Catching Up!

Time is so elusive . . . especially between the holidays and seasons of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.   How does it slip away?  Family feasts and gatherings, Christmas pageants and children rehearsing, more getting together to share the specialness of Christmas, and there it is, the New Year. 

As you can see by the date on this blog and the last one, several days have slipped by in the hustle and bustle of the seasons.  Not to mention the sudden invasion of some kind of bug into my head and throat sending me to bed for a few days.  But I came across some verses today that really resounded with me regarding healing.  I want to share them with you.

² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion.

Psalm 103:2-4 NIV

I spent a great deal of time fretting during my short illness over the things I could not accomplish nor get done.  Not once did I ponder the "benefits" of the Lord.  Oh, I know how beneficial my relationship is with Him, but how often do I actually take the time to consider all the benefits He provides each one of us.  Rarely, do we take the time to "taste and see that the Lord is good."  These verses from Psalm 103 opened my eyes and heart to the glorious nature of our relationship with our Lord -- the forgiveness of our sins, the healing of our bodies and minds, and above all, the redemption that only He can render with unconditional love and compassion. 

Won't you consider this benefit package from on high?  Perhaps you've been looking for a relationship with benefits . . . look no further!

Blessings

Several times today the word "blessings" came to mind.  My husband thanked God for the many blessings given us each day.  It came to mind later in the morning as I pondered the 29 years of marriage we've enjoyed filled with many blessings -- our children, grandchildren, a great-grandchild -- to mention just a few of our favorite blessings.  And then this afternoon as I looked beyond the walls of home to the beautiful summer day filled with sunlight, blue skies, the colors of flowers, the hint of ripening tomatoes.

Then I listened to the evening news filled once again with a suicide bombing in Iraq as our troops pack up and leave for home.  Once again, I thought about blessings.  They are innumerable, past my ability to count.  In our country of freedom and liberty, we are blessed every moment that we live out our dreams, plan our futures, help our children to grow and learn, watch our grandchildren being born, thinking of what the future holds for them.

We can shop at will, where we want to and spend hard-earned money.  If we want to eat out, we can without fear of reprisal or danger.  If we want to send our daughters to school along with our sons, we can.  No one tells us what to read, what news station to watch, what borders we can or cannot cross.  We are blessed with so, and we take so much for granted. 

Pause to think what blessings have come your way today . . . then pause to say thanks and to remember those whose day wasn't blessed at all.