A Good Word Wednesday #17 - Blessings 🦃

Words of encouragement, help and hope for you

Good Word of the Week - Blessings

As we continue this month of giving thanks, I remember as a child at my grandparent’s home in south Arkansas, we would pray a blessing before each meal and thank God for our food.

We were grateful for my grandmother's homemade chicken and dumplings and for fresh squash, butter beans and purple-hull peas from their garden. Mawma Bradford would say after one of us prayed, “You prayed a pretty prayer.”

I’m hopeful our heavenly Father has the same response when we pray. In our fast-paced world, I think many families fail to pause and pray and thank God for his bounty on our plentiful tables. I believe teaching our children to be thankful to the Creator is one of the best things we can do for our family.

The truth is, we are all abundantly blessed with so many good gifts. Beyond the basics of food, water, clothing and shelter, we enjoy so much more. Family. Church. Creature comforts. So much.

I asked last week, I will ask again, what are you most thankful for today?

Wednesday in the Word

Sources say the word “blessing” appears 106 times throughout the books of the Bible. Here are a few scriptures expressing thanks, abundance and blessing.

“ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 NIV

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8 ESV

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:3

Good Words I Recommend

A Good Blessing

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
     and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.” Number 6:24-26

A Good Blog: Stories for Global Good

“All I can say is, be aware of the passing seasons. You can’t hold on to them — the weather or your children. But you can consider them blessings, even when the ride is rough and know that this too will pass. Another season will come. And its good too.”

A Good Song 10,000 reasons (Bless the Lord)

Another Good Song: Favorite Lyric: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.” Come Thou Fount Chris Tomlin

A Good Hymn: Count Your Blessings-

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

A Final Word

What’s your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? The food? Football? Family?

I’m looking forward to a few days of during Thanksgiving being together with my Oklahoma family. It’s been a long time since I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family in Arkansas around my grandparent’s table. Actually, the kids had a separate table, and that was good too — along with the turkey and dressing, pecan pie or as some would say with a southern accent, “Karo nut pie”, pumpkin pie or as some would prefer, “sweet potato pie.” Whatever you called it, it was all good.

Thanksgiving day is still a few weeks away. But it’s never too early to count your many blessings. I predict it would take you a very long time to name them one by one. But give it a try.

As always, share a good word with someone today.

Grateful for you,