Counting Blessings

(Picture gallery below)

Yesterday I made it to church and heard a sermon about gratitude. The sermon challenged me to go beyond the list of blessings to live a life of gratitude. I have very few days that could be labeled as gracious living, so I’ll start with the making a list of blessings and try to remember the items on it everyday.

So the first thing on my list of things I'm thankful for is Jesus' love for me. Jesus loves me and died to save me from the grip of sin. I am free to choose to love anyone. I don’t have to be bound by the fear of anything.

He gave me a healthy body with which to do the work He has given me to do.

He gave me talents and abilities to make me unique and further equip me to do His work.

He gave me soccerguy, my hubby, who understands me better than I could ever have imagined a man could understand a woman and lives a life I can easily respect. I admire the person God has made him into and look forward to getting to know him better throughout life. (We've only been married two years now.) He knows how to love a woman. Young men, take note- you could learn a lot from him!

He gave me a daughter I call here "Louise," who has married and has spent the last year of her life taking care of her grandmother. She has a wonderful sense of humor and I love being with her. I look forward to getting to know her husband better as we meet from time to time through the coming years. I really hate being so far away from them!

He gave me a daughter, "Marie," who has married and has had three beautiful, precious daughters of her own, all of whom I adore. Her husband is so much fun and I enjoy watching their young love and family grow.

He gave me a daughter, "Kerry," who is studying to be a special education teacher. Her experience with her younger brother, Joseph, who was born on her birthday, has influenced her to a heart of compassion for those children who have a difficult time learning. I admire that about her. She is usually on the Dean's list and I know how proud her daddy is of her. She is also learning to love the unlovable and to be gracious to those who don't deserve it. She is promised to her boyfriend pictured here with her.

He gave me a daughter, "Grace," who has fallen in love and is pursuing that love with all that is in her. She aspires to help others by working as a Physical Therapist's Assistant, and hopes to finish her degree in the not-to-distant future. Next October, we will celebrate her marriage to this love of hers. Congratulations, Alexander! You have been given by God a very special girl to love you.

He gave me a daughter, "Dawn," (here, pictured with her boyfriend) who wants to follow in her own mother's and grandmother's footsteps, to be a nurse. She has a very loving heart and has been most gracious to me, a stepmother. I am so proud that she has learned to drive, work a job and go to school all in her junior year and has continued that responsibility without complaint throughout her senior year.

He gave me a daughter, "Ruth," who struggled to have a reason to be when her own mother died. She accepted this substitute mother and has been so loving and respectful of me, not to mention gracious. She is a wonderful mother's helper having a talent to know what others need before they even ask.

He gave me a daughter, "Anne," who I couldn't part with for the first 24 hours after her birth because I was so happy to have another girl! She is effervescent and fun-loving and brings a special energy to a room when she enters it.

He gave me a son, "Don," who is learning to be gracious as well. A real sports fan, he has opened his heart to me by teaching me all about sports. He even tolerates my joining him and his dad to Phillies games.

He gave me a son, "John," who has such a heart of gold. He seems to understand me like his father. I explain a motive for a rule and he completely understands and supports it. He is quick to help and is selfless enough to help by being buddy to his younger brother, Joseph.

He gave me a son, "David," who loves to give me hugs all the time. Another tender heart, he obeys 1st time often and has learned in the blending process to trust another adult in his life.

He gave me a daughter, "Paige," who loves animals and has shown faithfulness with our cat. Another socially popular child, she excels at many things including sports.

He gave me a son, “Wesley,” who also loves animals, his youngest brother and being outdoors. A growing boy, it seems just yesterday that I gave birth to him.

He gave me a son, “Joseph,” who has been a special person in all of our lives. Being a special needs child with Down syndrome, we have all learned that love is greater than anything in teaching and training him. His happiness is contagious and his teasing very fun.

He gave me a daughter, “Jeanette,” who is a beautiful girl with a beautiful heart full of love. She will blossom into a wonderful young woman before we even realize it, I am sure.

He gave me a daughter, “Diana,” who is an adorable little thing who delights us all with her personality. Though she has 25% Mosaic Downs, you cannot tell at all except for her size (she is a size 4 at age 6). A climber, and an artist, this one will go places for sure!

He gave me a son, “Douglas,” who is a real handful! He almost didn’t make it when he was born premature at 28 weeks gestation. Again, he almost died this year, back in Feb. when he went into respiratory failure. His life is a blessing for us to enjoy twice over. God has a special purpose for all of these trials in his young life. I am sure we will be blessed by his life continually.

He gave me three granddaughters as well, Jasmine, Jade, and Journey. Though I see them only once or twice a year, I have loved them so much! I am happy to see their mother, my daughter Marie, parenting them with love and happiness to be a mom.

He gave me eleven brothers and sisters, wonderful parents, cousins, and a big family!

He made it possible for Ed's late wife's family to not only accept me, but to love and support me in this new family as well.

This is really a blessing!

He gave us a big house and 2.5 acres to use in caring for our family and there is a perfect place for a ¼ acre garden. We live in a semi-rural area, with horse farms nearby. It is beautiful.

He gave us a new 15 passenger van! Not to mention our minivan and two small sedans.

He put me into a good church, where Ed and his children have attended for years. They have also accepted and loved me.

The private school my children attend has truly blessed us and has worked together with us to allow ten of our children to attend their school at an affordable rate. They are all like family and they really care for our children.

The local sports club has been a true blessing to allow our children to attend with scholarships. Because of their generosity, our children are getting to play baseball and soccer, including Joseph in their special programs.

Did I mention I have everything I truly need as far as tools, possessions and such?

We never go hungry! In fact, we could skip a few meals now and then.

My husband’s income is more than enough to support us so I can stay at home and do the work these children need me to do. His job and his talent & intelligence are very key to our lives.

Local service organizations and private practice physicians are personally kind to our family in so many ways.

Our community has heard of our family through mass media and has been so kind and thoughtful. Prayers for us when someone was in need were sent up. When Douglas was hospitalized, our community and church were here to help the kids with homework, do laundry, clean house, and give rides. I couldn’t have stayed with him at the hospital if they had not so blessed us.

The beauty of PA is such a blessing; I love it!

I will stop here, but as you can see, we are so very wealthy and blessed because of God’s goodness to us! How can life's problems even compare to such gifts?

Thank you, God, for all of your blessings in our lives.