PAIN

  Today is another day of accepting God's will for my day.  Does
this sound familiar?  We make a choice to let God be in charge
or not.  There is no debate!  We answer yes or no.  I say it is 
best for me to allow Him to lead and I am a thankful follower.

   Once a decision is made, to be in charge or let God be in charge,
it changes everything.  For me, there is no wondering why this or
that happened.  I don't waste the energy I still have thinking about
the "what ifs" of life.  All I have to do is be attentive to what God
wants me to do and do it.  I don't need a doctorate to follow Him.
He knows everything about me and all that is happening in my
life.  What a relief!  I can just do one thing,,,what He wants me
to do.  

   So, in my life, there are lots of opportunities to live above the
circumstances of physical pain and emotional trauma.  Every
time a "hard" day happens, it is another learning experience
from the Greatest Teacher anyone ever has.  Because He 
created me, He knows me inside out.  He knows what needs
to change and goes about lovingly drawing me to a mature 
life close to Him.

   Life on sinful earth is not supposed to be a party.  It is hard
and it was harder for Him.  I cannot wake up each morning
expecting things to go as planned.  In fact, it is best to have
a very loose plan so He can do what needs to be done.  If
I am so enthralled with my plans I will miss what He has
in store for me.  There are people that He wants me to
touch and I cannot do it without Him leading me.  Every
woman deals with hardship every day.  He is our only
Joy and Peace.  It is all worth it!!!!

As I sit with an ice pack or a heating pad on my back, I
thank Him for the rest.  He knows that I will not stay down
unless He does it for me.  I would already be worn out if
not for Him.  He takes better care of me than I would do.
He does this for all of His children.   Pain is a part of what
we will leave behind when we go to Heaven.  That is my
focus on Painful days.  He is with me and you.

LEARNING

  Are we ever too old to be a learner?  Is it possible to be the wise
person in every situation?  Do we learn by experience, study,
listening or application?  Is it necessary to be a lifelong learner as
a Christian in today's world?

   I am now 67 years old.  I have learned by each of the above 
mentioned criteria.  Each day older, I realize that there is so much
more that God has to teach me.  I have heard thousands of 
sermons and God keeps refining and redefining my understanding.
It is so exciting to know that He has more for me to learn.

  Experience has been a very important part of my education.  If 
you pay attention, you can save yourself  time and pain by learning
a lesson once.  I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity
to share with people who are going through something I have been
through myself.  It is interesting that many people say they
understand when they cannot possibly understand if they have 
not been in the situation. It is encouraging to know that God will
use every circumstance we have dealt with to help someone else.
Many times the person we help is not as strong as God knew we
were.  He lovingly gives us only what He knows we can handle.

  Study, for me, means that I make time with God a priority.  It
is an essential part of the day.  I cannot go on without His input.
I need Him to be a part of my day.  I want His leading to make
any decision.  Prayer is a major part of this dynamic.  He is
always available...especially when I just call out His name for
help.  The mind takes in the information but reality is using
the information to do what He wants.  This is my spiritual
workout that keeps me in shape.

  Listening and application come when we are sitting under
a teacher, pastor, counselor.  Church means nothing if I am
not prepared to be open to God's message for me.  I must
be ready to grow in knowledge if I am to receive anything
from what I hear.  Too many times information is taken
and stuffed in a pocket until next time.  God holds us
accountable to use what we have learned.  It is not an
option.  He gives me opportunities  to share and I need
to do it.  What a blessing when I can help someone with
something that God has given me.

Yes, I believe that we are all lifelong learners.  It is a gift
from God. He loves it when we want to know more about
Him.  I am thankful that He continues to bring me along
gently.  He is such an encouraging teacher.


   



  

UNCERTAINTY

Why did this happen?  What if this happens?  Do you think
we will be okay?  This is the plan.  

These are a few statements that are commonly heard.  In
casual conversations with family or friends, we begin to
talk as if we can do anything about our future.  The future
is one moment from right now.  There is nothing we have
to say that makes any logical sense.

As a child of God, we know that He is at work in every 
moment of our lives.  All of us can testify to the surprises
 that come when we are least expecting them.  Some of
us have experienced things we never thought we would 
have to face.  Whether the future has been wonderful
or very difficult, you made it through and so did I. 
Our God was not away from us for a millisecond.  He
is never away from His child that He loves.

The world we live in is always in a state of change.  At
this point, most of the change is damaging to the
child of God.  We need not fear because God has
overcome the world and continues to overcome.
We wear a smile because we already know the end of
the story and God wins!  Victory is already ours to
take.  We have the answer to all of the questions in
Him.

