So much seems to be on my mind these days. How precious His Word has been to me lately. Very early this morning I read: "Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you: He will NEVER allow the righteous to be moved." Psalms 55:22 What a promise!!
A new grandson on the way, the health I do have, love of family, prayer warriors who pray, a warm place to stay, food to eat, a job, friends, deodorant, ketcup, shampoo, scotch tape, Sadie my cat, Cheyenne my cat Bill got for me, a hug from our youngest, laughter with our two year old grandson, new underwear, a brand new washer, (wow! not used! BRAND NEW!) a visit with a very special aunt I seldom see, safety every day, back rubs, massager for my muscles, pickles.....my list could go on and on just counting my blessings! God has been so good. I cannot praise Him enough!
"Father, Grace for today. Strength for today. Forgiveness for today. Courage and boldness for today. Protection for today. Mental, physical, emotional, personal, material, and SPIRITUAL healing for today.......for these things I pray, Father, and not just for myself but for all my family, loved ones, and friends that You have so blest me with! I give YOU praise!"
"As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will pray, and cry aloud, and HE SHALL HEAR MY VOICE. He has given my soul peace from the battleS that are against me." Psalms 55:16-18
Did you take the time to read your Bible and have time with God today? If you've taken the time to read this blog..........then you've read your Bible and shared my time with God............keep on keeping on......receive His peace that He freely gives to all of us.............hugs to all.......Dea
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Stress Relief
Greetings to all......thanks for taking the time to check in on me. I realize that this is definitely the week associated with love and all that. My brother passed away on Valentine's Day five years ago. It's kinda hard for me to get excited over Valentine's Day anymore. Anyway, I don't have thoughts on love at this writing. Below you will find some thoughts I shared over an email someone shared with me. Take my word for it, when I saw an email with suggestions to relieve stress......I couldn't get it read fast enough. I pray God becomes more real as you read each word. If you get a laugh along the way, then God has accomplished something great within you as you read. Enjoy...........
WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS
1. Pray (ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, AND ALWAYS!!!!!!!)
2. Go to bed on time. (Being an adult, how do I know when "on time" is?)
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. (Now, listen, I'm too old to be rushed anywhere under any circumstances!!!!)
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. (First, ya have to have a mind in order to be concerned about your mental health. I lost my mind a very long time ago!!!! Second, I'm very flexible. I do what I need to but learned not to stress myself with a rough schedule.)
5. Delegate tasks to capable others. (Gee, there's really CAPABLE others out there?!!! CAPABLE is definitely the key word here)
6. Simplify and un clutter your life. (Ya can't get any more simple than I am! Un clutter? How do I do that when I have two dogs and two cats that want to sleep with me!)
7. Less is more. Although one is often not enough, two are often too many. (I cannot imagine a world with two of me........it definitely would be WAY TOO many)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. (I don't think my dad was ever late for anything.......I learned from him!!!!)
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. (What does one do when changes and difficult stuff just seems to lump itself together in your life and keeps on coming and coming and coming! Is there ever any rest from it!!!!!)
10. Take one day at a time. (AMEN! AND AGAIN I SAY, AMEN!)
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. (AMEN AGAIN! I'm gona get baptiscostal if I keep reading all this good stuff!)
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. (What's "ordinary?" I have not experienced "ordinary in ages! A budget? Am I the only one that struggles with that with our economy such a mess? These days I'm sure thankful God is my Provider.)
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. (An extra prayer warrior to pray when you can't)
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. (Anyone got an enormous amount of duct tape? It'd take a major miracle for this mouth to be kept shut!!!!)
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. (Does eating chocolate count?)
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting. (Read a Psalms EVERY DAY! You'll be amazed at the encouragement you get from it!)
17. Get enough rest. (Sure, no problem!!!!)
18. Eat right. (Does that mean I can't eat all that's LEFT anymore?!!!)
19 Get organized so everything has its place. (If I get anymore organized........I'll not be able to find myself. I think I'm entirely too detailed minded........too organized at times! Sometimes I want to just make a mess so I'll feel like the rest of the world!)
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. (I miss not having a tape player in my car! I'd LOVE to have a complete copy of the KJV Bible on cd just to be able to listen to someone else read His Word. I keep praying God will provide so I could get one!!!!)
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. (I'm such a blabberbox even when I write!!!!)
22. Every day, find time to be alone. (Yep......I'm one of those people who have to have THEIR space! I like my quiet!!!! Remember even Jesus knew how important it was to have time ALONE!!!!)
