From the Jar of Blessings

By Shawn Wells

From the Jar of Blessings is a compilation of about 270 blessings and/or inspirational quotes that were sent to me by family and friends over a period of eleven years. I would write each blessing/quote on bright-colored squares of paper, fold them up, and put them in a big glass olive jar I have.

For this book, I have taken each blessing and/or quote and written my thoughts about them. Some of the blessings/quotes are deeply personal while others are quite funny. This book reminds us that God sends us blessings and inspiration on a regular basis, whether it be a simple blessing such as a small act of kindness or a huge blessing such as sparing a life after what could have been a fatal accident. All too often, we are so busy that we don’t take the time to focus on the blessings all around us.

Some of the blessings in this book were sent to me by adults, and others were sent by kids. For some reason, kids have an easier time recognizing blessings. One boy sent in the following blessing: “I am thankful a boy in my class spoke up and stopped someone from bullying me.” I was so blessed to know that there were students at the school who were willing to stand up for others. Bullying is such a problem in our schools, and it is so important that children and adults stand up against it.

The blessings/quotes in this book deal with topics such as Alzheimer’s disease, caregiving, lack of finances, cancer, and many more. Hopefully, the blessings and/or quotes in this book will cause you to look at day-to-day life from a different perspective.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891303706

Book preview

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From the Jar of Blessings

Shawn Wells

ISBN 979-8-89130-369-0 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-89130-370-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Shawn Wells

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Testimony about How VBS Touches Lives

About the Author

Preface

You may be wondering how this book got its start. It began as a way to lift my spirits. I have bipolar disorder, and I tend to run on the depressive side. One day, I was feeling a little down, and I was wondering what I could do to change my perspective. I looked across the living room, and my eyes rested on this large olive jar I have from the island of Cyprus, where I was born. I thought, What if I started a jar of blessings?

I decided to send a request out by e-mail and on Facebook, asking family and friends to send me blessings they had received and/or inspiring quotes. I also put the same request out at my church.

Soon, blessings and quotes started flowing in. I would write the blessings/quotes out on slips of paper, fold them up, and place them in the olive jar. Then after a while (after having received around two hundred responses), I took one slip out per day and shared them online. I kept all those blessings in a program on my iPad. Now, after nine years, my friends have encouraged me to write this book. On each page, you will find a blessing or quote and my thoughts about that day's blessing or quote.

I hope this book will lift your spirits and brighten your day. I believe that I should not just count my blessings, I should share them.

Life is too short to not adopt a dog.

My thoughts

I agree with all my heart. We lost our fifteen-year-old dog recently, and today we went to our local humane society and adopted Izzy. She loves to cuddle, and she loves to race around the room and then take a flying leap into your lap. She is part Chihuahua and part miniature Doberman, which accounts for her coloring and the fact that when she hears a noise, she freezes and points. She loves the backyard, especially wiggling around on her back in the grass in the sun. She is curled up in a ball next to me on the couch sound asleep. She understands many words, and she heads for the back door when you say, Let's go potty! She also knows get a drink, chicken, green bowl (her dinner bowl), and Rocky (our resident squirrel).

Where liberty dwells, there is my country.

—Benjamin Franklin

My thoughts

Whenever I see the American flag flying, hear our national anthem playing, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I am reminded how blessed I am to live in the United States. I am thankful to the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that I could have the freedoms I enjoy.

That doesn't mean that our country is perfect. Yes, we do have some major problems, but compared to what is going on in other countries, I feel very blessed. There are countries where people are being starved, tortured, or killed by their own government forces.

We have so much to be thankful for. The next time you see our flag flying, stop and say, Thank you! The next time you hear our national anthem playing, put your hand over your heart. And the next time you recite the Pledge of Allegiance, listen closely to the words. So I say, Thank you, all those who fought for my freedom. I salute you.

I am thankful and blessed that just when I think I have run out of resources to meet my financial obligations, God provides a Niagara Falls flood of employment opportunities.

