1 Thessalonians 5:15-19 NIV
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
Something I have recently been made aware of is just how inspiring a positive point of view is. As I watched a John Eldredge video in which he simply felt led to count his blessings in preparation of the coming new year, it dawned on me that having a grateful heart - regardless of my circumstances - had always been a great part of my creative process. In fact, it is one of God’s admonitions for all believers to ‘give thanks in ALL circumstances’. I decided to kick off 2026 by doing just that. What I discovered was that I have so much to be grateful for that I won’t bore you with everything I came up with. Just the highlights!
Of course I began with my relationship with Jesus and His saving grace and then immediately thought of my wife of 42+ years, our nine children and their spouses, our 13 grandchildren - so far - extended family, friends, Keith & Melody Green, Annie Herring and 2nd Chapter of Acts, clothing, food, shelter, water, provision, a godly point of view, good health in spite of Parkinson’s, my recent brain surgery, the many books He has inspired and allowed me to write along with all the music, and I can keep going, but, as I said, I do not want to bore you. I can honestly say that every book I have written along with every song I have received have come as a direct result of simply counting my blessings.
Of course, there have been so many other people in my life that have caused me to count my blessings. Something that has made me even more grateful is to look at the lives of many celebrities who either suffer with or suffered with Parkinson’s. I am not grateful they got the diagnosis but I am grateful to see how others have dealt with it. Michael J. Fox (diagnosed at age 29 in 1991. As of this writing he is 64 years old…two years younger than me), Alan Alda (diagnosed in 2015), Muhammed Ali (diagnosed in 1984), George H.W. Bush (diagnosed with vascular Parkinsonism in 2012), Neil Diamond (diagnosed in 2018), Brett Favre (diagnosed in 2024), Billy Graham (diagnosed in 1993), Linda Ronstadt (diagnosed in 2012), along with so many others I had no idea about.
As I have thought about the many blessings of my life I would also have to include the many years I lived in the depravity of my sin, being bullied when I was younger, death threats due to my testimony along with being mocked, rejected, scorned and the like. Why would I include these among my blessings? Because they each, when placed in the hands of God and seen from His point of view, have been used of God to mold me into the man I am today and that tends to inspire me to want to be a blessing to others.
If you want to be inspired to greater depths of creativity, just begin to count your blessings. The view from this vantage point is beyond inspiring. It is life to me.
"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." - Proverbs 11:25
"Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting is the way. Generosity begets generosity." - Luke 6:38 MSG
Dennis Jernigan
Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/worship-god-religion-christianity-2775770/