STORIES OF BLESSINGS ON NOVEMBER 29, 2014, PART 5

STORIES OF BLESSINGS ON NOVEMBER 29, 2014, PART 5

TOPICS IN THIS BLOG POST:

1 BLESSINGS COUNTING EXERCISE FOR 2014 (AKA THE END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE)

2 WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW, AND WHAT IF AND 2014: AN END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE

3 MY END OF YEAR BLESSINGS
4 END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE: ANOTHER EXERCISE

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1 END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE (THE BLESSINGS OF 2014)

Written 2014-11-29 20:33:15, Saturday

BLESSINGS COUNTING EXERCISE FOR 2014 (AKA THE END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE)

What blessings have you had in 2014? List as many as you can, as fast as you can, for the next ten minutes. Keep writing. Do not stop. Count every blessing that comes to mind, even if it is a repeat blessing. Be thorough. Write as many as you can, as fast as you can and do not censor yourself. No matter how goofy or petty they seem, get them down on the page. 

Repeat that exercise at least twice a day until the end of the year. 

Make sure to count a minimum of forty (40) blessings per day.

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2 WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW, AND WHAT IF AND 2014: AN END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE

Written 2014-11-29 20:40:45, Saturday

Ask who, what, where, when, why, how, and what if questions of 2014 to help you remember what has happened in the year 2014 and all of the blessings you have had throughout the year. Ask the questions, then answer them. This should help stir up several blessings you can count you have not counted--or remind you of ones you have already counted. Count them again. 

For instance, who was in your life in January 2014? What memories did you make with them or have of them? 

Or... What did you do in February 2014?

Be thorough. Ask yourself as many questions as you can. This will stir up memories, which will then help you find blessings to count. Then, answer each question and this will stir up more memories and will give you more blessings to count. 

Count as many blessings as you possibly can, as fast as you can. 

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3 MY END OF YEAR BLESSINGS

The year 2014 has been one of change. It has been one of challenge, one of heartbreak, and one tough year. To make it worse, it was the same for my husband, B. To make things better, it was the same for my husband, B. 

Is it one I wish I could have skipped or pressed fast-forward through? 

Well, that is a good question, particularly with the lastest round of challenges which happened today. 

No. I would not have wanted to skip this year, no matter how tough it has been. For, I said earlier, it was a year of change. It was a year of growth. 

Huh. Something just came to me.

Back in November 2013, I dedicated myself to wanting to count my blessings and devote 2014 to making sure I learn how to do so. I wanted 2014 to be a year of blessing, for I determined to count my blessings. 

Earlier today, and even this evening, I wrote how I would count my blessings, then not, count them, then not, and so on and so on all year long. I even said I did a rather lousy job of counting my blessings, needless to say. It was a half-hearted attempt at best. Sure, at times, I really tried. But, at other times, not so much. 

So, what came to me? This year, of 2014, has indeed been a year of blessing. It has been one of change and growth. I have learned how strong my faith is and how often times the biggest blessings I receive are during a time least expected and during the most painful and challenging times. 

I also learned tonight how I do not ever want to miss the opportunity of counting my blessings. I never want to miss a blessing. This is a shame to have happen.

This year of 2014 meant plenty of times I have missed my blessings and did not count them and get them down on the page so I would not forget them.

Consequently, I have learned the importance of counting my blessings and what is at stake if I do not: a missing of a blessing. It is tragic when the latter happens. I do not want to miss any blessings--ever. 

If there is one thing I have learned this year it is how life changes quickly and can be quite challenging at best at times. If I am counting my blessings, I can handle the challenges so much better and easier. And, I am able to find even more blessings to count in the process. 

This year of 2014 has helped me to see how important it is to count my blessings--and to get them down on the page to remember. After all, when life gets tough, the larger the blessing Iist I have to read and remember, the better. 

2014 was a year of blessing--and every year hereafter will be as well. I choose to focus on my blessings and count them. I do not ever want to miss a blessing. This life is hard enough without doing that. 

So, yes. 2014 has indeed been a year of blessing. 

More than I thought or realized.

It was certainly a year of learning about blessings and the counting thereof. 

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4 END OF YEAR BLESSINGS CHALLENGE: ANOTHER EXERCISE

Written 2014-11-29 21:17:47, Saturday

Grab your calendar and go through every day, every event, and find at least three blessings from each. (From the ones you can remember, that is.)

Also, go through your journaling and do the same.

And, your Bible studies and sermon notes.

Your emails are another source of other blessings to count. 

Our lives are full of blessings we didn't count at the time, but can after the fact. 

