Count Your Many Blessings

As I wrote the previous post, I couldn't help but think of my Mama Dawson, whom I saw almost every Thanksgiving when I was younger. Specifically, I remember her leading the singing of the old hymn "Count Your Many Blessings." And in her honor, here are the uplifting lyrics...

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are at T-minus 2 1/2 hours until my Thanksgiving Holiday begins. This Thanksgiving will span from November 22 through November 29 and will include an early turkey dinner tonight, a trip to the beach, a wedding, and hopefully some hot chocolate in a cabin in the mountains!

It's important to remember your blessings, and so here are a few things I'm thankful for this holiday:

--my husband, who loves me even when it's hard
--the hope of Baby Head
--my family
--my in-laws, especially my sister-in-law who will say "I do" in six days!
--the cutest dog ever, who just happens to live at my house

There are more, but I don't want to bore you with the details. God is so good, even on days when the "thankful" list seems shorter than the "to do" list. And so, I give Him the thanks, and I wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving celebration.

Of Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax

Since I've returned to the blog today, I think it's the perfect time for a new rant. So, here goes.

Every morning on my way to work, I listen to The Rick and Bubba Show. For those of you who don't know, they are the self-proclaimed "sexiest fat men alive," and their show is the only entertaining part of my drive from Wetumpka to The Gump. Every morning at about 7:45 or 7:50, a pastor from a local church occupies about a 1-minute commercial spot. He uses this one minute to give "inspirational" stories and remarks. While the idea behind this spot is fine, I find myself annoyed almost every day. Yesterday was no exception.

The source of my frustration is the fact that this "pastor" rarely ever mentions God. And he certainly never mentions Jesus. Of course, this would be fine if he were a motivational speaker or an entertainer. The problem, simply, is that he is a minister, and these stories are presented by a church under the guise of Christianity. And they focus on people, not on God. Yesterday's story ended with the line "We all need to remember that we are never alone; other people around us are working hard with us." (my paraphrase, but it's pretty accurate)

Teaching people to place their faith in other people is not only false, but foolish. As all of us know, people will let us down. People are sinful. The Church, and therefore pastors, have the responsibility and the joy of pointing people to the ONLY constant source of peace, Christ.

It isn't that his stories aren't nice -- they are. But to spend his one minute every morning, with a huge listening audience, to tell a nice story really doesn't help anyone. Surely as soon as listeners feel a little lighter about humanity, someone cuts them off in traffic, their family member says something hurtful, or their coworker is inconsiderate. And so, that little high they may have felt after Pastor's story vanishes. The Truth is that putting your faith in other people will always disappoint; instead, we should be encouraging and challenging people to put their faith in the Only One who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever." I am disappointed when one who represents the Church wastes such a valuable opportunity.

Baby News!

Now that no one is checking this blog anymore, I've decided to update. (We'll see how long it takes anyone to notice...)

Since my last post my husband and I have found out that we are going to be parents in May! We heard Baby Head's heartbeat on November 1st, and we are scheduled to learn whether Baby Head is a boy or a girl on December 7th...I can hardly wait. Perhaps we'll get a picture then so that I can post his or her very first portrait online.