It is so easy to become unhappy. It is so easy to center on what you don’t have. I have to center on the multiple blessings I have been given: food, shelter, a loving wife. Humans have the capacity to want things they don’t have. It only makes me unhappy. For the rest of the Christmas season and New Year I will thank the Lord for the many blessings I have been given. There is so much I have to thank the Lord for. I will think about those things the rest of the year.
Tags: blessings, Christmas, count your blessings, food and shelter, God, gratitude, it is so easy to become unhappy, loving wife, multiple blessings, New Year, thank God, thank the Lord
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, love, marriage, mental health, seasons, time, wisdom |
Thanksgiving is not about turkey dinners and all the trimmings. It is about families getting together and displaying gratitude for all your blessings. I know it is a hard time for those especially in NY and NJ who got hit hard by the storm “Sandy”. It created havoc in those states particularly. The original Thanksgiving celebration was about the pilgrims praising the Lord for food and shelter. Not everyone made it through the winter. Thanksgiving is just that, thanking God for all your blessings and everyone has some reason to be thankful.
Tags: all your blessings, families getting together, food and shelter, God, gratitude, NJ, NY, pilgrims, praising the Lord, reason to be thankful, storm "Sandy", thanking God, thanksgiving, turkey dinner
Posted in balance, beauty, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom |
Depression can easily become a pity party. Our lives are always imperfect. Things don’t always go our way. We have expectations that fail. It is so easy to slide into depression. I just took a shower and reflected before I married my wife I only had a tub. For fifteen years I had no shower. It is all too easily to forget that and the many reasons I have to thank the Almighty for his many blessings. And I have to reflect on that and count them. The list is long. Ingratitude is very easy to go to. Our lives never go exactly as we we want them to. Our lives are always a series of problems and only some get solved to our satisfaction. That is life! If we can go back and count our blessings and learn to do it routinely depression is less likely to set in. God does not promise us anything beyond food and shelter and usually His blessings are abundant. It is too easy to center on what we don’t have. Our unmet expectations can easily turn into depression if you are not careful. And then it becomes a pity party. It is, though, hard to be positive when we don’t feel good. Good health is a blessing.
Tags: count our blessings, depression, expectations, food and shelter, God, good health is a blessing, His blessings are abundant, ingratitude, life, many blessings, pity party, slide into depression, take a shower, thank the Almighty
Posted in balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom |
Things just don’t make you happy. Even when you have food and shelter and your bills are paid that is not enough. You have to have a purpose–a reason to get up. There has to be a focus in your life–something beyond you. Each person on this earth is here for a reason. You have to discover your calling, reach out and help others in the process. Things alone don’t make you happy. And no one can tell you what you ought to do. Somehow you have to be quiet enough to hear the “tiny voice” only you can hear. It is easily covered up. You have to discover it and follow it. You will know when you are there peace will reign.
Tags: a reason to get up, bills paid, discover your calling, focus in your life, food and shelter, God, have a purpose, hear the "tiny voice", help others, here for a reason, peace will reign, things don't make you happy
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession |
I don’t have to stockpile: God will always provide for our needs. It says in the Bible He will only provide food and shelter. I don’t need a backup for every item I use in the house. I was making a list and there was no need to buy everything on that list. I crossed off some items I will not run out of immediately. I am reminded of a parable Jesus related: a farmer had an exceptional crop and built even greater storage bins and Jesus said something to the effect that you will not be around to enjoy the fruits of your crops. He wants you today. Your time has run out. You have to have faith God will provide for your needs and sometimes He will do it a day at a time. When God provided food for the people who Moses led out of Egypt, the manna could only be used that day. You had to have faith He would provide more food the next day. I do not have to stockpile my goods. ‘Give us our daily bread’ the psalm says. A day at a time. That is all we can pray for that God provide for our needs a day at a time.
Tags: "give us our daily bread", a day at a time, backup, Bible, crop, don't have to stockpile, Egypt, farmer, food, food and shelter, God, God will always provide, have faith, Jesus, making a list, manna, Moses, our needs, parable, pray, Psalm, the Exodus, time, today
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom |
‘Give us each day our daily bread.’ (from the Lord’s Prayer) (in the New Testament). We are to pray that each day Jesus will give us what we need. We have to take one day at a time. And do not look too far ahead.
Yes, God will provide for our needs. One day at a time. We have to deal with each day as it comes. That is all we can pray for–each day that the Lord gives us. Each day is a gift. Food and shelter; that is all He promises us. And He does that a day at a time. That is how we have to pray–each day at a time. ‘Give us each day our daily bread.’
Tags: "Give us each day our daily bread", Bible, food and shelter, God, God will provide, Jesus, Lord's Prayer, New Testament, one day at a time, pray, prayer, promise
Posted in death, God, life, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom |
Hoarding is wrong. Your “number” may come up tomorrow so what good did it do you. There is nothing wrong in properly using your resources and planning for the future. Up to a point.
There is always a balance. At what point is too much too much? I collect LP’s. I have too many of them. And the really good music, unfortunately, gets buried. And when you have too much you can’t give each individual new record the proper attention.
Collecting too much of anything at some level sometimes indicates we do not trust God to provide for our needs–like storing too much food in our pantries.
Sometimes all we can see, do is our very next step. Trusting our Lord is trusting He will provide for us. Yes, we try to conserve our resources but hoarding is not necessary: He will always provide us with food and shelter.
Tags: balance, collecting, food and shelter, God, He will provide for us, hoarding, LP's, music, record albums, trust God, trusting our Lord
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, time, wisdom |
It is so easy to center on what you do not have. And this always leads to unhappiness. It is so easy to do: center on what you lack. The commercials in the media feed on this. If you buy their product you will be happy and fulfilled. Sex is used to sell everything.
Our gross national product is based mostly on consumer buying so this is no accident. Start centering on your many riches and be satisfied with what you got. The best things are free. Love has no cost. The things that matter the most can be freely given: acceptance, love and an ear to those closest to you.
It is true: you need the basics: food and shelter. God just needs to provide you with that. Poverty has always existed in this world. And we are commanded to help those in need around us.
But we desire so much beyond that. And it always makes us unhappy. And I struggle with that, too. I know money is going to get tighter but if I can focus on everything I have, I will be happier.
Tags: acceptance, be happy and fulfilled, be satisfied with what you have, best things in life are free, center on what you have, commercials in the media, consumer buying, focus on everything I have, food and shelter, God, God provides, God's commandment, happiness, help those in need, love, media uses sex to sell, money, poverty, unhappiness
Posted in balance, beauty, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, love, mental health, money, relationships, time, wisdom |