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STORIES OF BLESSING FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2014, SATURDAY, PART 2

STORIES OF BLESSING FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2014, SATURDAY, PART 2

TOPICS IN THIS BLOG POST:

1 MY ONE WORD FOR 2014 AND 2015

2 MY WRITING

3 ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR MYSELF: NANOWRIMO 2014

4 MY REFLECTION (AND ANALYZING) OF COUNTING MY BLESSINGS FROM NOVEMBER 2013 TO NOVEMBER 29, 2014

5 MY WRITING: THE METAMORPHOSIS

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MY ONE WORD FOR 2014 AND 2015

Written 2014-11-29 13:49:26, Saturday

ONE WORD

One Word is a word you choose to focus on for an entire year to focus your life, who you want to be, what you want to accomplish, and in an effort to increase your faith and bring you closer to the Lord and His Word, the Holy Bible. 

It is meant to help us to get focus off of self and put back where our focus should remain: on God and the Bible. 

One Word is meant to be about character and how we want to live a life of a strong, growing, abundant, and sustainable faith. 

One Word is not about doing.

It is not about focus on things or others.

It is shifting focus of our every effort, thought, behavior, feeling, dream/vision, situation, relationship, to Jesus Christ and the Bible. This is the underlying reason to decide on one word to focus everything on for an entire year. 

One Word is the word God reveals to us. It is not what we want it to be or hope it would be. It is what God wants us to focus on. And, if God issues us a challenge, it is harder than we can imagine and it takes God to help us accomplish the feat because it is not anything we could accomplish on our own. 

MY ONE WORD LIFE

Several years ago, I learned how to focus on one word for my year. The one word is so I can increase my faith and grow closer to the Lord. This is the main purpose. It gives laser-point focus for what I want to do, how I want to live, and my focus for the year. It lets me know what to focus on and what to let go because it does not fit into my one word. 

Give it a try. It is a really useful too, particularly when it is focused on every day all year long. It is not particularly helpful or meaningful if it is forgotten (as I have learned several times over). 

My one word for 2014 was BLESSING.

I may have counted one thousand two hundred thirty-eight blessings so far, in just November 2014 alone, but it does not mean I focused on this One Word for all of 2014. Sadly. Needless to say, I have learned a great deal of what to do and what not to do that I hope to apply to next year. 

I believe BLESSING is my word for 2015 as well, but it is far more than that. It is my LIFE'S ONE WORD. 

My 24 x 365 Blessings Challenge is my way of trying to live the One Word of BLESSING and see how it can transform me and my life. 

I hope to be able to actually accomplish all of this. I cannot imagine how this will grow my faith and bring me deeper in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. I look forward to the journey. 

HOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ONE WORD FOR 2015?

So, how about you? What is your One Word for 2015?

2014 ONE WORD

Did you have one word you were focusing on for 2014? If so, how did it go?

If not, and even if you did, what one word would you use to describe 2014? 

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ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR MYSELF: NANOWRIMO 2014

Written 2014-11-29 14:21:29, Saturday

I am probably a crazy person. Actually, there is no question about it. I am indeed crazy and a little masochistic. I evidently enjoy torturing myself, if I stop and think about it. 

However, it is in the best sense possible and is for the best reason possible. 

Since the year 2009, I have tried to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month of November), where there is a challenge to write a book of fifty thousand words (yes, that is 50,000) in one month. 

I have won two of the six years (2009 and 2010).

This year of 2014 has yet to be determined. 

However, I have not won three of those years (2011, 2012, and 2013). 

I have tried to write over six books for this year's National Novel Writing Month and have fallen flat on my face with each attempt. I sigh as I admit to this. I frown as my head starts to pound as I feel disappointed with myself. 

Well, as of thirty minutes ago, I have decided to take this blog and turn it into a blog book for National Novel Writing Month of November 2014. I have a total of 39,000 words so far. Consequently, I need to write 11,000 words at least today and tomorrow in order to "Win" NaNoWriMo 2014. 

Hence, I am going to write like a madwoman about Stories of Blessings and counting my/our blessings. I will even share more of my Blessings Counted List. 

I want to see how much I can get written to help inspire you to count your own blessings. 

It is actually the perfect time of year for me to approach this endeavor--and is perfect for you to take up the torch of counting your blessings. 

I hope the writing I share with you will inspire you. 

I also hope the writing I share with you will help you to see how blessed you truly are, even though you may have thought the exact opposite. 

So, am I crazy? You bet. But, it is in a good way. 

I want to share with you the Blessings Giver and help you to become a Blessings Counter.

I issue you this challenge:

If you were to do anything for the rest of your life, and make one goal, and have one vision, may it be this:

Be a Blessings Counter.

I guarantee you and your life will transform into something completely unimaginable to you now. And, it will be for the absolute best. You will learn how life is good--because the Blessings Giver is so good. Our lives in each and every moment are overflowing with abundant blessings. 

