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is this for you?
Jack Nicolson put it brilliantly in the road-trip scene from the 1999 movie As Good As It Gets:
Not everyone has a terrible story to get over. Some people have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad.
If you're riding with me, know that I speak from personal experience. If you can relate, scroll down. More than anything I want you to know, YOU matter to God. IT--whatever it is, matters to God. But no one can make that discovery for you. I count it a blessing to encourage you along the way.
the story behind the category selctions
Does Your To-Do-List Overwhelm You?
Years ago, I had a friend named Mark who shared a story about how to focus on one thing at a time. We met in a twelve-step program, so I'm sharing a lesson he learned from his sponsor.
One day Mark faced a very long to-do-list and he found himself so overwhelmed by the list that it immobilized him. He simply didn't know where to start--so he didn't. He phoned his sponsor to tell him of the many things that required his attention, expecting sympathy and confirmation that anyone with a list that long would be overwhelmed. But his sponsor said, "Wow! That's some list. What are you going to do first?"
And that is how it's done. No matter how many demands life places on you today, you are only capable of completing one thing at a time. Start with one thing or you most likely won't start at all. Ask God to order your steps today and prioritize your to-do-list.
When the weight of my own to-do-list presses down on me, I stop everything and kneel before God. It is there that I receive the ability to move forward, and leave my anxiety with Him. Did you know that it's possible to be productive and not feel pressured?
I encourage you to offer God the pressure of daily demands and in exchange, receive rest for your soul. And then, ask, "What shall I do first?"
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11" 28-30 NKJV)
note: Mark died several years ago due to health complications. He remained clean and sober and though he was in an environment where many sought "a higher power of their own understanding", only God Himself knows how many hearts Marc gently led to Christ.
Published on Friday, September 10, 2010 @ 8:29 AM CDT
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Functioning Through a Crisis: part 2
Elevate your feet everyday for twenty minutes. Trust me ladies. When I was a single mother raising a baby and two boys on my own, it helped me immensely. I routinely went home for lunch, put my feet up, asked God to help me get through the day, and breathed deeply. It always refreshed me and it combated leg pain from being on my feet while I work.
If you can't go home for lunch. Do it when you go to bed at night. Most importantly, make time everyday to be kind to yourself. God has not lost sight of you. You matter too.
Published on Thursday, June 3, 2010 @ 3:43 PM CDT
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How to Remain Functional in a Crisis: part 1
Steel Magnolias (1989) Memorable Quotes
Shelby. . . after securing a much needed job in a beauty parlor; following her husband's abandonment: "I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair."
I remember well, the vain attempts I once made to offset the collision of an emotional meltdown and my daily responsibilities. The year was 1999. My husband and I had separated due to his drug addiction, leaving me with two young boys and a six-month-old baby to raise.
My life was already a desperate haze of pain and confusion, but lack of sleep was about to kick my daily routine's butt. I held in my hand, a ticket for an expired auto inspection, and the thought of adding one more item to my to-do-list was more than I could bear. My friend, Meredith, who accompanied me to get the car inspected, shared one of her previous emotional meltdowns as I searched my appointment book for the time to have one of my own. Did I honesty believe I had control over the storm brewing in my heart?
A week later, I found myself on a week-long vacation that included bars around the patio, where smoking was permissible. (Day-timer be damned.) "Funny now... not then." I was in a mental institution.
This is what I learned from refusing to recognize my limits and prioritize who and what mattered most.
Published on Friday, May 28, 2010 @ 10:49 AM CDT
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