Have you ever found yourself deep in a pit of despair? Yeah, me too. Maybe you’re there now. And the truth is, it stinks. One of the worst parts is that when you and I find ourselves in that dank dark place with our feet stuck in the muck, it’s really hard to see our…
Occasionally, I have a day when I wake up and I feel strong enough to handle whatever the day throws at me. But then there are the other days when I open my eyes and I’m not sure I have what it takes just to get out of bed. I’m guessing I’m not alone… Sometimes…
The #1 post here at Counting My Blessings by far is – 5 Verses to Pray When You Need God to Do the Impossible. The truth is people are facing seemingly impossible circumstances every day. Here are just some of the comments I’ve received on that post from the past year… ♥ My dear cousin…
It seems like everywhere I look, friends and family . . . even complete strangers are overwhelmed by grief. Covid and chaos have caused us to lose loved ones, jobs, and financial security. Isolation and emotional stress has broken relationships, worsened depression, and increased substance abuse. The list of reasons people are grieving is growing…
I want to stop and celebrate the blessing of friends today. Not our list of Facebook friends with whom we share the edited versions of our stories but the close group of people who know our real stories … those stories we keep hidden away from most of the world. I want to celebrate the…
Terrorism, politics, illness, heartbreak, loss, and pandemics… Sometimes this broken world feels like it’s too much … too painful. Too hard. Then I stop and remember Solomon’s words: History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 Nothing’s new. It’s all happened before. No, I’m…
Do you trust God’s goodness? We say God is good, but do we really believe it? I recently shared this on social media… After you have suffered a little while, [God] will restore, support, and strengthen you. 1 Peter 5:10 And an individual responded by saying … “a load of nonsense.” I don’t think you…
Even if you are not personally suffering at the moment … you can’t turn on the news or scroll through social media without seeing it all around you. So many of us are feeling the heaviness of suffering … either our own or the empathetic burden we carry for one another. But God… Oh, how…
Anne Graham Lotz wrote… Why did Jesus have to die? If there was any other way to offer us forgiveness of sin, to reconcile us to God, to give us eternal life, and to open Heaven for us when we die, God would have found it. He never would have sent Jesus to die on the…
Is it hard for you to be honest with God? Do you struggle to pour out feelings of impatience or frustration? Are you able to tell Him when you’re losing hope because your problem persists and you wonder if things will ever change even though you’ve prayed and prayed and prayed? I love that God…
Our grandson loves math. I get it! I love math, too. We were talking about his love for math the other night and he told me it’s his favorite because it is logical and consistent. Then he said, “Words are harder … with language you have to figure out things like there, their, and they’re….
I think we’ve all had times when the notes on tomorrow’s planner page have resulted in a restless night of worry and anxiety. A Doctor’s Appointment – for Yourself or Someone You Love. A Meeting with Difficult Person. A Huge Project Deadline. A Major Grade-deciding Exam. A Shortage of Money for a Major Need. A…
Do you remember being a child and longing for the freedom you believed you’d finally have once you became an adult? Then you grew up and discovered that you enjoyed way more freedom as a child than you have now. There are more demands on your time, more expectations, more work … more everything. Freedom…
I believe we all want to be emotionally healthy … and there are several things required to make that desire a reality. Those things are a need for love, security, and significance. The need to be valued! And I believe we are hardwired by God with this need for two very important reasons… He is…
I know it’s impossible to live happy 100% of the time. Bad things happen, people are cruel, relationships end and happiness fades. And even when you and I are trying our best to do everything “right” … a choice made by someone else has the ability to turn our happiness into pain. Yet, I still…
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….
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’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…
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…
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…
I can sing my heart out along with Casting Crowns anytime I hear – Praise You in this Storm. And I’ll praise You in this stormAnd I will lift my handsThat You are who You areNo matter where I amAnd every tear I’ve criedYou hold in Your handYou never left my sideAnd though my heart…
