“As much as you want to plan your life, it has a way of surprising you with unexpected things that will make you happier than you originally planned.” UnknownI stood in the doorway in my pajamas wondering what my hair looked like. What a way to greet my daughter-in-law for the first time since their wedding day.
Yet, through all my surprise - and an understandable amount of embarrassment - they were just as gracious and happy to see us as we were to see them. Instantly bed-head, no makeup, pajamas, and even a few specks of lint on the rug all melted from my mind and diminished in my importance. In retrospect, the unexpected 'casual' greeting set the tone for a familiar, relaxed visit for the whole weekend, and we had an especially memorable time with lots of laughs, great conversation, and plenty of picture-taking.
What are your thoughts? Libby
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“Ask yourself how old would you be if you didn’t know the day you were born.” Toby KeithMy grandmother was young at heart ‘til the day she passed.
Lord, thank You for the health that sustains me so I can live at the pace I enjoy. Amen
“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in purity.” I Timothy 4:12 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Toby Keith (1961- ), an American country singer, songwriter, actor and record producer who has released 19 studio albums, 2 Christmas albums, and 5 compilation albums, with a total worldwide sales of over 40 million albums. Keith has charted 61 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including 20 number one hits and another 21 in the Top Ten Hits. “My mantra is, ‘I have to change the way I think in order to change the way I feel.’” Robin Roberts
The fact that I was the last person I knew to get a microwave, an answering machine, and I still don’t use the DVR, can sometimes make me feel like a Luddite. When we upgraded our WiFi, I procrastinated installing it only to discover it was plug-and-play. Recently I gave in and set up a wireless speaker linking it to my phone, and was shocked at how easy it turned out to be.
I suppose it’s time to stop thinking disparaging thoughts about my abilities – even though I choose not to use a DVR - and admit what I know. I need to be encouraging toward myself in the same way I encourage others: ‘We all excel at something,’ I tell them. Is there a skill set where you don’t care to be the expert? Do you find you are harder on yourself than on others? How will you cut yourself some slack and give yourself positive affirmations? Lord, thank You for making me an individual with a unique combination of skills and abilities, so I have no room to compare myself to others. Amen “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14
“We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” John F. Kennedy“Stick to the facts,” said a co-worker. It was so easy for me to fall into the trap of speculation. I would justify it when work-related projects were the topic, I’d say I was anticipating potential problems and designing alternate solutions…a.k.a. ‘Plan B.’
Lord, You have been faithful in the past to show me my next step; and I trust if I encounter success You’ll also show me how to celebrate and set new goals. Amen “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24
“Other people always seemed better than me – more confident, more at ease…I only knew how I felt and how others looked.” Anonymous
As I came to meet and know their parents I quickly learned there was another single woman on the block struggling to raise her daughter without child support, a family down the street had a son with a serious illness, and my next door neighbors were filing for divorce. Although not happy to learn of other’s misfortunes, I was able to join in pray for the single mother, little boy who was ill, and the three young kids next door as their parents struggled in their relationship. But, in addition, I learned to be grateful for my problems that were nowhere near as serious as others. Now I’m learning that comparing my insides to other's outsides can be deceiving. It’s natural to want to hold our lives in place for bystanders, or even casual acquaintances, by using a sort of hairspray for our outsides. But on the inside we all have things we’re dealing with.
Are you envious of others who seem to have it all together? Does your life look dismal by comparison? What can you do today to curb the desire to compare and be grateful for life’s challenges? Lord, thank You for the challenges I have and the help you offer to face them anew each day. Amen “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13 What are your thoughts? Libby “If you’re fighting your problems, you’re already on the losing side.” Canon GlennonYears ago I tried the liquid protein diet (and almost died), but I did lose a lot of weight in just six days. So much in fact that none of my jeans fit any longer. But the worst of this experience was a rumor that started about me...that I had an abortion.
But, a good friend advised me, “Only a guilty person needs to defend themselves. Give it time and the truth will become known.” Waiting was excruciating. I asked for prayer, "Please pray for peace in the midst of the storm." Before long I began to feel at peace. God’s comfort settled over me like a warm blanket on a chilly night. I no longer fought the illusive, intangible problem that had no reasonable solution. Are you fighting a ghost of a problem?...Twitter, Facebook, etc.? Do you long to defend your innocence? What will you do differently today to switch to the 'winning side'? Lord, the cares of this world are many; help me remember to bring them to You and trust that You have a better solution than anything I could devise. Amen “Do not be afraid or discouraged…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” II Chronicles 20:15 What are your thoughts? Libby
“…and the calm will be the better for the storms that we endured.” Matt Boswell and Matt Papa, from Christ the Sure and Steady AnchorThe new birch tree in my front yard fell in a storm. Fortunately it was young enough that it bent but didn’t break. When my neighbors helped me secure it again they suggested I not tie it so tight as before. They said it was the winds that blow the tree and make it bend a bit in the storms that make the tree trunk stronger. In my life, it was enduring the consequences on my own that made me stronger and more resilient. It was the Storms of life that helped me appreciate making the right decisions which frequently resulted in life’s Calm. And, although some storms are unavoidable (being rear-ended on the freeway), it was equally helpful having learned Who to lean on for the strength to endure.
