“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…
What do I prioritize in my life? Is what’s most important in my life really getting the attention that it deserves? Are the things that I have been prioritizing really what is important to me? Now that we are experiencing social distancing, am I finding that my priorities might need an adjustment? At this moment some of us are figuring out how to slow down to the pace that social distancing requires, others of us are working non-stop to help support the necessary industries that work to sustain us. Both situations provide opportunities to think about what is…
What everyone is adapting to right now is larger than just us. It is not about me and my family. It’s global, it’s about the world in which we live. My head spins when I think of all the things that will be altered during this time of distancing (graduations, weddings, funerals, travel, loss of jobs, loss of businesses…). We will be forever changed by what we experience during this time. As I lead our family through social distancing, I try to be sensitive to how people react to the change. Many people will be going through a…
My father always taught my siblings and me to live within our means. Growing up we never bought anything or went anywhere unless we had the money in the bank to pay the bill. All credit card expenditures were to be paid off monthly and paying the mortgage off quickly was a high priority. My parents grew up during the Depression. Like so many, they knew firsthand what it was like to lose everything their family worked for and built. It was important for them as they rebuilt their lives to have security. I am happy that I was able…
What is it that I see around me? Do I see beauty or do I see problems? Am I observant of those in need and able to serve others? When I see people in need do I reach out a helping hand? Do I take the time to bless them with love? What is it that I see when I go out in the world every day? Am I aware of those around me or is it all about me? To one degree or another, all of us have issues to deal with daily. I am aware of my issues…
We all need rest in our lives. The length and type of rest we need may be different for all, but the fact remains that rest is our time to rejuvenate. Our bodies tell us when rest is needed, the question is whether or not we listen. I learned the hard way that I must set boundaries for myself, particularly when it comes to rest. It became clear to me that I need a minimum of 5 hours of sleep to function at a level that I desire. That would be the minimum hours of rest, of course, I always…