BLESSINGS WE MAY NOT RECOGNIZE
Author Unknown

1. If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed – about 1/3 of the
world does not have access to one.

2. If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are
blessed to rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.

3. If you have anyone on the planet, just one person that loves you
and listens to you; count this as a blessing.

4. If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you
are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.

5. If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are
blessed because you still desire what you cannot see.

6. If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe
in God’s willingness to hear your prayer.

7. If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to
help others also.

8. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
over your head, and a place to sleep; all at the same time; you are
rich in this world;

9. If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with you
and for you, you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and agreement,
which the gates of hell cannot stand against.

10. If you have any earthly family that even halfway loves you and
supports you, you are blessed beyond measure.

11. If you attend a church with a church family that offers you one
word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.

12. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or some spare
change in a dish someplace you are among the world’s wealthy.

13. If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you, you
are blessed beyond measure.

14. If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a
minute, you are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up in
Him.

15. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 1/3
of the world who cannot read at all.

16. If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony battle,
imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed in indescribable measure.

17. If you have a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God’s
love, and a voice to share the gospel, you are blessed. About 1/3 of
the world do not even know who the one true God is.

18. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug another person, touch someone
on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing
touch.

19. If you can share a word of encouragement with someone else, and do
it with His love in your heart, you are blessed because you have
learned how to give.

20. If you have the conviction to stand fast upon His Word and His
promises, no matter what, you are blessed because you are learning
patience, endurance, and tenacity.

21. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly
thankful, you are blessed because most people can, but many will not.

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days work” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor, in fact, it’s my younger brother. “Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll give him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot fence, so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped.

There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge — a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work — handrails and all — and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.
“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder.

“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother. “I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but, I have many more bridges to build.”

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KEEP THIS IN MIND:
God won’t ask what kind of car you drove;
He’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation
God won’t ask the square footage of your house;
He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet;
He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won’t ask about your social status;
He will ask what kind of class you displayed.
God won’t ask how many material possessions you had;
He’ll ask if they dictated your life.
God won’t ask what your highest salary was;
He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won’t ask how much overtime you worked;
He’ll ask if your overtime work was for yourself or for your family.
God won’t ask how many promotions you received;
He’ll ask how you promoted others.
God won’t ask what your job title was;
He’ll ask if you performed that job to the best of your ability.
God won’t ask what you did to help yourself;
He’ll ask what you did to help others.
God won’t ask how many friends you had;
He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights;
He’ll ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived;
He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won’t ask about the color of your skin;
He’ll ask about the content of your character.
God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words;
He’ll ask how many times they didn’t.
God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation;
He’ll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
God won’t ask how many people you forwarded this to;
He’ll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

A father passing by his son’s bedroom, was astonished to see that the bed was nicely made, and everything was picked up and tidy. Then, he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow. It was
addressed, “DAD”.

With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter, with trembling hands.

Dear Dad,

It is with great regret and sorrow that I’m writing to you. I had to
elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with
Mum and you.

I’ve been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I
knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings,
tattoos, her tight motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older
than I am.

But it’s not only the passion, Dad . She’s pregnant.
Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns an old caravan in the
woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a
dream of having many more children!

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn’t really hurt
anyone. We’ll be growing it for ourselves, and trading it with the
other nice people in the commune, for all the cocaine and ecstasy we
want.

In the meantime, we’ll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so
Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!

Don’t worry Dad , I’m 15, and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday, I’m sure we’ll be back to visit, so you can get to know your
many grandchildren!

Love,
Your son, Joshua.

P.S. Dad , none of the above is really true. I’m over at Jason’s house.
I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than
the school report that’s on the kitchen table.

Call when it is safe for me to come home!