Count Your Blessings Monday!!

Here is an opportunity for all of us to give thanks unto the Lord for a blessing in our lives. If you would like to take part great. If not that is OK too. If you would like to share your blessing, just leave it in the comments. If you want to use the picture above and list a blessing on your own site, then leave a URL to your site in the comments. There is no pressure here. I just know that I am incredibly blessed and I would like to share that and give thanks to Him who all blessing come from. This is a way that we can encourage one another. I know that I am often encouraged when someone shares a blessing with me. I think that many times we forget that it is a blessing to be able to breath, to get out of bed, to hold a baby... Share your blessings with us. We can share so many other things.... special gifts, recipes, let's take the time to share how God has blessed us!!

Today, I am thankful to the Lord for another year.  We get another fresh new start.  For the last 2 years my theme for the year has been to Live Deliberately.  I have made some headway, but I still feel called to do this more.  It will be my theme again this year.   We listened to a great message this weekend by Francis Chan.  He really made some good points.  I would highly encourage every Christian to listen to this message.  I know it will challenge and encourage you.  I will post the video below.

Two things really stood out to me.  One was get unplugged from all that is around me (phone, computer, etc.) and get alone with God and read His Word.  He talked about how when he sees things in God's Word, it is so simple so he starts to do them.  People rise up and tell him he is too radical and that is not meant to actually be done in today's world.  

Then he shared how when Christians hear these truths, they don't do them, they memorize the verses or do a Bible study on them or study the Greek, etc.  He likened it to him telling his daughter to clean her room.  What would his response be if she told him she memorized what he said and that she was going to invite a group of her friends over to discuss it and study it?  We are supposed to DO IT!!!  Step out and even if you are alone in doing it, DO IT!!!

So many in the church in America are focused on what makes them feel good...  entertainment, fellowship, how they dress, etc.  We are called to be different... to suffer.  The suffering part scares me.  After listening to this message though, can I still say I don't want it?

I encourage you to take the time to listen to the message.  It may just change your life.