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try to pray. (He's always with me. He rides in the car with me. Often "we've" prayed my way thru bad weather. I have found MORE GOD in so many ways...........I try to treat Him just like a friend I see all the time. He's right here.......with me......all the time!!!! Joshua 1:9)
24. Make friends with Godly people. (If they hug they MUST be Godly people, don't ya think? I love my Cabbage Patch dolls because they always have their arms out waiting for a hug. I could listen to my Aunt Woneda pray all day. Talk about making friends with Godly people. My goodness that lady KNOWS how to pray and makes friends with everyone that hears her. For so many reasons, we need Godly people. If you are blest to find Godly people who really PRAY, you are a very, very rich person. I'm such a problem child, God has me surrounded with praying people and I love every one of them.)
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. (I've been told the BEST folder to have is your head! MEMORIZE is key!)
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus." (Don't just thank Him for the BIG things! THANK Him, thank Him , thank Him!!!!)
27. Laugh. (At yourself, with your friends, with your family, with your husband, over the newspaper, over sports, while taking a shower.....while eating, just LAUGH!!)
28. Laugh some more! (And more and more and more.......not possible to do too much laughing..)
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. (Trying to practice this advice is what's kept me sane at this point of life. I screw up often and alot. I'd not know what to do without HIS GRACE. My work? Well, no matter what I do.......I'm a daughter of the King. I represent Him and want to do a good job so my Heavenly Father doesn't look bad.)
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). (If God can constantly forgive me..........how can I hold things against others! God has really helped me in this area of life.)
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). (Does this mean I have to be nice to people I work with that are not nice! What a struggle that can be but I am often reminded of the women at the well that Jesus spoke to. He showed her compassion and love and understanding........and I'm sure it wasn't easy for Him. If He can.........then I'll keep trying to live up to His standard. Boy......some people sure make it hard, huh!)
32. Sit on your ego. (I've never felt ego was a real problem for me. It's taken me a long time in life to accept who I am in Christ. Insecure. Not capable. Not good enough. Worthless. Those are all words that were in my vocabulary toward myself for many, many years. It's not been easy, but God has brought me a long way............I've never seen having an ego as a problem. Maybe I'm blind.........)
33 Talk less; listen more. (I know......I'm the blabberbox, BUT.......God has brought me a long way and I feel I am better at listening now than I use to be. I keep trying to improve and I keep looking for bigger rolls of duct tape!!!)
34. Slow down. (If I get any slower, a turtle is gona be able to pass me with no trouble at all. I'm old. I'm slow.....but when I do a job, it's done right the first time. When I pass a pretty flower.....I see it. When a bird sings outside, I hear it. When the moon is full and the sky so gorgeous at night.........I enjoy it and talk to God about it. When the kids are laughing.......I hear them. When my husband snores, I hear him and am thankful he is still with me and I can hear him snore!!!!)
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. (Can you believe a "professional" person told me one time that I had a Jesus complex? I wanted to bop them in the nose. No way could I ever think I was Jesus. Yet.........I began to understand what I was being told as I continued to grow in Christ. I CANNOT take care of everyone and everything. I cannot be ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. My goodness it took me YEARS to understand that. I have been given an overwhelming desire to help. To help everyone, anyone, and everybody. No matter the circumstances, I want to help. I continue to learn that the MOST POWERFUL thing I can DO for everyone, anyone and everybody is to PRAY. I can pray.........I'll let God take care of the rest! Boy did things in life get easier once I got a grip on this!!!)
36 ... Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. (Now if you don't think this is gona take some thinking......just give it a try! I'm still thinking. God has been soooooooooooooooo good to my family and I. I seem to always be thanking Him with nearly every breath. Something I'm thankful for I've not ever been thankful for before.........................I'm thinking..........with a thankful heart!!!)
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
I'm sure you're tired of reading my babblings right now. Kinda long blog, huh. Well, I have a special hug I wanted to share with ya. I stand amazed myself at the way God hugged me this week.
When we moved here five years ago, I had to buy one of those things to put behind the toilet in the small bathroom so towels, washclothes, and personal stuff could be kept in the bathroom. There was no place for such things in the little bathroom in our house. Off and on for a while, I've been thinking that it'd be NICE to have a new one. One with a shelve and one with a couple shelves with doors. I wanted to get something that would keep things safe so our little grandson would not get into anything that might hurt him. It wasn't a NEED. It was something I put way down at the bottom of my wish list and thought maybe before the year was over, I'd be able to get one. Well...........I was walking thru my work place the other day, (I work in retail) and for no particular reason, I walked down the aisle that had those shelving things. With my handheld scanner, I scanned one that was sitting in the wrong place. I nearly fainted. I looked at the picture of it. It was EXACTLY what I had in mind. Wood. Beautiful glass doors. A shelve for towels. The top was nice and smooth to sit something pretty on. The normal retail price was $69.99. God provided it for me for just $7.00. GIVE HIM A SHOUT OF PRAISE! Is that just not the neatest thing! I wasn't looking for one. It wasn't a NEED. I don't spend money these days or any days past on things unless it is a need. God knows my heart. I felt His arms around me hugging me tight and telling me it was alright to take the unit home and to spend the $7 on it. Earlier last week I'd found baby things on sale again that I purchased to donate to a baby place I know can use them. I spent 50 cents for toddler cups........45 cents for pacificers. I bought several because I know the need is great at the baby place I speak of. I have them here saving them until I get a bag full of things and then I'll make sure they get taken to the baby place. I felt like God had already given back to me for getting for the babies. When God lead me to that bathroom unit I wanted.......I felt His presence. I saw Him smiling and laughing because He saw MY heart and knew I had nothing but praise for Him.
