Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Hanging by a Thread
Lately it seems as if sitting down to write is getting harder and harder....not because I don't enjoy it, because I do. It's just that life has become a little chaotic and stressful, as it tends to do in all of us, and I find myself "whipped" by the end of the day.
Usually, I consider myself a morning person. However, something happened when the time changed a couple of weeks ago. That morning person has vamoosed....totally gone....she has left the building.
I have signed onto blogger and enjoyed following the blogs of people who I read. And I'll even start to post myself, and find myself staring at the screen.
My stresses are no different than most of the rest of the world...it just seems to me as if they are all piling on at once. An unexpected death of a partner in our firm, the aftermath that leaves at the office, the normal "year end" work that takes place in accounting, the lack of Christmas planning which now has me in a panic, the realization that both of my girls have birthdays right around the corner, a stack of bills sitting on my desk at home to be paid, health concerns of family members, relationship worries.....basically....just life.
These days I feel as if I'm hanging by a thread...and the worry that my thread isn't strong enough to hold me. Then I remember to whom I am bound....and I smile. God is the thread that holds me together.
Yep, I'm hanging by a thread. And it's all okay.
Usually, I consider myself a morning person. However, something happened when the time changed a couple of weeks ago. That morning person has vamoosed....totally gone....she has left the building.
I have signed onto blogger and enjoyed following the blogs of people who I read. And I'll even start to post myself, and find myself staring at the screen.
My stresses are no different than most of the rest of the world...it just seems to me as if they are all piling on at once. An unexpected death of a partner in our firm, the aftermath that leaves at the office, the normal "year end" work that takes place in accounting, the lack of Christmas planning which now has me in a panic, the realization that both of my girls have birthdays right around the corner, a stack of bills sitting on my desk at home to be paid, health concerns of family members, relationship worries.....basically....just life.
These days I feel as if I'm hanging by a thread...and the worry that my thread isn't strong enough to hold me. Then I remember to whom I am bound....and I smile. God is the thread that holds me together.
Yep, I'm hanging by a thread. And it's all okay.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Blessings
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it is impossible for me not to begin thinking of all that I have to be thankful for. My life is full of God's blessings, but sadly, I often go through my days not really acknowledging them. I often take the blessings for granted, which is something I should never do.Over the last year, I have begun to have a genuine time of praise and thanksgiving in my prayer life, and the amazing thing about that has been the result - which is a deeper understanding of God and the "opening of my eyes" to more blessings in my life. I also notice that when I neglect that area of my prayer life, I miss out on the recognition of God's work and blessing in my life.
I want to be able to live my life where Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday in November. I want to recognize God's work in my life throughout all of the seasons.
One of my favorite songs is Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World"...I can't help but smile. If a song can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, then that is the song that does it for me. The lyrics are great, and remind me of things to be thankful for.
And now, I'm going to go sit with my warm mug of coffee, listen to Louis and thank God for the blessings this morning.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
A Simple Prayer
I woke up this morning and began my usual morning routine....coffee, checking emails, catching up on the news, listening to music. When my caffeine fix has kicked in, and I am more alert, I try to settle in for my quiet time. This morning I dug out a book that helped change my life a little over a year ago - Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore. I am a person who struggles with depression - but I am coming face to face with my problem and trying to allow God to deliver me from it. I am blessed to have the help of a wonderful Christian family counselor who is walking me through this process.Back to the point at hand - I got this particular book out this morning because I can feel myself "slipping" again. It's almost as if the pit of depression calls out to me or something. My feet always seem to be so close to the edge, and it feels sometimes as if I can't get far enough away to not slide back. As I picked up the book and my Bible, a Bible bookmark fell out of my Bible that had been given to me by a friend this past Thursday night. Jerri is one of the incredible women in my small group, and she had brought back these bookmarks from Italy and had given one to each of us. There is a picture of St. Francis of Assisi on the front, and the prayer he penned on the back.
A Simple Prayer
Lord, makeme an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, unity.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is error, truth.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Where there is darkness, light.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console.
To be understood, as to understand.
To be loved, as to love.
For
It is in giving, that we receive.
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned.
It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.
I've heard and read this prayer before, but it struck a deeper cord in me this morning. As I allow God to deliver me from my pit, and as I work daily on not falling back into the pit, I need to be careful not to focus solely on myself. Yes, in my healing, I need to have some focus on myself in order to get healthy. I've learned to say "no" where I used to only say yes. I've taken a step back from some obligations in order to allow God to heal and rejuvenate me. But this morning I felt Him saying to me that remember that it is in giving that I will receive. As He heals me, I want to work on understanding, loving and giving.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, unity.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is error, truth.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Where there is darkness, light.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console.
To be understood, as to understand.
To be loved, as to love.
For
It is in giving, that we receive.
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned.
It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.
I've heard and read this prayer before, but it struck a deeper cord in me this morning. As I allow God to deliver me from my pit, and as I work daily on not falling back into the pit, I need to be careful not to focus solely on myself. Yes, in my healing, I need to have some focus on myself in order to get healthy. I've learned to say "no" where I used to only say yes. I've taken a step back from some obligations in order to allow God to heal and rejuvenate me. But this morning I felt Him saying to me that remember that it is in giving that I will receive. As He heals me, I want to work on understanding, loving and giving.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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