Blessings

Count Your Many Blessings

 

 

Somewhere in time, this last week, I have had a song stuck in my head. Actually it wasn’t the entire song, but the chorus.  I kept having the phrase, “Count your many blessings, name them on by one” run through my head.  I tried to look it up.  Many times these timeless hymns have interesting stories, but all I really found was that the song was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman and Edwin Excell for a hymnal called “Songs for Young People.”

What surprised me was reading the words.  I always think of this song as a song to sing when you’re happy.  But when you really read the words, this is about counting your blessing when life is hard.  Really that is when we need to count our blessings the most.

It reminds me of the passage in James that tells us to count it all joy. 

^{James 1:2-4 (NKJV)}

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So the star of the blog today is an old hymn.  I hope you enjoy revisiting it with me.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
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,
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.

Refrain

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 buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

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

Refrain

A Best Seller

A Story to tell

 

 

Somewhere in time, this past month, I have been working on one of my stories. I have a few, but some of them are connected, so I didn’t want to work on them until I could find the time to tie them all together.  My other story is a standalone book, set in the early depression. My hero is a young woman that needs to learn to live without all the money she had while growing up.  This change helps her to trust God more and also teaches her how to love and care about people more.  I’ll have it out on amazon pretty soon.

I love to write.  I’ve read books about writing and I’ve taken classes, but I’m still not a perfect writer.  What is interesting about telling a story is that there as to be conflict.  The story is boring without it.  There has to be a situation the hero can overcome.  You can’t have triumph without trials.  The character also needs to change.  Maybe they become more giving, or more understanding or more caring.    

When we think about it, the same things we like to read about in a book, we don’t want happening to us.  Life without conflict or a life without trials – sounds good, but it would be unrealistic.

God created a plan for us when he created us.  He also knew we would go against his plan many times and he would need to redirect us.  Many times the struggles we face are due to God redirecting us to the correct path. 

I wonder what our lives would be like if we allowed the story God wrote to play out in our lives without our intervention?  Honestly, it would be a best seller. 

 

Jeremiah 29:11

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

 

 

When my sister’s and I were little, every mother’s day we were required to sing this song in church:

The original lyrics were written in 1915 and the song is titled Mother:

M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she’s growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she’ll always be.

Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

It is a very sweet song, but I was thinking of this song and I thought it was an interesting contrast to what we think today.  This song was old when I sang it, but it obviously older now.  At almost 100 years old - do the lyrics ring true?

M- Honestly, if you ask any child today about the things their mom gave them – they would think of things.  Computer, cell phone, doll etc.  We don’t think of the fact that our Mom’s gave us life.  Without them we wouldn’t be here. They also give us guidance when we need it. They nurture and help us grow into the people God’s needs us to become.

O- One hundred years ago, people grew old in grace and wisdom. Old was a badge of honor earned from years of living.  We don’t celebrate old anymore.  We nip, tuck color and basically try to slow or hide the process.  I do it, but in a way, it’s a shame.

T -Every mother sheds tears over their children. It doesn’t stop, it continues to their grandchildren and then their great-grandchildren. My mother prays for us and weeps with us when times are hard.

H-A mother’s heart is like no other.  She will sacrifice her own wants and needs to give her child opportunities she never had and do it all because of love. 

E-I can see my mother’s eyes shine when talking to one of her kids on the phone or when she shows me what they’ve sent her as a gift for Mother’s day. 

R-Yes, my mother is right!

I guess, it’s still a pretty good song.  I love you Mom - Happy Mother’s day.

 

 

 

The Keeper of the Key

A Parable

 

 

Somewhere in time – well actually, this is nowhere in time.  Today it’s a parable.  As such, it’s not true, but Jesus told Parables to make a point and I’m going to attempt the same thing.

Once upon a time, in a world far from ours, but not that dissimilar, there lived a great creator.   He created a beautiful and special world and he was happy there for a long time.  After a while, he looked around and determined there was room for more.  He created a small island and on it he created two beings.  At first, it was great.  He would come in the evening and walk and talk with his creation.  One day, while he was away, his creation decided to go their own way.  This caused them to become ashamed.  When the creator arrived, they hid. He knew what they had done and it broke his heart.  The bridge he used to get from his world to theirs had to be closed and locked.  His creation was not yet ready to join him.

Years went and his creation multiplied.  Life was harder and his creation was very sorry at times for turning their back on him. Other times they were convinced they knew better than him.  He sent messengers to teach them his ways. Messengers that would help get through the gate and across the bridge to him.  Even though the messengers spoke the truth, the message was ignored. Some tried to follow and failed, while others didn’t try at all. Some convinced themselves they could make their own bridge.

After several years, he realized the creation needed an easier path. He took a part of himself.  The part he used to fashion his creation and he went back to the island.  Very few people recognized him. When he talked about the creator, they assumed they knew more than him.  Finally, they killed him, but he didn’t die.  He came back briefly and left a very special key with a group of created beings.  This key would automatically open the gate that allowed the creation access to where he was. It was so special because even when you gave the key away, you still had the key yourself. 

His creation proved to be stiff necked and determined to make their own way.  They had started many bridges around the island and some of them look really good, but none of them lead anywhere.  When the keeper of the key would talk and explain about the free gift of the key, people would laugh in disbelief.  It couldn’t be this easy. As some turned to other bridges, others determined to never leave the island, but both options didn’t work.  If his creation didn’t make it to his bridge before their appointed time, they dissolved into a world where no goodness existed.   

But he clearly told them this.  He clearly gave them free passage. Yet the creation rejected it.

 

In this world where we live, I am a keeper of the key.

John 14:6

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 10:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jesus is the key who gets us from this world to His world.  I hope you take it.