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Count Your Blessings
Posted by upliftingthoughts4u
by Johnson Oatman, Jr. pub. 1897
- 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.- Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
- Refrain:
- Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by. - When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. - So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
There are so many distractions in this world, so many of which are out of tune with how you want to feel, that it is difficult to maintain your attitudes, belief systems, and emotions. Circumstances can create situations that can become very volatile where things get out of hand quickly. Personal choices can get scrambled easily and beyond belief. Where is reality at that point?
I believe that focus is the key to survival in this world at it now exists. What are you centering your attention on? Is it the news, tv reporting, politics, or the first cup of coffee in the morning as you quietly observe the beauty in your surroundings? That answer makes all the difference in the world. Are you breathing deeply or stressed out, causing you to breathe from your upper lungs? The crux of the matter is there. Is the world outside of your six senses being allowed to dictate your reactions, thoughts, and emotions?
No matter what your belief system is, the problem is the same for all of us, individually. Peace of mind is available to each one of us, no matter the circumstances. “Count your many blessings” is at the core of letting stress go, releasing our thoughts and emotions to center on something else instead of whatever is causing our stress. Changing our focus is vital to our survival.
How long has it been since you stopped your merry-go-round long enough to see beauty in your surroundings, to taste the food you are eating in lieu of just stuffing it in, to take a deep breath with your eyes closed and are thankful for the gift of life…?
The answers may surprise you. You have the power to choose: Stop or keep going in circles…Breathe…see the beauty and majesty around you…count your many blessings right now. Then ask yourself if the price you are paying without that idea is worth the stress and price of enduring it…to keep on without changing a thing…
God bless your journey and your choices, which is God in motion in your life.
Posted in Uplifting Thoughts
Tags: Beauty, Belief System, Bible, choices, Counting Your Blessings, deep breath, distractions, emotions, faith, focus, God, Gratitude, Jesus, journey, life, metaphysics, New Age, New thought, Peace, power to choose, Retraining Your Mind, survival, thoughts, Truth, understanding, wisdom
Where Is Your SEED Being Spread?
Posted by upliftingthoughts4u
Matthew 13: 3-9, 18-23 states: “And he spake many things unto them in parables saying, ‘Behold a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’
‘Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’ ”
So, I ask you, which type of soil are you? Is your heart and mind open, ready for the good seed of words, thoughts, and deeds so that they may multiply? Or are you caught up in the daily vicissitudes of wear and tear, lack of money, somebody else got promoted instead of you, you see a gorgeous dress and know you cannot charge another item on your credit card because it is maxed out, etc.? Daily circumstances can wear you out to the core, creating lots of negative emotions and very few positive ones.
Words cannot help much with the stony places in your life, especially if you focus on what is NOT WORKING WELL. The heat of the sun is living your life every day, trying to do your best – yet you are experiencing strong feelings of being OVERWHELMED and even HOPELESS. Each one of these feelings becomes a stone, impeding your growth and happiness.
The good ground is someone who, in spite of negative happenings, can press on and believe that things will get better. It may take time to unfold, but the possibility of change is enough to spur on that person as he/she seeks to know more and grow. How about you? Could you cultivate a better soil in you by slowing down, breathing deeper, meditate, do yoga, pray, or any other idea that occurs to you, like take a class, a workshop, or anything that will address the problems that exist in your life right now?
In Matthew 13:10 & 13-16, it states: “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”
It continues: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”
Do you have ears that hear? Do your eyes really see? That indicates a connection with the brain so that it begins to think about what is heard. Have you ever talked to a child or teenager, knowing that they do not hear a word you speak? You have to first get their attention, which involves the Hippocampus at the base of the brain. If you can get their attention (like take away their game boy, electronic gadget, or turn off the computer, etc.), you can actually communicate. How about you? Is your mind so busy with all of the things on your To-Do-List, or other consuming ideas that you cannot be calm, quiet, and peaceful? Check your breathing. If your upper chest is breathing up and out instead of deep breathing from your stomach area, you are stressed out and in need of a change. Do you understand with your HEART? Only you can answer that question.
This is the time of the Summer Solstice and rebirth. You can see it all around you: The ducks and ducklings; geese and goslings, birds and baby birds, etc. Do you want a new beginning for you as well? You can have it every single day if you so choose.
Life does, indeed, happen, You are the only one who can see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and understand with your heart. Are you willing to take whatever action is needed to get off the merry-go-round of your daily life? Think about your soil and the seeds. What is it you really want? Only you can answer that question.
God’s blessings upon your journey.

Baby Mallards

Baby Goslings
Posted in Uncategorized, Uplifting Thoughts
Tags: believe, Bible, blessings, emotions turbulent, focus, God, heart, hopeless, journey, Matthew 13: 3-9 & 18-23, metaphysics, negative, New thought, overwhelmed, parables, sow, sower, stony places, thorns, thoughts, understanding, willing, wisdom, words, yoga
Light
Posted by upliftingthoughts4u
Light has been of interest to mankind from the very beginning, before men ever wrote down a word. It has been a part of worship since that time. Every single tribe, kingdom, and religion has Light in it somewhere. You can see it in cave petroglyphs and pictographs around the world. In short, you can find it as a basic element of mankind’s history.
