...Let me impart some of my wisdom. As I reluctantly cross the threshold into my mid-thirties (ahhh, shivers run up and down my spine), I feel it bears upon me to bestow knowledge onto the youngsters of the world. So here's what being 35, unemployed, fat and single have taught me...
1. Don't waste a day of your life. If you hate your job - go home TODAY and start preparing for a new one. I don't care if you update your resume, surf the net, register for school, type up a resignation letter, sell your house and move to Guam. Just do SOMETHING. Don't wait until corporate America takes a dump in your mashed potatoes before you get off your rump and take action. Life is too short to make someone else rich doing something you hate.
2. Be real with people. They need you and you need them. Be kind and considerate, but don't fiddle fart around with people either. If you have something to say, say it. If there's a burr in your saddle - spit it out. If you want to break up, man up and do it. Life's to short to lead people on. There's too much living to be done. But remember - be kind. Living with no regret means just that - in every way.
3. Take no one for granted. That means everyone from the lady at the cash register in Target to your deaf old Aunt Myrtle that drives you crazy. When people call, answer the phone. When they leave a message - call them back. Heck - call someone out of the blue for no reason other than to tell them you are glad they are alive. Return your emails. Call people by name once in while. Smile. Life's too short to be so self-absorbed that we don't take time to recognize and acknowledge the importance of others.
4. Spend time with God EVERYDAY. There is nothing more important than this. It's hard to tap into His peace and hear His voice when you barely know what He sounds like. Fill yourself so much with Him that you begin to become one with His creation. Let His Spirit pour into you so you can truly connect with other people, with nature, with HIM. Life's too short to even attempt to navigate one minute on your own.
5. Be prepared. Think ahead. Plan. Budget. Be responsible. Don't go into debt. Waiting on God and walking in faith are not excuses for failure to plan. God gave us brains, talents and self-control. Remember the bridesmaids in Matthew 25 who were caught with no oil for their lamps. And the parable of the talents also in Matthew 25. Life's too short to be caught with your pants down.
6. Overhaul your temple. Eat right. Exercise. Friggin' get over it and lose weight if you need to. Being unhealthy can be a tremendous hindrance in so many areas of life. Unfortunately studies prove it does influence the way others react to you. It can lower self-esteem, thus reducing your ability to influence others. And it just flat out slows you down. Not to mention that it IS possible to drop dead of a heart attack at a young age. Life's too short to waste time catching your breath.
7. Figure out who YOU are. Explore. Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's okay to look silly in front of others. Figure out what you believe, what you stand for and why. Be different from other people. Never settle for someone else's beliefs, opinions, hobbies or ideas. Think for yourself. Be strong in YOUR identity. Life's too short to live in someone else's shoes.
8. For Heaven's sake, ladies - please DO NOT put your life on hold waiting for a husband. Buy a house. Take a class. Learn to dance. Dress to impress yourself. Go out and have fun. Drink deeply of life. Don't compromise who you are to "land a man." Don't sacrifice your morals in the hopes you will win his heart. And don't sit on the sidelines waiting for a man to complete you. Guys are great, and I love them - but we need to embrace who we are and where we are today (refer to #7 if you need a refresher). Life is too short to waste one single day!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Be of good cheer!
My favorite Psalm: Psalm 86
A verse that changed my life: Jeremiah 40:4
Verses God showed me today: Psalm 27:11,13-14
As most of you know, I recently lost my job. God is doing some AMAZING things within this whole process. I can't wait until He releases me to share the whole story with you. He is creating such a testimony within me right now. I still don't know where He will ultimately take me or how He will work out the details, but He is so alive and present in my everyday. It is almost as if He peeled back the sky and allowed me to inhale a deep, fresh breath of Heaven. I stand amazed in His presence and power.
I am 100% convinced that God allows us to walk through various fires because He can use them to weave such intricate and beautiful patterns into the fabric of our lives. We, in turn, can use that fabric to wrap around the hurting, hopeless, and lost around us.
