Ecclesiastes 9 : lighten up and enjoy When I notice myself reviewing the details of life’s problems and injustices, I need to ask the most important question in mental health! “Really, is it my job right now to do something about that? If so, do it, obey. If not I need to REFOCUS. But HOW […]
I’ve always had trouble with one phrase in the serenity prayer, “to accept the things that cannot be changed.” The original, attributed to Niebuhr, is: God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one […]
There’s the armor that you put on and the armor you wield. Faith is armor you wield. You might object saying that the shield of Faith is not wielded but rather it is held and passively blocks the fiery darts of the wicked. The roman soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder and did deflect the incoming arrows […]
a good thing to add to your emergency kit Watchman Nee was discouraged. Each morning he would concentrate on acting dead to sin all day and acting more alive to God. At the end of the day he would examine how he had done–not so well. He spent 40 days fasting and praying to try […]
Years ago, I was glancing through a Sunday school paper and enjoyed a report from a chronically depressed lady. She probably had Bipolar II which is mostly depressed and some highs but she fluctuated a lot. She found herself in an “up” period and realized that, in the past, she would have hoped that it […]
We know it’s not smart to “sweat the small stuff” but does that mean it’s OK to sweat the big stuff? The truth is that I shouldn’t sweat anything. Well, maybe it is alright for me to sweat being obedient, sweat moving my body members according to a growing picture of God’s principles in action. […]
Some ideas to turn “burdens” into the opportunities, to become the “more than conquerors” that God intends me to be, (for I am his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that he prepared for me and prepared me for). Ephesians 2:10 Start my day the night before. The Jewish day began at sundown. […]
Only when done God’s way are they restorative Yes, by God’s grace, I have actually used this tool to apologize and boy is it painful. But anything I might do to make the apology less painful would have ruined it. However, afterwards I feel clean and restored in my relationship with God and usually get […]
As I watch others’ behavior and evaluate whether they’ve done well or not, I need to work at balance by finding all that is good. The negative comes easily. I can do this especially by putting a positive spin on their actions and finding a word from the following list to bestow on them. This […]
I’ve had a few friends who have been unable to find peace due to a constant focus on the situation of their grandchildren. Mind you, they’ve done all that they can do. One even called child protective services only to have them find insufficient evidence of a problem. That, of course, wound up costing the […]
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