Posts Tagged ‘blessing’

I Dare You

Posted: February 24, 2013 in children, friendship, life, love, music, religion, school
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When you were younger, do you remember playing dares? Each person in turn was dared by the rest of the group to do a particular thing which they wouldn’t normally do.

I don’t know about you, but I always hated that game. Maybe it’s because I have always been quite a quiet (don’t laugh!) and shy person, but I always hated having to put myself in situations I wouldn’t normally get embroiled in, or say things to people I wouldn’t normally say.

There’s one dare however that we should all be willing to do…

Dare yourself each day to be a blessing to someone.

If God in part of our life, it should be our duty to be a blessing each day. Will you accept the challenge today?

Don’t Forget The Blessings

Posted: November 12, 2012 in cancer, family, friendship, Health, life, love, pray, prayer
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Due to various events and conversations in the last couple of days, I’ve been vividly reminds that although at times in these last few years I’ve felt like my troubles are never-ending and overwhelming, compared to so many others, I am having a very wonderful and trouble-free life!

Sometimes I think we (I mean me!) get so caught up in our own circumstances and problems, that we forget about all the blessings we have in our lives, and how well off we are compared with so many others.

Just a couple of days ago we were shocked to hear of the passing of one of my hubby’s cousins who was only 50 years old. She’d been battling against cancer, but following completion of a course of chemotherapy had seemed to be doing ok. I’ve lost count now of the number of people in my hubby’s family who have died prematurely from cancer (this includes his Dad and his younger sister), so when I even consider this I realise how fortunate I am to still have all my immediate family here with me, albeit many with their own health issues.

So today, although I type this with a heavy heart as my mind is constantly thinking of our cousin’s family as they mourn the death of a wife and mother, I thank God for all the wonderful blessings He gives me each day. I pray that I will never take God’s love for me for granted and that I may take a few minutes every day just to thank Him for all the wonderful things He does for me and those I love.

Let’s not get caught up in our own lives. Let’s thank God for the love He shows us each day. Let’s remember all those who are facing difficulties in their lives and remember that there’s always someone worse off than ourselves.

Slow Work

Posted: May 23, 2012 in blogging, friendship, life, love, music, religion
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The last few days I’ve been asking you to consider your blessings, especially those ones which maybe aren’t obvious to you at the time (Are They Blessings In Disguise #1 and #2). Having written the first of these blog posts and starting on the second one, I received an email from a friend which contained a prayer which was by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

Ever since I read this prayer it’s been in my mind, and I believe it’s because it follows on perfectly to my last two blog posts, as it reminds us that we are often impatient and want everything to happen now. However God has a plan for us, he knows our starting point and he know where he wants us to be, but unlike us who just want to get to the end point, God wants and needs us to do all the stuff in between even although at the time we may not understand it’s significance.

God’s work in our life may seem slow to us at times, however consider this, have there actually been lots of blessings in disguise during those in-between times?

Here’s Pierre Teilhard de Chardin prayer:

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
Yet it is the law of all progress that is made
by passing through some stages of instability
and that may take a very long time.
 
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Do not try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
- that is to say, grace -
and circumstances
acting on your own good will
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new Spirit
gradually forming in you will be.
 
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser.
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
 
Amen

Are They Blessings In Disguise? #2

Posted: May 22, 2012 in blogging, family, friendship, Health, life, love, music, religion
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Yesterday in Are They Blessings In Disguise #1 I talked about how the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in can be blessings, even if we don’t realise it at the time!

But how about people? During our lifetime we meet and encounter thousands of people, some for only a few seconds, others for years, but can we tell which people we meet are blessings and which we shouldn’t entertain in our lives?

We know of people in our lives who from the instant we meet them, we know we’re going to hit it off with them, that we can trust them with anything at any time. Then there are those who as soon as we meet them we feel uncertain and unsure whether they a genuine and can be trusted. It can be difficult sometimes to distinguish between these people sometimes, however, once in a while we can get it all wrong…

Have you ever made a judgement about someone when you first met them, thinking they will not become a true friend, only to find a while later that you’ve been completely wrong, that that person is in fact more genuine and trustworthy than you could have imagined. In yesterday’s blog post I recounted how I had someone unexpected reach out to me…that person was one of those people. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t that I ever thought I couldn’t trust that person, but simply that I had never imagined us having the opportunity or requirement to become close friends and confidants.

So again you can see people, as well as circumstances can be a blessing from God, so don’t pre-judge people before you get to know them, as you never know they may just be your blessing in disguise!

