Poet and writer Maya Angelou told in an interview about an experience she'd had in the early 1950s. She had returned to the United States from Europe, leaving behind a child. She said: "One day I was very frightened for my sanity... So, I went to my voice teacher and told him I was going mad. He said, 'Here's a yellow pad. Write your blessings.' I said, 'Oh, please, I don't want to even hear that. I'm going crazy.' He said, 'Start with the fact that you can hear me, that you can see the page, that you can hold the pen.' Before I reached the end of the page I was transformed. So, everything I have written, every book, every stage play, every screenplay, was written on a yellow pad. As soon as I pick it up, I am reminded of my blessings"²

As a mother of three young children, I often have days where I feel like I may go crazy, just as Maya Angelou felt. However, I have learned the lesson she was taught of writing our blessings. When I start to feel overwhelmed or stressed, I grab a piece of paper and write the words "I'm thankful for..." Then, line by line I start writing all the blessings in my life. Within just a couple of minutes I feel a load lifted off my chest and am ready to face the remainder of the day!

God is good and will always give us the strength we need, but a good place for us to start doing our part is by writing down our blessings and seeing all that God has done.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, I am thankful for this new day, my health, my family, my job, your constant provision, the beauty of a sunrise and sunset, but most of all, I am thankful for Jesus. In him you have given us the greatest blessings of all. Peace, true joy, unconditional love, hope, salvation, and life eternal amongst others. Help thankfulness come from me before complaints. When I start to feel overwhelmed, help me learn to name my blessings one by one. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.  

1. James 1:17 (NIV).

2. The Christian Science Monitor, October 20, 1993.