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MY REFLECTION (AND ANALYZING) OF COUNTING MY BLESSINGS FROM NOVEMBER 2013 TO NOVEMBER 29, 2014

Written 2014-11-29 14:34:24, Saturday

Back on November Sixth of 2013, I decided out of desperation to try to become a Blessings Counter. 

Yes. It was out of desperation alone.

I had to count my blessings, for I had no other option. I was out of options. My life had just been dealt one of the largest challenges I ever had to endure. It was quite painful and it has only been recently that the pain from that time has become a friend and not an enemy. The pain is a companion now and is not something that causes me to suffer. 

Yes. Time does not ever heal a wound, contrary to what some say. Time teaches us to bear with the pain patiently. Time brings us to the point of when we realize the pain is not an enemy. It is always there and will always be most likely. At times, it will be worse than at others. But, the pain will always be at least a shadow, a scar.

Therefore, when pain can become a companion, it is quite helpful and is a reminder of growth. 

I tried to count my blessings for a while and did really good with it, but counting them hurt. It reminded me of how unblessed I really was in areas I wanted nothing more than to be blessed in. Needless to say, I stopped. (Looking back now, I see that was a grave mistake.)

Then, in April, there was another quite painful thing that happened. Stack it on top of the October 2013 pain and that meant the pain was magnified. It was additional pain on top of already experienced deep pain. Pain stacked feels more than pain doubled. It is pain added on top of pain. How do you count blessings through this? 

I made the mistake of not trusting that counting my blessings, even if I repeated them from before, was the very thing that would help heal me and get me through. It was the very thing that would help my dreams to become bigger and more impossible. The bigger and more impossible dreams that are dreamt prove there is a Blessings Giver. For, on my own, on our own, these things would never have been able to happen. It has taken the Blessings Giver. 

Then, things got even more stressful when my husband, B, and I realized we would have to let go of several of our dreams and visions of our future. We had to let go of our hopes and dreaming for a better life. We had to realize it may not have been what the Blessings Giver had in mind at all. Maybe the Blessings Giver wanted us to have less so we could offer more. 

I counted my blessings again. 

Then, we got more bad news.

I stopped counting my blessings again.

More bad news. Worse than before.

Stopped counting my blessings. 

Then, things started to look up and I stopped counting my blessings again. Not like I did before. But, I still lessened the counting of blessings. 

I am starting to learn this loud and clear: I MUST count my blessings day and night, regardless of what has happened, or hasn't happened, regardless of how busy I am or not, regardless of whether I am in pain or having great joy.

Blessings are given by a Blessings Giver and are dependent on no one and nothing. 

So, blessings are always given. Freely by the Blessings Giver. And, I should always give thanks, regardless. For blessings are in every moment without fail--and I do not want to waste one moment. 

I will count my blessings--and do The 34 x 365 Blessings Challenge and count 1,000 blessings per month for thirteen months and then maybe do it every month for the rest of my life.

Who couldn't use more blessings?

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MY WRITING: THE METAMORPHOSIS

Written 2014-11-29 19:04:37, Saturday

I keep fighting counting my blessings and sharing my stories of blessing--with the hopes of hearing yours. 

So, I will stop fighting it and will count away. 

I will spend the rest of my life searching for blessings from the Blessings Giver and counting them.

This is the purpose of my writing.

It is to help people to learn how to count their blessings and how each moment, no matter what, is full of many blessings. we just need to search for them, count them, and remember them. This adds to the sweetness and joy of life. 

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving: A Thanksgiving Blessings Counted Challenge

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving: A Thanksgiving Blessings Counted Challenge

Twas the night before Thanksgiving, let us stop and take some time to count our blessings and remember what the Blessings Giver has given us.

List 50 blessings. Quick. 

Then, share some of them tomorrow. 

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC)

BLESSINGS COUNTED LIST AND THE 34 x 365 BLESSING CHALLENGE: A REMINDER

Welcome to the 34 x 365 Blessing Challenge and the Blessings Counted List Reminder

You can read more about this challenge here: http://rypstories.blogspot.com/2014/11/blessings-counted-list-introduction-and.html

Essentially, I've chosen to try to count at least 34 blessings per day every month between November 2014 and the end of December 2015.

I hope you will join me in counting your own blessings. It doesn't have to be a crazy number of 1,000 blessings per month (34 per day, in other words) you choose to count. It can be as little as 3.

BLESSINGS JOURNALING EXERCISE OR PROMPT
Are you counting your blessings? How many per day is your goal right now?

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS COUNTED CHALLENGE
I hope you are trying to count every day as many blessings as possible between now and Thanksgiving.

END OF YEAR BLESSINGS COUNTED CHALLENGE

I hope you are trying to count every day as many blessings as possible between now and the end of the year.

Can we do anything more productive with our days or our lives than count our blessings and acknowledge how fortunate we are? 

(IMAGE CREDIT: Stacy Duplease and Remembering your Present, LLC)