I love the idea of choosing a focus word each year. So many of my friends testify to the ways God has used a specific word to help them grow in faith and change them in ways they never imagined. Although I loved the idea, I always tended to take on topics that included multiple…
I love the beginning of a new year. A clean calendar. A fresh start in Genesis. It always feels like a do-over for… Resolutions. Goals. Hopes. Promises. That’s typically how I feel on December 30th and 31st. Sometimes the feeling lingers a little and I can carry in through January 1st, 2nd, and maybe even…
It’s been a blessed year here at Counting My Blessings! I feel so very blessed to be able to do something I love each day. And I’m blessed by all of you who faithfully visit this space and take the time to encourage me with your comments, shares, and prayers. I thought it might be…
Merry Christmas, my friends! I am so thankful for you! You all bless me in countless ways. So, I’m stopping today to pray for you, I’m asking God to bless you. I’m asking Him to give you a beautiful Christmas celebration and be with you throughout the year ahead. And I’m asking Him to fill…
Christmas is just days away and as I read through and lift up the prayer requests left on the Blessing Counters Prayer Page, I can’t help but notice how families seem to have two areas of pain and concern that rise to the top … especially at this time of the year. Finances and relationships….
Jesus said… Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 He taught His followers to pray… May Your Kingdom come! Matthew 6:10 And I realized, I wasn’t sure I knew what to say if someone asked me to explain the Kingdom of God or…
There’s a word we don’t use very often anymore. Behold! Even in the more recent translations of the Bible, the word behold has been replaced with words like … look, see, and watch. But I think beholding something is so much more than simply looking or seeing. We hurry past things we see every day…
I absolutely love John’s Gospel. In fact, I read it multiple times each year. And every time I do, I feel myself being wrapped in God’s love. In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.He existed in the beginning with God.God created everything through Him, and nothing was created…
It’s December 6th and for most of us our Christmas preparations are in full swing. Our calendars are full and our to-do lists are long. And we’re starting to wonder… How am I going to get everything done in less than three weeks? THREE WEEKS! Are you kidding? But before full-on panic sets in and I…
Have you ever had good intentions turn into regret? It can happen in all kinds of ways… Your words were misunderstood.Actions misinterpreted. Or simply an accident you can’t undo. I’ve experienced all of the above but most recently it was the last one that the Lord used to teach me a lesson. It all started…
I’m keeping it simple today… There has been a lot of talk over the past days about being thankful. We’ve counted our blessings and listed the good things we enjoy. We’ve feasted with family and friends and now, the day after it seems like it’s time to move on to all-things Christmas. But before we…
It’s almost here! Many of you may be traveling as you read this. Social media is full of goal setting and planning posts to make this year the very best holiday ever. But as I talk to friends and friends of friends for some of you the hardest part of celebrating the holidays is the…
I’m jumping into the holidays this weekend … prepping the kitchen for Thanksgiving and decorating for Christmas. I know I may be breaking some kind of unwritten code by putting up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving but the gratitude holiday is so late this year, I just can’t wait any longer. Even with all planning,…
If someone asked you, “How would you describe God’s glory?” What would you say? You and I live in a world full of suffering and conflict … a world that desperately needs the truth about God. And because of that, I want everyone to know about a glorious righteous God who transforms broken and hurting…
What does it mean to glorify God? Henry Blackaby wrote: “Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes–all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function…
I’m so excited about the response to #WWGGG – What Would Give God Glory? Many of you have already joined the #WWGGG Facebook Group and committed to asking yourself the question as you maneuver the joys and challenges of life each day. Some are sharing it with their own children and their church’s youth groups….
It’s November! What?! We’re less than three weeks away from Thanksgiving and it always seems like Christmas follows in a blink after that. And for most of us, we can’t help but think about what that means for us and for the other people with whom we’ll interact over the holidays. Because there are always…
There’s a simple question you and I can ask ourselves that will not only change our lives but one that can change the lives of people everywhere. #WWGGG
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the enemy has one primary form of tempting God’s children. It’s the same thing he’s used since the Garden… “Did God really say…” Genesis 3:1a He is all about tempting us to doubt. Doubt God. Doubt the Bible. Doubt Jesus. And if all else fails … he wants you to doubt…
As Christians, you and I represent Christ to a broken world and I’m wondering about the messages we are sending. Paul talked so often about the importance of unity in the church because we are supposed to be focused on sharing God’s love. If we can’t love each other … why would anyone want what…
I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking about hope. You see, I’d never really stopped to think about the differences between the way secularists and people of faith perceive hope. For the secularist, hope is based solely on the strength of their inner desires and the belief that they will achieve or receive…
