Rediscovering Joy - Week #5 - Prayer!

PRAYER

 

“Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is near. He is real. He is not only aware of us but cares for us. He is our Father. He is accessible to all who will seek Him.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something

 

Last week, we talked about putting our all into every important endeavor because we reap fully what we sow in this life.  We touched on several areas in life where this is true.  One of these, one's spiritual life, we touched on but briefly.  Today, I would like to examine it more thoroughly.  Specifically, how Prayer can be a tool for us to rediscover Joy in this life.

There are several ways in which Prayer contributes to our feeling Joy in this life:

• It relieves us of our burdens
• It reminds us of our blessings
• and it requires us to listen with our hearts

Relief from Our Burdens

“The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured.”
― Rick Warren

Stress is one of the biggest joy-killers that exists in life.  When we are worried, anxious and overwhelmed with our challenges, Joy goes away.  It is not possible to be overwrought and joyful at the same time.  And most of us humans remain overwrought while experiencing challenges unless we do something to turn things around.  Prayer is the most powerful catalyst for altering one's perceptions from negative to positive.  When we approach the Lord with an open heart for help with our struggles, we can experience immense relief.  For one thing, it is wonderful to kneel before Him and know that we can tell him everything that has happened and is happening to us without fear of reproach, interruption or judgment.  Unfortunately, that is not always the case when we go to another human for verbal support.  Then, as we lay our troubles down at His feet, we can feel a lightening.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. - Matthew 11:29.

When we are yoked with the Lord, He takes our burdens upon Himself with us so that they are not so heavy for us to carry.  We can feel this when He sends His Spirit to comfort us, to let us know that he has heard our prayers and is answering them in a manner and in a time that is best for us.  In feeling this from Him, the mountain is no longer so steep to climb and the peace of His Spirit is sweet.  Even in the most debilitating crisis, it is possible to feel peace and even a Joy that we are not alone and that, ultimately, everything will be alright.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.- John 14:18

Reminds Us of Our Blessings

“One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful..we let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to his goodness it becomes a routine..”
― Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now

One of the sweetest and, in my humble opinion, best ways to open a prayer with our Heavenly Father is to first thank Him for our blessings.  Sometimes, during very short prayers, that is all that one says - Thank you for our many blessings.  But when one is on a path towards Joy, how much more meaningful it is to take some time down there on our knees and to not be so consumed with our lives that we forget to whom we owe everything for the very air we breathe and all else that keeps us going in this conflicted and often crazy world.  It is important to sometimes spend time enumerating to the Lord just exactly WHAT we are thankful for.  As we do this, something wonderful happens.  A window swings wide open in our darkened world to display to our minds the wonderous miracles that are taking place within our lives and the lives of our loved ones.  We develop a growing perception that instead of our lives being top-heavy with trouble, our "cup runneth over' with goodness, mercy and grace.  Deep within our hearts, a tiny feeling may begin to grow within the river of our thankfulness, which is that elusive quality...JOY.

I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.- Psalms 9:2

Listen with Our Hearts

“In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence.”
― Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers   
 
Too often, when I end my prayers, I jump up and run off to take care of....my life,... robbing myself of one of the most important parts of a satisfying prayer - LISTENING.  After all has been said and done before the Lord when we are on our knees, do we take time to listen, really listen for the Lord's voice?  We are told in the scriptures:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. - 1 Kings 19:12

Most often, when our Heavenly Father speaks to His children, He speaks quietly.  So, it only stands to reason, that we will hear Him if we, ourselves, are quiet.  If we take time to patiently wait on the Lord, before getting up and running off, what answers may we receive?  What direction might be ours?  The clarification that we seek may only come after we have shown the Lord that we BELIEVE that He will answer us and show that by waiting for Him.  Of course, we may only receive a feeling of peace and not yet the complete answers we are looking for, but how much better off are we after receiving His peace even without a clear answer, than we were before when we had no answer and no peace?

Stop, wait, listen.

 *     *     *     *

There is so much that can be said about Prayer and how it can lead us to JOY.  I have chosen just these three to talk about.  I hope that in doing so, you may have felt in your heart a desire to turn to your Heavenly Father to receive the peace that "surpasseth all understanding".  I can promise you, as it has been promised to all of us by a wise and loving Heavenly Father, that through prayer His peace can fill our lives, no matter what the circumstances,  which will lead you to a more Joyful existence.

Have a wonderful day!

REDISCOVERING JOY - Week 4 - You Get Out of Life What You Put into It!

REDISOVERING JOY - Week4

My subject for this week was inspired by a conversation I had with someone last week when they told me they didn't enjoy reading the scriptures because they had heard it all a thousand times.  I struggled with what to say about that..I have been reading the scriptures for decades and, yes, the same ones.  What could I say that would make a difference to them and help them feel more positive about connecting with the Lord through His Word, which they had heard so many times before.  Although I made no comment at the time, I went away and prayed about what I should say and that is when this thought came to me.

YOU GET OUT OF LIFE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT!

Yep, that's pretty much it.

In every area of life, we reap what we sow.

Take relationships, for instance.  Remember how it was when you were dating your husband, or embarking on a new relationship that was highly important to you?  Remember how you worked hard to please the other person by being a good listener, remembering their likes and dislikes and catering to those, by looking your best and showing your love and interest in a hundred different ways?  If your love was returned, no doubt that relationship flourished from all those loving acts.

Fast forward to the future when life is a hectic push of tending children, rushing around to various activities, possibly struggling to make ends meet or balancing a highly demanding work schedule with some remnant of family life...What has happened to our appearance and nurturing acts?  Maybe a little taking for granted of the loved one?  Is the relationship as sweet as before?  Perhaps our hearts are full of what the loved one is no longer doing for us, but ... what are we doing for them?  Are we making time, do we profess admiration and love as much as before? 

Every relationship deserves occasional review...Is it still bringing us joy?  What are we putting INTO it?   Then, it is time to try a little experiment.  If we make it a priority to be attentive to this relationship, any good hearted loved one will respond in kind.  And then, once again, you have a flourishing as with before.  This is usually true with spouses, children, family and friends.

YOU GET OUT OF LIFE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT!

When I was young and in school, I found the whole exercise of getting an education, exceptionally boring.  I felt trapped in classrooms and by text books.  I'm not going to be too hard on myself, I was after all ADHD of the DAY DREAMING kind.  Anything rote, is difficult for my personality.  However, I didn't put a whole lot into anything at school except socializing, which I often got into trouble for (talking, talking, talking..).  I only passed classes because I had a photographic memory.  That saved my bacon millions of times because I never studied.  Now, so many years later, I wonder if I would have appreciated school more, if I had applied myself a little better, instead of just enduring it all.  If I had applied and advanced and achieved, wouldn't school have meant more to me?  I would have experienced greater joy, rather than intolerable boredom.  It is possible to find a reason to be interested, if one works at it.  Just a thought.

YOU GET OUT OF LIFE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT!

The other day, I was in Walgreens purchasing some meds that I needed.  I stood in line at the check out and began watching the cashier.  She was a young woman with an incredible personality and attitude.  I don't know about you, but most cashiers that I run into look like they'd rather be anywhere but where they are.  This young lady made everyone she spoke to feel special.  Her positive attitude was contagious.  I left the store feeling so much better than how I'd felt when I first got there.  This experience really got me thinking about how we often treat jobs we don't like or feel like they may be "beneath us" as something to be endured.  We do the bare minimum and dream of better days.  This young woman though reminded me that even the simplest position can have a positive effect on others if our attitude is loving, kind and happy.  She seemed to draw people to her and, someday, I know this very quality may very well lead her to her dream job.

The point that I am trying to get to here is that we often make ourselves miserable and wait for life to change or someone to come along and make things better for us.  But it is UP TO US to turn things around.  It doesn't matter the circumstances, either, whether it's a relationship, school, a job, our health or what have you.  WE hold the power to change things for the BETTER.  That power is called EFFORT, BELIEF and ATTITUDE!

YOU GET OUT OF LIFE WHAT YOU PUT INTO!

Lastly, in our relationship with our Creator...when we may feel we don't have a powerful connection with Him; that our prayers are hitting the sealing; or the scriptures are BORING...That is the time to ask oneself, "What am I doing to invest myself in the process?"

One cannot say cursory prayers and expect answers or connection to our Heavenly Father.  When we open the scriptures, do we say a prayer that the Lord will help us see how what we are reading directly affects where we are in life and then do we read CAREFULLY?  When we pray, do we allow for time to LISTEN to what the Lord may be trying to say to us?  Or do we rush through it and run on to the next thing?

If we pray and read scripture with our heart, might, mind and strength (the way we are suppose to love the Lord), He cannot withhold Himself from us.  I have a read testimony of that!

WE GET OUT OF LIFE, WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO PUT INTO IT!

So, is there an area in your life that needs a little more effort?  Don't kill yourself, just try a little harder.  In time, you will see greater rewards.  You will find greater fulfillment in what you do and JOY in your accomplishment!

Have a blessed day!

Happy Menu Planning Monday!  Following are my menus for the week.  Hope they are a help to you in planning for your own family.

And remember:

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. -Doug Larson

Monday  - Asian Chicken Salad,

Tuesday - Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry, White Rice, Fruit

Wednesday - Chicken Salad Hoagies, Tossed Salad

Thursday - Black Eye Peas & Ham, Brown Rice, Veggies & Dip

Friday - Cajun Tilapia & Cabbage, Oven Fries, Sliced Tomatoes

Saturday - Baked Turkey Drumsticks, Spinach Salad, Rolls

Sunday - Crockpot Turkey Breast, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Cooked Carrots and Salad

For more Menu Planning Monday posts, please check out Organizing Junkie!

