Don't Worry

I bow in humble reverence to my God who always, always tells me what I need to hear when I keep my mouth shut so I can hear his words.....I practice keeping my mouth shut every morning and I have been blessed and so has Tom :)

from Proverbs 31 Ministry

Don’t Overthink It

Rachel Olsen

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life — and I’m running out of time to figure it out. What if I never find it? Will I always be unhappy and unfulfilled? Will I never achieve my purpose? What will God do about that – will He call me a bad servant? But I can’t help it. Why doesn’t He answer my prayers for direction?

Maybe I’m just too sinful or something. I know I should read the Bible more. Is this limbo I’m in some kind of punishment for that? Am I really so much worse than everybody else? Maybe I just don’t have any special gifts or talents. Or they just never got developed. Maybe that’s it, and maybe now it’s too late. So what do I do now? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do …

Does this resemble your thinking sometimes? Perhaps not about your calling, but about finding a spouse, or affording a house, or exercising regularly, or a conflict with your mother or boss. Do you tend to overthink things? To worry and ruminate? To endlessly, passively, excessively ponder the meanings, causes and potential consequences of your problems? Do you dwell on them?

Many of us believe that when we feel down about something we should try to evaluate our feelings and our situation from every angle to attain insight and find solutions to relieve our unhappiness. However, a host of research in the last 20 years has shown that dwelling on thoughts like this creates negative outcomes: it sustains or worsens sadness, fosters negative thinking, depletes motivation, saps energy, interferes with concentration, and typically impairs our problem-solving.

Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky writes: “Although people have a strong sense that they are gaining insight into themselves and their problems during their ruminations, this is rarely the case. What they do gain is a distorted, pessimistic perspective on their lives.” She adds, “You need to free yourself from the clutch of your ruminations – in other words, immediately stop overthinking.”

Based on what he wrote in Philippians 4:6-13, I think the apostle Paul would agree with the professor. Pause and scroll down to read the whole passage now in the “Power Verses” below and then come back.

As we see, in verse six, Paul gives three clear instructions for those of us who ruminate on our problems. He says:

1) do not worry about anything
2) pray about everything
3) thank God for everything

What if today we took this instruction to heart and put it into practice? What if today we decided not to worry about anything? What if when we found ourselves worrying, we stopped and handed the situation over to God in prayer? What if we thenthanked Him for taking care of the issue?

In fact, what if we spent most of our mental free-time today thinking about what good care our awesome God takes of us?

What if we counted our blessings and God’s acts of faithfulness today — and again tomorrow and next week too? What would happen then?

Paul says in verse seven, we will begin to experience amazing peace — a kind of peace we can’t even imagine. Peace that makes no earthly sense! This kind of peace is so powerful that it has a protective function on our hearts and minds — which only makes it easier for us to stop worrying and be thankful.

That sounds like a state of happiness to me! So let’s not over-think it today. Let’s not under-pray it either. Let’s actively choose to have a happy, thankful day. And then let’s get up tomorrow and do it again.

Dear Lord, I’m turning over all my fears and problems to You to handle today. I can’t fix a single thing by worrying about it – but You can fix anything because nothing is impossible for You! Thanks for being in charge of my day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

GRACE

 Every morning as I put my makeup on, mascara and everything I wonder what Holly will say that brings tears of joy to my eyes and ruins my makeup. Today was no exception.   Here is what Holley has to say:
Heart to Heart with Holley

CHRISTWASLOVE (AND IS)

The "W" in Christmas - Author Unknown

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

 My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row-center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

   The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down -- totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W."

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W." Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. 

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is..
Amazed in His presence...
Humbled by His love.

May each of you have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year as you reflect on His Amazing Love for us.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christwaslove holiday season.

         TOM AND STEPH MILNE

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Tom and Steph

MERRY occasion or season characterized by festivity or rejoicing

CHRISTMAS a Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus with December 25th recognized by our government as the day on which this feast and holiday is celebrated

AND

HAPPY a feeling or showing of festivity or contentment which can also be a greeting

HOLIDAY a day or festivity or recreation when no work is done.

It’s time for Tom and I to get back to being morally correct, not politically correct, and we invite you to join us.

