Having just come through the Thanksgiving holiday the song “Count your Blessings” was probably a song you heard during that time at some point. Did you know that this song was written in 1897 by Rev. Johnson Oatman, Jr., what most people do not know is that Rev. Oatman wrote the text to over 5,000 other hymns but this is by far his most well-known song. It is unfortunate that most only think of this song during Thanksgiving. The message of this hymn is for every day of the year. If you look and meditate on the lyrics of this hymn you get a much different message from what the title seems to imply. Look at the lines from the first two verses. “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost”; “Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?”. These seem to be contrary to what we would think when we hear the word “blessings”. What they do however, is remind us that even in the midst of the trials of life we have blessings that we need to remember. The Bible never promises us that we will not face trials, in fact it says the opposite. The Bible tells stories of how people faced trials, and then reminds us that God provides the strength and means to face those trials. It is so easy for people to get caught up in the struggles of life and get focused on those difficult times, forgetting all of the blessings God has bestowed on each of us. A number of years ago I heard someone say “Count your blessings, and make your blessings count”. What a powerful message for us as we reflect over this past year and all of the blessings we have been given. What are we doing with those blessing? Are we making them count? As you enter this new year I encourage you to look for opportunities where you might be able to make your blessings count.