Another Year Down!
The last day of the year has arrived! So hard to believe we’re putting another year to bed. Speaking of bed, when you lay your head on your pillow tonight, you have one more chance to make sure you walk into the New Year with open hands and an open heart…empty out all of the unforgiveness and negative thoughts and let Jesus fill it with His peace and joy. And when you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll find a New year and a new you!
Be Grateful at All Times
The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times in all situations. A week or so ago, I told Jerry I wanted to see the Christmas lights in St. Louis. We were about to meet our daughter for supper at PF Changs when she texted us that she was iced in (4:30) So Jerry and I decided to head back to Fairfield. Bumper to bumper traffic, semis off in ditches, and moving 5 miles an hour if we were fortunate seemed to be our evening entertainment. What started out as an ordinary day turned into quite an adventure! I saw the lights all right…thousands of lights from trucks and cars as far as the eye could see. About 11:30, we made it to Hucks in Mt.Vernon and I have never been so grateful to see a bathroom in all my life. AND to top it all off, I had a delicious bologna and cheese sandwich. Little things mean a lot!
Mixed Emotions
Christmas is a time of mixed emotions. It runs the gamut from JOY to ANGER and FRUSTRATION and everything in between. And feeling exhausted just makes the emotions even more intense. Pretending that we’re okay when we’re not while missing loved ones, spending too much, get-togethers walking on egg shells and feeling so alone even when there’s people all around can take a toll on us. Let’s spend a few minutes praying for those who are struggling…for whatever reason. And when it’s all said and done, take a few minutes and sit by the lighted tree…forget the mess, turn off the TV and let God’s peace settle over you like a warm blanket of love.
How are You REALLY?
Ask someone how they’re doing and a lot of times you’ll hear them say “Everything’s great, just great!” Too many times that’s not true. But it’s easier to say we’re great than to let people know what’s happening in our heart. So we keep everything inside and go through life without asking others for help or prayer. That’s just what the enemy wants us to do. Carrying pain and sadness is no way to live our life. We can never be what God called us to be as long as we live in sadness. If you’re hurting, please let someone know and let them come alongside you with prayer and support.
Ups and Downs
Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns. We can’t help what happens to us in life but we can sure choose how we respond to it. Anger, hurt feelings, revenge and unforgiveness will all take us down the wrong road. It’s important to ask Jesus to help us in every situation we face in life. And doubly important to keep our mouth shut!
In the Know!
IF the Enquirer is right, then most everybody wants to be in the “know”. And furthermore, IF the Enquirer is right, a whole lot of people like to hear the “dirt” on somebody else. Just remember this…gossip is a sin and it doesn’t matter if you’re doing the talking or the listening. And just a word of advice here: If someone loves to tell you everything that’s wrong with sister so and so, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will do the same to you! Choose your friends wisely.