Counting Your Blessings

by Gloria Newsome
(Lorain Ohio USA)

Inspirational Writer

You'll find your blessings, they will mount.
With every day you do this count.
Write down the joys you know you've got
And place them in this humble pot.
Re-read them when you need a lift
And reflect upon these precious gifts.
You'll find that as the days go by
You'll see your blessings multiply.
Count your blessings by smiles, not fears.
Count your age by friends, not years.
I would like to help everyone remember all the good in their lives.

Counting your blessings, instead of the losses and focusing on the positive aspects of life can help in shifting attitudes and life challenges. Blessings come to us in all different ways. Often blessings come in small ways and those are the ones most often overlooked. Rather than dwelling on negative issues that surround you, try to sit down and reflect on the good that surrounds you. You will see that you are truly blessed.

If we count our blessings well, with gratitude and appreciation, even modest improvements in other skills and efforts can earn us a treasure chest of rewards. The value lies in the appreciation. Appreciation is like listening. We can listen without really hearing and we can appreciate without really getting value. It is the "active" that brings us value. That's what we mean by "count your blessings". Blessings crown the head of the righteous.” Proverbs 10:6

Gratitude is made from two words: great and attitude. If you have a great attitude, you have gratitude. For every face you meet is a mirror. Shine a smile on someone else's face, and see how your smile reflects back at you. Bask in the glow of your own smile reflected in the joy you bring to others. Killing time is not a victimless crime. Time for each of us is finite, and when we kill time, we also kill dreams, opportunities, maybe even life itself and unlike income, happiness is tax-free.

Reserve ten minutes each day to evaluate your life Close your eyes and choose 3 things daily for which you take for granted. Taking some time out of each and every day to count your blessings. Include a few moments of quite time into your daily schedule, breath deeply, evaluate your thoughts, delete the negative ones and reset your mind to a positive perspective
By counting your blessings and overflowing opportunities.
And really appreciate it.

A THOUGHT ON APPRECIATION-
"I murmured that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."

The Power to Love, the power is in us.” You and I have that power, the greatest power, the power of love. We can feel the Lord's love if we but listen. Our kindly Heavenly Father gave us—
The power to love!
The power to think!
The power to have faith!
The power to pray!
The power to create!
The power to see!
The power to feel!
The power to touch!
The power to speak!
The power to care!
The power to have concern!
The power to share!
The power to give!
The power to thank!
We can walk with His Spirit, even through the troubled waters.
Let us count our blessings:

Count your blessings once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Love your neighbor as much as yourself.

If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others. A blessing cannot be kept. If it stops with you, then the blessing will disappear. The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around. If you are a recipient of a blessing, keep the blessing working by being the source of blessing to other people.

Prayer:

Father, open my eyes that I may see your blessings, and show me how to BE a blessing to others today.Too many times we are to busy to stop and thank you for all the things you've done for us. Today, we want to give you praise and honor and glory, and thank you for the many blessings you've given each of us. Sometimes we love the blessings, but forget to thank the Blesser. Forgive us, Lord, and help us remember that, without you, there would be no blessings.
In THe Father's name, we pray, thank you.
Amen.

Have you counted your blessings lately?
From My Heart To Yours
MzGloria