Are They Blessings In Disguise? #1

Posted: May 21, 2012 in blogging, depression, friendship, life, love, nature, religion
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Sometimes we wonder why certain things happen in our lives.

Sometimes we even wonder why God allows specific things to happen to us or our family and friends.

Sometimes we wonder how there can possibly be a blessing to be found anywhere!

Could it be that we are simply looking for what WE expect blessings to look like, rather than waiting to see how GOD sends us blessings?

I know for me, when I was at my lowest a few years ago, I felt as though everything was going wrong in my life, there was nobody there for me and I even felt as though God wasn’t doing anything to help me. Then one day, completely out of the blue, someone who I had previously only known well enough to say hello to, but never really had any conversation with, came to me and reached out to me.

At the time I just thought it was someone unexpected being nice to me, but now looking back on it I truly believe that person was God’s blessing in disguise for me! If it hadn’t been for that person reaching out to me that day and me taking hold of their outstretched hand, I can honestly say I don’t belive I would be the person I am today, or even if I would be here blogging.

Don’t close you’re eyes to God in times of difficultly, as God will be there for you, and He will bless you. Some of those blessings may just be a bit more difficult to spot if they’re in disguise.

Once again as I write this blog post I’m reminded of the song Blessings by Laura Story:

My Headlines 2011

Posted: December 31, 2011 in blogging, children, dementia, depression, family, friendship, Health, heart, life, love, motoring, music, pets, pray, religion, Shopping
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So we’re just about at the end of another year. So how’s 2011 been for you? For me 2011 has been one which I probably would rather forget. So how would I sum up my year…

A Rotten Start To 2011

2011 started well, as hubby and me did our usual New Year’s Day thing and took in a Chinese to Mum and Dad’s for dinner. We spend a while at Mum and Dad’s before coming home to relax for the rest of the evening. I changed into my pjs when we got home and was stretched out on the sofa watching the TV, when I suddenly felt really unwell…

That was the start of my rotten start to 2011, as I ended up off my work for two and a half months during which time I got sent for various tests etc to try to establish the cause of my illness.

One Thing After Another

Just a few days before I was due to go back to work after being off at the start of the year, my hubby took unwell and ended up in hospital with kidney stones, and then had to have an operation. So as I say just as I was feeling a bit better (though not 100%), hubby ended up ill.

What a rotten year 2011 was turning out to be!

It improved a bit for a while until the end of September when hubby fell ill again, this time with some kind of viral infection. Unfortunately the virus seemed to hit him really badly so much so that he ended up off work from then until just a couple of weeks before Christmas.

This year hasn’t been one of my hubby’s best ones as far as health is concerned.

No Answers Yet

Just like the last few years, this has been yet another one where I’ve had more and more tests at various hospitals, but we’ve still no answers to my ongoing health concerns. Maybe 2012 will be the year!

Feeling the Effects of Living With Dementia

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, while know that my Dad has vascular dementia, and has been getting progressively worse over the last year or so.

Dad’s now got to the stages where he doesn’t know who anyone is, including me – and that’s heartbreaking. Apparently there’s even been a couple of times when he’s asked Mum who she was, that must have been really really tough on Mum.

Mum’s finding it more and more difficult to look after Dad at home, as it’s a 24/7 job, and without meaning to be unkind, Mum’s not as young as she used to be! Fortunately Mum has accepted some help from social work so someone come in to help with Dad a few days each week and he also goes to a day centre on another day. At least when Dad’s at the day centre, Mum gets a chance to chill and do some things she wants to do without having to worry about leaving Dad for too long.

The best thing that happened this year was Dad going into a local care home for one week’s respite care, at the start of November. I took the week off work so I could spend it will Mum so she didn’t feel too alone without Dad at home. We had a good time, going round the shops, lunching and visiting a few places we’d not been for a while. Personally I don;t think this week could have come soon enough for Mum as she really was needing a break from caring for Dad.

So the week’s respite care did Mum the world of good, and it certainly didn’t do Dad any harm either…not that he remembers anything about that week or even that he was away from home for a few days!

Not Limited to Humans!

Health concerns within my family have not been limited to the human members of my family, as our cat, who is now 16 years old, wasn’t very well at one point this year. For a few weeks we were going back and forward to the vets with him for more tests and more tablets to try and get him well again. Thankfully though, he got over his illness almost as quickly at it had originally appeared…mind you our bank account is still recovering!

Sudden Passing

Unfortunately this year also marked the sudden passing of a good friend. Rest in peace my friend.

My thought and prayers have continued to be focused on her family, particularly during this festive season.

