Hope

Who doesn’t hope for things in their life?  I’m not sure I have met anyone that hasn’t hoped for something at one point in their life.  Most of us hope .  Whether the hope is for a promotion at work that you get,  but eventually the job grows old, or what about your dream home that eventually becomes just a place to live.   The point is that we all have dreams and hope for things that we want.  Having a relationship with God has giving me a new kind of hope.  A hope that never fades and never leaves me drained.  Today at church as I was singing “Amazing Grace”  It came to the line “The hour I first believed”.  You know it’s so hard to explain the feeling that you get when your heart completely gets it (GOD).  I Just think back a couple of years ago when I was living with a different heart.  I have always been around church, and I know what is wrong and right.  I  knew that what I was doing in my life wasn't healthy for me or especially my children.  Someone once told me that most adults really start to question their selves when they hit their 30’s.  I never really thought about it but now that I’m in my 30’s I see it.  Or maybe it's because I have a family now and it's my responsibility to GROW up.   My hope is for my children to grow up and have respect for others, display manners, love,  have hope and always keep their faith.  That's a big HOPE for a mom.  I know that it's my job to instill this in them.  If I plan to do that I have to do that same very thing.  They are my replicas, I have the choice  to lead by example.  I'm a work in progress.  No New Years resolutions this year but, I hope I'm a better example in all I do.  Hope is a promise for a better tomorrow!

Peace

Most people would say that they enjoy peace. Nice day with no worries! Sounds good to me!  I pray every day for God to comfort my thoughts and to bring me peace. Worry has always been a big struggle in my life and I have to say that past events created it. I also feel like my heart wasn't where it should have been.  I believe we are human also and we tend to look for comfort in worldly things. The Bible states that Christians should not worry. Philippians 4:6 states do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The question I find myself asking is “What do I need to change in my life”? Why as a Christian do I feel myself up with worry?  What is stopping me from handing it all over?  For those who don’t believe in God, worry and anxiety will be a part of your life.
Statistics show : 40% of things we worry about NEVER happen, 30% are past events that are in the PAST, 12% related to health, even though there is no illness, 10% on friends or neighbors and 8% was reality.
The data shows that we spend way to much of our time  (90%) worrying about events that never happened! So true though, I have been there!  Our bodies might as well have gone through the events because we did mentally. We create our mind-set in these situations. I have never had the peace in my life that I have since I started walking with Christ. I still have times where I find myself worrying but I PRAY! I am learning to stop the thoughts and not dwell. It is the PAST for a reason, let it go! Don’t allow yourself to give in.  Matthew 6:34- Therefore do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Adapting to Change

Have you ever  felt like you were in a gray area in you life where nothing was happening?  Most would say absolutely!  When change occurs we tend to get defensive in different ways.  Maybe they have added another duty to your already list of 20 that you have to take care of at work  The change could be about anything. (kids, job, spouse, church, death etc.)  No change can occur without going through a psychological process.  If  I choose to make a change in my life than I have to know in my heart that the event I want to change cannot continue as it is now.  Grief workers say that it takes a year to process  the death of someone.  Makes since,  you have to go through the motions of  reforming your family events without your loved one.  We as humans will choose to resist that change.    Let's say you and your spouse or loved one called it quits recently.  Same process, you are experiencing a loss.  We have no choice other than to deal with the change and work on accepting that change will always be a part of us. We have to get good at change, it's always going to occur!  While moving through change you will go through three phases.  Phase 1- You change what you are doing, Phase 2- neutral phase and nothing's happening, Phase 3-  A new beginning.  Phase 2- is probably the most difficult but rewarding phase.  You get to do anything,  all bets are off in this phase.  You get to choose a new path to take.  We all know what to do....the thought is in our head. When the time is right  there will be a new beginning.  Then it will be time to change again!   I once listened to a man speak that defined change by seasons.  In the winter the plants, trees and flowers die.  In the Spring everything blossoms and we have a new beginning. We celebrate Easter in the Spring as well and that is symbolic for a new beginning (birth of Christ)..  When we are experiencing hard times we usually choose to go towards the quickest fix.  Quick fixes are seldom meaningful, meaningful requires continued effort.  Choose to take a path of  FAITH when making a change.   Heb 11:1 states that " Faith means that we have full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.  So I leave you with this....If you have to go through change why not do it with God in your life?  The road will be so much smoother.  Try it!

Change of Heart

Anyone ever ask yourself the question "I wish I didn't feel that way about a certain situation or person?" I find myself in situations at times where my heart doesn't feel right! The situation could be about anything. Take such as: You may feel hatred towards someone for something that they have either said or done that has affected you in some way. Most of the time it ends up being someone you are close to or spend time around often (co-workers, friends even FAMILY). The person may not even realize that what they have said or done has affected you. I believe that any situation can be turned around if you challenge your heart. When I'm feeling uncomfortable I look for guidance from above to change my feelings. I feel like I'm a work in progress and I'm being challenged daily. I think it is very important for us to realize that we are where we are in this life for a reason. Try and think of the good in every situation and it will change your whole outlook. You impact people and influence them in someway daily. So why not leave a positive impact? As a christian I work daily to try to make the best out of every situation. If your actions and words make up your character than be cautious in what you say and do. Now....I'm human and by all means am not perfect and fail at times, but I try to learn and pick myself back up and do better next time. You MUST have a good heart! I don't know how it could workout any other way. One of my challenges for myself is to see all people through God's eyes. If you're not a christian I'm sure that sounds cheesy to you, but if you are then you should already be practicing this. So my challenge to others is to check your heart and see what you find. Hopefully you are going in the right direction or you at least can see that you need to work on it.

Life's Lessons

So I feel like everyday that I have lived I'm challenged with a new lesson in life. God teaches me something new about myself and my surroundings daily. Life is so full of challenges that we all face. The choices that we make are the ones that define our character and direct our path. I recently read an amazing book titled "31 things of an Unforgettable Women". The book was given to me by my mother and sat on my book shelf for 6 months. I was walking by my books the week before Christmas and the book caught my eye. From the moment that I read the first page I was hooked. For me that was big cause I'm not really a book girl. I'm a prayer girl and had prayed for peace in my thoughts and for direction in my life and this book was perfect for me to dive in to. Very easy to read and not lengthy (which I loved). This is a book that I think every woman who I know should read. Very powerful and a big eye opener. When I thought about starting a Blog a month ago I wasn't for sure what I would write about. I loved the idea because I felt like this was an easy way for me to share things with my family and friends about the Norman crew. I have been a Facebook girl for sometime now and enjoy it. I really just think that having this Blog will help me to share things that I have learned and am still learning when it comes to life. I am hopeful that anyone that follows can chime in and share ideas with others. I hope for this to encourage others and myself! We all battle things in life and tend to follow the longest path to find comfort. So with all that being said....everyday I plan to blog on everyday life and hope to do some cooking post and of course my family. As always I will use the Bible for guidance!
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.