My thoughts

We have all had times in our lives when our finances are stretched almost to the breaking point. Then a friend steps in and blesses us with a meal (maybe even two or more), and it helps reduce our grocery bill for the week. Maybe we can't afford to pay the rent, and our family gives us the joy of staying with them until we can save up enough money to move out again. Or maybe we are college students struggling to pay tuition, and a surprise scholarship or a source of financial aid comes along.

We should not be embarrassed to let others know that we are struggling financially because how can they have an opportunity to help if they don't know we need help? God supplies our needs in so many ways and through so many people.

I am thankful for all of the leaders and all of the people who have been participating in one way or another to support the Kid's Club ministry here in Kigoma.

My thoughts

In Kigoma, Tanzania, they have a huge Kid's Club ministry. There are locals who are trained to be leaders and to minister to and train up the younger kids involved in the clubs. It is amazing how many kids attend the meetings, Bible studies, etc. and who are having an impact on the lives of others in their communities and beyond.

Youth groups and children's ministries in churches around the world are very important parts of the church. Those who participate are the future leaders of local churches. They are future pastors, youth pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, etc. It is vital to focus on our youth.

Testimony about How VBS Touches Lives

Last Easter, when our church kicked off recruiting for volunteers for our summer VBS, I had a young man in his twenties come up and ask if I remembered him. I laughed and said that at my age, if I can remember how to get home, I am doing well.

We laughed, and he started to tell me about coming to our church about ten years ago. He remembered that I and another lady were his classroom leaders at VBS. He told me that his mom only let him come with his next-door neighbor friend who attended our church and only for VBS. He told me of how they had moved away and how his mom raised him and his sister and how he always remembered our church.

He is now married and has a child of his own. He and his wife were visiting, trying to find a church in the area since they were moving back to the area for a job.

What was so great about this? He told me his mom had become depressed and had many boyfriends in and out of the house. He had no idea (at that young age) where his dad was. When they moved, he and his sister kept several of the crafts and activities they had made at VBS so they could play VBS at their new home.

They talked about the stories they learned and kept them close to their heart. They grew up and went to college. While at college, he met his wife and, a couple of summers ago, went home to his wife's church to help with VBS. It brought back so many happy memories during a troubled time. Because of that, he went on to study with his future wife and gave his life to the Lord that summer, some ten years after VBS!

It just goes to show you that all the time, energy, and money that go into VBS pays off in the long run! I will always believe in the ministry of VBS!

We have been so blessed by our second son, who bent over backwards and sacrificed his time and money to make it possible for us to buy his house. It is a beautiful home and it is all ours. We plan to share it with family and friends. A place to gather. Thanking the Lord for his perfect timing and a son's amazing love!

My thoughts

I know this couple, and even though this is the first house they have owned, they have always made wherever they lived a home. They celebrated holidays and birthdays in their other houses. They hosted a Bible study in one of their houses and also hosted dinner with friends in their houses. There is a quote that says, A house becomes a home when it is a haven for love, memories, and happiness. Now, thanks to their son, they own a house that has already become a home.

They have already had two family gatherings this year that were filled with love and memories, and they plan on having more family gatherings. There is a firepit at their house, around which they hope to have gatherings with family and friends.

I am so thankful for this blessing that this son gave his parents. It is such a beautiful example of honoring your father and mother. This young man honored his parents by sacrificing his time and money, showing them his amazing love, and being a blessing so his parents could be a blessing to others by opening up their home as a place for others to gather and experience God's love.

I am so thankful for the ways my daughter has changed since she became a mom.

My thoughts

I am sure motherhood changes every woman in different ways, so I asked two friends to share how motherhood changed them. This is what they wrote:

My boys have brought me a sense of joy and purpose I never thought possible. To see the world through their eyes, with patience and grace, made me take a look at myself and the kind of mother I've long dreamt of being. Right after my oldest son was born I got sober from alcohol. I knew that I couldn't possibly be the best mother to them if I continued dealing with my own traumas and life experiences by masking them. Today I am four and a half years sober and each day as a mom brings new blessings and opportunities to learn. Both of my sons changed me in different ways and grew my perspective on what life is really all about. I've learned to say sorry when I make a mistake, to let them be little, to be patient and kind with their emotions and in turn be more patient and kind to myself. I'm so grateful to be their mother, the greatest gifts life has given me.