Light has even become synonymous with Wisdom and Understanding.
The Mayo Clinic has even researched it as a healing mechanism for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — a depression that occurs during fall and winter. Their recommendation is to buy light boxes/bright light therapy boxes and use them 30 minutes a day. Amazon and WalMart have models available from $70 to $300 for blue light therapy.
Ergo, light is a component of our physical health as well. Amazing!
Light, of course, emanates from the Sun in all of the above. Hence, the Sun and Moon becomes a part of the mysteries surrounding these stories.
From the Egyptian Ra, Norse Sol, Vedic Hinduism Surya, Greek Helios (Titan) and Apollo, Arabian Al-Lat, Australian Bila and Walo, Hittites Wurusemu, Babylonians Shapash, Cherokee Unelanuhi, Japanese Amaterasu, and Inuit Malina, it turns out that all of the world just has a different name for the same idea. Even Jesus Christ and Christianity is not exempt from it as demonstrated in the Bible as it exists today.
We are all concerned, in our own ways, with the words and meanings that we attach to our belief systems, to the exclusion of all others. Yet, even the Christ was concerned with Unity, including wisdom and understanding.
Perhaps we should be looking more to how we are all trying to get to the same place, even though it has a different name, instead of tearing down anyone who does not “think like us” or the “mini-me” concepts.
I have always wondered how each tiny division thinks it has the only answer and is the only “right” to be had. How could that be possible? How could a God, who created such individuality in every person, giving us the ability to make choices – and suffer the consequences of those choices – be so small as to make one sect “right” and the rest “wrong?”
Look at the differences in the Protestant religions alone. Even the Catholics are no longer just one religion. The Eastern Orthodox Religion, who possess the earliest known transcripts of the Bible, is different still. This does not include any of the names that I started this blog with. God made each of us like the snowflake, each of which is unique and not like any other.
In the Bible in John 12:35,36, Jesus said, “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.” And in James 1:17, it says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
That is pretty clear to me. I like the sound of “children of light.” How about you?
In the New Age/New Thought/Metaphysics concepts is the idea that God appears to you within your own framework of your understanding. (See my blog archive on God Is A Chameleon.) That does not exclude the idea that Multiplicity is what it is all about.
Dr. Marcus Bach and wife spent their lifetimes, living with different peoples of different religions. He sought to learn how we are all really trying to get to the same place, just a different name. The below Mandala represents his life’s knowledge, which he made into a six-foot Mandala, in his home. Please consider this carefully as you look at it:

Dr. Marcus Bach Mandala
If you were to study this Mandala, it would be clear to you that, regardless of our personal beliefs, we are all driven by the same wants, needs, and desires. We cherish our loved ones, children and families. There are no political lines to be drawn, where someone on this side is right and all the rest are wrong. That is only a myth which drives the power of those who try to control and manipulate the masses, regardless of country.
John Denver sang the song, “One world.” It truly is.
If we are to be “children of light,” each one of us is responsible to make a difference by living the tenets of our belief system, whatever that is. Let us not be concerned with the division principle, but by the multiplication laws.
In Ken Keyes, Jr., book, “The Hundredth Monkey,” he very clearly documents the idea that: “When only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the consciousness property of these people. But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness reaches almost everyone!” In his book, he talks about monkeys learning to wash the dirt off sweet potatoes, until it finally reached all monkeys everywhere due to the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon. It has been documented by scientists for years that chimps, wild gorillas, etc., also demonstrate the use of tools for various reasons…checking the depth of a pool, opening nuts, etc. But it does not stay with just isolated groups…it spreads!
How about you? Are you willing to be that Hundredth Person to step outside your comfort zone, live by the beliefs you say you have, use them every minute of every day, and be one of the “Children of Light?”
Do you believe you, as just one person, can make a difference? Trust me, you can! Are you willing to try?
Posted in Uplifting Thoughts
Tags: Arabian, Australian, Babylonians, Bible, Catholic, Cherokee, Children of Light, choices, Christ, Christianity, consequences, Dr Marcus Bach, Egyptian, God, Greek, Hittites, Hundredth Person, Inuit, Japanese, Jesus Christ, Ken Keyes Jr, kingdom, life, light, light boxes, Love, mandala, metaphysics, Multiplicity, New Age, New thought, Norse, Protestant, religion, Seasonal Affective Disorder, thoughts, tribe, Truth, understanding, Unity, Vedic, willing, wisdom
I Believe
Posted by upliftingthoughts4u
Several singers have done the song, “I Believe,” and have done it beautifully. It speaks to my heart, and I believe it is one of the songs that always cheers me up and is always inside of me. The words are:
“I Believe”
“I believe for every drop of rain that falls
A flower grows,
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night
A candle glows,
I believe for everyone who goes astray,
Someone will come to show the way,
I believe, I believe.
