Blessed
(April, 2012)

"Blessings" What comes to mind when you hear someone say, "I've been blessed"? Does it cause you to think of family, or maybe the thought of having a solid job that helps pay the bills, or does that special friend or friends come to mind? On the other hand, does life depress you as you think of all of the obstacles that you are facing everyday that seem to pull you down to the point of not being able to experience the blessings that the Lord has given you? We all receive blessings as well as serious challenges every day. Our overall perception of the situation(s), as well as our reaction in dealing with life's experiences can dictate our happiness or unhappiness. We all know that, at times, the load does get very heavy. But the Lord says that he will not put on man any more than he can stand. You might look at it this way, when you wake up in the morning, you've been blessed. When you're able to hug your family and tell them you love them, you've been blessed. When you have friends that you can count on when the road gets a little too rough, you've been blessed. When you're fighting through life's challenges and can hold your head up high knowing that you're doing the best that you can do, you've been blessed. And even though America is not perfect, we've all been blessed to live in the greatest country in the world. Every morning when I first get up, I look out the window and thank him for giving me another day of life, and the blessings and challenges that go along with it. How will you begin your day? Will you stop to think and pray, and say to yourself, "I've been blessed?"