You're Invited!

Finally!! I am posting on chapter 9! I am really sorry for those of you that follow my blog that I have been incognito for the last 2 weeks. But now! I am really excited about this chapter. Not only does it have good advice, but its advice that helps me DAILY! The title of Ch. 9 is "The Ladies Pity Party- Dont Accept the Invitation". I know that I struggle alot with just wanting to pull the 'poor pitiful me' jibe. And I am sure I am not the only busy mom that does. As women I think its hard for us to not want to do this because all day we are taking care of other people and sometimes, we just want to complain and have someone take care of US! Karol gives 3 good reasons why we 'like' to complain sometimes. 1- "Complaining is Easy, 2- "We Tend to Find Fellowship in Common Complaints", 3- "We want some attention". The last two are definitely ones that I think we can get a grasp on. We like to talk to other people that have the same problems and we want someone to pity us. We usually dont think of complaining as necessarily easy, but it is a fact that people talk more about the bad things that happen to them than the good ones. In my hospitality classes every instructor is always saying how important it is to be consistent in giving quality products and services, because a customer will tell 3 people how bad their experience was and only 1 person how wonderful it was. I think this makes a good point of how much more likely we are to complain than just talk about all the good things. We all have a problem with complaining. One way I like to keep myself in check is that every time I notice myself complaining, I think of someone else that really annoys me when they complain and remind myself that I DO NOT want to be like them.
"The Secret to Contentment"-
I like how Karol states: "Our contentment is INDEPENDENT of what we have or who surrounds us." You know those days that there is just nothing stopping you? You know God is on your side and even though that person just gave you a dirty look your not even going to get upset about it. THAT is being content. It isnt in getting everything you want, or feeling how you want. If you are content than your feelings change. Sometimes I think discontentment comes from us not doing something that we feel we ought to do. Even if we may not know what that is! God could be pulling us in a certain direction but we havnt really caught on to what he wants us to do, and in that time we feel... lost. Discontented. Because we arnt doing what we SHOULD be doing. The times that I feel most content is when I know that I am where I should be, doing what I feel God has given me to do. If we have a bad day it is so hard not to pity ourselves, but the awful truth is that YES someone probably has it worse. And I know we hear that AALLLLLL the time, but its true isnt it?? We have so much to be thankful for, and there are people that have it so much harder and they are more content than us. Why? Because as Karol says, "contentment... is based on how you choose to view life." If we view it pitiful, it will be.
James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

I am going to end this post here for now and in the next few days(yes I really mean the next few days this time) I will be posting the last part of the chapter which has to do with "Heading off Bitterness and Anger". Three Tips to help you throw away that invitation to the pity party!

Chapter 8

I am just going to sum up Ch. 8 for us this time! It continues to stress how important prayer is in our lives and how it can change lives! Karol gives some tips for your prayer time. I love how she states that "prayer cannot be reduced to a formula." Prayer is our conversation with God. There might be days in a row where our prayers are pretty much the same, but then there are some times that our emotions just flood out. Here is an acronym Karol suggest using if you are just starting out with your daily prayers. ACTS.
A: "Adoration"- Praise God!
C: "Confession" - Confess your sins to God, let him know that YOU know you can do this without him.
T: "Thanksgiving"- Thank God for all that he has given you.
S: "Supplication"- You can ask God for things, thank him, adore him and confess to him, but dont just leave it at that. Don't just ask God to help you throughout the day and stop there, but ask for specific things, like wisdom or patience in a certain situation or when you come into contact with someone at work.

Karol also suggests getting together with a friend to have a special prayer time. Being with someone who cares for you and that you trust, praying with and for each other can strengthen your bond not only with each other but God as well. :)

7th Heaven

Chapter 7! This chapter is basically an extension of Chapter 6. It continues on with the point of prayer and how important prayer is in our lives. Its focus is on the importance of "casting our cares to the Lord" through prayer. It can be a daily, even hourly need for all of us. Things are constantly going on that cause us to worry. Some are very small problems, others can have possible major impacts on our lives and the lives of others. Karon's main point is that the Lord tells us to give our cares to him. With worry being a regular thing in not only our lives, but society as well, it can be hard to just... stop. I think of it as a learning process, like developing a habit. Within the last few months I have gotten into a better habit of just not worrying about things that I have no control over, but it is a continual re-learning process every time a new problem arises. If you have the power to change something than yes, you should think carefully about the situation and what you should do, but if not than try not to worry about it! I always try to think of it like this.... If I give it to God to worry about than I know that the best decision will be made. Yes, you will probably still think about the problem or situation, but if you find yourself getting worked up over it stop yourself! I do that alot, where I begin thinking of all the circumstances and what someone else might do and I stop in mid thought and just have to tell myself, STOP, there is nothing you can change by getting worked up about it. I have to remind myself that I already gave it to God and move on to new thoughts. If we can learn the habit of continually giving our cares to God, life seems much less complicated. Key Point: You cant change somebody else's actions by worrying about the problem. 

 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

Chapter 8 Also deals with the "Power of Prayer". I will post a short summary of the key points of that chapter within the next few days and then the pace will pick back up again with Chapter 9 "The Ladies Pity Party- Dont Accept the Invitation"! :)

Thought this was good!

Since school has started up again we are all probably feeling extra busy, here are some good tips if your feeling overwhelmed or discouraged!

From the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver:

"5 Strategies for Fighting Discouragement"

1. "Allow for Rest Stops" - Allow some time for yourself to get some extra rest.

2. "Get a New Point of View" - Try to look at the situation differently! It might not really be as bad as it seems, or there could be worse circumstances.

3. "Have Patience" - I think this one pretty much explains itself :).

4. "Mingle" - Go out with friends! Whether its just a lunch date or a day of shopping. It will give you time away from the busyness and keep you from thinking about what else is going on. Or you can use friend time to vent :)

5. "Set the Timer" - Sometimes we can  all use a "good cry". So do as the author suggests and set your timer! Give yourself 5 or 10 minutes to let it all out and then pull yourself together, cast your cares to God, fix your makeup and go on!