Time to Count My Blessings

There is a song that we sing at church entitled "Count Your Blessings" and the first verse goes like this:
When upon life's billows you are temptest 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 has done.

That was the inspiration for this post. I see others and how hard they have it and thought that I truly have nothing to complain about. Although I don't always have it easy and I have my own struggles, there is always someone out there with much heavier burdens. I felt today I would post a "Top 10 List" of my many blessings. I hope it will inspire you to do the same.

#1) I truly have a wonderful supportive husband who loves me and the children. He is a very kind and gentle soul who has NEVER EVER raised his voice to me or showed how upset he was at me. He has NEVER EVER said an unkind word to me. I don't ever take him for granted and I know that he is my soul mate.

#2) I am so grateful for my parents and only brother. They all helped shape me into the person that I am today and there are no words to express my gratitude. My parents introduced me to the church and my brother (although younger) always looked out for me and loved me unconditionally.

#3) I have the most beautiful kids who are full of life!! They know how to live life to its fullest. They each have something special to offer to our family and I can't imagine my life without any of them. I am so glad that I decided to have more than just two children!

#4) Believe it or not, I consider all of my challenges with Wilson's Disease and Autism Spectrum disorders a blessing. I have been able to help so many people and have learned so much about myself through the process. I have met some wonderful people and that alone has been a great blessing in my life.

#5) I have to say that my faith and church are one of the greatest blessings in my life. It has given me strength and faith during some of my lowest points in my life. Also, knowing that I am sealed to my family for all time and eternity is something that is priceless.

#6) All the beautiful things around me that make me smile... including the color pink. It has always been my favorite color and I am so excited to say that my daughter shares that with me. Her room and clothes HAVE to have pink and that's alright by me. :)

#7) Music is truly a blessing in my life. I have been blessed with the gift of song and my father introduced me to the keyboard at a very early age. I loved listening to him play and I know that had an impact on my life. I sing at church, at home, and anytime I can. I also love to play the piano. It is definitely an outlet for me and lets me exercise my creativity. I can not imagine my life without music.

#8) Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!! I am so thankful that I don't have Wilson's Disease because I can't imagine not being able to eat it. I love brownies and fudge. I love milk chocolate with anything! I also have some very fond memories of making chocolate chip cookies with my children.

#9) My heritage. I am from Puerto Rico and I believe that my background has had a lot of influence on many aspects of my life. I am passionate, loyal to friends, trendy, and love to give hugs. I also know Spanish and being bilingual has definitely been a blessing in my life.

#10) My health. I am able to run and play with my children. I know how fragile our bodies are and how things can change in an instant. That is why I value my health and consider it a great blessing in my life.

I hope I have inspired you all to do the same as I did. No matter what your circumstances are or what trials your may be going through, there are countless blessings to be thankful for. There is another blessing in my life that I must add. I guess it will be my #11... and that is my wonderful friends. I am blessed with great friends that I can depend on. I feel like Heavenly Father knew that I could not do it alone in this world, and so he sent me the most beautiful angels and they have surrounded me all my life. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
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So amid the conflict, whether great or small
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.
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