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!