Each day the Lord blesses His children in unique ways. But do we always see the blessing when they come disguised as trials? Counting our blessings is more than positive thinking. It’s recognizing God pouring out His grace every moment, regardless of how it looks or feels.

We all entered this world as sinners, recipients of the curse. But when the fullness of His grace came in the form of Jesus Christ – God incarnate – we are now recipients of all the blessings that are ours in Christ.

Sometimes the fullness of grace pours out tangible blessings that bring great joy and satisfaction. God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. (James 1:17) It’s easy to give thanks for those blessings. So what about when we don’t see the tangible blessings? Has God removed His hand of blessing upon us? James 1:17 goes on to say there’s no variation or shadow of turning. He is our unchanging God. The fullness of grace continues to flow over the Child of God.

Trials come…we lose a loved one, our job, our health, a failed marriage, and suddenly we think we’re being cursed rather than blessed. That’s when we need to dip – no IMMERSE ourselves – into the reservoir of His Word we have stored in the recesses of our memory.

Fall of 2014 my husband and I went through a crisis when he lost his job unexpectedly. During the initial shock, those first 24 hours, verses we’d memorized over the years flooded our souls and brought a tremendous sense of peace. Over the weeks that followed, through the fullness of His grace, we experienced blessings we wouldn’t trade for anything. We experienced the blessing of the nearness of God Himself (Psalm 73:28). When we doubted which way to go, the Spirit of God reminded us of Psalm 16:11 – “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

We decided we each would daily write out a blessing and put it into our blessing jar. The day after he lost his job he wrote, “The sun came up this morning. God is sovereign.” Our unchanging God is still filling us to overflowing with blessings….no shadow of turning. Just because it wasn’t something we could hold in our hands, it was still something we could count as a blessing. His blessings flow from the fullness of His grace in ways that bless us every moment of every day. We need only to look around us.

Lord, Dare I reject a blessing from you just because it isn’t in the shape, size, or color I want, or fit into my perfect little world box? I would be a most miserable soul indeed if I did not receive all You have for me with thanks, for this is Your will concerning me. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) I humbly thank You for the blessings You are pouring upon me from the fullness of Your grace.

Your humbly grateful daughter,

Every day remember to look around you. There’s so much to be thankful for. His creation speaks, reminding us to give Him the glory and to thank Him daily. God's grace is found in every moment of life. His gifts to us are rooted in the simple things and heaven's glory is displayed in the ordinary. Spending life spinning our wheels chasing after more rather than chasing after God leads to a downward spiral life. 

It's a lack of doxology that leads to depravity. He's given us everything we need to point us to Himself, but when we fail to give Him glory and thanks for all things, we are heading down a slippery slope. Wickedness isn't rooted primarily in some ghetto, or some shady backstreet. It all begins with an act of forgetting to give Him glory and to give thanks to God. (Romans 1:18-21,28)

Remember your roots, as one who has received Christ Jesus. Being rooted and built up in Him, strengthens your faith, and causes your life to overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6,7) Are you modeling thankfulness? Is it a part of your legacy, how you will be remembered? Make giving thanks part of your every day life. Live a life of thanks living. 

Visions of Memorial Days past are running through my mind.  Marching in or standing on the curb watching patriotic parades in honor of our fallen soldiers, flags waving, Veterans saluting as Old Glory passes by.  Homes decorated in patriotic buntings of red, white and blue and the smell of charcoal grills filling the air with the aroma of well done burgers and hot dogs.

It’s a day off, giving the benefit of a long three day weekend.  Some travel to the beach or the mountains as a way of kicking off the premature celebration of Summer.  Local swimming pools fill with children that don’t seem to mind the chilly water temperature as their parents soak up the sun’s warming rays.  It’s a time of gathering with family and friends and enjoying being able to get back outside together for a leisurely picnic.

But all of this came at great expense. Men and women sacrificed their lives on battlefields and in the trenches of war, fighting for the privilege of freedom that we so nonchalantly enjoy.  Their bodies lay lifeless and cold in cemeteries across America and around the world, the price they paid so we could continue to enjoy life freely.

