As a child, I am not sure I fully realized the power of the phrase, “Count your blessings”.  In the back of my mind, I recall hearing that phrase being used by many adults.  I now find myself encouraging my children to realize all the blessings around us.  There is a lot going on in this world, I choose to focus on the blessings.  I think about the positive things going on around me.  When I start with an attitude of appreciation I find that I have a better perspective on life’s challenging issues.  When I ignore all the…

Last week I wrote about how faith, prayer, love, service, and forgiveness all work synergistically to help me face life with a positive outlook.  At the same time judgment, control, self-pity, blame, and worry are things that I aspire to eliminate in my life.  It is a work in progress, but the good news is that I am aware and normally recognize when the nasty side makes its appearance.  I quickly change my attitude and rely on faith, prayer, love, service, and forgiveness. With the sudden realization that I am processing judgmental thoughts, I silently ask Jesus for forgiveness…

When I want to change my attitude or outlook on life, I quickly evaluate my priorities and reestablish how faith, prayer, love, service, and forgiveness are working in my life.     Do I have a realistic perspective or am I living a life full of stress?  Am I allowing fear or faith to lead my life? For me, faith is first.  I can sense when I step over the line and try to manage my life rather than walk my intended path.  I center my thoughts on Jesus and trust that opportunities will arise if I am open to all possibilities…

Lately, I’ve been thinking about perceptions and how often I automatically take what I see and hear as real.  How often do I look at the situation and make a judgment based on a brief encounter?  Do I go a step further and confirm what I have seen or heard or do I make a spontaneous judgment? I listen to and read the news that is reported but challenge myself to be open to various perspectives.  I have my opinions but tend not to verbalize them because rarely have I taken the time to seek the truth through research…