Sunday, June 5, 2016




I am thinking somebody prayed for the LORD to help me with patience
today because nothing has gone right so far. But that's okay. I will start
over as many times as it takes; won't let these little frustrations
get me down.

I wasn't sure what to share this morning, till I was drinking my coffee.
While drinking it, I thought about how many journals I have now, and
how the one I'm going to start my day with helps me the most.
I call it "Squares Of Life." When I created this journal my life
was a tangled mess; one I couldn't manage no matter how
hard I tried- no matter what I did. Feeling discouraged one day
I asked the Lord for help. As always, he was right there, with the
right answer.

I had only to take a look at His life in order to fix mine. He lived
in the present moment- not in yesterday, nor tomorrow. HIS point of
focus was first, his Father, second, others, third, himself. And
when I say himself, I point out that there was not an ounce of
selfishness in that. He only asked the Father for what he needed
in order to be a blessing to others, and what he'd need in order to
be faithful to his Father, to be able to do His will.
So finally, understanding my lack, I created a journal for myself,
one that would enable me to do as the Lord did: 1- Stay
in the moment. 2- Help me be a blessing to others, and 3- pray for
the Holy Spirit to help me rightly represent Jesus.  

I love my "Squares of Life" journal. LIfe is very hectic and very
confusing these days- oftentimes intimidating. Because of this, 
this kind of journal is the perfect thing for me. I set it up in the
same way a calendar is set up, each day contained within a
square. Each day is filled in with that day's activities, trials, hopes,
dreams, plans, goals, discouragements, etc. This being the case,
you can see how much help this kind of journal can be.
A page, like a day, can only contain so much. So when I write my 
entries on the day's page I am forced to focus on the really
Important things; things that really matter. It was amazing,
how quickly my life untangled once I had my priorities right.|

This part may seem a bit odd to  you, but it truly does help me.
Each morning, as I write on the day's page, I remind myself that
I am in a room and pretend that the next day's page is 
tomorrow's door. Tomorrow's door remains SHUT!   
I never have to worry about what trials or disappointments it
may contain, or what good, for that matter, for until I turn the
page I am still living in Today- in the Present.


A friend asked me how it is that I am able to remain so calm when so
often my plate is so full; how I am able to be at peace when things are
going so badly for me. I told her it's because I have learned not to
resist the trials that come my way. I have come to realize that though I
didn't recognize them at the time, my trials contained my richest
blessings: made me stronger, revealed areas I needed to grow in,
drew me nearer to the Lord, enabled me to have more compassison,
patience, tolerance, and understanding for others.
As well, it is wise to teach ourselves how to live in the present 
moment, for by doing so we are less likely to miss all the good
God is doing for us.  
Our days will not always go as we wish. Our prayers WILL be
answered, but not always as quickly as we desire, or in the mannner
we'd hoped. Each day contains beautiful, SHINY moments- blessings we
will miss if not looking for them. God goes out of his way to place them
there, knowing how greatly we'll need them, and wanting always
to show how much He loves us. Don't forget to thank him for the
blessings you find. If you don't keep a regular journal, please
consider starting a Gratitude journal. This kind of a journal remind
us how rich we really are.

 
I am hoping today was a good one for all of you/ But if not, don't
be discouraged, okay? Every trial comes to its own end. Every one!
The bad days, no matter the reason or how crappy, don't last
forever.

What's going on with me? Good stuff! In spite of worsening health
I am still able to do a lot for myself, not as much as I'd like, but
enough to realize what a blessing it is. As we get older we're forced to
slow down, forced to learn not just new things, but new ways of
doing thing. Growing old is not for sissies.

Age is nothing but a number, in one sense, but as all of us
senior citizens know, the larger that number is- the harder life
can sometimes be. I am grateful I have the LORD, my family, 
and such wonderful friends; people who love me for who I 
am, who lift me up rather than tear me down.


We can't avoid getting old, but CAN determine what kind of
neighbor we'll be, what kind of daughter, sister, mother, friend, etc.
We do have a say so as to whether we'll take ourselves and life
too seriously, or if we've learned  to laugh at ourselves - to 
hold tighter to  what  matters- less tight on things we need to let
go of.

Don't
lose your sense of humor, don't give into self-pity, and 
don't give your pain, discouragements, worries and fears too
big a welcome. If you do, they'll move right in, will make you
miserable and be as a second skin. 

 I hope each of you know how special you are to me, how
much I appreciate your love, friendship and support.
Many of us have lost some good friends- loved ones too.
Even so, let us focus on the Lord's goodness, on
the goodness in life, and in those around us.
Let's do whatever we can to uplift and encourage
others, for life is hard. It's so much less stressful when
we have others to lean on. 

 


 Love  you much,


Barb
 
.