$1 - Question of the Day

Tuesday, July 3, 2007


What if you had a $1 for every time you received a blessing? What would that add up to in a day, a week, a month, a year?? $50, $1,000, $1M, $1B....trillions? Can't calculate?

Let's think of it this way (for those who say they are in ultimate despair and have no blessings at all)...think of your breathing. How long can you actually hold your breath? 30 seconds, 1 - 2 minutes, 3...? The Guinness Book of World Records online has someone holding their breath for nearly 13 minutes (don't hold me to this one - no pun intended). I know what you are thinking, this is crazy, right?

So here is your experiment. Try counting the number of times you inhale for 30 seconds. Be creative...use your microwave as a timer or something. Multiply this number by 2. Then multiply that number by 60 and then that number by 24. We won't get too technical here because I will start getting emails from people asking about - what if I breath less when I am sleeping or more when I work out?

Here are my results:

8 breaths in 30 seconds

8 x 2 = 16
16 x 60 = 960
960 x 24 = 23,040

Trust me, I have been trying to get rid of this math from my engineering degree but it keeps popping up. I had to fight myself not to give you a formula with variables.

So I roughly take 16 breathes a minute, 960 an hour, and 23,040 per day. Multiply each of these numbers by just $1.

Can you afford to pay someone $960 an hour? Or $23,040 a day? How about $8,409,600 a year. Will some of us even make that in a lifetime?

How about we find another way to pay for what keeps us living? How about paying God? Not through money but through prayer and praise! After reading the Purpose Driven Life, I thought about what my true purpose was.

Why not take a fraction of the breath that you are blessed with and pray for a half an hour a day, just for starters. Guess what? I'll try to. I'm not perfect because it doesn't always happen. But I am willing to admit it and we can all try together. That's 1,800 seconds a day, a small cry from the numbers that are mentioned above.

Still not convinced? Go to your local drugstore and purchase a composition notebook. Or better yet use a magnet on your refrigerator and some typing paper. For a week, write down every time you feel that you have been blessed. This includes waking up, eating, standing, seeing your kids, walking the dog, getting paid, watching tv, enjoying your air conditioning, seeing the sun outside, and the moon when you go to sleep....you'll find all of your own soon. At the end of the week, compile your list and sit your family down together. Read the collective list out loud. If one of you doesn't feel the innate desire to lift or bow your head in thanks....I'll leave my thoughts on that to myself.

rk

Photography tips in the next post, I promise!
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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Knight,
I am glad that God blesses us with ministers not only through the church but also ministers outside of the church where it's most important. Being blessed by you and your telling stories through pictures I thought it was just by chance, ( The Gray Engagement)but God has a progressive plan with you and this Blog. I hope to meet you one day soon. Hopefully at the Park gathering. I pray you are keeping all of these blogs for your book that your are destined to write. I'll buy the first copy if it doesn't sell out the 1st day!

Tabitha from Mableton

Arlene Hope Photography said...

Commune With The Father
- A.Hope Smith

When our knees touch down, and heads are reverently bowed,
all of heaven pauses as treasured prayers are escorted ever so delicately into the throne room of the Masters presence.

A sweet aroma of precious voices and thoughts of greatfullness fills he atmosphere of the Most High.

He delights in those who call him Abba, whom he made in his image. Indeed, Heaven takes notice as we commune with the Father in prayer.

Unknown said...

I am touched and will carry your thoughts and the images of this engagement in my heart...I pray you continue in your purpose, for you are truly serving GOD in word and deed.

Shana said...

So far 2007 has been rough for me and I have often had a hard time recognizing my blessings. Recently I have had a revelation. I have come to understand that all the things I deemed as painful and self defeating are working to my greater good. I now try to view all the emotions (even the ones I thought were negative) as blessings from God that will bring me closer to Him if I just allow it to happen. It is my feeling that if I keep my heart open I will find blessings in every aspect and event in my life. I am taking the self-percieved negative situations and embracing the possibility of positive transformation. Great post!

Anonymous said...

