Birthday Post: I Am So Blessed

Sooooo...my birthday was on the third. It was a day full of celebration, books, cake, and fire (candles). And as I mulled over the day in my mind the night after, I began to think: I am so blessed.

And not the kind of blessed with wealth and money and the perfect life, but I am blessed in my heart.

A blessing is typically defined as *glances at definition*: 'God's favor and protection' or 'a prayer asking for God's favor or protection.'

Nowhere in either of those definitions does it say I have to be wealthy and have a lot of stuff to be blessed. (I'm gonna thank my physics book here for teaching me to analyze definitions.)

Now, I have a lot of stuff. Books, jewelry, little nick-nacks that are only good for looking at. But what about behind all that? When we pray to God and count our blessings, we should not be looking at the surface. We should be looking underneath the skin.

'What is God favoring in me today?' you might ask.

He loves your faith, loves your hope and your kindness, your smiles. He loves it when you look up to him, when you scream out his name. You are a blessing to him, so he calls out blessings on you.

I am blessed in my heart. I know Jesus (or am beginning to get to know Him). I have a Bible I'm trying to read every day. I have the time and resources to put His power into my words. I can call the world to Jesus because I am blessed.

Don't you see? It is this complete, wonderful circle of love. God blesses us, we do everything we can with our blessings to love Him with all our hearts, and when God sees the fruits of our actions, he loves it. That is what He wants, what He knows the world needs.

Ephesians 1:3 says--'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.'

God blesses us not because we are pretty or perfect, not because we act with the best of people's expectations, but because we are spiritually sound. We are His children, and He finds happiness in giving us our blessings.

Romans 12:14 says--'Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.'

Do you remember that circle I was talking about? That never-ending round-about of happiness? Well, this verse is a lot like that. God blesses us, gives us everything we spiritually need to be a blessing to others. And when we are persecuted, when people hate us, we have to remember this circle. Do it not because you will be blessed later, but do it knowing that your blessing was put there for a reason, and it's your job to do everything you can figure out what that reason is.

I believe in you guys! Go count your God-given blessings.

Stay Strong,

Claudia