So Blessed

i AM BLESSED!

In dealing with day to day problems, it is easy to think about the problems-how to solve them—and just generally obsess about them. I am often reminded that no matter what I face, my BLESSINGS far outweigh my problems.

Today I had to find a new doctor’s office a little distance away so we went early to be sure we were not late. Thank goodness our i-pad directed us there 1 hour early and we had time for lunch. As we drove down a little access road from the doctor’s office to a couple of restaurants, we saw a lady sitting alone on a curb as we drove by. Coming back from the restaurant, we saw she had a sign

Do You Need Comfort?

 

COMFORT means ‘to improve the mood of or restore a sense of well-being to’. Do you always feel like you are reaching out to friends, family, even strangers to offer comfort? Well, there are times you need COMFORT too. I hope the things that bring comfort to me might inspire you to find those special things in your own life that will bring COMFORT and peace to you.

Comfort food – We all have our own favorites and times that we need comfort food! This has been an extremely cold winter for many people and you might be needing some comfort food about now. Comfort food could be described as food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being and could be associated with childhood or home cooking.

Do You Believe You Can Do It?

It’s a familiar conversation…You know it’s there and you send someone to get it.

“It’s in the pantry…second row down and on your right!”

Only to be followed by…”Nope. It’s not in there–we don’t have any!”

So you walk over, open the pantry door and grab it–“What’s this?!”, you say!

“Oh, I didn’t see it”… is the response.

Whatever “it” is or wherever “it” may be– I’m sure you can recall similar conversations at your house, right? They can never “see it”—even though you are 100% certain where it is.

Finally, after my part in raising 7 kids–I got smart. When my youngest son, Daniel, was four, I decided to PURPOSELY create a different result. So I started calling Daniel the “finder of lost things”.  First, I’d ask him to find me things I KNEW he could find–and every time he’d bring me something I’d say…”Oh man, you’re awesome–you’re the finder of lost things!”

Then anytime something was lost or anyone in the house was looking for something I’d say, “Daniel can find anything– he’s the finder of lost things.” And you know what– he can and does!

He just turned 13. A couple months ago we were in DC.  Daniel had just gotten a brand new iPod Touch from the Apple Store that same day. We had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening driving around my favorite spots in Old Alexandria and stopping by a few of the monuments.

What Is Your IT?

No matter what your faith or religious perspective is, just stick with me for a minute because answering this question could make a HUGE difference in your life.

I grew up in church– meaning, if the doors were open we were there. Even if they weren’t open we tended to be there because both my parents were involved in various groups and ministries of the church that always seemed to be having meetings, get-togethers, practices, etc.

My point is, “the church” was like my second home and the people were my second family. And I wouldn’t trade those years or that foundation for anything. It’s priceless.

At the same time I’ve always been the person to challenge — EVERYTHING….At home….In school…In church. I was always asking WHY or WHY NOT and if the answer didn’t make sense or feel right to me– then I didn’t accept it.

There is HOPE

Thomas Jefferson once said…

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale… they all stressed the importance of having a…POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE.

And God gives us a pretty clear list of the type “stuff” we’re supposed to think about when the Bible says…

“Whatsoever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there’s any virtue, and if there be any praise… THINK ON THESE THINGS.”

Perspective Changes Everything!

I was running some errands on Sunday and brought my youngest son, Daniel along with me. He’s my sidekick most of the time. Daniel is one of these dudes who likes to talk. And by that I mean he never stops 😉

I tend to stay in my head–because I’m a man of few words. So when I’m hanging with Daniel he’s talking a mile a minute and I’m doing my best to stay present and listen.

We pulled onto the highway and Daniel asked…”How long do you suppose those dashed lines are on the road?” He was talking about the white dashed lines that separate two lanes going in the same direction.

What Do You REALLY Want in Life?

Where do you want to eat tonight? It’s the question that I dread. Because it always starts and ends the same. “I don’t know”…”I don’t care”…”Wherever you want…””Anywhere is fine…””Just pick a place…”

Then someone speaks up…”How about Chipotle?”…which is quickly answered with…”Uggh… it’s too spicy”

“Olive Garden?”… to which I’ll hear…”I eat too many breadsticks so I leave with a stomachache!”

“Outback?”…which is answered with…”Ummm… there’s nothing there to eat anymore so I’ll just get a drink while you guys eat.”

You Can Be A Victor

Life—it is not all a bed of roses!! Sometimes the thorns show up and create struggles in each of our lives. We all become victims from time to time of these ‘thorns’—discouragement, fear, guilt, mistreatment……Often we have no control over these ‘thorns’. What we can control is how we react and how we dwell on them.

Robert Silverstone has said:  ‘A universal law states that whatever we focus our attention on will tend to expand. If we are focused on finding the negative in a person or situation, especially in ourselves, those negatives will tend to expand and before long we find ourselves participating in victim consciousness, often without even being aware of it.’