Count Your Blessings...

My heart feels so full...so overwhelmed...at God's blessings in my life. Since returning from Papua New Guinea, I've been reflecting on the grace that God has poured out on me. I believe that God is imprinting this all-important truth on my heart: to everyone who is given much, much is required (Luke 12:48).

I was born in America and given every opportunity known to man, not so that I could live a comfortable little life, but so that I might glorify God. How often I've grown complacent in life...in my walk with Christ. Yet what I saw with my eyes in PNG has affected my heart. As our senior pastor has so wisely told us, God is the Owner of our lives...we're simply the managers. And I so desire to wisely manage all that God has entrusted to me. I want to effectively use the days that God has given me; I want to embrace the opportunities He puts before me; I want to be obedient in the tasks He gives me; I want to love fully and completely; I want to forgive readily; I want Him to use me to make His name known to our neighborhood...our community...our world.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I plan to journal about God's many blessings in my life. So today is the first installment. I'm thankful that God is faithfully working on this heart of mine. I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit opens my eyes and convicts my heart. I'm overjoyed that God offers me fresh beginnings. And I'm thankful that He never gives up on me, but is continually challenging me and offering me a richer, deeper walk with Him.