Make-a-change Monday~Count Your Blessings

25 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment


I’m beginning to think I’ve never placed enough value on actually counting my blessings. I know I’m blessed. I’ve had a very comfortable life overall—yes I struggled for those awful seven years, but I now see that as a blessing too! It’s the small blessings in the every day that I take for granted. 

The prescription verse today tells us whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father. I’ve had some gentle reminders lately that counting blessings is important—not something we should neglect or take for granted. 

  • A few months ago I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It immediately became a best seller.
  • Our church recently sang a remake of the old hymn, “Count Your Blessings.” Haven’t heard that song in years. 
  • In my research for my {Tips to a Happier You} Saturday posts, I’ve seen over and over again how important it is to actually write down your blessings—the exercise of writing down things you’re thankful for has been proven to actually help with depression.

I created a “One Thousand Blessings in 2012” page here on my blog that I’ve added to throughout the year, but I’m just on number 200. Not because I’m not thankful, but when you go to write down those little blessings, it’s really hard to think of them…without repeating the same ones over and over that is.


So my {make-a-change} Monday challenge for you—and me—is to write down three blessings every day. Just three things, big or small, that you were thankful for that day. 

Sounds easy, right?

If you’d like, hop on over to my One Thousand Blessings page, scroll all the way to the bottom, and put your blessings in the comment section each day. We can help each other realize the God-given blessings all around us!

I believe there’s more to recognizing our blessings that meets the eye 😉

From my heart,
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, How to be Happy, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~(((Hug))) your children

19 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Make
Miranda and Trevor (my 17 and 13 year old children) are working with Defenders for Children to help build a website for kids to go to for help if they are depressed, abused, angry, etc. 


It has opened my eyes and broken my heart.  G
The number of children in our country who are abused and neglected is staggering. 
God gave us children as a gift. They are to be cherished. 
Today’s make-a-change Monday is simple: 
(((Hug))) your children. 
Every single day. 
It’s that simple. 
From my heart, 
Celeste
Quote for thought: 
“God didn’t give us children to make us better parents;
He gave us children to make us better children.”
~Betsy Kenney
What kind of child are you today?
Filed Under: Family Focused, Make-a-change Mondays, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , , ,

The only physician who can save your life

23 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This week I’ve been focusing on faith. If you didn’t read Saturday’s “Tip to a Happier You,” click here. 

I’m currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp…which will go at the top of my “Books that will change your life” list. She contemplates Luke 17: 15-19, where there seems to be some inconsistency in the scripture:
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Yes, thankfulness, I know. Next verse.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Wait. I trace back. Hadn’t Jesus already completely healed him? Exactly like the other nine who were cured who hadn’t bothered to return and thank Him. So what does Jesus mean, “Your faith has made you well”? Had I under interpreted this passage, missed some hidden mystery? I slow down and dig. I read Jesus’ words in Young’s Literal Translation, “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Having risen, be going on, they faith has saved thee.’” Saved thee? I dig deeper. It’s sozo as being made “well” or “whole,” but it’s literal meaning, I read it—“to save.” Sozo means salvation. It means true wellness, complete wholeness. To live sozo is to live the full life. Jesus came that we might live life to the full; He came to give us sozo. And when did the leper receive sozo—the saving to the full, whole life? When he returned and gave thanks. I lay down my pen.
Do you see? This says everything about why I created Celestial Prescriptions. God is our great physician and is the only one who can truly save your life—your whole life.
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Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Have an Eternal Perspective, Living in Faith, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , ,