Never give up; you never know until you try.
The last few days, I’ve thought a lot about various lessons I’ve heard or read on the resurrection of Jesus. The gist of them is that while we may experience the death of our earthly bodies, because Jesus conquered death, we who trust Him as Savior will receive new bodies and live forever with Him in Heaven, completely forgiven of any and all sins. All pain will be gone. A life of love and peace will be ours forever. I’m looking forward to that.
For now, though, I’m stuck here on earth, where pain is everywhere. Very little makes sense. Every day I see right being called wrong and wrong being called right. Romans 8:22 says that all creation groans. I believe it.
Our salvation is based on Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead after paying the penalty for our sins, but I’ve heard various ministers talk about a different form of resurrection than the resurrection of the body. I think that’s an important area to cover, too. What they mean is that Christ can resurrect our hopes and dreams when they seem to have died. He can give us new hopes and dreams that are eons better than the old ones. And He can make those dreams, old, new, or in-between, come to pass.
He can also resurrect a good attitude in us (and forgive us) when we get pouty that things aren’t going our way. I’m really glad of that, because all of us have needed an attitude adjustment at one time or another. And Jesus has the power to do it if we let Him.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Frustration and Trust
Never give up; you never know until you try.
When the 4-month internship I was supposed to have had fell through, I had to pick myself back up, because I'd gotten knocked down--again, dust myself off, and resume an all-out job search.
As I've noted in previous posts the last year and few months, it's very frustrating looking for a job in this market. That information doesn't surprise anyone. What has surprised me is that job requirements and pay ranges make absolutely no sense at all. How can a zillion positions pay barely above minimum wage and require a college degree, yet a position I ran across today, doing more technical, complicated, skilled work, require only a high school diploma and pay in the 30's, with benefits?! As I said, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
What I did upon seeing the above-mentioned vacancy ad was completely warranted, I think: I literally threw back my head and groaned, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What do they want? Help me, Lord, get through this!"
One thing that helps me get through is rereading journal entries and meditating on times when God has gotten me through painful circumstances. I was rereading a journal entry from last fall and noted that one of the worship leaders in a service had said something I found very helpful: the answer to any question is "I AM." When life makes sense (although I've never found anything in life that really made sense), there is God. When life doesn't make sense, there is God. He is. He always was. He always will be.
I'll admit that my faith has been sorely tested pretty much my whole life, through literally major crisis to major crisis, and now I'm just having to trust God that He will help me deal with the frustration over dealing with nonsensical hiring requirements and pay ranges and help me get to the right place. I hope it's a place I'll want to be in, but if it's not, which is often the case in life, I'll have to remember those comforting words: "I AM."
When the 4-month internship I was supposed to have had fell through, I had to pick myself back up, because I'd gotten knocked down--again, dust myself off, and resume an all-out job search.
As I've noted in previous posts the last year and few months, it's very frustrating looking for a job in this market. That information doesn't surprise anyone. What has surprised me is that job requirements and pay ranges make absolutely no sense at all. How can a zillion positions pay barely above minimum wage and require a college degree, yet a position I ran across today, doing more technical, complicated, skilled work, require only a high school diploma and pay in the 30's, with benefits?! As I said, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
What I did upon seeing the above-mentioned vacancy ad was completely warranted, I think: I literally threw back my head and groaned, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What do they want? Help me, Lord, get through this!"
One thing that helps me get through is rereading journal entries and meditating on times when God has gotten me through painful circumstances. I was rereading a journal entry from last fall and noted that one of the worship leaders in a service had said something I found very helpful: the answer to any question is "I AM." When life makes sense (although I've never found anything in life that really made sense), there is God. When life doesn't make sense, there is God. He is. He always was. He always will be.
I'll admit that my faith has been sorely tested pretty much my whole life, through literally major crisis to major crisis, and now I'm just having to trust God that He will help me deal with the frustration over dealing with nonsensical hiring requirements and pay ranges and help me get to the right place. I hope it's a place I'll want to be in, but if it's not, which is often the case in life, I'll have to remember those comforting words: "I AM."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Take Care of You
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I know the title of this post is bad grammar, but that just draws attention to the message. For those who have seen the Richard Gere movie “Pretty Woman,” you might recognize the admonition as the one “Kit” and “Vivian” exchange when they’re saying goodbye to each other, whether it’s for a “date” or at the end of the movie, when “Vivian” decides to leave Hollywood and her life of prostitution behind and start over in San Francisco.
Why am I bringing it up, you may ask? There are 2 reasons:
• I got a reminder of it myself at a seminar Tuesday night.
• I think we all need periodic reminders.
Because:
• We often don’t do it.
Life comes at us fast. That’s such a “given” that it’s now an insurance company slogan. We all do so much, for so many people, that there’s often nothing left for us. We’re stressed out, burned out, and if it continues, tuned out, because we can’t go on full-throttle forever. Something gives, and it can easily be our bodies and/or our minds that just quit on us because we’ve demanded so much of them. Too much.
I’ve written about this before: we don’t expect cars to go without gas, but we expect ourselves to go without proper rest, nutrition, recreation, and spiritual support. We shouldn’t expect anything--our cars,and even more--our bodies, minds, and souls to keep going like a certain battery’s bunny mascot.
Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which I’ve talked about, as well. Without the basics of security, we can’t reach our full potential. With a horrible economy and unemployment rates in the stratosphere, many people’s basic security is threatened to begin with. Many are homeless or living hand-to-mouth, wondering if they’ll be homeless in a month, or 2, or 3. Many don’t have health insurance, reliable transportation, or any of the many things so many people take for granted.
That’s why it’s extra important to do what we can to take care of ourselves. So, to the best of your ability, I ask everyone to:
• Consume the most nutritious food and beverages you can, in healthful amounts.
• Get proper healthcare, including mental health if necessary. Depression is real, and there’s no shame in needing help with it, any more than there’s shame in having a broken leg set.
• Get proper rest.
• Exercise every day, even if it’s a 10-minute walk. The endorphins will boost your mood and help you rest better.
• Seek God—He’ll meet you where you are. You don’t have to get all polished up first.
• Spend time talking and/or playing with friends. Make new ones when you can.
• Find a hobby or other leisure activity you enjoy and make sure you put it into your schedule.
• Avoid placing blame. Just do what you can to “take care of you.”
I know the title of this post is bad grammar, but that just draws attention to the message. For those who have seen the Richard Gere movie “Pretty Woman,” you might recognize the admonition as the one “Kit” and “Vivian” exchange when they’re saying goodbye to each other, whether it’s for a “date” or at the end of the movie, when “Vivian” decides to leave Hollywood and her life of prostitution behind and start over in San Francisco.
Why am I bringing it up, you may ask? There are 2 reasons:
• I got a reminder of it myself at a seminar Tuesday night.
• I think we all need periodic reminders.
Because:
• We often don’t do it.
Life comes at us fast. That’s such a “given” that it’s now an insurance company slogan. We all do so much, for so many people, that there’s often nothing left for us. We’re stressed out, burned out, and if it continues, tuned out, because we can’t go on full-throttle forever. Something gives, and it can easily be our bodies and/or our minds that just quit on us because we’ve demanded so much of them. Too much.
I’ve written about this before: we don’t expect cars to go without gas, but we expect ourselves to go without proper rest, nutrition, recreation, and spiritual support. We shouldn’t expect anything--our cars,and even more--our bodies, minds, and souls to keep going like a certain battery’s bunny mascot.
Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which I’ve talked about, as well. Without the basics of security, we can’t reach our full potential. With a horrible economy and unemployment rates in the stratosphere, many people’s basic security is threatened to begin with. Many are homeless or living hand-to-mouth, wondering if they’ll be homeless in a month, or 2, or 3. Many don’t have health insurance, reliable transportation, or any of the many things so many people take for granted.
That’s why it’s extra important to do what we can to take care of ourselves. So, to the best of your ability, I ask everyone to:
• Consume the most nutritious food and beverages you can, in healthful amounts.
• Get proper healthcare, including mental health if necessary. Depression is real, and there’s no shame in needing help with it, any more than there’s shame in having a broken leg set.
• Get proper rest.
• Exercise every day, even if it’s a 10-minute walk. The endorphins will boost your mood and help you rest better.
• Seek God—He’ll meet you where you are. You don’t have to get all polished up first.
• Spend time talking and/or playing with friends. Make new ones when you can.
• Find a hobby or other leisure activity you enjoy and make sure you put it into your schedule.
• Avoid placing blame. Just do what you can to “take care of you.”
Sunday, April 3, 2011
She Speaks conference
Never give up; you never know until you try.
The annual Proverbs 31 Ministries "She Speaks" conference is coming up. I've attended Proverbs 31 Ministries conferences in the past and been blessed by the experience in more ways than I can count. Check it out if you're interested in writing, or if you just like to read inspirational writing. The Proverbs 31 ministry has been extremely helpful to me.
They're holding a contest, and the winner can attend the conference free of charge. Naturally, I'd love to go. My entry for the contest, which calls for a 6-word story, along the lines of Hemingway's "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." After mulling that over for 3 days, I came up with the following prayer to God: "You're God. I'm not. I surrender." I'll let you know if my entry is chosen. The link to the conference is http://shespeaksconference.com.
(I tried 3 times to use the Blogger link tool to post the actual link, but it never worked. So sorry.)
The prayer I cite above is a prayer many people probably have to pray daily as they crucify the flesh that wants to have its way. I know I certainly have to pray a version of it every day.
Whether it's the Serenity Prayer, the one I just noted, or another, my advice for the day is to keep on praying. I've seen and heard the acrostic "PUSH" several times, and I've taken it to heart. It stands for Pray Until Something Happens. Sometimes that means the problem remains, but you have peace as you move through it.
As I’ve navigated my employment situation since graduation, I’ve prayed many times for the problem to go away, and I’ve also prayed, “Lord, just give me peace.” Jesus said He was giving us His peace, and that promise has kept me going when I was near the end of my rope.
So, dear readers, check out Proverbs 31 Ministries. It’s a valuable resource.
The annual Proverbs 31 Ministries "She Speaks" conference is coming up. I've attended Proverbs 31 Ministries conferences in the past and been blessed by the experience in more ways than I can count. Check it out if you're interested in writing, or if you just like to read inspirational writing. The Proverbs 31 ministry has been extremely helpful to me.
They're holding a contest, and the winner can attend the conference free of charge. Naturally, I'd love to go. My entry for the contest, which calls for a 6-word story, along the lines of Hemingway's "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." After mulling that over for 3 days, I came up with the following prayer to God: "You're God. I'm not. I surrender." I'll let you know if my entry is chosen. The link to the conference is http://shespeaksconference.com.
(I tried 3 times to use the Blogger link tool to post the actual link, but it never worked. So sorry.)
The prayer I cite above is a prayer many people probably have to pray daily as they crucify the flesh that wants to have its way. I know I certainly have to pray a version of it every day.
Whether it's the Serenity Prayer, the one I just noted, or another, my advice for the day is to keep on praying. I've seen and heard the acrostic "PUSH" several times, and I've taken it to heart. It stands for Pray Until Something Happens. Sometimes that means the problem remains, but you have peace as you move through it.
As I’ve navigated my employment situation since graduation, I’ve prayed many times for the problem to go away, and I’ve also prayed, “Lord, just give me peace.” Jesus said He was giving us His peace, and that promise has kept me going when I was near the end of my rope.
So, dear readers, check out Proverbs 31 Ministries. It’s a valuable resource.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Do It Today; Tomorrow May Be Too Late
Never give up; you never know until you try.
Tuesday afternoon I attended the funeral of a dear friend’s mother. Like many people on such occasions, I cried. I was sitting in the pew beside my own aging mother.
Afterward, as I talked with various members of the bereaved family, bits of several conversations reached my ears—typical things you hear at funerals: “It’s been so long since I saw you; don’t let it be so long next time,” and “I wish I’d gone to see her like I planned to do, but I’ve been so busy.”
I got another reminder that it’s super-important to “stop and smell the roses,” to visit, to call, to “mend fences,” to extend love, grace, and mercy--today. In short, it’s super-important to live like there’s no tomorrow, because one of these days, there won’t be. And even if there is a “tomorrow,” you or your loved one may be too sick to enjoy it.
So, dear readers, I implore us all to heed this reminder. Accept God’s grace and mercy today. Accept apologies today. Give apologies today. Live today.
Tuesday afternoon I attended the funeral of a dear friend’s mother. Like many people on such occasions, I cried. I was sitting in the pew beside my own aging mother.
Afterward, as I talked with various members of the bereaved family, bits of several conversations reached my ears—typical things you hear at funerals: “It’s been so long since I saw you; don’t let it be so long next time,” and “I wish I’d gone to see her like I planned to do, but I’ve been so busy.”
I got another reminder that it’s super-important to “stop and smell the roses,” to visit, to call, to “mend fences,” to extend love, grace, and mercy--today. In short, it’s super-important to live like there’s no tomorrow, because one of these days, there won’t be. And even if there is a “tomorrow,” you or your loved one may be too sick to enjoy it.
So, dear readers, I implore us all to heed this reminder. Accept God’s grace and mercy today. Accept apologies today. Give apologies today. Live today.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Work in Progress
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I've had an incredible week, trying to get things in order to start an internship next week. I'm still sorting out lots of things, including conflicting emotions. I'm so glad that God can make sense of things, because sometimes I certainly can't.
The title of this post means several things: as we all are, I'm a work in progress; my job situation is a work in progress; the post I had planned for this week is a work in progress. Since the planned post is still being hashed out and I didn't want to let another week go by without saying something to my readers, what I came up with is what you're reading now--an honest disclosure that I'm running around like the headless chicken. Again, I'm glad that God can make sense of things.
So my sage advice for now is: cut yourself some slack if you find yourself running crazed in a thousand directions, physically or emotionally. Know that even if you can't, God can make sense of it all.
I've had an incredible week, trying to get things in order to start an internship next week. I'm still sorting out lots of things, including conflicting emotions. I'm so glad that God can make sense of things, because sometimes I certainly can't.
The title of this post means several things: as we all are, I'm a work in progress; my job situation is a work in progress; the post I had planned for this week is a work in progress. Since the planned post is still being hashed out and I didn't want to let another week go by without saying something to my readers, what I came up with is what you're reading now--an honest disclosure that I'm running around like the headless chicken. Again, I'm glad that God can make sense of things.
So my sage advice for now is: cut yourself some slack if you find yourself running crazed in a thousand directions, physically or emotionally. Know that even if you can't, God can make sense of it all.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Seminar on Change
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I recently attended a seminar on dealing with change. It’s been said that the only sure things are death and taxes, and I’ve written before that I’d add to that list God’s unfailing love and that dreaded thing called change. (You know I don't mean pennies, either!)
Since most of us don’t like change, to put it mildly, I expected the seminar to be packed. I was surprised that it wasn’t, but on further reflection, it makes sense. Many people hate and dread change so much that they don’t even want to think about it—not even if thinking about it may help them deal with it more effectively and less painfully.
Change is scary, even if the change is a positive one. I’ve often thought about how even though I may despise a certain circumstance, at least I’ve developed a way of dealing with it if it has continued for any length of time. Unfortunately, not every coping mechanism is a positive one, serving me well, making my life better. That’s when I need to change my focus or actions—even both; lots of times, changing focus results in changing actions.
And that was really the gist of the seminar: change is a necessary, inevitable part of life. Sometimes we have to change because old ways aren’t serving us, and sometimes change is thrust on us by others, so we need to learn to deal with it in positive ways. It was an encouraging refresher course for me, so I’ll share a few tidbits that we covered.
Recognize that change happens. Don’t fight it; accept it. Don’t just bury your head in the sand. Don't refuse to face it (or, really, avoid facing it) by drinking, taking drugs, working too hard, etcetera. Ingesting substances or immersing yourself in work may seem to work in the short-term, but it doesn’t in the long-term.
Don’t beat yourself up because you resist change. We’re all wired to resist change. (The presenter covered some psychological research that proves it.)
Knowledge is power. Knowing how your personality type responds to change (or anything else) can help you cope better. I encourage everyone to invest the time to take a respected personality test, such as Myers-Briggs, to get to know yourself better. That way you can have a go-to plan to handle change when it arises.
Make sure that go-to plan moves your life in a positive direction. If not, change it, with outside help if necessary. (Yes, I’m aware that I used that dreaded “C” word there!)
Recognize that others have their own ways of dealing with change, which may be radically different than yours. Allow them that right.
That’s my take-away from the seminar. The program was a couple hours long, and the Serenity Prayer came to my mind several times. I still think it’s a great, helpful prayer that basically says to be calm, accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference between the two. As the speaker pointed out, it’s not in human nature to be calm when faced with change, so it seems only logical to me that I need to ask God for help. He made me, so He can and will help me if I just humble myself and ask.
I recently attended a seminar on dealing with change. It’s been said that the only sure things are death and taxes, and I’ve written before that I’d add to that list God’s unfailing love and that dreaded thing called change. (You know I don't mean pennies, either!)
Since most of us don’t like change, to put it mildly, I expected the seminar to be packed. I was surprised that it wasn’t, but on further reflection, it makes sense. Many people hate and dread change so much that they don’t even want to think about it—not even if thinking about it may help them deal with it more effectively and less painfully.
Change is scary, even if the change is a positive one. I’ve often thought about how even though I may despise a certain circumstance, at least I’ve developed a way of dealing with it if it has continued for any length of time. Unfortunately, not every coping mechanism is a positive one, serving me well, making my life better. That’s when I need to change my focus or actions—even both; lots of times, changing focus results in changing actions.
And that was really the gist of the seminar: change is a necessary, inevitable part of life. Sometimes we have to change because old ways aren’t serving us, and sometimes change is thrust on us by others, so we need to learn to deal with it in positive ways. It was an encouraging refresher course for me, so I’ll share a few tidbits that we covered.
Recognize that change happens. Don’t fight it; accept it. Don’t just bury your head in the sand. Don't refuse to face it (or, really, avoid facing it) by drinking, taking drugs, working too hard, etcetera. Ingesting substances or immersing yourself in work may seem to work in the short-term, but it doesn’t in the long-term.
Don’t beat yourself up because you resist change. We’re all wired to resist change. (The presenter covered some psychological research that proves it.)
Knowledge is power. Knowing how your personality type responds to change (or anything else) can help you cope better. I encourage everyone to invest the time to take a respected personality test, such as Myers-Briggs, to get to know yourself better. That way you can have a go-to plan to handle change when it arises.
Make sure that go-to plan moves your life in a positive direction. If not, change it, with outside help if necessary. (Yes, I’m aware that I used that dreaded “C” word there!)
Recognize that others have their own ways of dealing with change, which may be radically different than yours. Allow them that right.
That’s my take-away from the seminar. The program was a couple hours long, and the Serenity Prayer came to my mind several times. I still think it’s a great, helpful prayer that basically says to be calm, accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference between the two. As the speaker pointed out, it’s not in human nature to be calm when faced with change, so it seems only logical to me that I need to ask God for help. He made me, so He can and will help me if I just humble myself and ask.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)