Even right to the end of this year, it’s not been a great year – just today we heard the sad news that the wife of one of my husband’s cousins had passed away.

What Made My Year

So this year has obviously felt like there have been more lowlights than highlights, however as I take more time to consider events of this year I realise that though I may not have initially considered it a highlight, I now realise that I could not have got through this year without the support of my family and friends.

I’m not going to mention specific people as I’ll only miss someone out! So suffice to say that some of the folk who have most supportive to me this year have come from unlikely sources, at work and also through Twitter and Facebook - you know who you are. I have to make particular mention of my Twitter and Facebook friends who I’ve never even met in person, but who have supported me through some tough days.

I simply want to say to each of you, thank you for all the love, support and prayers you’ve given me and my family throughout this year - it has been greatly appreciate by both me and Mum.

So there’s my year, how’s your year been? I hope whatever you have faced this year you have had some highlights which you can cherish as memories for a long time.

…and finally

Just to finish off what has been a pretty rotten year for me, can I remind you not to ever underestimate how many blessings you receive and give out over  the period of a year.

Many may seem very small and insignificant, however they may well have had a massive impact on the recipient – they may have meant the world to them!

Presents

Posted: August 24, 2011 in birthday, Christmas, Easter, friendship, life, love, music, religion, Salvation Army
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I’ve spoken a lot about blessings, but do you know what are they?

Here’s some dictionary definitions:

  • A short prayer said before or after a meal; grace.
  • Something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity; a boon.
  • Approbation; approval: This plan has my blessing.
  • the act of invoking divine protection or aid
  • the bestowal of a divine gift or favour

However the best description I’ve ever heard for blessing is ”presents from God” – Isn’t that lovely? It always reminds me that the blessings we receive are always very personal. i.e. What may be a blessing to one, may not be for the person next to them, but God knows us each individually and knows our needs better than we know them ourselves.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 (New Living Translation)

When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

So when do we receive our “presents from God”? On special occasions like our birthday, Christmas, or Easter perhaps? Well let me tell you, God can give us presents at any time! Whenever God gives you presents I can assure you that it will be at a time you need them most, and it will be the best present you could have received at that time.

Here’s the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army playing Blessing and Honour:


More Than Worthy

Posted: August 16, 2011 in friendship, life, love, music, religion
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Give God all the praise!

Is God worthy of our praise? Is He worth of all our glory?

Yes and yes!

We can never repay God for all He does for us each and every day. Have you ever even stopped each day to consider all the blessings He has given you during the day – I know I don’t do this nearly as often as I should. But we really should think more about all God does for us. How can we ever hope to repay Him for all He does for us if we don’t even acknowledge all He does for us.

God is amazing. God is more than worthy of our praise!

Give You Glory by Jeremy Camp

We have raised a thousand voices
Just to lift Your holy name
And we will raise thousands more
To sing of Your beauty in this place
Well none can even fathom
No not one define Your worth
As we marvel in Your presence
To the ends of the earth.

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

As we fall down before You
With our willing hearts we seek
In the greatness of Your glory
It’s so hard to even speak
There is nothing we can offer
No nothing can repay
So we give You all our praises
And lift our voice to sing

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

Our hope is drenched in You
Our faith has been renewed
We trust in Your every word
Nothing else can even measure up to You.

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

Trials

Posted: August 12, 2011 in family, Health, life, love, music, pray, prayer, religion
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Ever thought that God doesn’t really know what He’s doing?

I have! Yes, when I’ve found life a real struggle (and that includes these last few days), I wondered Is God really there? and Is He really listening to me? because sometimes it has seemed liked days, even weeks since God has been there for me.

As the words of this song remind us, maybe when we haven’t been expecting it, God has actually been talking to us:

What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Maybe we all just need to listen to God a bit closer!

Doubt

Posted: July 28, 2011 in family, friendship, Health, life, love, music, pray, prayer, religion
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Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

I was first directed to this song a couple of days ago by a friend, and from the moment I read the words and then listened to the music I loved it…the music so sensitively reinforces the message given by the words.

Here’s a few of my favourite bits and my reasons:

What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

These lines remind me that although it may sometimes feel as though God seems far away and forgotten about me, He is still there. It may just be God’s plan that we go through some tough times for what may seem like an eternity to us.

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

As with the first of my favourite lines, this section reminds us of the times when we doubt whether God is still there for us, and His love for us. In the bible, God has promised to love us forever, so these words remind us of this promise which should be all we need.

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

And best of all, are the above words, where we’re reminded that God does hear all our prayers, all our pleading…all we have to do is believe in Him, always.

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