So when things get tough in my life, the reality is that I become mopey. Yep. Real nice witness to others, huh? If you read this blog often, you see how I have been tired a lot lately. Yes....the things of this crazy world are getting me down....and yes....my attitude sucks. (Ew...I really hate that word!)
So when sucky times occur, I like to mope about and feel sorry for myself and eat more than I should and feel guilty for my attitude. Yeh....that really helps a lot!
TODAY.
Honestly, it was hell. Crazy busy at work brought out crazy dramas to deal with. Annoying ants in the house. Messes in the basement from neighbor kids. Nothing feels right these days. DAMN: Drama, Ants, Messes, Nothing!
Thank goodness we can't always go on feelings! Even after a DAMN hard day of life, TODAY goes on and I have to figure out how to deal with all the feelings so the day itself isn't a waste.
TODAY.
After work, I heard myself singing worship in the car on the way home and taking time to play and laugh with my kids. Talking to my wife about the DAMN crappy day is always helpful. Most of all, praying to God Who takes my mopey feelings and helps me adjust my attitude!
Yeh.....He's pretty good at the attitude adjustment thing. As long as I keep moving through this life, looking down and around and trying to feel my way through the messes....welp, things rarely work for the best.
It's only when I stop with this DAMN life and look UP and try to understand things from His perspective that I see what matters: the HIM in my life that is working amidst the drama, the ants, the messes, and the nothing. He saves me from it all, and He reminds me of His love through all of it.
Change makes me tired.
It takes time to process and requires patience to move forward.
It brings out the best in people....and the worst in people.
Sometimes it's drastic and sometimes it's dramatic.
Either way it consumes precious time.
On the other hand:
It slows me down/picks up the pace and requires perseverance to see it through.
It challenges me to choose optimism.....or be a negative nelly.
Sometimes when drastic, it's a wake-up call.
Sometimes its drama helps me become a better person/professional.
Either way it consumes me and makes me tired.
A good tired, of course; for at what seems like the end, I can look back and see the reasons behind it, the reality of it, and the renewed passions because of it.
It brings out the best in people....and the worst in people.
Sometimes it's drastic and sometimes it's dramatic.
Either way it consumes precious time.
On the other hand:
It slows me down/picks up the pace and requires perseverance to see it through.
It challenges me to choose optimism.....or be a negative nelly.
Sometimes when drastic, it's a wake-up call.
Sometimes its drama helps me become a better person/professional.
Either way it consumes me and makes me tired.
A good tired, of course; for at what seems like the end, I can look back and see the reasons behind it, the reality of it, and the renewed passions because of it.
...stand up and be remarkable. Be human. Contribute. Interact. Take the risk that you might make someone upset with your initiative, innovation, and insight - - it turns out that you'll probably delight them instead (29).
...art is the ability to change people with your work, to see things as they are and then create stories, images, and interactions that change the marketplace (91).
Don't let circumstances or habits rule your choices today. Become a master of yourself and use your willpower to choose...Nothing about becoming indispensable is easy. The only thing that separates great artists from mediocre ones is their ability to push through the dip. Some people decide that their art is important enough that they ought to overcome the resistance they face in doing their work. Those people become linchpins (206-207).
.....
My most enjoyable read was the confirmation that doing things at work is a CHOICE. I choose to be positive in the midst of frustrations, optimistic in the midst of challenges, and communicative in the midst of confusion.
God has certainly put me in a few opportunistic positions to choose good things throughout my days and continue to purposefully fulfill His ministry through my life.
We're in a sermon series at church about Daniel and today's message really spoke to my heart. Pastor Tom Moll explained it this way: in the midst of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Daniel stayed faithful to God. He was focused on God's leading (instead of impressing others), motivated with kindess to others (not for personal gain), faithful to God (instead of comparing himself to others), God-empowered (not self-empowered), and purposed to glorify God (instead of advancing self).
Daniel was a servant in Nebuchadnezzar's courts, and yet he was placed in a high position, over the Babylonian people. Tom Moll's question still rings in my ears:
What stage has God allowed you to be on? Are you glorifying God?
...
God gave me [this stage] and I'm going to HONOR HIM every day.
My choice is to continue to choose God in all the responsibilities and opportunities He throws my way.
"baseball ready"
Ethan's first baseball game is on Saturday. For weeks now, we have had practices on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Each time, he has learned a new concept of baseball.
