The message I heard loud and clear this week is to be the light. Shine a light on those around you, share hope, and radiate love. I have shared Dr. Issam Nemeh’s words of wisdom in several blogs. This past week I listened to a message where he encouraged us to shine and bring hope to others, particularly during this difficult time. At a time when anger, hate, fear, and depression are on the rise, it is a priority to continue to love others. Dr. Nemeh highlighted three areas of concentration; surrender everything to Jesus, have true faith, and…
I am not always prepared for change, but dealing with change is a lot easier with the right perspective. Normally our house is full of people over the holidays, but life has taken the girls and me down a different path over the last few years. In the past, this weekend would be the kick-off for summertime guests, a house full of people, and lots of hustle and bustle. It was the middle of the afternoon on Memorial Day and I found myself floating in our pool… alone. Interestingly enough, the change was not troublesome, it was peaceful. As…
I listen carefully to all advice that I am given and make a decision on how that advice relates to me and my beliefs. Equally as important as the advice I follow is the advice that I tuck away as something not to pursue. I try my best to avoid giving unwanted advice to others. However, my continual advice to myself is to keep my heart open to abundant love. As I walk through each day I make a decision to love. I choose to see the good. I can always find something to dislike, but I don’t allow…
We are experiencing a time when reassuring people with a hug is limited to your immediate isolation “family.” It is a time when many of us need that closeness, but some of our normal avenues of comfort are not readily available to us. Looking at my own family I am incredibly impressed at how they have adapted to what has been imposed on all of us these past few months. Although none of us know what is in our future, I find myself giving reassurance that we will embrace whatever becomes our new normal. I see a world full of…
I care what people think because I don’t want people not to like me, right? It is so simple but so powerful. Most of us want to be liked or want to be likable. Being disliked can be very lonely. However, it seems to me that we can be lonely even if we are well-liked. So why do I really care what people think? 1. I care because I genuinely have love in my heart for all individuals. I may not respect everything that everyone does, but I do have love in my heart for all. The opposite…
“I love you” are powerful words when used authentically. I was reminded earlier this week regarding the importance of verbally communicating the love in your heart. Equally important is the meaning of what we say! During this time of social distancing, it seems even more important to define our feelings in words. Those words might be targeted at our family, friends, or even co-workers. When entering my parent’s home I am greeted with warm hugs. When I leave we again exchange heartfelt hugs and say, “Love you.” During this time of social distancing, it is awkward to come…
What can I do to minimize the stress around me? If I am asking that question that means I am aware that stress exists in my life. Acknowledging that I am in the middle of a storm is a very good start. Once I admit that stress exists I am able to put together a plan to reduce or eliminate that stress. 1. Give my worries to God and rely on my faith. The moment I feel stress negatively affecting my life, I take a moment and give my worries to God. I pray for assistance in finding a solution…
I really mean, how are you? I’m not looking for a “fine,” “ok,” or no answer, I’m looking for a genuine answer to the question, how are you? If I take the time to ask how you are, I want to know the answer and more than likely have a reason for asking. “How are you?” is so overused. Most of the time I end up having to say, “How are you, no, I really mean how are you? What’s going on in your life and how have you been?” There is a series on Netflix called…
Normally I am very discrete about my faith and the power of prayer, to me, it is very personal. In my lifetime I have never before seen an epidemic like we are experiencing. I have been observing an outpouring of prayers over the past few weeks that I have not witnessed from non-church-related activities. These prayers are abundant and people are offering them publicly. We are witnessing an outpouring of prayers. It is because of what I’ve seen over the past few weeks throughout our community, our state, our nation, and the world, that I take a…
As I was speaking to a friend this week I found myself smiling and saying, “That is my happy place.” It is a place or moment where I feel my whole self relax. A time when I am at peace and often full of joy. I have multiple “happy places.” Although several are not locations, I still refer to those moments as being in my “happy place.” I cherish that time and make sure that I allocate time daily for those moments of relaxation. Some of my “happy places” I visit more often than others. That time is a priority…