Counting Your Blessings

In 1897, Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote the words to a simple yet profound hymn. It was written for young people to help them learn what is really worth counting and also to remember who can be counted on. In particular, Johnson wanted people to learn that they should count their blessings when times were hard. His song begins with these words:

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 hath done.

My daughter Hope sits down to play a hymn on the piano. She keeps the rhythm of the song, she keeps harmony, by doing nothing less than counting – that is what she does. She counts. The music teacher of a friend once said this to his students about how to keep the right beat of a song: “When you are a musician and you stop counting, it’s like running around in the forest, on the edge of a cliff, in the dark, without a flashlight.”

Without counting, the song loses harmony.

And without counting blessings, our lives lose the song, the light – the beat of God’s heart. There is transformative power in counting our blessings and naming the good gifts of God – because we encounter the power of God Himself in our lives. If you want to discover the rhythms of grace, joy, and true faithfulness, count the gifts God has given and the ones He is giving you even at this moment.

Write them down, express them in words, notice them, and celebrate each one. Start with ten, then take off your shoes and count ten more gifts. Now you have twenty. Keep going: a hundred gifts, two hundred, and you will discover there are even more. When you get to a thousand gifts, you will be getting warmed up.

How long will it take to list all the gifts God has given you? Let’s start together and continue counting for the rest of our lives… and forever. Who wants to miss the beat of His heart?

Ann Voskamp a guest speaker at Women of Faith Believe God Can Do Anything tour

Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year. This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom. Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs. These are utilized in delivering spiritual strength, life leadership, real relationships and to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. Women of Faith's Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds.

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LIVE IN VICTORY... Across our various Women of Faith offerings you'll find tools to help you grow in spiritual strength, real relationships and life leadership, all in one place! Alita Reynolds, President and Foundational Voice invites you to share your experience of how God is transforming your life and we will coach and equip you to guide others toward victory too. Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year. This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom. Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs. These are utilized to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus.

ABOUT ALITA REYNOLDS: Alita Reynolds is the President of Women of Faith, host of the Women of Faith Show with Alita Reynolds, a Certified Master Christian Life Coach (CMCLC), and a sought-after speaker. She and her husband, GJ, are the Visionaries of Women of Faith, a global ministry equipping women to live victoriously with Jesus. In addition, she serves the International Christian Coaching Institute (ICCI) by leading the Women’s Life Coaching model, where she trains and mentors women’s life coaches. Alita believes in Life Leadership. Coining this term, Life Leadership, as leading yourself well and elevating all areas of life: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially, physically, and relationally so that everyone can influence those closest to them toward Jesus. Her heart is for Women of Faith’s 5+ million followers on various social platforms to join her in rising up as Life Leaders. She deeply desires to lead and strengthen their “March 2 a Billion” movement and radically impact the world for the kingdom. Alita’s life purpose is as simple as her upbringing was on a Nebraska farm. She passionately inspires others to find Jesus by bringing out God's beautiful story in their lives. Alita creates opportunities to encourage everyone to find their God-given purpose, live a life of excellence, and lock arms together to Be the Light! She simply loves to be with her husband, GJ, Logan and Hannah, Rees, and Lexi, her three adult children and daughter-in-love. For more, see https://www.womenoffaith.com/alita-reynolds

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Counting Your Blessings