I believe above the storm a smallest prayer
Will still be heard,
I believe that someone in the great somewhere
Hears every word,
Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,
Or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
Then I know why,
I believe.
Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,
Or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
Then I know why,
I believe.”
The words are simple, but their meaning is worth pondering. It is truly the “staff of life.” It is the motivator for seeking personal growth.
Have you ever actually asked yourself, “What do I believe in?” I mean the word that resides at the very basic level inside of you, not at the surface.
We get so caught up in the sounds of war drums inside of us that the music cannot be heard. Demands from outside of us badger our mind for our attention. The music that I hear pouring with a deafening din out of the windows of the car that is waiting for a light, for instance. I often ask myself, “How can that person think?” Perhaps that is the key. Maybe that one needs entertained so badly that he/she does not care if his/her own hearing is being damaged, as well as those who are unlucky enough to be close enough to hear it. Is life so shallow that extremes must be exploited constantly? How about the electronic games that take up so much of everyone’s time? Is it worthwhile to sit and look at a beautiful sunrise or sunset, or pause and smell the flowers? Would taking a walk outside to just enjoy the warmth of the sunshine be out of the question? (Of course, I am ignoring that a lot of the nation is currently caught in very cold weather, snow, and ice storms.)
My point is a simple one: I believe at the very inmost level that life is lived from the inside of me outward, not vice versa. Yet I am surrounded in daily life by others who actually seem to think that the outside stuff/activities/whatever brings life to the inside. Hence, you have the thrill seekers, the ones who dance to everybody else’s music but never to their own, and the ones who are never satisfied with their lives no matter how much stuff they own.
As for me, I enjoy all my possessions, but they do not possess me. All of God’s gifts to me are sincerely appreciated. I love living my life every single day for there is something to look forward to doing. I do dance to my inner music, including, “I Believe.” It is a song of faith and hope. I want to believe that good things are unfolding for me, always.
My life has been less than ideal for most of my life. I have endured so many sadness-related occurrences that many people will have the good fortune to never see. Yet I would not let the bitter root enter, as from The Bible’s exhortations, for it consumes all one’s energy. How, you may ask? Because I believe that my beliefs are the driver of my life, not the outer circumstances that can wreck havoc and mayhem.
My question to you is: Do you believe? I am not talking about what the local minister is saying to you. I am asking you to look deep within you to the core of your being. Is life challenging to you? Are your days harried and impossibly busy? Perhaps you or someone you love is facing a health challenge. Is that all there is?
Hope, love, trust, and faith all go hand in hand. You cannot have just one of these. It must be all. If there is none, how can you hope your life will change? You cannot build a skyscraper without the right footing or base. What I am asking you to look at is your footing or base. You are the architect of your life. Are you willing to look deep within to see what your beliefs really are? It is your life, after all, nobody else’s. Are you willing? You can increase your personal power incrementally exponentially if you will but ask yourself what changes are needed. God’s blessings on you as you journey.
Posted in Uplifting Thoughts
Tags: awareness, beliefs, believe, Bible, bitter, change, circumstances, journey, life, metaphysics, New Age, New thought, personal growth, personal power, possess, possessions, prayer, thoughts, understanding, willing, wisdom
Seek Stillness
Posted by upliftingthoughts4u
We are surrounded by every form of noise, all day, every day.
It permeates our surroundings and our hearing.
But what really matters is the noise that occurs between our own ears.
There is a continual chatter of thoughts and feelings that overwhelm our senses.
The Bible says, “Be Still and Know…”
We have seen this saying on plaques, Christmas ornaments, wall hangings, etc.
What does it really mean? Is there a way to quiet the mental chatter and strong emotions?
It is easier than you think: In your busy schedule, mark off some time for yourself.
During that time, STOP! Even if it is just 5 minutes, you would be amazed at the difference it will make.
I take 5 minute vacations often: I stop and watch a gaggle of Canada Geese take wing…or land; my eyes see something beautiful to behold — the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies, some covered with snow and some deep purple; a song catches my attention, and I really listen to the words and the rhythm; a dear friend calls to say Hi, and we share some pleasant moments (longer than 5 minutes, of course).
Some people do deep breathing exercises, some do yoga, some meditate – the form is not what counts here.
We give priorities to everything else, but short-change ourselves in the process. Nothing could be more important than the gifts we receive when we SEEK STILLNESS.
These gifts come differently to each person, but yours is waiting to be unwrapped. Are you willing to take the time to see what it is?
You might be truly amazed, for it could change your life forever.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: 5 minute vacation, Bible, Canada Goose, change, Colorado Rockies, deep breathing, difference beautiful, feelings, forever, gifts, life, listen, meditate, mental chatter, noise, quiet, stop, strong emotions, yoga



