Count Your Blessings!

Right now there is a car horn outside, honking like crazy, and I can't help but be aggravated by it. I have found myself lately wishing to be out of this apartment and into our first real house. I have noticed things that other people have and can afford (or can they?!) that we can't afford, and I feel a little envy. Then, today, as I was listening to Beth Moore on my computer, she mentioned our blessings, if we ever sit back and think upon our blessings. So, I sit back on my couch, as she said, and think...

First I see the fan above me and it makes me think about our apartment. If I never have a house, if I live in this small 850 s.f. apartment until the day I die, how blessed am I?! I think back to the village houses that I have sat and had dinner in while in China, and I remember the lack of everything they had.
How can I ever look at someone's house that is bigger than what I will ever have and be jealous?! I know that jealously is part of our sinful nature, but if we consider how blessed we are by what we have -- how can I be jealous?!

How blessed am I that my husband makes enough money for me to stay home with Tristan? So many people don't have that option, especially those single mothers. We don't make a lot of money, but staying home with Tristan is so much more important to me than having a nicer car or a bigger house or all those gadgets that I wouldn't know what to do with anyways! It's hard staying at home everyday, but it is worth it, to see my baby boy get on a beautiful napping schedule for once since we are finally in a consistent situation, to see him learn new things daily, to learn new things about him. I'm blessed with being able to do this, for this to be my "job".

I am blessed that I was raised in a loving Christian family in a healthy environment. Not only do so many children in our country face child abuse and neglect, as well as poverty, but those children in other countries that face malnutrition, disease, neglect, orphanages because they are girls and not boys, child soldiers who are brainwashed, child prostitution, etc... Why was I allowed to grow up in a country that is so blessed not to have most of that? I am so blessed.

Anyways, I could go on and on with my blessings but I need to do a few things before the little guy wakes up from his nap. Remember to count your blessings today and everyday.