Tag: Lifestyle

Spirituality

Life Lessons from a Teen Driver

I recently had the pleasure of helping my teen daughter get her final hours of drive time in before she got her drivers license. She took the class and did some drive time with the teacher, but us parents get to help out too, especially with the night driving. Yeah, nothing like handing over the keys right? Anyway, here are my observations from the passenger seat. Got me thinking about the bigger picture and the types of people we all meet on this journey called life.

 

LIFE LESSONS  FROM A TEEN DRIVER

1. The Diversions
Keep your eyes on the road and look forward not back. Don’t pay too much attention to the guys behind you. There will be people who follow too closely, who will tailgate you trying to make you go faster. Ignore them. They are diversions.

2. The Harassers
There will be followers and not all of them are friendly. Some just want to harass you so they follow you around. If the enemy can get you to keep looking in your rear view mirror, you will lose your focus, cross the line, and get pulled over. And you may not make it home. Ignore the harassers.

3. The Time Stealers
Be careful who you allow to sit in the passenger seat. There will be some people who want to just drive them around for no reason. They are the time stealers. They lie, cheat, steal, and come up with all sorts of reasons you need to drive them around. Only there is no fruit. No good comes of it, and you only end up more frustrated. Don’t let just anyone sit beside you – be careful.

4. The Tormenters
Not everyone gets to park in your driveway. These people like to torment others with their presence. The Narcissists, the Jezebels, the Fakers. They barge right into your life and try to take over. They have no compassion and no respect for anyone other than themselves. They are not your friends, even if they brag on about you. They may smile at your face, but there is a knife behind their back. They would love to see you fail.

5. The Gossipers
Beware of who you let in the backseat of your car. Yes, the backseat drivers. They criticize you for everything you do, all while you are trying to drive. They tell you where to go and how to get there. Bossy, condemning, and controlling people like to sit in the backseat. It’s their way or the highway. And they want to drive your car – from the backseat. They don’t want to take responsibility for their lives or happiness, they just want to criticize yours.

6. The Real Friend
They are out there. And they want you to succeed. Let them in. They are the ones who will listen, pray for you, and help you on your journey. They would ride with you anywhere, anytime just to be with you. They like your company and it doesn’t really matter where you go – as long as you are travelling together.

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Are You the Tortoise or the Hare?

How do you see yourself these days? Are you a tortoise or a hare? Are you impulsive? Or does it take you forever to make a decision? Have things changed for you over the years?

I found a great character lesson online from this simple story. This is from LatoyaEdwards:

What we learn from Hare:

Pride comes before the fall: The Hare’s main character flaw is his pride. It’s what makes him think it’s okay to take a nap during the race and ultimately costs him a victory.

Fast isn’t always best: Hare is sure that he’ll win because he’s fast. But being the best at something isn’t always about speed. My oldest son struggles with this during school work. He likes to speed through his assignments so he can get on to the next thing. Most of the time it ends up taking him twice as long because he makes a lot of mistakes

Boasting is not a good way to make friends: Hare liked to brag about his speed. So much so that most of the other animals didn’t want anything to do with him. My boys are just learning that boasting about what they are good at can make others feel sad.

Lessons from Tortoise:

It can be good to be the underdog: I love that the slowest animal in the forest is able to work hard and win the race against the fastest animal in the forest. I like to point out to my boys that they can do more than they (and others) think they can.
Hard work leads to success: Tortoise put in his hours of preparation to get ready for the big race. He got in shape and had a plan. I remind my boys that that need to work hard at their tasks in order to success

 

I remember when I was younger. I was definitely the Hare. I did not think before I jumped. I would rush into whatever I wanted just because I could.  But things have changed. I guess I got burned a few times. And learned from my mistakes.  Today I am more like the tortoise. I am not so fast to jump into new things. I am slower in thought and deeds and more purposeful in my activities.

 

What about you? Are you a tortoise or hare?

 

Take Our Poll

 

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Life Dances

Yes, life dances. I was sitting in my favorite chair the other morning and I looked outside the window.  I have been trying to start my day with listening to God instead of jumping on my electronic devices.  Know what I mean?  It was a windy morning and I saw the tree moving in the breeze.  I just watched it – dancing.  It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart:

“Life dances – it does not stand still, it changes, it moves, just like the wind.”

Thank was such a comfort to me as things are changing here. Seasons are changing. And I have to stop standing still and get moving!  Sometimes just because something is familiar, we stay. But God showed me that life doesn’t stand still. It is ok to move. It is ok to let go of the old and follow Him.  I think He knows where He is going!  He promised to lead us – that means we get to follow and move!

 

QUOTES ABOUT DANCING

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

 

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”
― George Carlin
Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”
― Oprah Winfrey
“Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”
― Robert Frost
“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul”
― Martha Graham
“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.”
― Osho

Franz von Stuck Ringelreihen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Life dances – are you ready to dance?

I took this video on our land here in WI.

What about you?

Have you been standing still?

Does God want to bring you into a new land?

Leave me a comment.

And lets dance!

Boundaries, Depression, Healing, Uncategorized

What is Self Sabotage?

They say misery loves company. Right? The more you talk negative about yourself, the worse you feel. Right? Came accross this list and wow, so true! Self sabotage is deadly. It hurts everyone who is trying to help you. It hurts yourself. You become so addicted to people treating you badly that if nobody does it, you do it to yourself. Self-sabotage. Get help today for this self destructive behavior. Learn how to receive good things and get help today.

Source: When Misery is Company, page 117

How many of these statements can you answer in the affirmative?

  1. I often self-sabotage relationships, school, work and other positive opportunities and events.
  2. I avoid feeling or experiencing life fully.
  3. I often get side-tracked or distracted from the most important things.
  4. It is not uncommon for me to find or inject the negative into positive situations.
  5. I often derail positive momentum in my life or circumstances.
  6. I fear feeling too good, too happy or being too successful.
  7. I often procrastinate or delay rather than take required action.
  8. I am often indecisive.
  9. I am rarely sure how I feel about people, places, or things.
  10. I have goals and ambitions but don’t do the work required to attain them.
  11. I feel like I don’t get any breaks.
  12. I often feel incompetent and unworthy.
  13. I have difficulty changing my behaviors even in the face of repeated negative consequences.
  14. I don’t avoid situations that I know will cause me problems.
  15. I too often act on assumptions rather than facts.
  16. I resist change of any type.
  17. I get tied up in the details rather than looking at the big picture (I can’t see the forest for the trees.)
  18. I refuse (or “forget”) to take medications that are helpful.
  19. I often isolate.
  20. I find it difficult to ask for help or accept help if offered.
  21. I tend to push away or reject the people who care the most for me.
  22. I sacrifice my own desires and well-being for those of others.
  23. I am attracted to unavailable people.
  24. I rarely feel like I fit in or belong.
  25. I desire closer relationship but avoid the intimacy that ‘closeness’ requires.
  26. I am easily addicted to substances or behaviors.

How to recover? The first step is recognizing you have a problem and you are listening to the wrong voices. That critical voice in your head is not of God. It is the enemy and he is trying to kill, steal, and destroy. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of love, and power, and a sound mind.

Replace those old tapes with the Word of God. Jesus has come to give you life, and life more abundantly.

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How to Beat the Blues

Daily Prompt: Singing the Blues

We all feel down from time to time. How do you combat the blues? What’s one tip you can share with others that always helps to lift your spirits?

How to beat the blues? When that cloud of depression tries to follow me I have found I can run into it or run away from it and into the arms of Jesus. My circumstances do not control me. We all go through stuff. The best advice I ever got –

If you can’t change your circumstances,
change the way you look at them.

My attitude is my choice.

Psalm 57:1-11 AMP

Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!

He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.

My life is among lions; I must lie among those who are aflame—the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!

They set a net for my steps; my very life was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody.

Awake, my glory (my inner self); awake, harp and lyre! I will awake right early [I will awaken the dawn]!

I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

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