COUNTING BLESSINGS

One sweet little corner!

181. My own teeth! I’m not kidding! Think about it! It’s a good thing that dentures are available and that the dentures of seniors who move into our long-term care center receive identification upon admission. We’ve found dentures left on dining room tables, carefully wrapped in Kleenex and thrown into the garbage, down the toilet, into the laundry, amongst the potted plants and a variety of surprising locations!

182. My eyesight! Met a lady on the elevator in our building who has macular degeneration in one eye and a cataract in the other. She just came back from her ophthalmologist who gave her a good post surgery report. She was happy. She strongly stated that she would just as soon die than go blind. I believe that one can still have good quality of life being blind. Something to think on!

183. My health – with all its challenges of arthritis, etc.. Two more friends have received the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Am going to make some appointments in January for complete physicals – if I have to drag hubby there myself!

184. Concerts – loved watching the Sing-along Messiah performance. Oh, I know, the sound is not the same as in a concert hall, but we also didn’t have to pay a bundle and can use that money for those less fortunate and going through financial crisis at this time of year.

185. Bake Sales – bought some delicious Christmas homemade baking from volunteers I’ve known for years! 2 birds with 1 stone! Few more things from the stores and I’m done my Christmas baking!

186. Good conversations – especially where there is give and take, mutual interest in getting to know one another. I always have to chuckle when folks grab the conversational ball, run with it, passionately tell their story in full detail and don’t think to pass the ball back to hear another word from you. That’s a speech, pretending to be conversation!

187. Loving, caring, kind and thoughtful family! They are the best! Two grandsons had a birthday and so did my dear sister and dear sisters-in-law!  If you happen to come from a dysfunctional family however, make up your mind that you will NOT pass it on to the next generation! With God's help the curse can be broken!

My parents' 50th Anniversary in '93
pictured with their children and grands
(made hundreds of that craft years ago -
this is the only one left.)



188. Our heavenly Father - from whom all blessings originate and to whom all my thanks is given.

189. Jesus – thank you for coming willingly to save us. ‘For God so loved the world’ became reality in You!!

190. Holy Spirit – thank you for living within and being my Comforter, Teacher and Guide. I cannot do a thing without you.

191. God’s Word - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. May I have ears to hear and a heart that obeys.

192. Pastors – who humbly share God's Word so that we can grow in our faith journey.

193. Good News – help me Lord to share the good news about your first coming so that we can all live in the hope and joy and expectation of your second coming. You have promised to return!

194. The family of God – we still need a lot of forgiveness and grace but it’s all in your hands Lord.

195. Blessings, those we like and those we don’t. Yes, there are blessings we don’t perceive to be blessings at the moment, but I’m convinced that God allowed them for a reason, to achieve His purpose within us. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:71–72)

19 comments:

Jan said...

Wonderful points.... and I especially agree with #186.... yes conversation passes between people, and it is interest in others that leads to an interesting and satisfying time for everyone.
Worse still is when someone shares something serious, that someone died for example, and the other person has to talk about a similar experience, much worse of course, and takes over the conversation and goes on and on.
With love and blessings,
Jan

Lady Dorothy said...

#181 made me smile. I think about the blessing of teeth often! I remember my mother being so young when she got dentures! I'm so thankful that I have teeth! :-)

Ginny Hartzler said...

I have seen quite a few times recently something happen that made me real dissapointed, only to be so glad that it happened. And another blessing about that is that many times we never will know the reason till after we die (maybe) but to find out God's plan in certain little things while we are still on this earth is a blessing indeed! I dream quite a bit that my teeth are getting loose and coming out one by one. They say that is a fear of old age!

pam said...

LOVE this list. I think there are many things like "teeth" that we take for granted. And a big WOO HOO for the generational curses being broken. Karin...I hope you have a GRAND week. We're freezing down here in the center of the States...I can't imagine what it is like up your way.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Blessings abound,but too often I .for one,take them forgranted.Shame on me.I know that God is showering me with blessings and I am thankful for this.
Blessings,Ruth

Anonymous said...

Always so uplifting to visit your blog. I enjoyed your list very much. Georgia has had light, sparkly snow flurries this a.m. and I am especially thankful for the gift of sight to enjoy from inside the warmth of our home. Have a blessed week.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Yes---we all have so many blessings, don't we Karin? AND--as we get older, we do thank God for our health and for the fact that parts of our body are still working!!!!! ha

And when we are blessed with family, let's thank God for having them all!!!! I always worry about people who don't have any family at Christmas.

Hugs,
Betsy

ellen b. said...

OK your first one made me chuckle but we should be thankful for still having our own :o)
Have a wonderful week Karin!

George said...

Thank you for another inspiring list. I especially appreciate #182 since both of my parents have lost their eyesight through macular degeneration.

Bernie said...

I love your thankful post Karin, inspires all of us I'm sure.
.......:-)Hugs

Velvet Over Steel said...

That is 'one sweet corner', you decorated it very nicely!!

Love the picture of you parents/family!! So precious!! I remember that craft too!

I always love you gratitude list!! We all have so much to be thankful for.. is we just try!!:-)

Have a Wonderful week!!
Hugs,
Coreen

Judy said...

Your praise items remind me of many things I am thankful for as well. Being thankful is contagious!

Doris Sturm said...

Karin, I'm so with you in that I'm extra thankful for my eyesight and my own teeth. I can't believe how many young people - half my age - are toothless around here. I wonder why? I've never lived anywhere with so many toothless people and really rotten teethed people...I'm shocked! I can't say it's lack of money, because I'm a post WWII baby and we started out on the bottom, but personal hygiene was always a top priority in our home and that included brushing your teeth. My Grandma had dentures, but that's because she lost all her teeth early having 5 boys and no food during the war...but she had dentures in all the time (thankfully!) I can't look at people with no teeth in their mouths. It's one of my pet peeves.

Doris Sturm said...

Ditto on my eyesight and my own teeth - VERY important!

Kimberly Pitman said...

Wonderful blessings! I'm thankful for my own teeth, too. I never really thought about it until our 9-year-old granddaughter fell and lost a permanent tooth a couple of months ago. We prayed and searched for that tooth! We're still rejoicing at what the Lord has done for her. No false tooth for her!

C. JoyBell C. said...

Karin!!!!! Teeth are truly a thing to be thankful for!!!! Think of it...some people have dirty, broken teeth....and others have none!!!!! Thank God for all our teeth!!!!!!!

It's almost Christmas, and I want to wish you and your family a very merry one! With peace and joy and love to be there waiting for you on Christmas day and to join you in the New Year to come!

I'm thankful for our friendship, which is lasting long! :)

Love,
Charity

Anneliese said...

Such wonderful thoughts on being thankful... so many things we take for granted. I'm sure that working with seniors puts things into perspective at times...It's good to interact with older and youger generations ... be there for each other, but also be thankful for the stage we are at. Thankful that we can still help.. and one day be thankful for those who help us.

Wendy said...

Beautiful post! We do have so much to be thankful for.
God bless you (love that photo of your parents 50th!)

Ferree Bowman Hardy said...

Lovely visit to your blog today--the joy of the Lord shines through your pictures and love for people. Thanks for being a blessing.