Amen.
asm

Anonymous said...

Ross, you are a reflection of my own heart. What a nice surprise to find a kindred spirit!

Keep the blessings coming!

Te-Erika

Unknown said...

Mr. Knight: I will certainly have to include you in my journal of blessings for this week. I never imagined that an email about someone's engagement would have led me to a blog with your enlighting comments. Continue to let God use you and know that you too are a blessing. May God continue to bless your life and your career. Beautiful work.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Knight,

I would like to thank El Shaddai (God Almighty) for blessing you with a wonderful gift and for granting you the wisdom to recognize your gift. I thank you for sharing your gift with the world. I know that I am blessed, but you put it in a way in which others can see that they too are blessed. You are now counted as one of my blessings. Praise our Lord El Shaddai.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Knight,

I just happened to learn about you through a friend and I have to let you know I am so proud of you and happy to see that a brother is blessed with such talent and is doing beautiful work. It looks like you've made sooo many people happy. I wish I'd known about you when I was looking for a photographer for our August wedding. Even though I found someone who is also terrific, I'm sad that I didn't find you first, but I still feel compelled to let you know that I would hire you (and probably will for some future something that will need your eye to capture). You have been clearly blessed, and your work is a blessing to witness.
Best,
Angie

Anonymous said...

What a blessing you are to others! I came across the video "The Proposal", What a testament of that young man's love and and God's hand upon his life, and your ability to capture it. God in your life is evident as well. I am reading "The Purpose Driven Life" for the second time. I am sadden that I can't get anyone around me as excited and enthused about it as I am. God Bless you in all your endeavors.

Anonymous said...

The Gray Engagement was so amazing. With his concept and your pictures, you truly told a story of God fearing love. God truly has a plan for you. I'm not going to wish you any luck because you definately don't need it. You are doing what you were meant to do therefore God has his loving arms around you. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

Sir Ross, what a "mighty man of valor" you are. Your $1 Question of the Day was soooooo inspirational and thought provoking, I have even quoted you in a conversation (so make sure you copyright your writings as well as your photographs). May the Good LORD continue to Bless you and your photographic and poetic ministry.

purple7936@aol.com

Renee said...

Bro. Ross I am yet again blessed by what you've written. I plan on sharing it with my Bible study group and friends. I am expecting a wonderful discussion on Sabbath afternoon. Blessings.

Anonymous said...

Ross,

Inspiring post! Congrats on your recent engagement. I imagine the symbolism of the foot washing was in preparation for your new life together! Very simple and beautiful.

Blessings to you and Brandi

ND

C. R. Weatherspoon said...

Mr. Ross Knight. I want to thank you for this blog, I was really inspired, and I wrote some thoughts in my own blog. Thank you so much. Have a blessed night :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh my God, what can I say. You leave me speechless. Is God not good and all the time he is good. Thank you Jesus. You have bless me, I thank God for blessing you with a beautiful gift. I'm 50 years old and my passion is photography. It has been my passion for nearly 30 years. I never did anything with it until a couple of years ago. I started having Grandchildren and so I decide to pick up my lost love and give it a try. I want to give my all to this, I'm done raising my children. I really believe that God has giving me this to do in my second half of life. I'm walking away from a good paying job, and I have no fear. I call it craze faith, and it feels good. God is going to do what he said he will. It's so much I would like to say about your work, the beauty I see. The meaning of every shot,what you saw, and why you took that picture. I'm so full with God grace and his love. I'm so inspired by you, it's not to late for me. God Bless you, I would like to meet you one day. I also like to learn some things from you. Take Care and keep up the beautiful, so beautiful work. Pray for me that God will continu to give me that love for other, that I will do his will. That I will find myself blessing other with a prue heart.
Much Love,
Ms.Annette Webb
lillie14@frontiernet.net

Anonymous said...

Mr Knight,
I agree with all the other bloggers, you are a wonderfully blessed young man. I am Godly proud of you and your business. Continue to let the Lord use you so you can bless the world in your work and word.