IMITATION OF LIFE

". . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it

more abundantly."

John 10:10 KJV

In Tyler Perry's hit movie, "The Family That Preys," to her best friend Alice Evans, filthy-rich Charlotte Cartwright poses a sassy--but serious--question: "Are you living or just existing?"

Do we dare ask ourselves this kind of question? Stress-survivors, more so than any other class of people, are often guilty of routinely "existing."

Because we become so boggled in stress and anxiety and drama, we tend to forget that life can be peaceful . . . That life does possess rich rewards.

Let's think for a moment: Why do so many of us resign to stressful and meaningless lifestyles? Does it make any sense to continually struggle and stress with less-than God's best?

Struggling and striving for whatever the reason may be, undoubtedly, elevates our stress.

Jesus reminds us that real life--abundant life--comes from Him. It is His presence in our lives that makes the difference between imitation of life and abundant living.

Apart from Jesus, we cannot obtain true increase and/or peace. And until we embrace His awesome Being and accept the abundance He came to give, it is impossible to leave all our imitations behind.

Peace I leave with you . . .

DANCING WITH THE "SCARS"

"Then David danced before the Lord with all his might;"

2 Samuel 6:14

DANCING, most commonly, consists of strategic movements and maneuver's that require fun-filled energies and efforts.

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Quite often stress-survivors find themselves doing a different kind of dance--one that demands even more energies and accomplished steps. Bombarded with irritations and aggravations, we can't cope with our normal selves because of so much stress.

Beaten and bruised by families, friends, and foes, stress-survivors have come to realize that in order to escape from our stressfulness, we must learn how to "Dance with the scars."

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Granted, it takes immense courage, confidence, and strength. And if we intend to move successfully from our stresses toward peace and productivity, our ultimate armour is the presence of God.

It is with God's guidance that we learn to move at the right time, to maneuver our steps in the right way, and to manage our mind and emotions to gracefully dance with the scars.

That's why when dancing through the endeavors of life, it's absolutely imperative to remain steadfast in the Lord.

In spite of who or what has inflicted our mental, physical or emotional hurts and heartaches, and as impossible as dancing with these scars may seem, we, who have repeatedly battled the war with stress, yet believe that With God all things are possible.

Shall we dance?




Peace I leave with you . . .

DECISIONS. . . DECISIONS. . . DECISIONS

"In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
Proverb 3:6 (KJV)
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THINK of the many decisions we make daily. What time to get up; what to wear; what to eat; what work to do during the day; what movie to watch at night . . . and the list goes on and on. Decisions . . . Decisions . . . Decisions.

No doubt, decisions play a huge part in stress-survivors' lives. Regardless of who we are and/or where we are, we're constantly concerned with making decisions.

Studies show that on an average, we make about three hundred decisions a day. Among those three hundred, some are family-related; some are money-related; some are job-related. Some involve worldly possessions and some are indeed personal.

Whatever category decisions may arise, stress-survivors strive to decipher the good ones from the bad ones. Even on our best days, when trying to utilize our best ways, we discover that decisions can create enormous stress.

SO. . . how do we get to the place where we can stress less and actually experience peace in the midst of our most daring decisions?

PROVERB 3:6 encourages us to acknowledge God and allow Him to give us directions on how and what to do. Simply stated, we ask Him and see what He says about our situations.
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Here again, that's easier said than done. Fact is, when we determine to pray and to rely on the Spirit of God to guide us, we soon discover that "Peace that surpasses all understanding" and clearly gain new insights and instructions for making decisions.
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Perhaps the greatest challenge in crossing over from a hectic to a hallowed life of decisions is making up our mind. One thing for certain, once we decide to walk in the words of the Proverb, and we taste and see how to be stress-free, we'll be glad we did.



Peace I leave with you . . .

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

"A MOTHER"

Who could endure nine long months

of waiting

and wondering

and wishing
and praying
for a healthy newborn?
. . . Only a mother.

Who could trample the floor
for countless days and nights
caring for a helpless child,
then, lovingly cast a kiss
on that same little innocent face?
. . . Only a mother.

Who could cook and clean,
walk around the neighborhood,

run errands,
and talk on the phone,
with a spoiled brat hanging on her hip?
. . . Only a mother.

Who could calm the storms
that rage the heart and the home
when little ones mature into big ones
and leave the love nest,
causing all that was once near and dear
to drift into a whole new meaning of despair?
. . . Only a mother.

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Who could love through the best of times

and through the worst of times;

through thick and thin;

through heartache and pain;

through sunshine and rain?

. . . ONLY A MOTHER.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

SWEET SENSATIONS

Looking for solutions to escape personal and professional stresses?

Wanting a way to release the stress and strain of demanding lifestyles?

Ever considered a Sabbatical?

After numerous ups and downs and negative turn arounds, stress-survivors welcome a refreshing break. We long to "lay our burdens down" and simply relax . . . No issues. No cares or concerns. Just sweet sensations.

Even though sabbaticals are generally associated with getaways for long periods of time, they don't necessarily have to be. Since it's our own personal sabbatical, we say what, we say when, and we say how long.

Yeah . . . yeah . . . yeah . . . money is tight, right? And we must be mindful of our spending. Truth is, if most of us wait until we can comfortably afford our sabbatical, we may be waiting forever.

So what do we do?

Be creative! Think of unique ways to pursue something fulfilling and fun. Solicit a friend or dare to venture alone.

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Whether we choose an hour, an afternoon, a weekend, or hopefully a whole week, let's pursue something (as long as it's not unhealthy or unholy) that promotes relaxation and restoration for deeply stressed souls.

All in favor of a sensational sabbatical say "AYE!"


Peace I leave with you . . .

LET US PRAY

Don't worry about anything;
Instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God's Peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus.



Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

FOOLISHNESS

Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
~ Proverbs 9:6, NKJV

Believe it or not, there’s an often overlooked stress for many of us that results from FOOLISHNESS.

Foolishness?

Yes, things that are absolutely out of order—unnecessary—uncouth—and of no benefit to ourselves or anyone else. Foolishness can be associated with any action or reaction that results in physical, mental, or emotional impairment or pain leading to stress.

Foolishness creeps in when we embrace people, places, or things that are detrimental to our well-being. This could involve health, wealth, family, finances, or friends.

While we can—most times—pinpoint the folly of others, we fall short in recognizing our own. Come to think of it, we stand accused of camouflaging the foolish things we inflict upon ourselves.

No doubt, even as adults, we are enticed by life’s frivolous feats. But successful stress-survivors must be mindful of the thin line between “simply having fun” and “doing something foolish.”

Ultimately, we reap what we sow. And though it’s quite common, it’s not always a case of what we’ve said or done to others. The silly things we do to ourselves can eventually haunt us and cause deep and emotional stresses.

Say, for instance, a person with diabetes gobbles from a table filled with sugary-Sweet cakes and pies. That’s silly! And if saying so offends us—knowing it’s bad for our health—then that’s even sillier.

As long as we allow destructive attitudes and actions to cause us stress, we can’t become wholehearted stress-survivors.

Let’s face it . . . some things aren’t worth stressing over—especially when it relates to foolishness.

Peace I leave with you . . .