Everything we have isn’t really ours. Every gift we have is a blessing from God. We think that our possessions are just that- ours and no one else’s. But that isn’t true either. We can’t take everything for granted like that because we never know when God will call us home. We shouldn’t take everything for granted because, the possessions we have are all given to us by God. He gave us the homes we have, the food we eat every day, the water to drink and bathe in, water to wash our clothes, the washers and dryers. He also gave us the cars we drive and many other things because He loves us.
He blesses us with the air in our lungs and the friendships and family we have, too. He also gave us the jobs we have in order to provide for our families. He also grants us the privilege to be able to provide for our families and others in need. He loves it when we worship Him in His house and any other places. We are given the freedom to worship wherever and whenever we want. We have the freedom to go to Bible study and learn more about Him daily.
We live in the United States of America where we are the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We have the freedom of speech and other rights. We are free to worship the Lord and serve others in the faith. We are free to lead others to Christ.  There is no other greater gift than to lead others to Christ and to remember what an honor and privilege it is to speak His name without fear. It isn’t always easy to lead others to Christ, but it is something we should take every opportunity to do.
Most of us see praying over a meal as regular routine. But, for some of us it may seem awkward and even outrageous. Some days we are so caught up in our own  thoughts, that we forget to even utter a thank you for the food He gives us. Everyone feels out of place at times when praying over a meal. Especially at a restaurant. There are many times when people might stare at you for giving thanks for the meal, but try and be proud of it. Who cares what anyone else thinks? Stand up for your faith.  We’ve all gone through those times where we aren’t sure how to gave thanks to God for a meal, but we always should whether it is out loud or in our minds. Thanking God for a meal even if it is only for a few seconds, lets you know and it most importantly lets Him know that you’re thinking of Him and are grateful for what you have in front of you. Think of it this way, every time you pray  over dinner, you’re giving thanks because you have a meal at all. There are so many others in the world that are praying for a meal to eat. We need to remember how fortunate a lot of us are that we haven’t had the experience of being homeless and going hungry.

Be thankful that you have the mp3 player or iPod, or the radio to listen to music. Be thankful and grateful that you have the ability to hear and feel the music. There are many others who can’t hear or people that have lost their hearing. Having the ability to enjoy music in many different forms is a blessing. There are people who can’t hear their family members voices. I can’t imagine losing my hearing and not being able to communicate the same way with the people I love.
Many of us put on movies without thinking about it. So many people take for granted the ability to hear the movie and to especially see any movie. Many people have lost their sight or were born without sight. It must be very hard to not be able to actually see what is going on in your favorite movie and especially in your life. There are so many people who miss out on seeing the sunsets, the oceans, the leaves on the trees, or the way the sky looks after a thunderstorm.  So many people can’t see the gorgeous creation that God has to offer. I can’t even imagine not waking up to seeing the sun rise and going to bed seeing the sunset.
Then there are those who can’t walk. Very rarely, unless you see someone who is unable to walk, do we think about how blessed we are to be able to get from place to place without much of a struggle. Sure, we have complained about the snow and rain and walking through puddles before. But think of how many people who can’t walk, would absolutely love to trade lives with you just to have the ability to walk, even if it was only for five minutes to an hour.
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes who isn’t as fortunate as you, then take a step back and realize just how blessed you are. Realize how good you have it. When you look at life through someone else’s eyes, it will definitely change your perspective.
Take the time and really think about the things you normally take for granted, whether it is being able to make meals for your family, going to see your friends, being able to walk, hear or see. Realize just how good you actually have it.  Count your blessings.