Have a great one!

Hello, One and All!

I have been kindly and graciously given the Liebster Award by Patti at Home and Lifestyle Design.
This award is given to bloggers who have fewer than 100 followers and is a gift of encouragement.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Following are some questions that come with the award and which I will answer to the best of my ability!

1. Why did you start blogging? What is it you hope to accomplish by blogging? What is the purpose of your blog?

I began blogging some six years ago, though I had to take a two year break when life, and lack of a computer, intervened.  I began blogging to be part of an online community and hopefully to be a source of strength and encouragement to other women.  I think that is pretty much the purpose of my blog now.


2. In what ways have you found it successful for you to connect with other bloggers?
I like to be a part of linky parties and also to offer series on my own blog that hopefully are of interest to others.  Right now, I have a Rediscovering Joy series every Tuesday.

3. Are you using Pinterest to connect with everyone? You can find my Pinterest account here. Are your finding Pinterest valuable to you in your blogging and if so how are you using Pinterest to build a following?

Gosh, I just joined and am only now learning how to use it.  I am a little behind the curve, I guess, but am trying to catch up quickly!

 4. Have you ever been to a blogging event and if so what ones and did you find it beneficial and would you recommend it to other bloggers?

I have wanted to go to a blogging event, but have so far been unable to do so.

 5. What do you love about blogging?

I love gaining inspiration from other women about home life/spiritual life and love trying to be a source of encouragement for other women.

6. Are you on Google+ and if so have you found it beneficial for building connections for you and your blog?

Well, I will have to google "Google+".....   :)

7. What did you do prior to blogging?

When I had the time, I loved to write and read.

 8. What type of photography equipment do you use and how important do you think photography is to your blog?

Photography is uber important to a blog and I have a nice Canon camera that I use.

9. Do you entertain a lot in your home and if so what sort of entertaining is it that you most enjoy? Do you blog about your entertaining?

My entertaining usually centers around extended family or really close friends and I have, in the past, blogged about it.

10. What does your immediate family and extended family and friends think about you blogging and are they supportive of you?

Some are, some not so much.  My husband and children are very supportive.

 11. The final question! What are your future aspirations for your blog? Where do you want your blogging to take you?

My current series and some others that I have in mind I would love to use for future books.


OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR ME...

Now, I nominate the following for the Liebster Award:

http://iwonderwoman.blogspot.com/

 

http://junkindisorderly.blogspot.com/

 

http://www.cafechatterbox.com/

 

http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/

 

http://momzblotter.blogspot.com/

 

Okay nominees, now it is your time to answer my questions!
1. Why did you start blogging? What is it you hope to accomplish by blogging? What is the purpose of your blog?

2. In what ways have you found it successful for you to connect with other bloggers?

3. Are you using Pinterest to connect with everyone? You can find my Pinterest account here. Are your finding Pinterest valuable to you in your blogging and if so how are you using Pinterest to build a following?

4. Have you ever been to a blogging event and if so what ones and did you find it beneficial and would you recommend it to other bloggers?

5. What do you love about blogging?

6. Are you on Google+ and if so have you found it beneficial for building connections for you and your blog?

7. What did you do prior to blogging?

8. What type of photography equipment do you use and how important do you think photography is to your blog?

9. Do you entertain a lot in your home and if so what sort of entertaining is it that you most enjoy? Do you blog about your entertaining?

10. What does your immediate family and extended family and friends think about you blogging and are they supportive of you?

11. The final question! What are your future aspirations for your blog? Where do you want your blogging to take you?

 

 

REDISCOVERING JOY - Week #3 What Are You Drawing to Yourself

In our quest for finding greater joy in our daily lives, I have a question for you:

Is there something in your way of thinking that might be robbing you of the very thing you seek while you are searching for greater happiness?

Please stop a moment and think about this.

I'm sure you have heard the idea that we draw to ourselves the things we think about and put our attention on, even and especially the negative experiences that happen to us.  There is a lot of information out there in books and on the Internet that promote this belief.  Whether or not you completely swallow that EVERYTHING that happens to us is a result of our own thinking, there is no doubt in my mind, at least, that MUCH of what transpires in our lives is an end result of HOW WE PERCEIVE what is happening to us and HOW WE CHOOSE to react to it.

Think about that.

Now, I am going to tell you a story:

Years ago, when I was a lot younger than I am now, I was complaining and whining to a very close friend about how so many of my friendships at that time were problematic and what a source of pain they were for me.  Instead of commiserating with me and saying something compassionate, my friend finally grew exasperated.  She interrupted me with this comment:

"This is hard for me to tell you and you may not want to hear it.  But, the problem isn't these people.  The problem is the type of friends you have CHOSEN.  If you continue to CHOOSE to be around them, you are CHOOSING to continue to have painful experiences."

OUCH!  My friend put the problem squarely on my shoulders to solve.  Although, her words hurt me some (what had I done to deserve this, after all?!).  I had to admit she was right (In the end, I continued to associate with the same people).

That is just one of my experiences that taught me a profound lesson about happiness and what I can do to create it for myself.  However, you may be struggling with something else in life.

So, let me ask you this: 

Do the same types of difficulties keep happening in your life?  Do the same types of difficult people keep showing up? 

This is usually a HUGE sign, that you might be making the types of choices that bring the same problems around, over and over again.

What was it that Einstein said?

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Woah!...

Is there something that you are doing over and over again with the same negative results?  If so, What is it?  What can you do to change it now?  Remember..

A small change at the hinge, swings wide the gate!

Resolve to make a positive change now, even a small one,...and watch how great the end results can be!

On to greater Joy!~

Menu Planning Monday - September 23rd

"Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort."

- Norman Kolpas

 

I am thinking COMFORT FOOD this week!

 

Monday, is here again!  Does it seem to you that Mondays are coming around quicker and quicker these days?  Yes? NO???  For me, the pace is picking up!

 

 

So, once again, I present to you my Menu Plan for the week, replete with pictures.  I hope they inspire you to devise your own culinary delights, or at least to get just a little more organized with the meal thing.

 

Enjoy!~

 

Monday - HEALTHY RED BEANS & RICE,

 

Tuesday - CROCKPOT BRUNSWICK STEW, Warm Bread Rolls (purchased) & Salad

(The hubby is in the hospital this day for his kidney stones...Pull out the crockpot!)

Wednesday - SHEPERD'S PIE, Fruit Salad

Thursday - CROCKPOT DAY!!! Game Day!! TOMATILLO CHICKEN SOUP, Tortilla Chips & Tossed Salad
 

 

Friday - HOMEMADE PIZZA, using this dough recipe, Tossed Salad

Saturday - SPICY SIRACHA CHICKEN WINGS, STEAK FRIES, Finger Veggies & Dip

Sunday - Grilled Steaks, Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad

For more Menu Planning Monday posts, please visit Organizing Junkie!

Have a great one!

Rediscovering Joy - Week #2 - SEEK OUT THE INSPIRING!

I almost didn't get this post entered today, so much came up that I wasn't sure I would be able to get on the computer for personal time at all...

Those of you who read my post last Tuesday know that I have begun a series about Rediscovering Joy.  Every week I plan to post something that I have found to help me in the direction of feeling/finding greater passion in life.

Well, today was so crazy, I kept wondering what do I write, if I have time to write at all?  Then, tonight, my husband and I really needed a break so we decided to watch a movie.  We no longer have cable so we are dependent on Netflix and Amazon.com for our entertainment.  I had ordered a movie called "Something The Lord Has Made":

It is the true story of "white surgeon Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and his black assistant, Vivien Thomas (Mos Def), who teamed in the 1940s to develop a procedure to save children suffering from a heart defect. But Thomas's status as a second-class citizen prevented him from getting recognition, as Blalock took all the credit. Their relationship, while close, was complicated by the social realities of the time."

This Emmy Award-winning HBO movie is extremely inspiring and uplifting, without sacrificing realism, or great writing and acting.

Watching this I suddenly remembered that one of the ways to Rediscover Joy is by reminding ourselves how good and wonderful the world really can be by reading or watching true stories of great men and women who contribute to welfare of their fellow men with selfless acts of service.

Yes, I am plugging the movie.  But I am also encouraging you so seek out for yourself wonderful, life-affirming true stories.  Remind yourself of all the good that is being done.  Yes, the news headlines may scream of endless crime and terrible stories, but at the same time ordinary people are  doing absolutely EXTRAORDINARY things.

Have a beautiful day!

Menu Planning Monday - September 16

Happy Monday!  And it wouldn't be a good start to the week without a trusty menu plan.


Monday - Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs,  Basmati Rice, Spinach Salad

Tuesday - Pinto Beans, Whole Wheat Cornbread, Tossed Salad

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Cassoulet, Peas, Sliced Tomatoes

Thursday - Salmon Patties (with Lemon Sauce), Cajon Potato Wedges, Asian Salad

Friday - Spicy Chicken Sausage Pasta and Greens, Fruit

Saturday - Homemade Pizza, Salad

Sunday - Grilled Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Salad

Hope you have a wonderful week - Bon Appetit!

For more Menu Planning Monday posts, please check out I Am An Organizing Junkie.