It all starts with reading the Bible, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Tom and I started on January 1, 2009 and we are soon to finish 2009 with an amazing accounting of things to come (Revelations). In 2010, we are going to read the bible in chronological order. We are doing this online at http://www.bibleplan.org. It has been an amazing journey that can only be felt by doing and it is really special when you can do it with someone who you love.

Tom and I wish you the feeling of peace and joy that comes from reflecting on the birth of Jesus and we also wish you a very happy Holiday and hopefully you do not have to do any work.

Enlightenment Via God

Oh boy, Twitter, has really opened my eyes to the volumes of rhetoric on how to live your life, how to prosper, how to gain enlightenment, how to be happy, how to...how to...how to.....

I dont know about you but when a stranger is telling me how to be happy and just charging $97 dollars for the privilege, I just can't fall into it. The bible is free....you can go into any church and receive one. The next step is to read it and the next step you really want to achieve is to begin to understand what you are reading.

My husband and I are reading the Bible in a year. We started out with the New King James Version and about six books into the Old testament it was.....oh my....can I get through this....but then divine intervention and we changed to "The Message" version and suddenly God's word became crystal clear. NO human can begin to give you instruction on a joy filled life. It only comes from our Lord. Our God, Jesus Christ, the creator and maker of me and this world. So I will tweet, I will follow and be followed, but the words spewed, unless God-like and according to the Bible, are just faint shadows on the landscape of humanity which will fall on my deaf ears and only feed my purpose to proclaim my Lord more loudly than before. Go God!!!!

It's About Common Courtesy NOT Customer Service

I just got off the phone confirming a reservation I have at an RV park. I am a happy person(even when things are not going my way) and I have a cheerful voice. Actually, I am a delight to talk to.....But it seems no one has the time to talk as the phone clicked dead in my ear before I got a chance to say "THANK YOU" for answering my question.

Get real folks...... the customer has no more rights than the employee....

The pedestrian has no more rights than the motorist

the bicyclist has no more rights than the car

the personal pulling out on to the highway has no more rights than the person traveling on that highway..

Our only claim to fame and a joyful life is "COMMON COURTESY"..... if we exercise that in our lives.....we will enjoy our journey, find bliss and just be a really nice person to all we come in contact with....

Getting Rosie's Retreat ready to sell(click here)

This adventure has been an affirmation of how easy it is to love everything you have, possessions and relationships. It has committed to my mind that I have a tendency to just live through something instead of celebrating it. As I cleaned my house, as I scrubbed dirt off my tiles, as I planted flower baskets.......I took the time to really feel and see what I was doing and to get great joy from the appreciation of what I was doing.....instead of the usual....I've gotta do it, I dont want to do it and while I'm doing it I will be miserable. Each possession I picked up, I appreciated, cleaned and re-arranged and remembered why I made it or why I bought it.....This lead me to thinking about my relationships and how easy it is to just live through them instead of making the time to actually see and feel them......It is true, folks, We HAVE THE POWER IN OUR MIND TO BE HAPPY, no matter what WE are doing......

ROSEE SAYS "LAUGH OFTEN" MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE

Riez Souvent......laugh often.....you end up with happy wrinkles.....just like the french version of Rosie the wildwoman....ROSEE....
Original art drawn on a transparency and then collaged with so many things I cant begin to tell you what is in the collage. I know I just like it. The paper, the glass beads, the cobweb effect, the setting recessed in a black and silver picture frame that was made into a shadowbox....ROSEE definitely has a story to tell. Almost 60, 16 more days, a little worn, some wrinkles but they are happy wrinkles....ROSEE is ready to live the last third of her life boldly and brightly, color everywhere..... Rosie the wildwoman

Letting Go.......

When was the last time that you didnt care when chocolate ice cream dripped down your arm and got all over your clothes. There is something to be said for letting go. You can wash your arm and your clothes and if the chocolate doesnt come off the clothes....it only can hurt if it was your $200 designer blouse.....Miss Rosie says....it's easier to be carefree and happy if you are wearing clothes from the Goodwill and you are in the moment of how good the ice cream tastes and not worrying about your clothes.......