We are not a people without hope. We are not a people of weakness. We are not a people ruled by fear. We serve the Most High God. He directs our steps. He knows the plans He has for us - plans to prosper us, not to harm us. God is good - and He longs for the chance to prove that to us in any and every situation.
A verse that changed my life: Jeremiah 40:4
Verses God showed me today: Psalm 27:11,13-14
As most of you know, I recently lost my job. God is doing some AMAZING things within this whole process. I can't wait until He releases me to share the whole story with you. He is creating such a testimony within me right now. I still don't know where He will ultimately take me or how He will work out the details, but He is so alive and present in my everyday. It is almost as if He peeled back the sky and allowed me to inhale a deep, fresh breath of Heaven. I stand amazed in His presence and power.
I am 100% convinced that God allows us to walk through various fires because He can use them to weave such intricate and beautiful patterns into the fabric of our lives. We, in turn, can use that fabric to wrap around the hurting, hopeless, and lost around us.
We are not a people without hope. We are not a people of weakness. We are not a people ruled by fear. We serve the Most High God. He directs our steps. He knows the plans He has for us - plans to prosper us, not to harm us. God is good - and He longs for the chance to prove that to us in any and every situation.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
17 New Revelations
1. I'm more disposable that I thought I was.
2. Getting laid off feels like breaking up.
3. What you feel is what you feel. Just because others don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't valid.
4. No one cares as much about your well-being as you do (okay, except for God and maybe mom & dad...)
5. You don't have to make decisions based on anyone else's time table.
6. Being upset and not eating doesn't always mean you lose weight.
7. Even when others get frustrated and give up on you, God never will.
8. Just because my faith doesn't look like yours doesn't mean I don't have any.
9. Sometimes having friends hurts a lot.
10. I am a pack rat with WAY too much stuff.
11. It's okay to do the unexpected.
12. I have a closet full of clothes yet have nothing to wear.
13. When you're scared, there's no place like home.
14. Encouragement has a short shelf-life.
15. God gives us the freedom of choice more often than we think.
16. When something bad happens, well-meaning people will hurt your feelings with unintended flippancy.
17. Being pro-active is part of waiting on God.
2. Getting laid off feels like breaking up.
3. What you feel is what you feel. Just because others don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't valid.
4. No one cares as much about your well-being as you do (okay, except for God and maybe mom & dad...)
5. You don't have to make decisions based on anyone else's time table.
6. Being upset and not eating doesn't always mean you lose weight.
7. Even when others get frustrated and give up on you, God never will.
8. Just because my faith doesn't look like yours doesn't mean I don't have any.
9. Sometimes having friends hurts a lot.
10. I am a pack rat with WAY too much stuff.
11. It's okay to do the unexpected.
12. I have a closet full of clothes yet have nothing to wear.
13. When you're scared, there's no place like home.
14. Encouragement has a short shelf-life.
15. God gives us the freedom of choice more often than we think.
16. When something bad happens, well-meaning people will hurt your feelings with unintended flippancy.
17. Being pro-active is part of waiting on God.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
God is Good - Regardless
So much has happened since my last post. So many things have happened to so many people I love, and so much has happened to me. Some days I feel like I am surrounded by tragedy, but I am too weak to help anyone. And I am so tired. I know God hears our cries, but for whatever reason He hasn't taken us out of the fire yet.
Within the past 2 months or so, one of my best friend's suffered a life-altering ordeal. Another good friend passed away. Another best friend's mom had to have life-saving brain surgery. Several people from church died. I lost my job (and so did several of my close friends that work with me). Another good friend is moving away. One of my parents' close friends is in ICU and was in a drug-induced coma until a couple of days ago. A friend at work had to put her dog to sleep. I could go on, but I won't. I can't remember the last time such suffering has lingered so long on our doorstep.