Note: Matt Boswell, a pastor, worship leader and band leader for a church in Frisco, TX; Matt leads a ministry called Doxology & Theology for equipping and encouraging worship leaders for gospel-centered worship. Note: Matt Papa (1983- ), American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, worship leader, husband and father of five, whose album Your Kingdom Come appears on Billboard Top Christian Albums and Top Heatseekers chart. Note: Ed Sheeran (1991- ), an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actor who has sold more than 38 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling music artists; two of his albums are in the list of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Plato
They couldn’t backspace and tweak the first sentence for minutes or hours. When I first started to write I could literally spend hours on the first paragraph. Hence the term ‘analysis paralysis.’ This kind of writing never leads anywhere…I learned the hard way. Like those with pen and paper or a manual typewriter, we must just begin. Start! Do something. There is plenty of time to edit later. Any published writer will tell you that editing is far more enjoyable than getting that first draft onto the page.
Lord, help me not get stuck in analysis paralysis, or thinking it has to be perfect before I move on to the second sentence; help me leave room for Your inspiration where my work really begins to be creative. Amen “…one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead; I press on…” Philippians 3:13-14 What are your thoughts? Libby
Note: Gladys Louise Smith, a.k.a. Mary Pickford (1892-1979), a Canadian actress and producer whose career spanned 50 years; she was one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has earned the name “Queen of the Movies,” credited as having defined the ingénue archetype in cinema.
Note: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) an English novelist, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer; best known for her novel Frankenstein. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, Percy Shelley, the famous English poet and philosopher. Herself a philosopher and advocate for women's rights of the day; her father, William Godwin, was a political philosopher and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a philosopher and feminist. “The Big Book says that if you’ve forgotten your last binge, you haven’t had it yet.” Anonymous
I rationalized that I had collected them, so I was going to enjoy them. The problem was, eating so many treats in one evening made all the flavors meld, like putting six different salad dressings on your salad at the same time. As a result, nothing stood out as special…nothing even tasted good. Looking back it reminds me of the misnomer: if a little salt tastes good, then a lot of salt will make it taste better. Wrong! I hope I never forget how unsatisfying it was to eat so many sweet and savory treats and enjoy nothing. The more I ate the worse it got. But I continued to eat until all the gourmet items were gone and I was way beyond full. Are you buying-in to the misnomer that the more you indulge the more fun you’ll have? Do you have a memory you can resurrect of a past binge that reminds you why you don’t want to go there again? What will you do differently today to ensure you don’t have to add a new binge to your list of unpleasant memories? Lord, may I never forget how miserable I was having eaten so much food with no pleasure in return. Amen “Do not be deceived:…for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 BUT, ALSO “Do not fear for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you for I am your God; I will strengthen you, surely help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 PS For those struggling with addiction, there are over 30 12-step programs (see below). However, for more immediate help, pray – don’t just recite, pray – the Serenity Prayer. It has always worked for me. God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. Amen A Partial List of 12-Step Groups
For a full list of 12-step programs and support groups patterned after 12-step principles, refer to the Wikipedia article: List of Twelve-Step Groups. “Whenever you’re giving, it’s like a gift to yourself.” Sanaa Lathan
At the end of the event the organizers asked if he would do it again next year. He agreed and I was right behind him with an eager “Yes!” There is nothing so rewarding as making a child forget their unfortunate circumstances and smile, at a time when so many other children are reveling in family time, surrounded by relatives. It was more like receiving a blessing ourselves. Is there a gift of yourself that you can give? Is there a local ministry or agency that could use a volunteer? Who – a stranger, a neighbor, a friend, or family member – could use an unexpected gift this holiday? “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Sanaa McCoy Lathan (1971- ), an American actress and voice actress who has amassed numerous credits in theater (A Raisin In the Sun), films (The Best Man, Love and Basketball), and television (The Cleveland Show, NYPD Blue). Since 2001 Lathan has won seven out of twenty nominations for Best Actress, including two Black Reel Awards and two NAACP Image Awards. |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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