I've found that no matter what may happen in my life that I catagorize as 'bad', I can find someone else who is going through something worse. Of course, we all know how easy that is, but we don't usually try when we're in the middle of some illness or family crisis.

I'm going through cancer treatment, but it's not chemo. I have some sucky side effects that I hate, but hey, it's not chemo, okay? I have a friend that has just wrapped up a round of chemo and it's not something I would order from a buffett. It makes you sick to your stomach and your bones ache. So, I can count my blessings even though I have cancer.

I have another friend who has a small child in the hospital trying to recover from brain damage. She was in a car wreck with her mom and ended up with the most injuries. I just can't imagine seeing my child suffer like that, so I can consider myself blessed.

My wife and I sat down the other night and took turns counting our blessings. It was an encouraging excercise that really helped us focus on how good God has been to us. For instance, all of our family has jobs, which is a big thing in this economy. We're not taking that for granted and we're giving thanks that God has blessed us in that way. And even though we have some health issues (at least I do), we are able to do what we need to do and we're able to enjoy ourselves without depending on walkers, crutches or motorized wheel chairs.

Bottom line: Thank you God