10 for 10,000 Day 55 Light the World
Merry Christmas!!
For us the feast of Christmas Eve is finished, the caroling was sung, the family nativity/ or Christmas Devotional was felt, and the gifts have been opened (for all you with children at home), and the recovery for Parents has started. Phew--I love Christmas! For this 55th Light the World and 10 for 10,000 day I would love to share with all of you my thoughts about a “Christmas Blessings list”.
First off, there is opposition is in all things. Light/dark, big/small, in/out, faith/doubt, Santa/Grinch, Christ/Satan. There has been opposition ever since the world began. So I have a question for you. How many of you count your failures more than your faith and blessings? Ahem, yes--I thought so. I know, I know, it sounds like a very Grinch-like way to start Christmas Day, but really how many of you felt that you were not enough today? Your gifts, your cooking, your service, or your efforts. How many negative things did you say to yourself yesterday and today?
We usually start out with our failures, our pain, our excuses, and our doubt. Why? I think there is a song that can help change that, “Count Your Many Blessing.” I’m pretty sure it didn’t say, "count your many failures name them one by one." But how many of you do just that? Let’s play around with the chorus words a little bit:
Count your failures, name them one by one,
Count your failures, see what you haven’t done!
Count your failures, name them one by one,
*Count your many failures, see what YOU haven’t done.
Ok, ok, wait, why do we do that? Is that the opposition in all things? As soon as something great happens, we race to state what bad things could follow or happen. Why can’t we just stay in the light and enjoy the gift of the present and stay positive? Why? Well, it is simple (I know, I know that doesn’t make it easy) but when we are focused inward we are focused on our selves. When we focus outward we focused on others.
When we help others and love others we, in turn, start to see the blessings that we have.
Here are my Top 10 Blessings from Heavenly Father and my top negative things I say
1. My Faith in Jesus Christ. He is the key! Or my doubt and fear of everything!
2. My Family (all!) Or I’m lonely and alone.
3. Not being afraid/ashamed of my talents and gifts from God. Or I compare and belittle myself.
4. My Health! Or I look at the unrealistic perfection that Satan spreads in all media & feel bad.
5. My Light! Or my negativity.
6. My Energy! Or my exhaustion.
7. My Service! Or my lack of and just focused on all I don’t do or that I’m selfish about.
8. Taking Confident Action! Or saying all the things I WILL do then get distracted and don’t do.
9. Learning from my mistakes & accepting the process! Or thinking that I am a failure.
10. Self Educating through scriptures, good books, & blogs. Or sit in fear and not learn.
Do you see how that list went? Which part of the list do you like better? Yes, me too. So in all that you will experience through the day and over this Christmas break, if you find yourself counting your failures and not your blessing, what can you do? Stop, take a deep breath, and say out loud and count all the gifts you have. You really will be surprised. (This is a great hint to help start out your new Decade!)
Hugs and loves to you all! Merry Christmas!