I always wanted to be a mom and it took so much to get here. 4 years and 2 rounds of IVF. My heart has grown so full I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. I am more patient and kind. I more careful with my words and the tone of my voice. I am more playful and care less about what other people think. I've slowed WAY down and sleep WAY less. My husband will always be my best friend, but the twins are my everything. 100% unconditional love. They are my dream come true and honestly make me a better person.

I am blessed with good health and the ability to do many things after reaching the ripe old age of 80.

My thoughts

I really hope that when I reach eighty, I will be blessed with good health and that I will be able to do things I enjoy. There are things I can do to promote good health: eating healthy foods, exercising, spending time doing relaxing things, making time for family and friends, getting regular checkups. I can also spend time expanding the things I enjoy doing and have the ability to do right now. I am always trying new things, and hopefully, I will be able to continue doing them for a long time.

What things can you do to promote good health (both physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)?

Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.

—Suzy Kassem

My thoughts

Did you know that 31 percent of the people in the world have a fear of failure to the point where they won't even try to accomplish their dreams? Fear of failure tops our list of phobias. But failure is part of life, and to realize our dreams, we must get back up and try again.

We have all heard of famous writers whose manuscripts were rejected. If they had given up trying, we wouldn't have their books to read. In fact, J. K. Rowling's manuscript for her first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times. She didn't let those failures stop her from future success. John Grisham's first book was rejected twenty-eight times.

We have all heard of famous athletes who didn't give up and are now a part of sports history. Babe Ruth is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time, an honor that is well deserved given his home run records. What most people don't know is that when he retired in 1935, he also held the record for the most strikeouts in all of major league baseball! He walked back to the dugout twice as often as he ran the bases. His explanation? I just go up there, and I swing. I just keep on swinging, and I keep on swinging. Every strike brings me closer to my next home run. If he hadn't adopted this attitude, he could have easily just given up.

You may know someone who is on the verge of giving up on their dreams. Encourage them today to keep on trying and to not let the fear kill those dreams.

Every day is different. Some are better than others. But, no matter how challenging the day is, I get up and live it.

—Muhammad Ali

My thoughts

For me, every day is different. Some days, it is a challenge to get up and get going. I just want to roll over and go back to sleep. But instead, I put one leg out of the bed and then the other and start my day.

I think of the saying Take one day at a time and how it applies to a recovering addict or alcoholic. For an addict or alcoholic, who is striving to become drug- or alcohol-free, recovery one day at a time means waking up and recommitting to the process every single day. This means that no matter what circumstances they may be facing in life and regardless of what happened yesterday, they are making the conscious choice to carry on in their commitment to sobriety.

Sobriety is a choice that they make every day and continue to make for as long as they wish to better themselves and their life after addiction. Some days are going to be better than others, and some days, there will be challenges for them, but they commit to living life (even if they have a relapse).

Do you know someone who is facing challenges in their lives? Maybe it is a physical challenge. Maybe it is a mental challenge or emotional challenge. It could even be a spiritual challenge. Encourage them to face that challenge and to get up each day and live life!

Accept both compliments and criticism. It takes both sun and rain for a flower to grow.

—Unknown

My thoughts

I love getting compliments. They make me feel good about myself, and they make me feel happy. Criticism, however, is sometimes hard to swallow. It can make me feel bad about myself and leave me feeling depressed.

But there are benefits to constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is a valuable tool that allows individuals to learn and grow. But quite often, people don't realize what a great resource it can be. The truth is, feedback and criticism can really help all of us succeed in life.

I can think of three benefits that constructive criticism/feedback can have. First of all, it can help you change your perspective or to look at something in your life you may not have seen. At my last doctor's appointment, my primary-care doctor gave me feedback about getting more serious about eating healthier and exercising more to control my diabetes. Her words really changed my perspective.

Second, constructive criticism can cause you to change and grow. As a result of my doctor's feedback, I came home and worked out an eating-and-exercise plan, which I have been following for over two months. I am already seeing results in my blood sugar levels.

Last of all, helpful feedback can improve relationships. When I first heard my doctor's feedback, I was ready to change