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I was raised on hymns. These songs were our faith put to music. One hymn that I keep thinking about these days was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman, Jr. - "Count Your Blessings!"
The first verse and start of the refrain are as follows:
When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Not exactly 21st century wording ("billows," "tempest-tossed"), but the challenge is clear. When you feel those waves crashing over you, don't lose sight of the many ways in which you are blessed.
Right now I am on the phone with Quicken support (yes, I'm typing this as they research my issues). I upgraded to the 2016 version despite warnings that there were a number of bugs that had not been fixed. This is what's known as a first-world problem. Somewhere today a family is hoping to have enough clean water to drink and each month are living on less than it cost for me to upgrade this software.
Family holidays can be both wonderful and challenging. As you experience stress this Thanksgiving, remember your blessings and take the additional step of naming some out loud. Take time around your table to reflect on your blessings great and small - some that are recognized easily and some that we take for granted.
Then as you approach our next major holiday - one month from today - consider how you and those you love can provide for the needs of others who are not so blessed.
Who knows? They may be counting you among their blessings at their next celebration!
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Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Stephen Julian. All rights reserved.
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