When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?
 
Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
~Psalm 8:3-5, NRSVUE

Happy New Year!
Sometimes a new year arrives and we feel SO excited for what’s in store. 
Though there are years when a new year arrives and we have a pit in our stomach for what lies ahead. 

I don’t know if 2024 was a great year for you or a not-so-great year. 
I don’t know if 2025 has hardships you already know about on the horizon or if this is going to be an even better year than the last. 
All of which makes wishing people, “Happy New Year!” feel a little fraught (even if well-intentioned)!

When I was growing up in Ohio, people would say, “Count your blessings!” a great deal. 
That is just one of those phrases I remember from childhood, “Count your blessings!”

It could come across as not wanting to delve into the negative aspects of life too much.  “Midwest Nice” is part of the culture where we are polite to a fault and conflict-avoidant.  Folks trace being “Midwest Nice” to our Scandinavian and Germanic ancestors with personality traits passed down from generation to generation.  Better to count our blessings than to confront the hardships!  Though if we count our blessings, it does help us gain some perspective.  And that can be a positive boost indeed.

You may or may not know the phrase from the movie White Christmas, “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep).” 
Sometimes when I think of the phrase, the lyrics written by Irving Berlin also come to mind: 

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep.
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.

Counting your blessings may help in times of worry and in times of joy.
Mostly counting our blessings can serve as a reminder that there is always something to be grateful for in our lives.
Remember that God crowned us (all of us!) with glory and honor. 
What a blessing.
Just a thought to share, as we begin a new year together. 

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

Thursday Thoughts 1/2/25