My Heart to Yours

Thank Him today because-
He formed you and made you.
He has given you the breath of life.
He has given you this day.
He is working in you to become all that He has intended you to be.
He is working everything in your life together for the good.
He is using your difficulties and trials to conform you to His image.

Thank Him today for-
The forgiveness of your sins.
The peace that passes all understanding.
The smiles that have come to your face because His joy is in your heart.
The comfort of His presence that has quieted your heart and calmed your fears.
The hope that is in you because He has promised to always be with you.
The place in heaven that He has reserved and has prepared for you.
Thank Him today with-
Words of exaltation.
Songs of celebration.
A heart of strong devotion.
Thoughts of deep reflection.
Acts of admiration.
Claps of loud ovation.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)

(This came in an e-mail to me this week. I have italics on the ones that apply).

You Know You Were a Little Girl in the 70’s If . . .

. . . you wore that rainbow shirt that was half-sleeves and the rainbow went up one sleeve, across your chest and down the other.

. . . you made baby chocolate cakes in your Holly Hobbie Easy Bake Oven. You washed them down with The Snoopy Snow Cone Machine.

. . . you had that Fisher Price Doctor’s kit with a stethoscope that actually worked. After training with these tools you became an expert at the game of “operation”..

. . you owned a schwin bicycle with a floral banana seat and a basket. In the early 80’s you moved onto the ever popular 10 speed. Gosh that seat hurt.(Mine was a pink Huffy)

. . . your roller skates had metal wheels. Admit it……you thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute. You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island. (I actually loved Fantasy Island)!

. . . you had rubber boots for rainy days. Your shoes actually fit inside of the boots (with a little help from your Mom and some plastic bags).

. . . you had either a “bowl cut” or a “pixie” (not to mention the “Dorothy Hamill”) because your Mom was sick of braiding your hair. How traumatic when people thought you were a boy.

. . . your Holly Hobby sleeping bag was your most prized possession. (I also had the Holly Hobby doll and my grandma made me a Holly Hobby Costume).

. . . you wore a “poncho” with your faux fur “muff” and toe socks with your clogs. (I think I still have my Christmas Pancho and white Fur Muff in the Cedar Chest)!

. . . you begged Santa for the electronic game…Simon. (had it)!!

. . . you had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple shredded outfits.

. . . you spent hours out back on your metal swing set with the trapeze. (I hung upside don from that metal trapeze bar most of the time)!

. . . you had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (yep)!

. . . you kept losing your mittens so your Mom bought you the kind that were attached by a string.

. . . your Hello Kitty pencil case was cuter than anyone else’s.

. . . you wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad. (I never missed an episode)!

. . . you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffled shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture. You despised Nellie Olson!

. . . you tried to make sure that no boys would grab the comb out of your back pocket and skate away at the roller rink. (I definitely remember that fad but don’t recall ever actually carrying the comb).

. . . your hairstyle was described as having “wings”.

. . . you remember Strawberry Shortcake and her friends Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie. (The always smelled so good)!

. . . you carried a Muppets lunch box to school.

. . . you and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazard was your boyfriend or who would get to be Ginger and who got stuck being Mary Anne. ( Bo Duke definitely)!

. . . you memorized every song on the “Annie” movie and know at least one person who immediately went out and got the Annie afro. Every now and then “Its A Hard Knock Life” will pop into your brain and you can’t stop singing it all day.

. . . you had Star Wars action figures, too.

. . . you thought unicorns were real.

. . . it was a big event in your household each year when the “Wizard of Oz” would come on TV. Break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

. . . you wanted to be a part of the Von Trapp family. (Always wished I could sing like them).

. . . you remember light as a feather, stiff as a board.

. . . you loved The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe so much you got the whole Chronicles of Narnia series for Christmas but never read the other books.

. . . you crawled in a wardrobe somewhere and actually believed for a few seconds that you were on your way to Narnia.

. . . you completely wore-out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose and Flashdance soundtrack albums. (Still some of my favorites)!

. . . you tried to do lots of arts and crafts things, like yarn and popsicle stick God’s Eyes or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

. . . you remember shrinky-dinks! What was so appealing about these? You still remember how the oven smelled when they were “baking”.

. . . you used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape recorder up to the speaker. ( Ahhhh yes)!

. . . you couldn’t wait to get the free animal poster that came when you ordered books from the Scholastic (or Arrow) book orders your teacher would give you. The order catalogs looked like miniature newspapers.

. . . you learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. Are you there God? it’s me Margaret.

. . . you had Care Bears.

. . . you thought Olivia Newton John’s song “Physical” was about aerobics. (I actually made up a dance to this song).

. . . you made friendship pins which you wore on your tennis shoes.

. . . you had shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

. . . you wore parachute pants.

. . . you collected Smurfs.

. . . you wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer. (still do!!!!!!)

It’s Christmas! So Why Am I Depressed?
ByCandy Arrington
Guest Writer

CBN.com — The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. Isaiah 9:2 (AMP)

The Holidays are supposed to be the most joyous time of the year – festive clothes, gourmet foods, decorations, lights, parties, beautiful music, religious emphasis, family, and friends – so how could anyone possibly be depressed?

If thoughts of the Holidays cause you to feel down and make you want to sleep until mid-January, you’re not alone. The idea that everyone is happy in December is a myth. An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) or what is often referred to as “Holiday Blues.”

Although SAD is a culprit in holiday depression, here are some other factors that affect your mood at Christmas and cause you to feel depressed:

Read More Here:

(For all of my younger friends…. I guess I was still a girl in the 80’s too. I can remember a lot of this too)!

