What it's All About

I'll be honest.

I avoided this place this week.

It wasn't because I was busy,

Wasn't because I didn't have the time,

It was because I was lonely.

There, I said it.

Between the ups and downs of the past year,

The endless work

And all the things I just haven't gotten done,

I've neglected this place.

I know I have.

And then I come back

And expect everything to be just the way it was before

And it isn't.

And I want it to be.

The excuse I used to start this blog was to share with my friends about my music

And it was just that -

An excuse.

The real reason I wanted a blog

Was because I'd been reading blogs,

I'd been encouraged by blogs,

I had seen the blogging community

And I wanted to be a part of that.

Well, it hasn't been easy lately

And I haven't been able to read my favorite blogs as much as I like to,

And then I come back and post,

Eager for the conversation and friendship I've found,

And end up counting the numbers of those comments

(Or lack thereof)

Rather than trusting His Grace.

So I didn't blog on Sunday -

Because I didn't feel like it.

You probably know how it is.

You wonder if you said something wrong,

Did something wrong,

If no one likes you anymore.

Then you tell yourself those are silly thoughts

And everything's probably fine

And other people are just as busy as you are, you know,

And you're sure they just forgot . . .

Maybe . . .

But then you're the one feeling forgotten,

And why,

Why, oh why,

Did this prayer ever stop being the one that I always prayed before I posted?

When did I start caring about who was listening,

And why is it so hard to stop?

I wasn't going to blog today.

Or, more accurately, I was and then I wasn't and then I was and then I wasn't and then . . .

Well, I was supposed to be watching the dryer

And plans got put on hold

And I had a few minutes

And I thought maybe I'd catch up?

See how everyone else was doing?

And I read

And I joined in the conversation

And, really, what does it matter if no one responds to my words?

I've been told by a few that one of my spiritual gifts is encouragement.

I don't know if that's true, but I know what my issue has been this whole time.

It's been me.

You see, I was trying to make it all about me.

Why weren't people listening to me,

Why weren't things happening the way I expected,

Why don't I feel like doing this anymore.

What is it that makes me forget

That it's never been about me?

Blogging?

This online world?

This community?

It was always meant to be about someone else -

And,

More importantly,

About SomeOne else.

Reasons 4388-4514 today,

Trying to remember that it's all about Him

Because He is everything:

4388. He is the God of gods (Psalm 136:2)
4389. He is the Lord of lords (Psalm 136:3)
4390. He alone does great wonders (Psalm 136:3)
4391. By His understanding He made the heavens (Psalm 136:5)
4392. He spread out the earth upon the waters (Psalm 136:6)
4393. He made the great lights (Psalm 136:7)
4394. He made the sun to govern the day (Psalm 136:8)
4395. He made the moon and stars to govern the night (Psalm 136:9)
4396. He struck down the firstborn of Egypt and brought Israel out from among them (Psalm 136:10-11)
4397. He struck down the firstborn of Egypt and brought Israel out from among them with a mighty hand and outstretched arm (Psalm 136:10-11)
4398. He divided the Red Sea asunder (Psalm 136:13)
4399. He divided the Red Sea asunder and brought Israel through the midst of it (Psalm 136:13)
4400. He divided the Red Sea asunder and brought Israel through the midst of it but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea (Psalm 136:13)
4401. He led His people through the wilderness (Psalm 136:16)
4402. He struck down great kings (Psalm 136:17)
4403. He killed mighty kings (Psalm 136:18)
4404. He struck down Sihon king of the Amorites (Psalm 136:19)
4405. He struck down Og king of the Bashan (Psalm 136:19)
4406. He gave the land of Sihon king of the Amorites as an inheritance to His servant Israel (Psalm 136:19-22)
4407. He gave the land of Og king of the Bashan as an inheritance to His servant Israel (Psalm 136:20-22)
4408. He remembered His people in their low estate (Psalm 136:23)
4409. He remembered His people in their low estate and freed them from their enemies (Psalm 136:23-24)
4410. He gives food to every creature (Psalm 136:25)
4411. He has so exalted His solemn decree that it surpasses His fame (Psalm 138:2)
4412. He greatly emboldens His people (Psalm 138:3)
4413. His Glory is great (Psalm 138:5)
4414. Though He is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly (Psalm 138:6)
4415. He is lofty (Psalm 138:6)
4416. Though He is lofty, He sees the lowly from afar (Psalm 138:6)
4417. He preserves the lives of those who walk in the midst of trouble (Psalm 138:7)
4418. He stretches out His hand against the anger of His people's foes (Psalm 138:7)
4419. With His right hand He saves His people (Psalm 138:7)
4420. He has searched His people (Psalm 139:1)
4421. He has searched His people and He knows them (Psalm 139:1)
4422. He knows when His people sit (Psalm 139:2)
4423. He knows when His people rise (Psalm 139:2)
4424. He discerns His people's thoughts from afar (Psalm 139:2)
4425. He discerns His people's going out (Psalm 139:3)
4426. He discerns His people's lying down (Psalm 139:3)
4427. He is familiar with all His people's ways (Psalm 139:3)
4428. Before a word is on His people's tongues, He knows it completely (Psalm 139:4)
4429. He hems His people in behind and before (Psalm 139:5)
4430. He lays His hand upon His people (Psalm 139:5)
4431. His knowledge is too wonderful for man (Psalm 139:6)
4432. His knowledge is too lofty for man to attain (Psalm 139:6)
4433. No one can go somewhere away from His Spirit (Psalm 139:7)
4434. No one can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7)
4435. He is in the heavens (Psalm 139:8)
4436. He is in the depths (Psalm 139:8)
4437. His hand will guide His people if they rise on the wings of the dawn (Psalm 139:9-10)
4438. His hand will guide His people if they settle on the far side of the sea (Psalm 139:9-10)
4439. His right hand will hold His people fast if they rise on the wings of the dawn (Psalm 139:9-10)
4440. His right hand will hold His people fast if they settle on the far side of the sea (Psalm 139:9-10)
4441. Even the darkness is not dark to Him (Psalm 139:12)
4442. The night shines like the day to Him (Psalm 139:12)
4443. Darkness is as light to Him (Psalm 139:12)
4444. He created people's inmost being (Psalm 139:13)
4445. He knit people together in their mother's wombs (Psalm 139:13)
4446. His works are fearfully made (Psalm 139:14)
4447. His works are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
4448. His works are wonderful (Psalm 139:14)
4449. People's frames are not hidden from Him (Psalm 139:15)
4450. People's frames are not hidden from Him when they are made in the secret place (Psalm 139:15)
4451. People's frames are not hidden from Him when they are woven together in the depths of the earth (Psalm 139:15)
4452. His eyes saw people's unformed bodies (Psalm 139:16)
4453. All the days ordained for all people are written in His book (Psalm 139:16)
4454. All the days ordained for all people were written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16)
4455. The sum of His thoughts is vast (Psalm 139:17)
4456. The sum of His thoughts would outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:17-18)
4457. When His people awake, they are still with Him (Psalm 139:18)
4458. He is His people's Strong Deliverer (Psalm 140:7)
4459. He shields His people's heads in the day of battle (Psalm 140:7)
4460. He secures justice for the poor (Psalm 140:12)
4461. He upholds the cause of the needy (Psalm 140:12)
4462. The righteous will praise His Name (Psalm 140:13)
4463. The upright will live in His Presence (Psalm 140:13)
4464. He watches over His people's ways (Psalm 142:3)
4465. He watches over His people's ways when their spirits grow faint within them (Psalm 142:3)
4466. He is His people's portion in the land of the living (Psalm 142:5)
4467. No one living is righteous before Him (Psalm 143:2)
4468. He trains His people's hands for war (Psalm 144:1)
4469. He trains His people's fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1)
4470. He is His people's loving God (Psalm 144:2)
4471. He is His people's shield in whom they take refuge (Psalm 144:2)
4472. He subdues peoples under His people (Psalm 144:2)
4473. Human beings are like a breath, yet He cares for them (Psalm 144:3-4)
4474. Mere mortals are like a breath, yet He thinks of them (Psalm 144:3-4)
4475. The days of human beings are like a fleeting shadow, yet He cares for them (Psalm 144:3-4)
4476. The days of mere mortals are like a fleeting shadow, yet He thinks of them (Psalm 144:3-4)
4477. He gives victory to kings (Psalm 144:10)
4478. He delivers His servant David (Psalm 144:10)
4479. His people are blessed (Psalm 144:15)
4480. His Greatness no one can fathom (Psalm 145:3)
4481. One generation commends His works to another (Psalm 145:4)
4482. The generations tell of His mighty acts (Psalm 145:4)
4483. The generations speak of the glorious splendor of His Majesty (Psalm 145:4-5)
4484. His Majesty has glorious splendor (Psalm 145:5)
4485. The generations tell of the power of His awesome works (Psalm 145:4-6)
4486. His deeds are great (Psalm 145:6)
4487. The generations celebrate His abundant Goodness (Psalm 145:4-7)
4488. His Goodness is abundant (Psalm 145:7)
4489. The generations joyfully sing of His Righteousness (Psalm 145:4-7)
4490. He is rich in love (Psalm 145:8)
4491. He is slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8)
4492. He is good to all (Psalm 145:9)
4493. He has compassion on all He has made (Psalm 145:9)
4494. All His works praise Him (Psalm 145:10)
4495. His faithful people extol Him (Psalm 145:10)
4496. His kingdom is glorious (Psalm 145:11)
4497. His kingdom has glorious splendor (Psalm 145:12)
4498. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom (Psalm 145:13)
4499. His dominion endures through all generations (Psalm 145:13)
4500. He is Trustworthy in all He promises (Psalm 145:13)
4501. He upholds all who fall (Psalm 145:14)
4502. He lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14)
4503. The eyes of all look to Him (Psalm 145:15)
4504. The eyes of all look to Him and he gives them their food at the proper time (Psalm 145:15)
4505. He opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16)
4506. He is Righteous in all His ways (Psalm 145:17)
4507. He is near to all who call on Him (Psalm 145:18)
4508. He is near to all who call on Him in truth (Psalm 145:18)
4509. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him (Psalm 145:19)
4510. He hears the cry of those who fear Him (Psalm 145:19)
4511. He hears the cry of those who fear Him and saves them (Psalm 145:19)
4512. He watches over all who love Him (Psalm 145:20)
4513. All the wicked He will destroy (Psalm 145:20)
4514. His Name is Holy (Psalm 145:21)

Counting 10,000 Reasons to worship Him: 

(Sylvia's already made it to - past - 10,000!  So amazing to think of who He is like this!)

<a href="http://maryschieferstein.blogspot.com/search/label/10000%20Reasons" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitidrfBKBWTHSBiWyh3WMRKjHFgYKk-RxjYB9-uePQb1-uI3t3bjysPnR65zloJJ0LgTqhT5kW70Rk8VOC2utXFUWhGRPIxNCqzZ_9YQryYPMJdj2XpiX0oawLUiMnmxFOeMkmjk3IIA/s320/10000ReasonsButton.jpg" /></a>

Counting in community: