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Posted on 06/30/2011 10:09:07 PM PDT by JustAmy
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The summer after college graduation, I was living at home, fishing in the daytime, spending nights with my friends?-generally just hanging out. One afternoon my grandfather, who never went to college, stopped by.
Concerned with how I was spending my time, he asked about my future plans. I told him I was in no hurry to tie myself down to a career.
“Well,” he replied, “you better start thinking about it. You’ll be thirty before you know it.”
“But I’m closer to twenty than to thirty,” I protested. “I won’t be thirty for eight more years.”
“I see,” he said, smiling. “And when will you be twenty again?”
Unexpected guests were on the way, and my mother, an impeccable housekeeper, rushed around straightening up. She put my father and brother to work cleaning the guest bathroom. Later, when she went to inspect it, she was surprised that the once-cluttered room had been tidied up so quickly.
Then she saw the note on the closed shower curtains. It read, “Thank you for not looking in the bathtub.”
THE TOP 10 WAYS TO STICK WITH IT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
1. Know that you are exactly where you need to be. Part of moving towards your goal or vision involves coming to, and walking through, the difficult places on the path. Remember times from your past when the greatest learning came from challenging life events. Knowing that this is a process, a journey, and not about “getting it right the first time” can free up mental, physical, and emotional energy.
2. “Don’t push the river.” Working harder or longer will add suffering to the process and not move you any closer to your goal. Let go of having to make things happen when what’s needed is trust.
3. Be kind to yourself. This is not about your inadequacies, but about the natural progression towards mastery. Let the critical voices go; they impede the process.
4. Become curious. Curiosity differs from analysis in that there is no judgment and no desired outcome. Simply notice where the tough parts are. What’s happening? What thoughts or actions make the process easier or tougher? Challenges offer us the greatest opportunity for learning and growth when we take the time to notice.
5. Choose. Know that you have choices around how you will react or handle these tough parts. Here’s an idea: on an index card write one thing you will say “no” to (working on weekends, kids not helping around the house, staying at the office past 5PM, etc.). On the other side, write one thing you will say “yes” to (taking a walk each day, delegating that report to my assistant, hiring someone to clean my house, having a weekly date with my husband, etc.). Focus on making these two things happen (let all others go for now) and notice the energy and confidence boost!
6. Ask for help. As a Hopi Elder recently stated, “The days of the lone wolf are over.” Gather supportive and resourceful people around you who will assist you on your journey.
7. Switch gears. Take a break from perpetual “doing” and let yourself “be with” what’s happening. Get out of your head, if that’s where you tend to go, breathe deeply and let the mental machinations go for awhile.
8. Take time each day for pure pleasure. If you had to choose one item on this list, choose this! Taking time to enjoy (”in joy”) the pleasures of life renews body and spirit profoundly.
9. Keep your vision alive daily. Knowing your life purpose helps you put the tough times into perspective. Ask yourself if what you are doing (or how you are being in the world) brings you closer to your goal or vision. If it’s not moving you closer, then shift your energy to things that will. Focus your mind and your actions in service of your life purpose.
10. Create a ritual. We tend to celebrate wins, and are at a loss as to how to deal with challenges and losses. Take time to acknowledge and honor what’s happening and notice how the painful or negative energy around it begins to lessen. A ritual can be as simple as sitting in a favorite chair each day with a cup of tea, soothing music and a candle, or as involved as gathering friends at a special place, reciting poems and meaningful readings, and burning a symbolic object.
Wishing you peace and clarity on your magnificent journey!
TWO KINDS OF FRIENDS
A simple friend stands by you when you are right. A real friend stands by you even when you are wrong.
A simple friend identifies himself when he calls. A real friend doesn’t have to.
A simple friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life. A real friend says, “What’s new with you?”
A simple friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent. A real friend says, “You’ve been whining about the same thing for 14 years. Get off your duff and do something about it.”
A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.
A simple friend doesn’t know your parents’ first names. A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.
A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party. A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.
A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed. A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.
A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems. A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.
A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it.
A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.
A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it’s not a friendship until after you’ve had a fight.
A simple friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you.
TIME TO LOVE
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so they all prepared their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to stay with the island until it started sinking. When Love was almost sinking, he decided to ask for help.
Richness came by Love in a beautiful boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”
Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.”
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by, “Vanity, please help me!”
“I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and you may damage my boat,” Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so again Love asked for help, “Sadness, let me go with you.”
“Oh...Love, I am so sad that I prefer to go alone!”
Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not listen when Love called her!
Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an elder. Love became so happy that he even forgot to ask the elder her name. When they arrived on dry land, the elder went on her own way. Love asked Knowledge, another elder, the name of the elder who had helped him.
“It was Time,” answered Knowledge.
“Time? But why did Time help me?” asked Love.
“Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is,” answered Knowledge.
TIME TO LOVE
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so they all prepared their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to stay with the island until it started sinking. When Love was almost sinking, he decided to ask for help.
Richness came by Love in a beautiful boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”
Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.”
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by, “Vanity, please help me!”
“I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and you may damage my boat,” Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so again Love asked for help, “Sadness, let me go with you.”
“Oh...Love, I am so sad that I prefer to go alone!”
Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not listen when Love called her!
Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an elder. Love became so happy that he even forgot to ask the elder her name. When they arrived on dry land, the elder went on her own way. Love asked Knowledge, another elder, the name of the elder who had helped him.
“It was Time,” answered Knowledge.
“Time? But why did Time help me?” asked Love.
“Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is,” answered Knowledge.
My friend Dan, who was soon to graduate from high school, was required to make a senior presentation. He had 15 minutes to share how he had made it to the point of graduation and to thank those who had helped him along the way.
I gazed around the room before he started to talk. All kinds of people—young families, teachers, friends, church leaders, and coaches—were in attendance. He began to talk about the ways each person had touched his life. One woman had “been like an aunt and had always been there” for him. A 30-something man “shared Scriptures often and gave counsel.” Another man had “taught him discipline and hard work.” A church friend had “taken him to football practice every day” because his mom couldn’t. A couple had “treated him like he was their own son.” One commonality—they were all just ordinary Christians who had reached out to make a difference in his life.
Paul called it doing “good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). We can help shape another person’s life by showing an interest and taking action. And, as happened with Dan, we can reap a harvest (v.9).
Look around. Is there someone whose life needs your touch?
Read: Galatians 6:6-10
Thanks for the pic; ping at #222, jaycee. R.I.P. Caylee.
Amen to your post. I am still hurt over this but I am a helpless person. I will have to accept things that can’t be changed. Casey will get hers someway or the other. (even though she will be a millionaire for murdering her child.) That is the sad thing.
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The event was conceived, initiated and called for by Texas Governor Rick Perry. There will be no DVD sales, book sales, CD sales, T-Shirt sales, and no vendors...just water, fasting and prayer.
Below are his remarks last week in Longview:
Governor Rick Perry
Transcribed speech
Longview , Texas
May 23, 2011
In 1977, I had left the Air Force and moved home. I’ll be real honest with you—I was a bit lost spiritually, and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. So I moved in with my mother and father. Now that's a real trip! I had been an aircraft commander, traveling all around the world, seeing amazing places that a boy from Paint Creek , Texas, had never even dreamed were out there before. I had this great epiphany during my mid twenties. As I had lived in Europe and South America and the Middle East , I saw all these different countries with different forms of government. I was actually paying attention to the dictatorships, theocracies, monarchies, democratic states, etc. I started making the connection between how those people lived and the form of government they had. It was most interesting for me, as I'd never really given that much attention to our form of government in America . I'd taken for granted this extraordinary country we live in, but I came to realize that America is really a special place. I also made the calculation that inside that really cool place was this incredible place called Texas!
At twenty-five, twenty-six years old, it dawned on me what an incredible country we live in, and that the vast majority of the people take it for granted. They abuse the privilege of living in a free country. They don't realize how so many other people live around the world. But with that knowledge, I went home and lived with my mom and dad. I moved back into my old room. At eighteen years old, I left to go to my beloved Texas A&M University . Nine years later, I came back into my old room. I swear to God, I know mother cleaned it, but it looked exactly like it did the day I left. It had my football number on the door, and it had the all-star football game program still stuck on the bulletin board. It was an eerie moment for me to move back home. My dad was pretty sure I was the same stupid eighteen-year-old that had left. I was pretty sure he hadn't gotten any smarter either. So we went through this really brutal period of time of finding our comfort zone. But God was dealing with me. At twenty-seven years old, I knew that I'd been called to the ministry. I've just always been really stunned by how big a pulpit I was gonna have! I still am. I truly believe with all my heart that God has put me in this place at this time to do His will.
On Aug the 6th of this year, 2011, we are going to have a day of prayer and fasting. And it's going to be the real deal. It's not going to be some program where we line up a dozen political figures to come in and talk. It's going to be people standing on that stage, projecting and proclaiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior at Reliant Stadium in Houston , Texas . Let me tell you, that's a big stadium and there will be a lot of people. But it's going to send a powerful message across this country! Our country's broke. Well, actually, Washington's broke; our country's going to be just fine. But we've got to have men and women who are willing to stand up to proclaim the values that this country was based upon.
In 1774, at the Continental Congress when they got together and penned that first document, they talked about “life” and “liberty.” Interestingly, the third thing they talked about was “property.” A couple of years later, when they actually wrote the Declaration, they changed that “property” to “the pursuit of happiness.” I just signed a piece of legislation today, the immanent domain legislation. I tell people, that “personal property” and the ownership of that personal property is crucial to our way of life. Our founding fathers understood that it was a very important part of the pursuit of happiness. Being able to own things that are your own is one of the things that makes America unique. But I happen to think that it's in jeopardy.
It's in jeopardy because of taxes; it's in jeopardy because of regulation; it's in jeopardy because of a legal system that's run amuck. And I think it's time for us to just hand it over to God and say, “God, You're going to have to fix this.” (I think it was Herman Cain who stood up the other day and said, “How's that “Hope and Change” thing working out for you?”) I think it's time for us to use our wisdom and our influence and really put it in God's hands. That's what I'm going to do, and I hope you'll join me. I hope you’ll join us in Houston on the 6th day of August and really start a revival across this country.
Here's what I want to leave you with. I know from time to time, people will say something like, “There goes Perry. He wants to secede.” But I love this country. We're a special place. We were created by God-fearing individuals who understood those biblical values and how powerful they could be and would be in the future. And I suggest that for our country, our best days are ahead if we'll get on our knees and ask God to take over and give us wisdom. I may wear the Lord out every day in prayer. I pray for this country. I pray for restoration for this country. I pray for our president every day. I pray that God turns buckets of wisdom out on his head, that God will open his eyes. We can change this country, but it requires our giving it to Him and letting Him guide us.
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—”For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”.
~Wishing All A WF Wednesday~
~At Amy's Place~
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Lamh Foistenach Abu!
Yesterday was a real downer and today isn’t much better. I’m hoping that by Friday we will all feel better. It is tough to play when the heart is heavy .... (for most people) .
I am TRYING to get beyond this..I know tragic, awful things happen to children every day..Caylee isn’t the only one..I am not finding comfort with that line of thinking.
I know God must have a special place in heaven for innocent little children. That is comforting.
Thank you, Amy for a delightful story! May we always be like that precious child.
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