Day 16 - People

Day 16: People

³⁵Say also:
"Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and rescue us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.

                                                1 Chronicles 16:35

There are a couple of people in our congregation that have become amazing blessings to me over the years. The have provided support, knowledge, and compassion in a variety of ways. They have made a difference in my life and in the life of my family many times over.

So today I celebrate the blessings of these people in my life. I won’t name them all, it would be quite a list and I don’t want to embarrass any of them, but they know who they are. So thank you for all of the blessings you have showered up me.

What people have been blessings to you?

14 and 15 - Swim Lessons and Humor

Day 14: Swim lessons

¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.

                                                                                                John 6:11

Monday night is swim lesson night for the girls. It has been this way basically since Sierra was three. Now both girls have their own classes and both are continuing to grow into amazing fish. Scarlett is moving past her fear of jumping in, Sierra is learning the butterfly and has talked about being a life guard when she is big enough.

I love sitting there, watching them swim and have such a great time. It brings a smile to my face.

So today I celebrate the blessing of swim lessons, and the girls having so much fun in the water.

What sport or exercise is a blessing to you?

Day 15: Humor

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.

                                                Psalm 118:19

Life can be depressing.

It really can.

There are so many bad things that happen at times. So many trials and struggles. It can really drag me down.

So I often search out a way to try and smile during the tough times. There are some web sites I go to that are filled with humorous posts, there are people I sit and talk with there are shows that I watch and podcast I listen to.

There are many different things, and I know that I need to search them out because humor is an amazing blessing that helps to give life.

So today I celebrate the blessing of humor.

What do you find funny?

12 and 13 - Staff and Music

Day 12: Staff

¹²As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

                                                                                    Colossians 3:12-17

One of the greatest blessings I have in life is the people I work with. They are a dedicated group of people who have amazing gifts and work well together. I know there are times I must frustrate them (like coming up with new and crazy ministries and ways to share our message with others), but they handle my craziness well.

So today I am thankful for the staff at this church. They are a great group of people and have blessed me in ways they can never imagine.

What people in your life are a blessing to you?

Day 13: Music

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
²to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
³to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.

                                    Psalm 92:1-3

On of the great joys of driving around town with the girls is listening to music with them. There are a few of the music TV shows that we watch together as a family, and when the girls hear the one of the songs played on that show or the voice of one of the judges blaring through the sound system, they squeal with delight.  Music is powerful, and hearing it come from the mouths of those girls makes it even more so.

So today I celebrate the blessing of music and the affect it has on our entire family.

How has music been a blessing to you?

Day 11 - Craft Time

Day 11: Craft Time

⁷The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

                                                Psalm 28:7

Our two girls are busy.

Very busy.

Our littlest, well, she never stops. She likes to run and play and sing and dance. Even when she is eating, she twirls in her chair and hums tunes or tells stories (and as a parent it is cute, but at times frustrating).

And some of the most difficult days we have are days when we cannot get outside.

The girls need to run and burn off energy, and if they don’t, we better have a plan in place.

So today I am seeing the blessings of craft time.

I like crafts. I am not very good at them, but I like them. I like to be able to sit with the girls and create something that I see as absolutely beautiful.

And more than the crafts, it is the time with them. The time watching them work on something and build something that comes to life right in front of us.

So today it is the blessing of craft time that I celebrate.

What blessing of creativity do you have?

Day 10 - Shelter

Day 10: Shelter

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

                                                                                                2 Corinthians 2:14

A few days ago I woke up to the sound of scratching in the attic. As I lay in bed, thinking of the kind of poison I would need to take care of that scratching little animal up there, I was reminded of the blessing of having that roof over my head. So today I celebrate the blessings of having shelter that protects me and my family from the weather outside (but not the little critter living in that roof).

In what way can you share a blessing with someone else today?

Day 9 - Kingdom

Day 9:

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe.

                                                                                                Hebrews 12:28

The phrase “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” is sticking with me today.

So much of the world is shaken. From earthquakes and tsunamis, to cheating heros and dishonorable politicians, there are times it seems like everything we hold dear is shaken, and maybe even broken.

But then I hear this word from God, a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and a sense of peace flows over me. For I am reminded that God’s kingdom, God’s peace, God’s love is here to stay.

There will be times when the pains and struggles of life coming rushing up to face me, but even in those times there is that voice crying out in the darkness, the voice of the true light that brightens all of creation, and it is a voice that calls out with words of love and peace.

You are my beloved.

So today I look for the blessings of this kingdom that is coming to us, and I pray that my eyes may continually be opened to see this kingdom in the lives and faces of others.

What blessings have given you a sense of peace and comfort over the past few days?

Day 8 - Soreness

 

Day 8:

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
²I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

                                                            Psalm 9:1-2

I remember my high school days when I was playing football. We had three-a-days in the August heat, and after the sessions we would just collapse out of exhaustion and pain.

I remember my rugby playing days in college. There were some mornings after a match that nit would be hard to move.

Yes, I remember soreness, and I think one of the reasons I remember it so well is that today, I hurt.

Yes, today I am sore. At the beginning of the year I started a new workout routine, and today I am paying for it.

But I wasn’t going to let that soreness beat me. So I slowly creaked my way out of bed this morning and went at it again.

But as I was showering after the workout, I was reminded that the soreness really is a blessing. It is a blessing because I am able to get up, go work out, and physically get healthier. As my trainer used to say – It’s a good pain.

Are there parts of your life that have some soreness in them, but really are blessings?