I am Grateful

Chocolate on my Cranium

Indeed I am very grateful; grateful for my husband and my children. I’m grateful for my family, my parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. And that includes my family and my husband’s family. I’m grateful for this land I live in, and I’m grateful to have a home where I can be safe and warm. I’m grateful for my friends and neighbors and my children’s friends. I’m grateful for this earth and all it gives and provides for me. I’m grateful for education and the many things I have learned in and out of school. I’m grateful for technology and inventions and the wonders of the time we live in now. There are so many things I am very grateful for. I can’t help but think of more and more as I list them. And that brings me joy! One of my favorite songs is Count Your Blessings by Irving Berlin. It has a great message, and listening to Bing Crosby sing it is quite wonderful. (I also enjoy the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version.) The song says:

When I'm worried and I can't sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

When my bankroll is getting small

I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads

And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds

If you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads

And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds

If you're worried and you can't sleep

Just count your blessings instead of sheep

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

Yes I am very grateful. And as my husband so wisely said, “Being grateful implies that you are grateful to someone.” I am grateful to my Father in Heaven. All that I have been given has come from Him. He even sent His Son to die for me so that I will have the opportunity of eternal life with my Heavenly Father and my family. What more could I possibly want? And so to express my thanks and joy and praise I turn again to a song, one of my very favorite hymns: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (text by Joachim Neander, 1650–1680; trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1829–1878. Music: From Stralsund Gesangbuch, 1665; arr. by William S. Bennett, 1816–1875, and Otto Goldschmidt, 1829–1907)

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!

Join the great throng,

Psaltery, organ and song,

Sounding in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord! Over all things he gloriously reigneth.

Borne as on eagle wings, safely his Saints he sustaineth.

Hast thou not seen

How all thou needest hath been

Granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee.

Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee.

Ponder anew

What the Almighty can do,

Who with his love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!

All that hath breath, join with Abraham’s seed to adore him!

Let the “amen”

Sum all our praises again,

Now as we worship before him.