-You wore leg warmers and weren’t in dance and it wasn’t cold
-You’ve “pegged” your jeans (folded em over and rolled em up) (did this)
-Your hair added inches to your height (Oh yeah…. ratted straight up and sprayed with Final Net)!
-You couldn’t decide if you wanted to be JEM or Jerrica, you might have even wanted to be a Hologram
-You had Strawberry Shortcake parties
-”Downtown” was the song they played for Limbo at the skating rink
-You wanted a Cabbage Patch doll so bad, it was the first Christmas fiasco (I remember this and the long waiting lines).
-You know what a Garbage Pail kid is and you had the cards
-You got Barbie and the Rockers (or their van or stage) one Christmas
-You watched Beverly Hills Teens and wanted to be Lark
-You know who Gargamel and Azriel are and still wonder why there were only 2 girl Smurfs (I loved the smurfs)
-You dreamed about Ralph Maccio and asked your parents to enroll you in Karate
-You know who Elizabeth and her twin sister Jessica are, as well as their friends Enid & Lila and that they all lived in Sweet Valley
-You had a roach clip, but it was for your hair and you had no clue what it was really for
-You wore Jellies and had them in every color (yep)
-Cartoons were only on Saturday mornings followed by Dr. Who
-You read Nancy Drew and borrowed your brother’s Hardy Boy books just to see how different they were
-Your parents were obsessed with “Thirty Something, Moonlighting, Twin Peaks, Dallas” (I used to watch Dallas every Friday night with my mom… what was she thinking????)
-You know what a “Popple” is
-You wore Roos and actually put stuff in the pocket
-You had a side ponytail
-You had Bannana clips
-Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” or Cindi Lauper’s “She’s so Unusual” was one of your first albums
-You loved Tiffany and New Kids on the Block (even if every teased you for it)
-Your favorite jeans were made by Jordache
-You had Mork & Mindy suspenders
-You had an original Rainbow bright doll and got her fuzzy little star buddies in a Happy Meal
-”Jack & Diane”, “I Love Rock & Roll” pop into your head now and then
-You hear the song “1985″ (she’s still preoocupied with 1985…) and can tie a memory to every line of the song

Can you think of anything else???

It seems like I have been talking with clients a lot about forgiveness the last month. I am sure it is because of the time of year and the fact that the holidays often bring up old or sometimes even new wounds. I thought I would recap a few things on forgiveness. We can all use reminders, right?

God’s word is the best resource on how to forgive and how to live in an emotionally healthy way AND praise the Lord, God’s Word never lies! Jesus tells us to forgive others when they mistreat us or hurt us. “How many times?” Peter asks. “Don’t count”, Jesus responds (Mathew 18:21-22). Paul also tells us not to let the sun go down while we are still angry, for this gives the devil a foothold into our heart (Eph. 4:26-27). The Bible tells us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32).

I find that many people I’ve worked with either forgive too quickly, before doing the emotional work they need to in order to process and get rid of their hurt or anger, or they don’t forgive at all because they have erected large, thick walls of bitterness and resentment. Jesus tells us to forgive one another, and that alone is a good enough reason to do it even for those who don’t know Jesus or believe in him. Long before modern medicine studied the physiological effects of chronic anger, resentment, and bitterness on the body, God knew that harboring these toxic emotions could not only damage our health but also ruin our lives. He warns us to get rid of them promptly.

God knows that sin destroys us. It is not the sin that is committed against us that weilds the fatal blow. Rather, I believe it’s our own sinful reaction to the things that have happened to us. Unresolved anger often turns to depression, self-pity, bitterness and resentment and these things poison our body and our soul. A person finds healing through the process of forgiveness, both receiving forgiveness and extending forgiveness. That is why God is so insistent that we forgive.

Now, don’t misunderstand what forgiveness is. It isn’t excusing the offender or minimizing their offense. Forgiveness is your decision to cancel the debt they rightfully owe you! Many people protest here and become stuck because they are rightfully deserving of justice or an apology or some restitution for the offense done to them. They don’t want to cancel the debt because it feels unfair to them. Yet, if they are waiting for the person to repent or apologize or show remorse, they may wait a very long time.

In my own life, forgiveness usually comes in steps and cycles. It is not a one time over and done with event. First, I decide to forgive, exercising my will. Then I begin the process of letting go, releasing the anger and hurt, and my desire to retaliate. I appeal to God for justice and turn the situation over to him. I also ask him to help me see my offender and myself differently. This is very helpful. When God shows me my own sinful nature and the things I am capable of doing, then I can have some genuine compassion on my offender because, but for God’s grace, I may have done the same thing. I no longer want to see my offender only as someone who did something wrong, but also as someone who has done some things right. I no longer want to see him or her as a victimizer, but as a person with weaknesses of character and a sinful heart, just like me.

To practice forgiveness, walk regularly through these four steps: Decide, Begin, Continue and Keep at it. As we do this we are changing. We are no longer defining ourselves by what has happened to us, but we are instead seeing ourselves by what God is doing in us. Our healing becomes a powerful example for God’s love and grace to flow through others, and we can honestly sat what Satan meant for evil, God is using for good.

Marital Squabbles Can Harm Your Health
A word of caution for couples who routinely communicate through a sharp word and a slammed door: A bad marriage is bad for your health.

A new study suggests that spouses engaged in hostile relationships have consistently elevated stress levels that significantly impede their bodies’ wound-healing capacity.

Blissful honeymooners are not, however, completely immune to the stress effect. Otherwise happy partners will find their healing abilities similarly diminished — although to a lesser degree — following spikes in stress that accompany occasional spats.

Proof of this apparent mind-body connection, researchers say, could have a major impact on the emphasis caregivers place on improving a patient’s frame of mind prior to surgery, in order to optimize the recovery process.

This looks like a neat blog. Check it out!

God created your emotions, and you can turn to him for healing. Why?
Because God loves you intensely and cares deeply about how you feel.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are
crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18