Blessings in Life

Spring 2014--- Bible Study Challenge

" To Change my outlook on life, stop focusing on the bad and start looking for the Blessings God provides in all situations."

Could I accept this? I was deep in sorrow and anguish, my spirit was broken. To many  things going on to even keep ahead of.  All frustrating an hurtful.   My oldest daughter was choosing a life path that we as parents could not support. We were throwing hurts at each other or just crying every day. This situation had consumed my life for so long that I all I saw or lived in was fear for her, sorrow for me that I was loosing her, concern for my husband who was also very broken.

And now for some  reason God is telling me to look for good, to change my outlook on life, to rejoice. Yea, right.  My Wednesday morning small group elected to watch a short video series on just this topic.  So I sat in, watching half heartedly. Something in me kept telling me I deserved to live in despair. My situation in life called for it.

I can't even remember the name of the Video Series.  The gal speaking was hard to understand as she spoke as she saw life.. in poetry... Describing situations and times with a photograph in mind.  Perfect sunsets, beautiful babies, happy times.  Until she described remembering watching her young child get run over by  a truck and killed. She too had darkness in her life. How did she survive? How would I?

Part of this video series was a personal challenge.  To start searching for things in my daily life that God had blessed me with. To look for blessings in today.  To peel apart my day and find little pots of gold.  And most important to write them down.

I started small. 5 Blessings a day.  They were hard to find.  So I found joy in what I saw or felt: spring flowers, snowstorms, sleep, surviving the day to fight tomorrow.  I now see Blessings everywhere.  I intentionally look for them.

Is my life any easier or better? Not really.  My heart is lighter because of my shift in focus. Adult children are still frustrating, work is still work, loved ones still die.



Here is a sampling of what is in my Blessing book.

1. Safety for all when the tire went flat.
2. Speedy service at tire store.
11. warm sun on my face.
19. Church Family
36. Antibiotics
63. Nutella in my Oatmeal
67.  No dog poop in the house
85. Cuddles on the couch
126. Strawberries
150. Good Friday-  Jesus gave his life today
172. 41 minutes workout
202. Really good soup
235. Gas discount at the pump
259. 12 inches of snow--no lawn work for a long time
317. Spiky hair
331. Happier heart after a week of crying
384. Lessons learned in a raft flip
448.  Friends as nurses who stayed thru Toni's surgery
559.  Sunday Cinnamon Rolls
791. First ski practice
871. Pay Day
1000.  Housekeeper comes today
1037. new PFD
1095. Spring Snowstorm---no travel---conference call
1098. Right now both of us have a job
1203. Max will be home today
1215.  Middle Fork Of the Salmon
1228. sunscreen
1250. Drumming loud and hard
1294. Friend in hospital---safe --- after river accident
1300.  Matea in an orange

Add caption

 I have been adding pictures and other items. This is truly my daily reminder that God blesses me every day!


I have come to the end of paper in this spiral notebook. I am starting a new book..a new good friend...

I am looking forward to the next 1000 blessings.