THE COUNT UP...BLAST UP

Greetings friends...T-Minus 10...T-minus 9...T-minus 8...T-minus 7...T-minus 6...T-minus...5...
T-minus 4...T-minus 3...T-minus 2...T-minus 1....BLAST-OFF. I love to watch a rocket launch. I love the anticipation as the countdown ensues...and the rocket is poised to reach the bonds of the heavens... breaking the hold of the gravity of earth.

NOTE: I equate this blasting off...to the word HALLEL...where we get the word HALLELUJAH. That word for praise...and praise God....means to exult...jump up...spin around...rave on...get clamorously foolish. Just like that mighty rocket BLASTS OFF...and breaks the hold of gravity...so it is with our PRAISE...our HALLEL to God...that breaks the hold of the gravity of this world on our spiritual self. It's like the song says...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the THINGS OF EARTH
Will grow strangely DIM
In the light of His GLORY AND GRACE...BLAST OFF

There is another factor to this lift off...this blast off...from the mundane events of this world....when you are getting discouraged and down. When your life is in a rut...like a grave with both ends knocked out as you go back and forth...over and over...rehearsing in your mind everything that is wrong in your life. The is another aspect of COUNTING....that will poise you for BLAST OFF...a LIFTING OFF of the cares of this world. It is COUNTING your blessings.

In the Ruminator Class...we have a phrase that speaks of thinking, saying and doing...and it works for the negative...and it works for the positive.

"Unrestrained thoughts (what we think)...produces unrestrained words (what we say)...resulting in unrestrained actions (what we do).

Counting our blessings...means that we have to focus on the good in our lives.. versus the troubles. See the collage with various counts. You've got COUNT Basie. I was honored to see the Count on one of my first dates with Brenda... when we went to the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee around 1969. For $15.00...we got to see in the round...Tom Jones (during the peak of his popularity...Gladys Knight and the Pips (whoo...whoo)...and COUNT Basie and His Band of Renown. Good date...Good music...GOOD GOD!!

Another COUNT who is a favorite of mine...and Jack Hayford...is the lovable Muppet...COUNT von COUNT. The COUNT loves to COUNT anything. He will begin COUNTING something...in a slow Transylvanian accent...Ooooooooone....
Twooooooooooooo....Thrreeeeeeeeeee...and then he will laugh...Ah-ah-ah-ha.

The last picture...is just a counting on the fingers (my favorite method of math prior to a calculator...0,1,2,3,4,5...and then add the toes)

In 1897...two men wrote a song...that became known world0-wide...called COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. Johnson Oatman (pictured here)...wrote the words...and Edwin O. Excell wrote the music. Oatman was a Methodist Episcopal minister...who was also a full time retail and insurance man. His other songs included:
No, Not One...Higher Ground...The Hallelujah Side. The song was sung along with other classic hymns during the WELSH REVIVAL. Gipys Smith (evangelist) was quoted in the LONDON TIMES..about the song...
"In South London the men sing it, the boys whistle it, and the women rock their babies to sleep singing this hymn."

When upon life's billows
You are temptest tossed
When you are discouraged
Thinking all is lost
COUNT your many BLESSINGS
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the LORD HAS DONE


COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS name them one by one
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS see what God has done
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Name them one...by...one
COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS
See what GOD HAS DONE

Life's Billows...being tossed between the billows...discouragement...thoughts of all being lost...burdens...loads of care...the cross that you bear, admid conflicts (great or small)...are REALITIES. In contrast...we have the option of RE-FOCUSING our THINKING...that will result in a RE-FOCUSING of our SPEAKING...that will REFOCUS...our ACTIONS.

The song encourages us not only to think about how God good is...but says to COUNT THEM...and not only to count them...but to NAME THEM...one by one. When you begin to do this...the column with crud...the things of earth...become strangely dim...in the light of the COUNTED BLESSINGS...and His GLORY AND GRACE...BLAST OFF...or BLAST UP...the pull of the GRAVITY OF THIS WORLD....loosens.

NOTE: This is NOT a denial of the bad stuff in the world...or the bad stuff in your life...BUT it is denial of the bad stuff the right to RULE YOUR LIFE.

As it says in Philippians 4:8..."Finally brethren...whatever is TRUE...whatever is HONORABLE...whatever is of GOOD REPORT...whatever is RIGHT...whatever is PURE... whatever is LOVELY...if there is any EXCELLENCE...and if ANYTHING IS WORTHY OF PRAISE...LET (allow) your MIND to DWELL ON THESE (the stuff just listed versus the junk)."

"Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS (during the good, bad, and ugly)...AGAIN (in case you didn't here it the first time)...REJOICE. Let (allow it to happen) you forbearing (appropriate, gentle, moderate) spirit be known to all men. THE LORD IS NEAR....BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING (don't be anxious)...but in EVERYTHING (the good, the bad, and the ugly)...by (1) prayer [talking to God]...(2) supplication (humble petitioning...counting, naming one by one)...(3) with THANKSGIVING (by faith, before you see anything change)...LET (allow it to happen) your REQUEST be made known to God." (Philippians 4:4-6...Ruminator Version)

NOTE: God knows...but the encouragement is for you to allow God into your life and situation and to help you. We have the power to edge God out of our life and situation. But when we begin to COUNT OUR BLESSINGS...naming their one by one...things can begin to change... the things of earth growing strangely dim...in the light of His glory and grace.

The CAUSE AND EFFECT of you changing your THINKING...SPEAKING...DOING...is...THE PEACE OF GOD...WHICH SURPASSES ALL COMPREHENSION SHALL GUARD YOU HEARS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS. (Philippians 4:7) then Philippians 4:8 kicks in with the MIND DWELLING PRINCIPLE.

Isaiah 26:3 says..."the steadfast of mind Thou wilt be kept in perfect PERFECT PEACE (why) because it is stayed on you (because He trusts in Thee)."

In Romans 8:5-8...we seen where a MIND-SET will lead you. "For those who are according to the FLESH...SET THEIR MINDS on the THINGS OF THE FLESH...but those who are according to the SPIRIT...the things of the Spirit. For the MIND SET on the FLESH is DEATH...but the MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT...is LIFE and PEACE, because the MIND is SET on the FLESH...is HOSTILE TOWARD God...for it does not subject itself to the law of God...for it is not even able to do so...and those who are IN THE FLESH...cannot PLEASE GOD (see Hebrews 11:6 on how it is possible to please God).

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS...NAME THEM ONE BY ONE....

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

One of my favorite places of COUNTING...is found in PSALM 103:1-5. It is the Psalmists admonishes to his soul...to BLESS the Lord. This is to be ALL THAT IS WITHIN US TO DO...to BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. Here is just some examples of the BLESSINGS YOU CAN COUNT...and to forget NONE (no not one) of his BENEFITS...

1. Pardons ALL your iniquities
2. Heals all your diseases
3. Redeems you life from the pit
4. Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion
5. Who satisfies your years with good things
6. So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Well...that is a good place to start with your COUNTDOWN.

Count your blessings name them one by one...count your blessings see what God has done...Count your blessings...name them one..by..one..count your many blessings SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE.

Love and COUNTED KISSES
Rodney "Breaking Free From Gravity" Boyd