Count your blessings one by one!

Image Credit - kevinmartineau.blogspot.com

Hello and welcome to another week!  Today is Mantra Monday and today's mantra is "I rejoice in all that I have in my life right now".

This prayer is a great reminder to be thankful for what we have right now!  Sometimes we can get caught up in our thoughts about areas of lack in our life and that can make us blinkered to what is in front of us.  I know this prayer has been about for a long time but it serves as a great reminder to us all that we are truly blessed.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someones hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

When I was young my mum would sing me the song "Count Your Blessings" whenever I complained about not having something I wanted.  It is a song that has stuck with me as I got older although until today I could only recite a tiny part of it.  Now that I have all the words I will be humming a merry tune all day!

Count Your Blessings

Count your blessings one by one,
When dawn appears and day has just begun;
They will light your heart with happiness,
Make each hour bright and bring your gladness.
Count your blessings one by one,
When twilight falls and toil of day is done.
And in sweet dreams they'll come again to you,
If you will count your blessings each day through.

Count your blessings while you may,
For we arc here but little time to stay;
All around are hearts sincere and true,
Lovely things abound just waiting for you;
Count your blessings while you may
The big or small, whichever comes your way,
For then you'll find this world a place of love
If you will count your blessings from above.
Love and blessings,

Jean Fisher-Taylor