friday blessings – #1 – #13

Friday Blessings – #1 – #13

Over the course of the past year or two, I have followed my friend, Jan Morton, as she has journeyed through the counting of one thousand gifts that God has poured into her life. I have thoroughly enjoyed her posts and oft times have been a bit envious of the beauty of her counting.

I will admit that I am joy-challenged. There, I said it. It is out there for the entire world to read.

Now, let me clarify. My salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is a source of great joy to me. I am thankful for it and rejoice in it each and every day. The place where I am joy-challenged is in the day-to-day. I struggle to find joy in the daily and mundane of life, probably because I don’t slow down enough to ponder the daily and mundane. As I read Jan’s final post detailing her #1000th gift, I became convinced that counting my own blessings would be a wonderful way to encourage joy in daily life.

So, today I begin counting the blessings that God has poured into MY life. I will count a few more each Friday. My counting will be different in that I may count to 1000, but I am not limiting myself to 1000. I invite you to join me as I count.

#1 – my salvation – this must be first in my list of blessings. Jesus, the Son of God, condescended to leave heaven and come to earth because of me…and you. He died on the cross to pay the fine I owed for my rebellion and sin. He died because of ME! He, then, rose from the grave and ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for me..and you. JOY!!!

#2 – parents – my parents were married for 46 years before my Daddy died in 2004. My in-laws have been married for over 55 years and have been so good to me. What a legacy!! What a blessing!!

#3 – my man – Greg and I have been married for 18 + years, but we have known each other for 32 years. Our marriage is good..not perfect, but very good. Praise God!!

#4 – education – I am so grateful for my education. My parents paid for my college education and my pharmacy degree allows me to make a great salary. What a blessing!!

#5 – dessert – Cheesecake Factory Strawberry Shortcake is nothing short of manna from heaven. My only regret is that I couldn’t eat the whole thing. It hurt my heart to leave half of the dish sitting on the table.

#6 – beautiful trees – This week we have been in Florida on vacation. I just love the beauty of the trees with all the moss hanging on them. We found this tree and I could not resist taking a picture.

#7 – godly friends – On Wednesday I spent a couple of hours visiting with the always wonderful Lisa Shaw over a cup of coffee and chai. Coffee for me, Chai for Lisa. What a sweet time of fellowship!!  Lisa and I met online first, then face to face at the gIRL event a few years ago. Lisa is such a godly woman and my heart soared just hearing about the ways God is using her to share Jesus with the world about her. Stop by and visit her at www.lisashawcares.com.

#8 – God’s Word – I know it sounds cliché, but God’s Word is truly life to me. I find comfort, encouragement, correction, wisdom, and yes, joy in it. Every time I open it, I can count on getting a gem for daily living. Are you reading the Scriptures each day?

#9 – sweet rest – Greg and I are big fans of our Sleep Number mattress. In fact, we have two of them…one on our bed at home and one in the RV. I always loved a soft bed as a child and young adult. I think it came from spending precious nights cuddled up in a feather bed at my grandparent’s home. I still love a feather bed, however, my 48 year old spine just will not allow me to sleep on a soft bed. So, our Sleep Number mattress gives  me the flexibility of choosing the firmness that my body needs to get sweet rest. Love it!!

#10 – getting to wear short sleeves, capris and flip flops in the middle of February. I love cold weather, but sometimes it is just a blessing to escape the cold for a few days and enjoy the warmth of the sun in Florida. 80 degrees! Wow!!

#11 – good health. I am really a very healthy person and am so thankful for my health. Over the past couple of years I have battled bursitis in both hips and was limited in my exercise routine. So, on the days when I am pain-free and can walk for exercise, I rejoice.

#12 – pets – This week, Greg and I have watched the Westminster Dog show. We love watching it! The sporting dogs are our favorite and we always cheer for the Brittney because we had two Brittneys, General and Jake. I miss my pets so much now that they have all passed. Yesterday after we finished dinner in the campground, I looked up and saw a beautiful Brittney, Katie, coming down the road with her owner. It was such a joy to pet Katie and look into those beautiful Brittney eyes once again.

#13 – visiting with special relatives – on Thursday we had lunch with our cousin, Carol, and her husband Max. Carol and my Daddy are first cousins and she has always been special to me. It had been several years since we saw each other and our time together was sweet, yet too short. Max is quite the photographer and shot this wonderful picture of my sister, Leslie, Carol and me after lunch at Bahama Breeze.

MEDITATION MOMENT: What blessings can you count with me this week?