**as you'll note, my blogs are becoming more sport-friendly than before....apparently I'm learning something. Either that, or I'm just pretending to learn something! Yep....that's more like it**
Since the game is on Saturday, today's practice focused on how to play the actual game. See, we've learned how to catch pop-ups, stop grounders, setting up at the plate, and even hit a couple times! Running the bases has been hilarious to watch because they just keep running round & round! This practice, however, they started to understand what the heck they were doing out there:
Batter hit the ball (after multiple missed swings), infielders ran to get the ball (instead of waiting for the ball to reach them), outfielders caught the ball (fighting the sun in their eyes), and the batter ran to first base (and actually stopped).
The head coach is a very patient man. There's a reason he's the head coach. VERY encouraging, always positive, and a great teacher. His "assistant dads" are also very knowledgeable and helpful to the boys.
They are always yelling "baseball ready." The first couple weeks, obviously, I was lost. It took me a while to figure out what "baseball ready" meant. And it didn't mean that the baseball was literally ready.
Before the ball is thrown to the batter, the yell is loud&clear: "baseball ready" -everybody preps for the pitch
Knees bent, gloved hands up, and awareness of the upcoming play.
It is the coaches' way of getting the boys' attention & it's the boys' way of preparing for what is coming next.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist was yelling similar instruction: "Messiah ready"
I'm here to get your attention; you need to prepare for what is coming next.
Jesus says the same thing to me, sometimes in a yelling fashion: "Heaven ready"
I came to get your attention; prepare for what is coming next.
Knees bent in prayer, hands up in praise, and awareness of the upcoming play....I will continue my journey.
**as you'll note, my blogs are becoming more sport-friendly than before....apparently I'm learning something. Either that, or I'm just pretending to learn something! Yep....that's more like it**
Since the game is on Saturday, today's practice focused on how to play the actual game. See, we've learned how to catch pop-ups, stop grounders, setting up at the plate, and even hit a couple times! Running the bases has been hilarious to watch because they just keep running round & round! This practice, however, they started to understand what the heck they were doing out there:
Batter hit the ball (after multiple missed swings), infielders ran to get the ball (instead of waiting for the ball to reach them), outfielders caught the ball (fighting the sun in their eyes), and the batter ran to first base (and actually stopped).
The head coach is a very patient man. There's a reason he's the head coach. VERY encouraging, always positive, and a great teacher. His "assistant dads" are also very knowledgeable and helpful to the boys.
They are always yelling "baseball ready." The first couple weeks, obviously, I was lost. It took me a while to figure out what "baseball ready" meant. And it didn't mean that the baseball was literally ready.
Before the ball is thrown to the batter, the yell is loud&clear: "baseball ready" -everybody preps for the pitch
Knees bent, gloved hands up, and awareness of the upcoming play.
It is the coaches' way of getting the boys' attention & it's the boys' way of preparing for what is coming next.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist was yelling similar instruction: "Messiah ready"
I'm here to get your attention; you need to prepare for what is coming next.
Jesus says the same thing to me, sometimes in a yelling fashion: "Heaven ready"
I came to get your attention; prepare for what is coming next.
Knees bent in prayer, hands up in praise, and awareness of the upcoming play....I will continue my journey.
Relaxing
Doing jigsaw puzzles is very relaxing to me. I can sit for hours and work on a puzzle. Not really thinking about anything, the time allows me to actually enjoy time. Every so often, a "great idea" will come to mind and I'll stop to write it down. For the most part, however, the time widdles away and I feel more relaxed than when I started.
I'm currently working on the Musical Notes puzzle. It's got 1000 pieces and it's pretty difficult. I've had it for at least 2 or 3 years and haven't mastered it yet. As you can see, it's all in black and white and has bunches and bunches of musical notes. It took me about 2 weeks to get the border together! And now, I've gotten the middle staff done as well as the word notations together......now it's the hard part of actually filling in the spaces. I expect I'll be working on this for a while.
What begins in the evening ends in the earliest of mornings! It's almost 12am as I type this and I've just finished working on it for about 2 hours....and I think I've put 15 pieces in the right spots!
Oh well...I'm enjoying time. And the added benefit of relaxation.
What begins in the evening ends in the earliest of mornings! It's almost 12am as I type this and I've just finished working on it for about 2 hours....and I think I've put 15 pieces in the right spots!
Oh well...I'm enjoying time. And the added benefit of relaxation.
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