessings, see what God has done." How is it that something so simple can give so much joy? Well, that's where I am right now. I'm counting my blessings. And I'm hoping that you will do the same. If you are reading this, please respond where you are able to leave a comment, by naming ten to fifteen blessings in your life. Once you do that, take some time alone with God, thanking Him for what He has given to you and asking Him to show you how to use those blessings wisely.
posted by Gretchen at
7:24 AM
1 Comments:
Some of my many blessings:
1.Elon, a wonderful husband who is passionate, loving, motivating, and helps me to think "outside of the box."
2.Josh, my oldest child, who loves so easily and is more insightful than many twice his age.
3.Bethany, my second-born, who is so tender and loving. May everyone be blessed to have a daughter so responsible and thoughtful.
4.Caleb, my third-born, whose creativity seems to be a huge gift, who is patient and calm beyond comprehension, and whose hugs could warm me on the coldest days.
5.Abigail, my fourth-born, whose laughter forces everyone in ear-shot to laugh or smile with her. Her smiles are the warmest you'll ever see and her incredible courage and desire to learn should motivate anyone who ever meets her.
6.Sophie, my fifth-born, whose huge eyes could light up the darkest room. I'm amazed when I look at this little one, often thinking to myself, "How amazing that God knit something so beautiful right there inside of my womb!"
7.Shayna, my beautiful step-daughter, who is an amazing friend. The maturity level of this teenager matches her inner beauty. She's funny, witty, bright, thoughtful, empathetic, compassionate...
8.My job as a fitness trainer. What a great job to help others feel better about themselves! I would do this for free if I could afford to.
9.My friends in Christ who live in Hawaii, California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Maryland, and so many other places... What a rare blessing to have so many friends encouraging me and praying for me regularly no matter what time-zone they happen to live in!
10.My parents, who never let me wonder at the amazing love that they have for me!
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