EXPERIENCE the BLESSING

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“…the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” ― Henry Ward Beecher

My heart is thankful today.

When my kids came to Beth and I back at the beginning of 2014 along with their often equally "kid-like" grandpa making the pitch for a CHRISTMAS together in Florida, I wasn’t so sure.  But now that we are back and the memories have been made and banked, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

And no it is not because we were in the “Happiest Place on Earth”.  Rather for me it would not have mattered where we were, what mattered for me is that we were together.

What mattered for me is that I “was present”; I experienced it. I was blessed by it and I will remember it.

In the blink of an eye my oldest little girl will be a graduate of OSU.  My middle one who I can still see as the smallest little girl on the soccer field will be 20.  My son is shaving from time to time these days and has a girlfriend.

Life is happening. 

Life is progressing. And I am so BLESSED today that I am getting to experience it.  More than I can count

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” ― Eric Hoffer

Tomorrow is CHRISTMAS.

I pray that you too will pause to COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

I pray that you too will choose to EXPERIENCE LIFE!

Yes, it would be easy to complain about the traffic today as you make those last minute purchases or stop by the grocery for the sage or nutmeg you forgot to grab.  It would be easy to grumble.

Instead set your mind on those "minute by minute" blessings.

Be grateful for the relationships GOD has blessed you with.  Be grateful for the opportunity to hear the seemingly endless loop of the same 15 Christmas songs being played on the radio and in the shops and restaurants.  Be GRATEFUL for the chance to “be” a part of it.

“EXPERIENCE” the BLESSINGS.

For 15 or so Christmases my first move on Christmas morning was to my liquor stash.  If I was going to get through the day, I needed to start early and return often.  As a result, I never EXPERIENCED my BLESSINGS.  I was too numb or too preoccupied to care.

And it was while we were away that I was reminded of how many times I escaped from the family on previous trips in order to cater to my relationship with alcohol just so I could make it another hour. 

I missed so much in the process.  I missed my BLESSINGS.

So today I am CHOOSING to start like I pretty much start every day so I don't miss them.

Thanking GOD.

Counting blessings. 

Being GRATEFUL that I am not compelled to revisit my relationship with addiction. 

Grateful to GOD that I can make the choice to EXPERIENCE life!

Psalm 103:2 (NLT)

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Can I encourage you to do the same?

 

Merry Christmas

I love you all.

Freedom Church