Progressively Healed

Did the year begin as you had hoped or was it a gooey mess like warm ice cream sliding off a banana split?

Sometimes a gooey mess can be used as an opportunity to experience and know God more intimately than if life were going well. Some of my deepest life-changing experiences happened in the middle of the darkest circumstances.

While I would not want to re-live my past, I cherish the spiritual moments where I experienced God’s grace, phenomenal power, and unconditional love.

I had much to learn about faith and had multiple opportunities to grasp the concept and make it so real that I would not lose sight of it. It’s like children who begin to develop motor skills and pick up a toy but can’t hold it for long. They try again and as their coordination and muscles get stronger, they can hold the toy longer. It’s a process.

If your year started in a gooey puddle, I encourage you to spend more time with God and ask Him to show you areas of your life that need to be addressed. Ask Him to show you the situation through His eyes. It’s important to evaluate your spiritual life and determine steps you need to take to grow in your faith and knowing God.

When I began to experience pain and chronic symptoms, I sought medical help from doctors. It did not occur to me that spiritual growth could have a positive affect on dissipating physical symptoms or bring relief from depression. While it’s important to seek medical help, I also believe that spiritual growth can lead to complete physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Whether you have had a great or gooey start, this can be a year of breakthrough, new beginnings, and breaking negative patterns. Join me in asking God to show you circumstances through His eyes.

I began setting goals last week for what I’d like to accomplish at home, church, work, and in my relationships with God, my husband, family, and friends. I’ve been determining what new things I want to learn and realizing areas where I need to improve.

I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions because they are often unrealistic. I prefer to set goals because it’s a way of life and easier to set bite-size achievable steps.

Do you have high hopes for 2012? Have you already set goals for what you’d like to accomplish in the next twelve months? If not, it isn't too late.

If you usually set goals regarding relationships, have you ever considered how you interact with those who live with constant pain and other symptoms?

If you experience pain and chronic symptoms, have you ever thought about how you get through each day and how you interact with those in your life?

Years ago when I was dealing with severe pain and chronic symptoms--I never considered how I was getting through each day—I was just trying to get through them. The first few years, I did not realize that my misery was reflected in my tone of voice and my general negative attitude--it had a negative affect on everyone around me.

It’s important that we love everyone unconditionally and it’s important how we interact with each other—especially if we have children.

I believe that 2012 is going to be an interesting year. This could be the year for your breakthrough! I have been free from chronic pain and symptoms for more than twelve years. It IS possible. Join me in setting goals for the new year and being cognizant of how we interact with others. :-)

Do you want to give a gift that feels like it’s from your heart but you don’t have the time or energy to shop? Try one of the following tips that will give a common gift a creative flair:

Put money in a fortune cookie:
Steam open a fortune cookie, take out the paper with the fortune and replace it with a folded dollar bill. Gently close the cookie and hold it closed until the cookie becomes hard. Repeat process with as many cookies as needed until you reach the desired dollar amount for the gift.

Roll money in a loaf of broad with a note, “You’re rollin’ in the dough:”
Place a layer of plastic wrap on a table. Lay slices of bread in a single file line on top of the plastic wrap with each bread slice touching the next bread slice. Take desired denomination of dollar bills and place a layer of bills on top of the entire layer of bread slices. Start at one end of the plastic wrap and carefully roll it up and tie it with a ribbon to keep the roll closed. Write a note on the card, “You’re rollin’ in the dough.” When the person unties the bow, the layers of bread should easily unroll along with the bills.

Crumple bills in a box with a note: “I can think of 25 reasons to go shopping:”
Decide on how much money you want to give someone. If you want to give $25, take 25 one dollar bills and crumple them up in a box. Write a note that says, “I can think of 25 reasons to go shopping.”

Give a gift card:
Gift cards make a great gift. I love to receive gift cards, but I don’t always enjoy giving them to other people because it feels so impersonal. If you do not have time or energy to be creative with money, gift cards are a wonderful gift for the person receiving them. If you feel the need to add flair, put the gift card in a beautiful box or special card. I have received money and gift cards in cute tin boxes with a beautiful red bow—I appreciated the personal touch—it was fun to receive the gifts. :-)

Enjoy this holiday season with family and/or friends. Don’t stress about your gifts or how to package them. The most important thing is spending time together, if possible. If this Christmas and the holiday season is painful and depressing due to circumstances, plan distractive activities to minimize the fact that your holiday is different than you had hoped.

Have an enjoyable Christmas!
 

My husband and I strolled down memory lane last weekend. He found our wedding video from 1987. We laughed and made comments as we watched videos from the wedding, previous vacations, and reminisced about the past.

As we watched the videos, I thought about friendships and family. Relationships are so important, yet have you ever noticed that it’s rare to have the same close friends through the duration of your lifetime?

People tend to come and go for a variety of reasons. Do you have anyone in your life who you’ve been good friends with for a long time? What qualities allow your friendships to last for years when other friendships become distant? A few traits that come to mind include:

As you prepare for Christmas and holiday festivities, join me in focusing on relationships and making memories that will bring a smile to your face or make you laugh out loud.

If you love to read stories and look at pictures from the past, click on Reminisce Magazine. The link will take you to the Reminisce website where you can view stories and pictures on-line or order the magazine. Do something this week to add to your memories.

Have changes occurred this year that were beyond your control and you wish they never happened? Is it difficult to see how anything good will come from the situation? Perhaps you received a medical diagnosis that feels like a nightmare.

When you’re in the middle of unwanted change or heartache, it may be difficult to see the benefit of the challenge. When that happens, we can determine to make positive choices:

Each time we choose to thank God when the negative thoughts try to occupy our mind, that thankful attitude eventually pushes out the negative thoughts and an attitude of gratefulness becomes a genuine way of life.

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I can see how the holidays might be difficult for some people. Sometimes intentional distractions are necessary during the holidays and can save you from feeling lonely or sad. For example:

My family is used to gathering together for the holidays; however, I remember the first Thanksgiving when my husband and I celebrated alone. I was not OK that it was only going to be the two of us, so I planned intentional distractions to take my mind off the reality that I was not with my family.

Even though it was just the two of us, I made the traditional Thanksgiving favorites. We slept in and had a leisurely breakfast while the turkey and dressing cooked in the oven. The savory aromas permeated our home as I located the boxes of Christmas decorations.

After we ate, I watched my favorite Christmas movies like White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life while I decorated the house for Christmas—my hubby took a nap. :-) When he woke up, we enjoyed the ambiance that Christmas lights brought to our home. What started out as intentional distractions has become a holiday of traditions that I treasure and look forward to each year.

Whatever negative circumstances you may be facing, it’s important to focus on the positive aspects of life. While you may not be able to control all of your circumstances, it’s possible to control your attitude and make positive choices.

I hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving week! :-)