May we all pause and remember to remember the valiant deeds of soldiers past and present, and pay homage and honor by acknowledging their sacrifice.  Let’s remember to remember to pray for the families that are still reeling from the loss of a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a son, a brother, a daughter, a sister.  Their long weekend is yet another series of long days marking the passing of their loved one, their hearts screaming out, “Don’t forget my loved one not only died, but he had a life.  I want you to know my loved one.  Ask me about his life, talk about him.  Remember to remember him.  Please don’t forget him!”

How easy it is to forget sacrifices made for the sake of freedom.  Perhaps that is why we were given the instructions as a body of believers to observe communion regularly.  We are to be stirred up to remember to remember the sacrifice Christ made, the shedding of His blood so we could be free from the penalty of sin and enjoy a life lived in honor of Him.  We’re to remember to remember to proclaim His death until He comes again.

This Memorial Day, examine your life.  Are you remembering to remember our fallen soldiers?  Are you remembering to remember the sacrifice of our Savior?  What are you doing to honor those who have paid the price for your freedom?

Father, it’s easier to forget than it is to remember the sacrifice You and others have made for me. Help me to remember to remember, and to live a humble life that exemplifies a heart of gratitude towards all that have paid freedom’s price. I love You.

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter.

The blessings of Lord or new every morning. Sometimes we don't always recognize them. Either they come disguised under the cloak of grief or we just pass them by in the rush of the day.  Look closely my friend...the blessings of God are uniquely woven into the moments of your day.

We see life through our own set of eyes (have you thanked Him for yours?).  My eyes are focused on capturing moments of beauty in nature. That's how He wired me...to stop,look, and listen for Him in the ordinary. The tiniest of flowers breaking through the debris covered ground often gets ignored and walked past... or walked on.. by some with their eyes fixed on the next thing to do and place to be. For me, my gaze is most often downward - partly because I'm not real sure footed so I'm always watching where I walk. But it's in that eyes down position that I see the tiniest of flowers amidst the debris and I marvel at how something so small could push through all that dirt and debris, only to look up in praise to God for a brief season... and then vanish away. It's that moment that whispers to my heart with a holy hush and I respond softly, "Thank You."

To live a thanks filled life is to live a life that sees God's hand in every breath I take. A thankful life sees the blessings and simple pleasures of a gentle breeze or watching birds collect their bounty in their beaks.

It's being thankful I can ride in an air conditioned car on a hot summer's day.

It's being thankful for having a washing machine of my own so I don't have to go to the laundry mat or wash along the water's edge like so many women around the world.

It's a simple life of reflecting on one verse of Scripture at a time and enjoying the richness and reward of its every word. How often have I raced through a passage just so I could check off  having my "quiet time" this morning from the to-do list? His Word is a treasure trove of wisdom that will yield wealth and reward in a whole new dimension.

When I consider the word wealth, I tend to think of material wealth, of having money and possessions. But what about having a wealthy spirit? Do I allow each word from his Word to fill me so my spirit is overflowing and spilling out upon those around me? Do I mull on the treasures hidden in each verse?

According to this verse, I can have joy ever-present in my life - ALWAYS - even in the hard times. In His presence is fulness of joy. He is always present, therefore I can always have joy. The joy and the goodness of God ARE the joy and the good in life. What more could I ever desire. I have everything I need right there in His presence, in His Word.

I'm indeed a blessed woman. I have much to be thankful for when I choose to see life through the eyes of gratitude.

How has He blessed you today?

A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT:
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 14, is kick off for a wonderful Link Up called Thankful Thursday. The meme was started 8 years ago by my friend, Iris. A year ago she had to let it go. I'm excited and honored to be able to start this wonderful community.  Thankful Thursday will have it's own page on my website. (Click the link to read more about it.)  This link up is a way to link blogs and hearts through gratitude. Please come and help me in forming a new community of thankful people.