Some days I get so overwhelmed that I feel like I simply can't go on. I keep trying to shut down and slip into a state of denial and inactivity. My dad, being a counselor, has been staying on my case helping me to realize that what I am truly facing is depression. I don't think I've ever felt this level of depression before - the kind that almost immobilizes you. I can't imagine what it must be like for people that suffer from this on an ongoing basis. My heart hurts for them.
Each time I slow down, there my dad is - like a cattle prod - telling me to do something. I cry a lot these days. Tonight was a really tough night for some reason. I came home from a friend's house and just sat down and cried for a long time. As soon as the tears stopped, I forced myself to immediately get up and do something positive. What I really wanted to do is go to bed. But I got up, made a phone call that needed to be made and immediately felt a little better. That, in turn, inspired me to do one more thing. So here I am - a few accomplishments later, and I feel a little better. My situation hasn't changed, but my total sense of helplessness and despair is better.
My thoughts and outlook seem to change hourly these days. I know I will bounce back, but it's taking longer than I expected. Honestly, I haven't suffered too many life-altering blows in my life, so I've been lucky. I guess these down times hit me really hard because I am usually a pretty upbeat person. So this is tough. But God has been teaching me some amazing things lately. He has been surrounding me with so many wise and spiritually rich people. Oh, what a blessing they have been. Someone told me a week ago that several of them were going to believe for me until I could believe. They would be excited about what God was doing in my situation until I could be excited. They were standing for me when I could not stand. Wow. Isn't God good?
I will share my experiences with God in the next few days. He is the One true God - our Provider, Comforter, Teacher, Healer, Father, King and Friend. Oh - how He loves us. How perfect and wonderful and praiseworthy He is. I hope things are going well in your life today. If not, be encouraged. I have seen the Lord - and HE IS GOOD.
Within the past 2 months or so, one of my best friend's suffered a life-altering ordeal. Another good friend passed away. Another best friend's mom had to have life-saving brain surgery. Several people from church died. I lost my job (and so did several of my close friends that work with me). Another good friend is moving away. One of my parents' close friends is in ICU and was in a drug-induced coma until a couple of days ago. A friend at work had to put her dog to sleep. I could go on, but I won't. I can't remember the last time such suffering has lingered so long on our doorstep.
Some days I get so overwhelmed that I feel like I simply can't go on. I keep trying to shut down and slip into a state of denial and inactivity. My dad, being a counselor, has been staying on my case helping me to realize that what I am truly facing is depression. I don't think I've ever felt this level of depression before - the kind that almost immobilizes you. I can't imagine what it must be like for people that suffer from this on an ongoing basis. My heart hurts for them.
Each time I slow down, there my dad is - like a cattle prod - telling me to do something. I cry a lot these days. Tonight was a really tough night for some reason. I came home from a friend's house and just sat down and cried for a long time. As soon as the tears stopped, I forced myself to immediately get up and do something positive. What I really wanted to do is go to bed. But I got up, made a phone call that needed to be made and immediately felt a little better. That, in turn, inspired me to do one more thing. So here I am - a few accomplishments later, and I feel a little better. My situation hasn't changed, but my total sense of helplessness and despair is better.
My thoughts and outlook seem to change hourly these days. I know I will bounce back, but it's taking longer than I expected. Honestly, I haven't suffered too many life-altering blows in my life, so I've been lucky. I guess these down times hit me really hard because I am usually a pretty upbeat person. So this is tough. But God has been teaching me some amazing things lately. He has been surrounding me with so many wise and spiritually rich people. Oh, what a blessing they have been. Someone told me a week ago that several of them were going to believe for me until I could believe. They would be excited about what God was doing in my situation until I could be excited. They were standing for me when I could not stand. Wow. Isn't God good?
I will share my experiences with God in the next few days. He is the One true God - our Provider, Comforter, Teacher, Healer, Father, King and Friend. Oh - how He loves us. How perfect and wonderful and praiseworthy He is. I hope things are going well in your life today. If not, be encouraged. I have seen the Lord - and HE IS GOOD.
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