"Delight myself also in the Lord, and HE WILL GIVE me the desires of my heart." Psalms 37:4
WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS
1. Pray (ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, AND ALWAYS!!!!!!!)
2. Go to bed on time. (Being an adult, how do I know when "on time" is?)
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. (Now, listen, I'm too old to be rushed anywhere under any circumstances!!!!)
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. (First, ya have to have a mind in order to be concerned about your mental health. I lost my mind a very long time ago!!!! Second, I'm very flexible. I do what I need to but learned not to stress myself with a rough schedule.)
5. Delegate tasks to capable others. (Gee, there's really CAPABLE others out there?!!! CAPABLE is definitely the key word here)
6. Simplify and un clutter your life. (Ya can't get any more simple than I am! Un clutter? How do I do that when I have two dogs and two cats that want to sleep with me!)
7. Less is more. Although one is often not enough, two are often too many. (I cannot imagine a world with two of me........it definitely would be WAY TOO many)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. (I don't think my dad was ever late for anything.......I learned from him!!!!)
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. (What does one do when changes and difficult stuff just seems to lump itself together in your life and keeps on coming and coming and coming! Is there ever any rest from it!!!!!)
10. Take one day at a time. (AMEN! AND AGAIN I SAY, AMEN!)
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. (AMEN AGAIN! I'm gona get baptiscostal if I keep reading all this good stuff!)
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. (What's "ordinary?" I have not experienced "ordinary in ages! A budget? Am I the only one that struggles with that with our economy such a mess? These days I'm sure thankful God is my Provider.)
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. (An extra prayer warrior to pray when you can't)
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. (Anyone got an enormous amount of duct tape? It'd take a major miracle for this mouth to be kept shut!!!!)
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. (Does eating chocolate count?)
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting. (Read a Psalms EVERY DAY! You'll be amazed at the encouragement you get from it!)
17. Get enough rest. (Sure, no problem!!!!)
18. Eat right. (Does that mean I can't eat all that's LEFT anymore?!!!)
19 Get organized so everything has its place. (If I get anymore organized........I'll not be able to find myself. I think I'm entirely too detailed minded........too organized at times! Sometimes I want to just make a mess so I'll feel like the rest of the world!)
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. (I miss not having a tape player in my car! I'd LOVE to have a complete copy of the KJV Bible on cd just to be able to listen to someone else read His Word. I keep praying God will provide so I could get one!!!!)
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. (I'm such a blabberbox even when I write!!!!)
22. Every day, find time to be alone. (Yep......I'm one of those people who have to have THEIR space! I like my quiet!!!! Remember even Jesus knew how important it was to have time ALONE!!!!)
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try to pray. (He's always with me. He rides in the car with me. Often "we've" prayed my way thru bad weather. I have found MORE GOD in so many ways...........I try to treat Him just like a friend I see all the time. He's right here.......with me......all the time!!!! Joshua 1:9)
24. Make friends with Godly people. (If they hug they MUST be Godly people, don't ya think? I love my Cabbage Patch dolls because they always have their arms out waiting for a hug. I could listen to my Aunt Woneda pray all day. Talk about making friends with Godly people. My goodness that lady KNOWS how to pray and makes friends with everyone that hears her. For so many reasons, we need Godly people. If you are blest to find Godly people who really PRAY, you are a very, very rich person. I'm such a problem child, God has me surrounded with praying people and I love every one of them.)
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. (I've been told the BEST folder to have is your head! MEMORIZE is key!)
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus." (Don't just thank Him for the BIG things! THANK Him, thank Him , thank Him!!!!)
27. Laugh. (At yourself, with your friends, with your family, with your husband, over the newspaper, over sports, while taking a shower.....while eating, just LAUGH!!)
