Count your blessings and Smile

This has been a hard week.

I have felt worried and concerned over a difficult situation.

Then I remembered a favorite hymn of mine written by J. Oatman Jr. which states..

...

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 has done.

...

Count your blessings; Name them one by one.

Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

We do indeed have many, many blessings....too many to count...we all love each other and have our health and strength...for which I am very thankful.

My sweet daughter sent me the following story in an email.

It's message is a perfect reminder for us. Take a minute to read it.
It has a message that we all need to remember...especially in times of stress.

Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled a group in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of them offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed..

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Pass this on to someone who needs to know that God is watching over them.
And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

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This story gives us a great message.

It has been a hard week....and things may be difficult for a while....but we will be o.k. and hopefully come out even better in the end.

We know that God is watching over us... and all will be well... that knowledge makes us smile.

I am wishing you smiles this week too.

(((hugs))) Lura