Why am I here?  Why are you here?  We need to show
the world what it is like to be free from fear and dread.
We need to tell the world why we can smile and 
continue to do things that show God's love.  We are
not on vacation until we go to heaven.  This is our
occupation until God takes us home.  We live and
speak so that God gets all of the glory.

Are you with me?












o

BLESSINGS

One day at a time

It is interesting that a majority of people waste precious time on things that
cannot be changed or will never happen.  Why is it that people in general do
not appreciate each moment that we have been given?

Each day is a gift from our Heavenly Father.  It is another opportunity to be
a blessing to our family and friends.  We have a lifetime which can end at
any moment.  Only God knows the length of our life.  When He calls us home,
our time of sharing who He is and how He loves is over.  

We are here to shed His light not to have a happy life!!  Joy comes from doing
what He wants.  He will fill us and give us the words to say if we allow Him
to be in control.  God knows us and He has specific tasks for us to do.  I do 
not need to waste time trying to MAKE things happen.  His perfect timing
takes care of everything.

When God gives us a day  to rest, it should not be filled with things of our
choosing.  He knows when we need to just let our physical bodies rest and
recuperate.  There are other challenges ahead and we need to be prepared
to meet the challenge.  I know how weak I am but I trust Him to strengthen
me for what comes next.  It is wonderful to live for Him and be used by Him.

Each day is an incredible adventure.  He knows what a day holds but is
exciting for me to see what happens!  There are people waiting to be touched
by Him as we walk through our day.  Our eyes need to be open to see those
who need a word of kindness from Him, through us.  I love how God does
all the work and we are His tools to do the  work of ministry.

I do not want to miss one day of watching what God can do.  He does
the impossible in peoples' lives every day.  I want to be a part of that.
God cares for me and want others to know about my Father.  Each day
is a gift...use it wisely. 

TROUBLED TIMES IN LIFE

God continues to encourage His children in the midst of  life on this
 earth.  It is amazing to watch the care and concern that God has for
 each of us.  If we look for Him, He is always there.  There is nothing we
 endure without His constant companionship.

Because of the various ups and downs of the past nine months, God has
 been ministering to me concerning various and assorted trials in 
life.  A very kind missionary friend commented when I sent her a list of
 "what we were dealing with".  She wrote, "God must really trust you."  I stopped to think about this statement.  Wow!  Does that mean that the horrible circumstances of life that we pray about have to do with God
 trusting us to handle things?  That is a major thought in this world of 
self gratification and selfishness.

A month has passed and the same message in church today.   Can God 
trust you to be a faithful when trouble comes?  Yes, I was encouraged
 once again.  When life is normal,  it is easy to say God is so good.  It 
requires no sacrifice and worship to expound on the gifts of God in good
 times.  It is an honor to be trusted to deal with the hard stuff of life.  Our
 God is so individual in His dealings with us.  He knows what to do to encourage each of His children and He is there to minister to us.

We need to train ourselves to notice the droplets of encouragement that
 God gives.  Each day He showers us with the beauty of His creation, the
 smiles of our children and grandchildren, the love that is shown to us by others, the cards and gifts received from people who care about us.  God
 wants us to grow up and be able to endure hardship.  People are watching 
us during the troubled times in our life to see if our faith is real.

This brings me back to my sister, Bonnie.  She endured hardship and 
thanked God for each day.  God used her in many lives to demonstrate
 real Christianity.

I am thankful that God can trust some of us with troubled times...

Bonnie Jean Clapp (Frydenlund)

One week ago, my sister and best friend went to be with her

Heavenly Father in heaven.  She is rejoicing in a place we spent

major time talking about.  We smiled thinking about the place

that children of God spend eternity.  Her suffering in this life

is ended.

Bonnie invested herself in people.  I was one of the people that

she forever changed.  I don't think many women will ever have

a person in their life who was a constant cheerleader.  She was

always on my side.  She encouraged me and lifted me up through

many of life's hard knocks.  We often spoke about our relationship.

We were very different personalities and yet we loved our 

differences.  Though we were born sisters, we did the work of

becoming best friends.  We even look alike!!  Those who know

her will remember how sweetly she would say, " Oh honey, I am

sorry."  

Bonnie was real.  There was no pretense about who she was or

what her opinion was.  I love that.  In our world today there are

so many pretenders.  They play with words and don't tell you the

truth.  She made a difference in so many lives because she was

willing to listen and then help as much as she could through her

wisdom.  She was an amazing woman of God.

Bonnie struggled with health issues most of her life.  She did not

complain.  She would not give up making memories because she

was in pain.  She lived her days to the fullest.  She was an 

inspiration to me.  I was able to do many things in ministry which

she could not do.  I would tell her that she was part of everything

I did because she PRAYED.  

Bonnie left 4 children and 9 grandchildren with many examples

of how to live.  She was able to spend quality time with the

grandchildren very close to the time of her departure.  They know 

how much grandma loved them.  She left treasure boxes for the

little ones so they can have a connection to her.  She gave precious

gifts to her children while she was alive to see their joy.

Bonnie left a fragrance of Christ behind.  I will never have her

to talk to on the phone but she is with me in so many ways.  We

loved Starbucks and talking; we loved the same tv programs; we

loved harp music as a background; we loved our grandchildren;

we loved talking about how good God is all the time.  I will miss

her.  

I hope that when I am gone I will have had an impact on this world

like my sister, Bonnie

TRUST IN THE LORD

It has been quite a while since I have posted.  Life has so many twists
and turns.  God certainly keeps life exciting.  I have learned so much 
and continue to hold on for the ride.

TRUST IN THE LORD...

This is a common term for Christians.  It is easier to tell people
to practice this discipline than it is to do it yourself.  I have
observed the rhetoric of trusting versus the reality.

In the real world, people suffer loss and pain.  We do not get a
pass because we know the Lord.  Everything we endure has a 
purpose for us or someone who is watching.  God has the
Master plan and we trust Him.

In the last 8 months, I have been through a trial, my store dying 
of cancer, my father's passing and caring for my mother who
has medical issues.  Friends have commented that it is a lot to
handle.  It has been.  God has shown me things I would have never
imagined with such clarity.

Experiences equal growth.  Being a follower of Christ is not a
stagnant position.  How can we know that we trust God if we
are not tested?

Oh Happy Day

Any day that we wake up is a good day!!  Let us get over the "whoa is
me" attitude.  Come on girls, we can do it.  Wherever we are, there is
Sonshine.  We bring with us the joy that God has gifted us with.  We
brighten the dreary days of those who are dealing with trauma we
cannot comprehend?

Is there someone you know who has suffered a loss of some kind?  Many
have lost their jobs and with it the plan for the future.  They need to
know that someone cares and is willing to be there for them.  Do you
know someone who has given a loved one to serve as a police officer
or military personnel?  They need to be encouraged that we appreciate
the sacrifice.

We all have so much to be thankful for.  The days of building our own
mansions on earth are gone.  We need to think about the blessings that
don't cost money...like family, friends, health, a place to live and food
on our table.  God is sooo good.  We need to thank Him constantly and
joyfully.

Oh Happy Day!!  Whatever happens today, He is in charge and so I am
fine with it.  He knows what is best for me all of the time.  He loves me
through all of the funky stuff that life is all about.  I will praise the
Lord and I hope that our chorus of praise is constant music to His
ears.

No Pain No Gain

NO PAIN NO GAIN IS TRUE IN A SPIRITUAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL
SENSE.

Every woman has been through or will go through pain that she cannot
explain to anyone.  The situation is usually impossible.  Because God
made us helpers to everyone in our family and friends, we hurt for
many reasons. 

People who work out understand the balance of pain needed to see a
physical difference in the body.  Pushing beyond the pain is a part of
a regular work out.  Then there is the two days after a hard work out.
Places in the body are screaming for attention. 

When we are in emotional pain, it is a spiritual work out.  We need to
seek balance.  God is there and is ready to ease the pain.  He does not
expect us to do it on our own.  There is no way to get over pain unless
we give it away to Him.  He offers to carry the burdens but we have to
give them up.  

What can we do?  We cannot change people or most circumstances.
God can do the impossible and He does this all of the time.  We need
to notice all of the every day miracles that are happening around us.
Yes, we can ask Him to heal the pain someone is experiencing but the
timing of His answer is up to God.  We may never understand why
things happen in the lives of our loved ones.  God has a purpose and
we trust Him.

The community of women in this world experiences hardship every
day.  Age has nothing to do with it.  Young girls can already be caught
up in the hardships of life.  What can a woman of God offer?  
God is always with His children.  He never leaves us.  He loves us with
and everlasting love.  He meets the moment by moment needs.

If you are going "through" right now remember that He chooses the
strong to endure to the end.  Everyone cannot be trusted to continue
living their faith in really hard times.  People are watching and 
listening to find out if God is real in the hardships of life.  You are
making a difference in someone's life today.

Summer is over

Wow!  What a summer!  I don't know about you but mine was very
full.  Many experiences were uplifting, enjoyable, relaxing and
memory making for the family.  Some of life's moments draw us closer
to God and make us realize that He is our only Rock.  He is always
there and always good to His children.

I did lots of traveling which is a part of summer vacation.  Now that
I am retired, I don't need summer to take a vacation anymore.
Getting older is good in so many ways.  I visited family in the
muggy midwest.  I journeyed to the northwest at the most beautiful
time of their year.  We went to Victoria for the first time and
thoroughly enjoyed time with family there.  We spent quality time
in Arizona with family and friends.  I am writing from San Diego
where we have family.

No matter what happens, we are here to be with people.  Sometimes
people need us for encouragement, help, understanding or just back
up.  At other times we need people to remind us of why we are here.
God can do everything Himself but He chooses to allow us to do
His work while we are here.  How amazing is that!!  I cannot get
my mind around how low God has to go to help us to understand
anything about His greatness. 

Lately I am having more focused time with Him.  It is so wonderful
to be surrounded by Him through His word and prayer.  I hope this
was a good summer for all of you.  Now let's get back on schedule and
make some plans to be with people who need us and still want us.

AGING GRATEFULLY

It has been a very busy summer for me.  I have made lots of memories
with my family.  I love pictures and albums to remind me of how my
time was spent.  I do not take TIME for granted.  I have surpassed the
spring and summer of my life and now I am plunging into the autumn.  Contemplating life is a part of what makes aging an exciting  journey. 
Finally there is time to think about everything and come to a decision concerning how to live.

We all have friends and acquaintances.  We give time to people who
are important to us.  I love people and enjoy observing the way in
which people interact with daily life.  I believe that my joy comes from
an attitude of aging gratefully.

I have heard women speaking about women who have aged gracefully.  This

JOY

I CHOOSE JOY BECAUSE IT IS A CHOICE.

Women have a hard time with so many things.  Women are the
fixers of life.  Our children require help and fixing on a regular basis 
I won't even discuss our husbands.  Have I mentioned our extended
family and friends?  There is so much worrying to be done and
someone has to do it!!  Wrong.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, He already has all of the answers
to all of our "problems".  This includes me, my children, my grand
children, my girlfriends, my relatives and those who are casual
acquaintances.  I know it sounds easy.  Why do we want difficult? 
When the Bible talks about His burden being easy and His load being
light,  it is true.  We burden ourselves,  God is not responsible.

If you begin a habit of God truly being in charge of every moment
of your life, then life is a piece of cake.  For those of us ladies
experiencing the downward trend of aging, our lines point up not
down.  My grandaughter informed me that I am not old.  okay.  She
says when people get old they are grumpy and look mean.  I told her
that I never want to be like that.  She says that as long as I keep
wearing sparkly jewelry, I will never be grumpy faced.  That works
for me.

You are thinking that I must live in a perfect world.  Everything
in my life is easy.  NOOOO!  The key is that I am not running my life
so there are no complaints.  Each day has so many blessings that I
sometimes cannot believe how good God is.  Focusing on what we
have is so much better than complaining about what we think we 
need.

Recently my husband and I were having a conversation about
money.  Now you are perked up!!  I told him that I am thankful that
we do not have a big bank account or 401K.  I told him that if we did,
I would not get excited about the early dinner at Texas Roadhouse. 
It would not thrill me to get a pedicure every now and then.  The
flowers he brings me from the grocery store would not be good enough
if I had lots of money.  It just takes the fun out of life.   I don't have to
worry about keeping what I don't have.

I am thankful and happy.  I love to smile and wear bright clothes.
I love to look people in the eye and welcome them into my world. 
He does it for me and He can do it for anyone who will give Him control.

Try it.  You may like it.

GIRLFRIENDS

It has been awhile since I have written.  A few friends have commented 
on this blog and I am ready to share once again.

GIRLFRIENDS come in all shapes, sizes, ages, ethnicities and
personalities.  They are a blessing of God on our lives.  Most of our
memories are linked to special people who are a part of an event. 
It can be as simple as a shared lunch with lots of laughing!!  My favorite expression between friends is a hug.  So simple and so energizing and refreshing...ahhh.

One day I called my granddaughter, girlfriend.  She was shocked.  " I
don't like that Nana.  You are not a boy and I don't want a boyfriend
either."  I did some explaining and now she does not mind at all.  It is
fun talking with her.  She has quite a personality.  Oh yes, she will
always be a loved girlfriend.

I have some young women who are dear girlfriends.  They love to be
real and talk about what God is doing in their lives and their families. 
It is so encouraging to know that God is working to bring these cute
young moms to a maturity in Christ that is amazing.  Whenever I spend
time with them, I leave with a big smile on my face and in my heart.

My sisters are my girlfriends.  They know me from the beginning and
they still talk to me!!  God has allowed my older sister to live near me
for quite a few years now.  We are so real with each other that most
women could not handle it.  She loves me and prays for me as I do her.
We have lots of fun together and lots of spiritual talks.  We lift up the
name of the Lord in our conversations.

I have a fun girlfriend my age.  This relationship is wonderful because
we are both dealing with aging, grandparenting, forgetting things, etc. 
We do so much laughing.  We are both blingy ladies.  Oh yes, you will
see us coming.  When we are together, we do not feel our age.  Remember
what it was like to have a girlfriend in high school?  That is the feeling
with my fun friend.

I have 3 daughters and one daughter by marriage to my son.  These
girls are all delightful.  I enjoy our times together whether or not we
are shopping.  They each bring something special as my girlfriends. 
It is wonderful to be their friend and not just mom.  What a joy they are
 to me.

Lately, God is showing me that I need to be thankful for all of the
friends that He has provided.  It is not something to be taken for
granted.  They may not always be here.  I may not always be here. 

Thank you to all of the women and girls that God is using in my life.

Showers of Blessing

It has been a while since I have written.  Life has been very busy and
most women know what I am talking about.  There is little time to
ponder the moments of a day.

Wherever we find ourselves in life, we are busy.  If we are young, we
are busy with schooling and marriage.  In mid life, we are busy raising
children and making a good home for our family.  In later life, we are
 busy being grandparents and coming alongside our children to encourage them.

In each of these seasons of life, we are also a silent mentor to someone.
There are always people observing our lives.  There are women that
watch us and listen to us while we are doing one day at a time.  They
see something in us that they would like to add to their life.  Perhaps
it is kindness, gentleness, encouragement, etc.  We do not think about 
this enough.  We all have gifts to share with other women that can help 
them to do life in a better fashion.

When we focus on this, we begin to see how God uses willing people to 
bless others.  I have been blessed by kind words that have been spoken
to me or sent in a card exactly when I needed it.  God has given me opportunities to be the best part of someone's day.  We need to leave a
place better than we find it.  We need to be women who are a blessing to
other women not a curse.

Many times I will think about how God has blessed my life.  It is over
whelming to realize that God cares that much for me...and you.  God
has done things that I would have never asked him to do.  He has given
gifts that have thrilled my heart and He was the only One who knew
what I needed.  He cares that much for each one of us.

I have been given the opportunity to spend time with my children and
grandchildren.  What a thrill to see what He is doing in their lives. 
He allows me to be a part of what He is doing.  I can share His love
with family in word and most importantly in deed.  I love the way God orchestrates each day.  He knows what is best not just good enough.

May His shower of blessings cover you and amaze you.  He is so good.

GOD IS IN CHARGE

I believe that God is in charge of all things.  I know that this is difficult for people to handle when bad things happen.  It is not up to us to question what
God is doing.  Our responsibility is to pray for people and be available for Him
to use in people's lives.  God is our model for really loving people.  We cannot
love without His love flowing through us.
Recently, I have been reminded that my days are ordered by the Lord.

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

Recently I have been reminded about the way people treat one another.
As a child I remember being told that if I had nothing nice to say, don't
say anything.  I think we need to review this thought. "Be ye kind to
one another..."
Women have such a problem with never being good enough.  Where do
those thoughts come from?  I think it is one way for the devil to get us
down.  We never focus on our strengths but rather pinpoint our short
comings.
It is amazing how many women deal with "friends" who can only find
fault in them.  "You are not good enough so I will help you with my
accusations about who you really are."  I am sure that if we look at the
word "friend" it has nothing to with downtrodden, negative people in
our life.  Have you ever thought about the person giving you advice?
How does their life hold up to scrutiny?  Do you want to model your
life after their life?
Because I have lived a long time, I know that people who criticize are
motivated by elevating themselves.  You drink too much coffee means
that she is better than you because she drinks 3 cokes a day!  It is funny
when you think about it.  Why is it that people cannot see their own
flaws but can easily spotlight someone else's? 
My title explains my view of the critique that people give.  The only One
who can change anyone is God.  So, if your "friend" really cares for you
she can spend more time in prayer and less time telling you what to do.
God has a time frame for change and it is individual.  He only expects
to deal with one thing at a time.  He will never give you more than you
can handle.  Everything He does comes from Love.
What can you do?  Let go of those people who are weighing you
down.  Surround yourself with people who realize that we all have our
strong points and our weak points.  Women need friends who pray for
them not people who try to fix them.

Love you girlfriends.

A Few Things I have learned along the way

You are always a mom no matter how old your children are!

Today my son is coming for the weekend.  I was thinking about how
long it has been since we have had time along to talk.  I know that some
sons do not like to talk but mine does!  We will just keep talking until
we sleep.  Ofcourse eating is also a big part of a man's life.  I have a
special restaurant picked out for one night.
My son is married to a wonderful girl and they have an adorable daughter,
Emma.  They live in Portland.  He will enjoy our great Arizona weather.
I know he will enjoy relaxing with no agenda.  That is what mom's home
is like.  Just breathe and relax.  My husband is on a trip so I have Tim
all to myself until Sunday.
Yesterday, Emma called to ask if we could Skype.  My answer is always
YES.  What fun that is.  I think that Skype is a blessing from God.  Now
I don't have to miss seeing the kids grow.  Emma loves ballet and I love
seeing her show me a move and her tutu.  I visit Portland in October and
we do all sorts of Fall Festivities.  I brought a sparkly pumpkin t-shirt and
ruffly little skirt for Emma to wear.  She loves dress up.
You can tell that I am excited.  I will let you know how wonderful it is.

Family is so important.  Love one another.

Women are girlfriends you have not met yet!!

I have been in Kansas City this week.  I am spending time with a young
friend I have known for 14 years.  She is married to a wonderful guy and
she has 3 great kids.  Their home is lovely and it is easy to just relax and
be.

I came to speak to some of the moms and mentors at her church.  Wow!
What a terrific group of women she has in her life.  I would feel very
comfortable coming back and would know several of the girls by simply
spending one week here.  It has been such an encouraging time for me.

It is good to get away from our "home" place.  It is good to expand our
relationships.  It is good to allow other women to appreciate our gifts.
It is good to experience a different Christian community.  I will miss
some of the women that I have met. 

I spoke to the mentor moms about how important their life is to
younger women.  By their life experience and their walk through
difficulties of life, they give younger women hope.  They love these
young moms.  What a blessing to have a vision for training and
teaching young women what life is about.

I spoke to the moms about how important prayer is to their daily
life.  We talked about the peace it brings, the restoration that we
can experience, the attitude adjustment prayer brings and
finally that God wants us to say YES to His plan for us.  What
beautiful babies and toddlers I saw.  This group was so open
and anxious for God's help in their lives.

Tonight I will be teaching them about closet organizing and
wardrobe.  It will be so much fun.  I just love helping women
in this way.  What a joy to be able to use the gift that God has
given me for the benefit of women.

God is good all of the time.

You are not alone

I think that sometimes we feel as though we are all alone.  For those of
us who know in our head that God is always with us, it is more difficult.
Being human, we need other human beings to be a part of our lives.

If we do not reach out to people when we need them, we begin to feel
isolated.  Then, our mind starts working over time to convince us that
nobody cares for us.  I have been there.  It is not a fun place to reside.
Who is at fault?  Who can I blame?  How can I move from this place?

I write journals.  I have always been a writer.  It helps me to think more
clearly.  Oh yes, I write exactly what I am feeling but it gets it out of my
head so it does not fester there.  I tell God all about it.  He already knows
me and knows exactly what I am feeling.

Sometimes we just don't give ourselves a break.  A break from working.
A break from being "better".  A break from people who are difficult.
A break from "out there".

If you are feeling like this, here are some tips.  Listen to soothing music
and close your eyes.  Allow the relaxation to cover you and don't fight
it.  Look at fun magazines on home decor, flowers, fashion, travel, etc.
Drink a cup of flavored tea in a pretty china cup...if you don't have one
you need to buy one!!  Go for a walk and notice the beauty of nature
which God created just for you.

After this, do something daring.  New haircut, new color, new makeup,
a new pair of jeans, a new cell phone cover (mine is so cute).  Go to places
you have not gone before.  Talk to someone at the mall that you have
never met.

You are not alone and neither am I.  There are people who care about
us even when we don't feel like they do.  Get out there and take care
of yourself, girlfriend.