28. Laugh some more! (And more and more and more.......not possible to do too much laughing..)
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. (Trying to practice this advice is what's kept me sane at this point of life. I screw up often and alot. I'd not know what to do without HIS GRACE. My work? Well, no matter what I do.......I'm a daughter of the King. I represent Him and want to do a good job so my Heavenly Father doesn't look bad.)
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). (If God can constantly forgive me..........how can I hold things against others! God has really helped me in this area of life.)
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). (Does this mean I have to be nice to people I work with that are not nice! What a struggle that can be but I am often reminded of the women at the well that Jesus spoke to. He showed her compassion and love and understanding........and I'm sure it wasn't easy for Him. If He can.........then I'll keep trying to live up to His standard. Boy......some people sure make it hard, huh!)
32. Sit on your ego. (I've never felt ego was a real problem for me. It's taken me a long time in life to accept who I am in Christ. Insecure. Not capable. Not good enough. Worthless. Those are all words that were in my vocabulary toward myself for many, many years. It's not been easy, but God has brought me a long way............I've never seen having an ego as a problem. Maybe I'm blind.........)
33 Talk less; listen more. (I know......I'm the blabberbox, BUT.......God has brought me a long way and I feel I am better at listening now than I use to be. I keep trying to improve and I keep looking for bigger rolls of duct tape!!!)
34. Slow down. (If I get any slower, a turtle is gona be able to pass me with no trouble at all. I'm old. I'm slow.....but when I do a job, it's done right the first time. When I pass a pretty flower.....I see it. When a bird sings outside, I hear it. When the moon is full and the sky so gorgeous at night.........I enjoy it and talk to God about it. When the kids are laughing.......I hear them. When my husband snores, I hear him and am thankful he is still with me and I can hear him snore!!!!)
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. (Can you believe a "professional" person told me one time that I had a Jesus complex? I wanted to bop them in the nose. No way could I ever think I was Jesus. Yet.........I began to understand what I was being told as I continued to grow in Christ. I CANNOT take care of everyone and everything. I cannot be ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. My goodness it took me YEARS to understand that. I have been given an overwhelming desire to help. To help everyone, anyone, and everybody. No matter the circumstances, I want to help. I continue to learn that the MOST POWERFUL thing I can DO for everyone, anyone and everybody is to PRAY. I can pray.........I'll let God take care of the rest! Boy did things in life get easier once I got a grip on this!!!)
36 ... Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. (Now if you don't think this is gona take some thinking......just give it a try! I'm still thinking. God has been soooooooooooooooo good to my family and I. I seem to always be thanking Him with nearly every breath. Something I'm thankful for I've not ever been thankful for before.........................I'm thinking..........with a thankful heart!!!)
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
I'm sure you're tired of reading my babblings right now. Kinda long blog, huh. Well, I have a special hug I wanted to share with ya. I stand amazed myself at the way God hugged me this week.
When we moved here five years ago, I had to buy one of those things to put behind the toilet in the small bathroom so towels, washclothes, and personal stuff could be kept in the bathroom. There was no place for such things in the little bathroom in our house. Off and on for a while, I've been thinking that it'd be NICE to have a new one. One with a shelve and one with a couple shelves with doors. I wanted to get something that would keep things safe so our little grandson would not get into anything that might hurt him. It wasn't a NEED. It was something I put way down at the bottom of my wish list and thought maybe before the year was over, I'd be able to get one. Well...........I was walking thru my work place the other day, (I work in retail) and for no particular reason, I walked down the aisle that had those shelving things. With my handheld scanner, I scanned one that was sitting in the wrong place. I nearly fainted. I looked at the picture of it. It was EXACTLY what I had in mind. Wood. Beautiful glass doors. A shelve for towels. The top was nice and smooth to sit something pretty on. The normal retail price was $69.99. God provided it for me for just $7.00. GIVE HIM A SHOUT OF PRAISE! Is that just not the neatest thing! I wasn't looking for one. It wasn't a NEED. I don't spend money these days or any days past on things unless it is a need. God knows my heart. I felt His arms around me hugging me tight and telling me it was alright to take the unit home and to spend the $7 on it. Earlier last week I'd found baby things on sale again that I purchased to donate to a baby place I know can use them. I spent 50 cents for toddler cups........45 cents for pacificers. I bought several because I know the need is great at the baby place I speak of. I have them here saving them until I get a bag full of things and then I'll make sure they get taken to the baby place. I felt like God had already given back to me for getting for the babies. When God lead me to that bathroom unit I wanted.......I felt His presence. I saw Him smiling and laughing because He saw MY heart and knew I had nothing but praise for Him.
"Delight myself also in the Lord, and HE WILL GIVE me the desires of my heart." Psalms 37:4
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