“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  2 Corinthians 9:8

Typically, I have five or six times a year where I get reflective on life.  These are usually tied to events with my family like my kids’ birthdays, my anniversary, and usually after the Christmas holiday.  The reflection usually comes after all the hustle and bustle of the event has ended.  I reflect on where we have come as a family, how my children have grown in size, knowledge, personality, and faith, in addition I find myself loving my wife even more than I did before as we get to experience new chapters in our life together.  This has changed how I have approached my faith and prayer as well.  I’ve gone from praying for “requests” to thanking God for the blessings we have. I have moved away from worrying about the next “thing”, to trusting that there is a plan and that plan may have hardship, but it will also have experiences, learnings, love, and rewards.  Some of which are tangible and some of which are not, but both are equally important. Regardless, as my family goes on new adventures I have faith that He is with us, looking over us, listening, and providing what we need.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the daily blessings that You give each of us daily.  Help us to continually recognize those blessings and to put trust in you as we tackle the challenges of our daily lives. Amen.

Marty Oian