Johnson Oatman Jr. was raised in a family where his father was a singer. He wanted to sing with him, but after trying, became convinced he had no talent. Johnson then set his sights on being a preacher. At the age of 36, he realized he could share the message of Jesus by writing hymns for people to enjoy and sing.

It is reported that over the rest of his life, he penned more than 5,000 songs. A few of them became popular, but none more than the song he wrote in 1897. It was an immediate success and drew attention to all his previous work.

In the Church I grew up in, the song was referred to as “When Upon Life’s Billows.” The name most people know it by is “Count Your Blessings.” It is an uplifting song about looking on the bright side of life.

The day after Christmas is undoubtedly the appropriate time to count your blessings. Many of us have spent time with family and friends, we have received and given gifts, and we have eaten some of the best-tasting food of the year. Today is a good day to sit down and thank God for all the blessings in your life. I think if you do that, you will rediscover that no matter what the rest of this year looks like, you are truly blessed beyond measure.