Counting

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;Count your many blessings—wealth can never buyYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,Do not be discouraged, God is over all;Count your many blessings, angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to you till your journey's end. "

Lately, I've been intentionally viewing life with an "attitude of gratitude"... trying to do that in my circumstances, my relationships, my words and my actions. This weekend, I was shaken quite a bit by something way beyond my control. Panic begin to set in....thankfully for me, I knew to reach out to a few and let their encouragement lift me up...I did just that, I reached out - and true to form, they encouraged. Panic gave way to prayer.

And this morning, I woke up with this hymn playing in my soul and my mind. A wonderful reminder that I am truly a blessed individual.

Today I am thankful for:

1. My Lord....who who always good and faithful.

2. My prayer warriors and encouragers....may we always continue to be there for one another!

3. My blessings....which are truly overflowing.

Circling the Airport

As I'm learning more and more about A.D.D., I feel like someone has shined a flashlight into my world and all of a sudden, I can see the little small things that I often overlook.

In a book that I am working through, one of the descriptions given for A.D.D. is "circling the airport but never landing." When I read that, I almost jumped up out of my chair yelling "YES!! THAT'S ME!" However, I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room next to a sleeping man (who was also snoring) and I really didn't have the heart to scare him awake.

Words are powerful, as we all know. And these words hit me with a mighty force of self-recognition. Often when I am faced with a big task, I feel overwhelmed and simply don't know where to start. So I will think about it, analyze it, plan it out, talk about it, take notes on it...which are in and of themselves good things. But here's the problem for A.D.D. folks....we simply don't know how to dive in and start. So, we "circle the airport without landing". I can even do this on a regular or fairly small sized task, if it is something I am dreading.

So as I tackle this particular A.D.D. trait, I am going to focus on "the landing". We'll see how it goes!

Today I'm grateful for:

1. The tease of autumn in the air.

2. The feeling of "Bazinga!" when all of a sudden a confusing area is illuminated.

Weeds

Merriam Webster's definition of "weed" "1. a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth; especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants 2. an obnoxious growth.

Weeds pop up when we don't want them. Without proper treatment, they will totally take over a yard or flower bed. Believe me, I know firsthand. This summer you could have nicknamed me the "Lazy Gardener" and you would be right. I wasn't diligent, and with the exception of my container plants, my yard has suffered this year. I chose to pick my battles, and the flowerbeds and well manicured yard weren't on the list this year. I did the required maintenance work, and that was all. The result: a mowed lawn, but one that has weeds popping up instead of just a soft green carpet of healthy grass, and beautiful containers but a messy bed of perennials. When I realized that weeds grow much faster than grass, and that I just couldn't mow fast enough, I finally stopped turning on the sprinkler mid summer.

This morning as I was reading during my quiet time, I came across an article entitled "Don't Water the Weeds". This particular article was written for divorce recovery, but it got me to thinking about all the different types of weeds I've had in my life over the years.

Our weeds can be tied to relationships, past failures, disappointments, bad habits, low self esteem, weaknesses or sin.

The "short" list for me - not finishing my college degree (low self esteem and in MY mind...a personal failure), struggle with my weight (low self esteem again), relationships that weren't always healthy, and most recently, my divorce. Years ago in my teen years, I struggled with gossip and a sarcastic sense of humor...two very bad habits that could be hurtful to others. I also had at times a tendency towards a rebellious nature that could lead to bad decisions - ending in bad consequences.

I'm learning not to dwell on those negatives...that is akin to "watering the weeds". If my focus is on the negative, it will choke out the positive. I also have learned that my soul needs tending to. And just as it is with my yard and flowerbeds where an unexpected weed can pop up seemingly out of nowhere, I am realizing that my mind and my soul need to be re-examined on a regular basis so that the weeds don't pop up unexpectedly. If I don't pull out the weed when it is tiny and easy to remove, it will grow quickly and spread like wildfire. Pretty soon, my soul can end up as messy as my bed of perennials. I'm going to intentionally work on my mind, heart and soul....I don't want to water the weeds in my life.

Looking Ahead, Not Back

Each morning across my email comes a message from "Real Simple: Daily Thought". I read them each morning, somedays it doesn't really hit me, but on somedays, the message is a real gem. Today's real simple message WAS a gem for me:

"Look at life through the windshield, not the rearview mirror."

I'm not quite sure I actually agree with it 100%, but I do agree with the overall message. And this morning, it was a good message for me to hear. It's hard not to look in the rearview mirror of my life right now. I miss the family that was. And yet, I DO trust that God has a plan for my future, and that the plan is a good one. But I'm human, and I have times where instead of looking forward, I find myself looking backwards and dwelling on what was.

Looking backwards can be good....reminiscing over good times is great, reflecting over bad times can be helpful if we learn something from those times. But if we get too focused on what we are leaving, we are probably going to miss the things ahead.

I really don't want to miss anything. On any road there are going to pitfalls, detours or roadblocks. I need to be focused and alert for those when I come to them. There are also going to be new adventures, new relationships, and beautiful things to see on the way. I certainly don't want to miss those!

So this morning I am praying for renewed focus. That I will look through the windshield of my life. If I glance in the rearview mirror, let it just be a quick look back or if it's longer, that it be for something I need to remember. And let me get back to looking through the windshield quickly. As far as I've come, I certainly don't want to wreck, miss a turn, or veer off course now!

Two Way Street

One thing that is amazing about encouragement is that it is a two way street. If we choose to be encouragers to those around us, we are assured of God's blessing. When we open our eyes and hearts to people, pay attention to what is going on in their lives, and respond to God's urging of encouragement (you know, that little tap on the shoulder or nudging in your heart) we are showing God that we care about His children. That makes our Father smile.

Usually I have found that people are open to encouragement. Sometimes, however, there is so much pain or anger that they aren't quite ready, so we make ourselves vulnerable when we reach out. The initial reaction to our encouragement may not be well received...but God will still find a way to bless us for our effort.

Sometimes an amazing thing happens, and that is when we are encouraging to another, the person we reached out to ends up encouraging us right back. That is what happened to me last night with a friend, and it was, in the words of another friend, truly "a God thing". The two-way street in action. We both felt lifted up and loved.

Today I am thankful for encouragement - both given and received.