Last week, I reached a milestone – I had counted 1000 gifts since I began my journey in April 2012. I had a two-fold purpose in counting my blessings everyday:

• To have a positive outlook on life.
• To journal the everyday things I am grateful for.

Now, as I look back over the past year, I’ve found that I’ve reaped so much from simply counting my blessings.

1. The blessing of obeying God’s Word

The Bible is filled with promises of blessing for those who obey God’s Word. And God’s Word says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). So often we strive to find out what God’s will is… Well, the above verses sums it up pretty well – God’s will is for you to give thanks in all circumstances. It is easy to thank God when everything is fine and dandy. But when difficult situations arise, can we still thank God for them?

2. The joy of finding things I can be thankful for

This habit of counting my blessings has encouraged me to always be on the lookout for things I am thankful for. Whether it is a movie date with my husband or watching my boys cuddled up together fast asleep, I get excited and look forward to writing it down. Not a day goes by when the thought, “Oh, I should note this down in my journal”, doesn’t cross my mind.

3. It helps me be content with what I have

There are a lot of things I am not happy with – a rickety washing machine, sickness, temper tantrums… When I choose to give thanks, it helps me be content with what I have. The washing machine, though quite loud, still does its job pretty well. Times of sickness remind me to appreciate the days when we enjoy good health. And temper tantrums… well, they’re no fun at all – but I get to have one-on-one time with the culprit, on the other side of the tantrum.

4. A testimony of sorts

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.” (Psalm 35:18)

The Bible encourages us to share with others what the Lord has done for us. Documenting my blessings does just that. I share it on the blog – that’s my assembly. Some day, I hope this collection will also be my testimony to my boys – reminding them of God’s hand in our lives.

5. A reminder of God’s faithfulness

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” (Psalm 143:5)

There are days I look back, read past journal entries and blog posts and I marvel afresh at God’s handiwork in my life. The account of my past blessings encourage me, especially on those days when I’m in the pit of despair and feel far away from God. I recount all the wonderful things God has done for me and I’m filled with hope. I know that my God who’s been my rock until now will keep me in the days to come.

Do you count your blessings? What side effects have you experienced?

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I can’t believe we’re almost 2 months into 2013! It seems just like yesterday that I was working on my word for the year and listing the areas I wanted to work on.

February is about that time we get a bit discouraged with ourselves. We’ve made resolutions that we haven’t had much success in keeping… Goals toward which we are making little or no progress…

Well, maybe you’ve made a lot of progress in your goals over the past month. But I haven’t :). And that’s why I needed a visual reminder. Something to remind me everyday what I need to focus on.

I made this board early last month and hung it prominently in my bedroom – on a wall I see early in the morning and late at night. It was pretty easy to make – and believe me, I am definitely not the creative/crafty type {isn’t it obvious?!}. I simply took an old cardboard wall-hanging, covered it with white paper and used brightly colored pens to write down my focus.

A bit about my board:

• Health: Last year our family went through several bouts of sickness that wore us all down. This was a reminder to pray that my family would remain healthy this year.
• Persevere: My one word for this year and the areas I needed to concentrate on (Prayer, Fitness, Home).
• Fruitful: This is the prophetic word we received from our church for the new year. Something I need to be constantly reminded of, especially on days that I feel unmotivated.

I love that when I sit down to pray, this board stares me in the face. I cannot but pray for God’s help to keep me going this year.

Do you have a visual reminder of your vision, or a favorite verse perhaps?

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