The Grateful Heart.

Ps 97:10-12
Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.
NIV
I love this time of year, not because of the great food, and not because of the presents. I love this time of year because it calls for reflection. We stop and reflect on the great blessings God has lavished on us.
God guards us, delivers us, shines His light on us and places joy in our hearts. Every day for a child of God is a day filled with thanksgiving.
I want to encourage you to intentionally set aside a little time each day and just praise His holy name.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Count Your Blessings

One of the “old” songs, I grew up singing, has this chorus,
“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.”
This song was published in 1897, one year after the first speeding fine was issued, one year after the third deadliest tornado in history hit St. Louis Missouri, one year after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and killed 27,000 people.
The world of 1897 and the world of 2011 have a lot of differences, but there are also a lot of similarities. This song reminds me that regardless of the time in which I live, God is always there and He has blessed me greatly.
Take some time today and offer thanks for what God has blessed you with.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn