How to Change Our Little Corner of the World

It is easy to get worn out by so many things in life today. Stress can certainly weigh a person down. There is a story about a college professor who brought a glass of water into the classroom and asked his students how much it weighed. Most of the answers ranged from eight to sixteen ounces.

Then the professor asked what would happen if he held the glass for a few minutes, or an hour, or even a whole day without setting it down. The answer, of course, would be that it would cause aching and increasing pain in his arm causing him physical stress.

The story is much longer with details than we are not stating here [click here to read Short Story ] but the conclusion is thought-provoking. “You should not carry the stress long enough that it begins to ache and paralyze your life. It is important to let go of your stresses. Don’t carry your stress all day and always remember to put the glass down before you go to bed!”

Five “We Can” Challenges

Good advice. Stress gets to all of us at one time or another and we agree there has been more than enough over the past year whether it is the pandemic, the riots, or our pocketbooks. The tension from stress causes a change in the way we think about ourselves either for better or worse. For instance, we want to be that person who strives for peace or calm, but what do we actually produce in our personal lives? How do we act toward others?

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." -- Chinese proverb

It is easy to think all we have to do is run away from the world and hide our heads under a pillow. Just ignore what is going on around us and everything will be fine. But we admit burying our heads does not work well for long as we would, of course, suffocate!

We are looking here for some answers. What can we do? Naturally, there is no one right solution for every one of us. We are all unique individuals, but we can try to come up with a few ideas that will work overall to change our little corner of the world for the better. Perhaps we can pick out just one or two of the following suggestions to start and then add to them.

1. We can open a journal or a calendar (there are apps for both of these) and start listing where our time goes. How can we change anything if we supposedly have no time?

2. We can make a list of how we would enjoy helping someone:

• Helping a handicapped neighbor take out her garbage.
• Dog sitting for someone for a couple hours.
• Volunteering on a regular basis at a women’s shelter or pregnancy center.  
• Paying for a stranger’s groceries in line behind us.
• Offering a ride to a person’s doctor appt

3. We can start (or continue) to look for a job that is satisfying. Try in the service industry to be a real help to someone in need.

4. We can spend regular and consistent time either in the morning or evening reading one page in the Bible and reading one page in a devotional book.

5. We can challenge ourselves to be a good example to our family and friends by choosing kind words, being helpful, listening rather than talking, and watching good and wholesome TV, movies, and music videos.

The Choice is Ours

Now we see that “We can” if we really want to be the one who promotes peace, joy, and love to those around us. Do we want to see a change in the world? We ARE that change!

In case we have not thought about it in a while, remember that God will never, ever force us to do anything. We can sit back and just complain about what is going on in the world. Or we can please the Lord by taking care of each other here on earth. By the way, we need to take care of ourselves too so we will have the energy to be of help to others.

Be the change the world needs!

“Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!” (Psalm 55:6 NLT).

“Get me out of here on dove wings; I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country, I want a cabin in the woods. I’m desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather.” (Psalm 55:7-8 MSG).

 

 

Getting Through the Struggle

The top is scary!

We usually experience quite a relief when we can move on with our lives to a new chapter after so much sadness, grief, and turmoil. It is like reaching the top of a scary roller coaster ride and then flying headlong down a steep peak! Not for the faint of heart.

No matter how we got to where we are right now as a single-again woman, we can celebrate that we made it through the struggle! Our strength and determination have led us into a far better environment where we can create something new. It is a wonderful feeling! 

The Struggle is Real 
Many of us have tried to survive as best we can and raise a family on the salary of a receptionist—not easy at all! Indra Nooyi, an Indian-American citizen did not let that stop her. After receiving schooling in India, she moved to New York with extraordinarily little money to continue her studies, all while working as a receptionist. Indra was finally admitted to Yale School of Management. It was difficult, but eventually, Indra received her master’s degree in Public and Private Management.

The key? Indra never gave up! And that determination soon found her as the CEO of PepsiCo where she served for twenty-four years. During her time there, sales grew eighty percent! In 2015 and 2017, Forbes listed her the second most powerful woman in business [Wikipedia]. Indra currently serves on the board of Amazon. No one can keep this woman down!

Find the key!

We, too, need to hang onto those days that we fought to claim as our own! Yet, still, remember we do not live in fantasy land. As long as we are alive, we will have struggles in this life. We all understand things do not always go perfectly as we planned. The difference is that now we know we have the will to make it through whatever troubles come our way. We might even say, we have a "Master's Degree" in Endurance.

In fact, we may still be working on getting settled into the best creative job for us, working on a degree, perhaps finding a new place to live, or searching for the most amazing childcare. And, of course, keeping in touch with encouraging friends and even developing new friendships. Those are all struggles to one degree or another, but ones that can be enjoyable if we allow that to happen.

An Inch Away

With that said, where can we turn on those days when we rather just run away? This solution may strike us as surprising, but the simple answer is "Stand still and stay calm." Take a breath. Take several slow, deep breaths. Most likely, we need a break before we burn out because fear always grabs hold of us when we are just an inch away from success!

Fear comes from our (spiritual) Enemy who wants nothing else but to destroy anything we are trying to create. So, we say we should stand still and stay calm because God has a plan for each and every one of us. He Himself will fight for us if we ask for His assistance. Then, we wait for God's direction for our next successful step and follow His lead.    
  

"The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm" (Exodus 14:14 NLT). 

How Can We Calm Down the Craziness?

Welcome Wreath!

It’s here! Twenty-three more days to Christmas! The month of December has some varied and crazy kinds of celebrations around the world. It just takes a walk through a shopping mall to discover the prime time for retailers is now (we can check our credit card statement in about four weeks!). And it seems each year is trying to out-do the previous one. So much so, we tend to forget what in the world we are doing!

Discover Something New

Traditional activities can somewhat calm down the craziness. A favorite, first made popular in Germany in the 1900s, is various paper calendars to count down the days in December. Each one has twenty-four or twenty-five little windows that can be opened one day at a time exposing beautiful or fun pictures to the delight of a child. We always had these when I was a child and I still enjoy them. Hurry and get one because it’s already December 2^nd!

Another peaceful and meaningful practice in many homes is putting up a Nativity scene either now or when the Christmas tree goes up. In 1974 a neighbor of mine, who made ceramics, surprised me with a Christmas gift—a fifteen-piece Nativity set which is still in one piece (or should I say 15 pieces) today and is put up on the first Sunday of December (like yesterday). A string of tiny, white lights surrounds the scene. It’s a joy to see it lit up every night!

Aside from our own homes, we can witness Christmas traditions everywhere including in our churches. Many churches begin the Christmas countdown with what is called Advent candles. This consists of an evergreen wreath with four, large candles around the edges and one more candle in the center. Each Sunday in December a candle is lit and on each of the following Sundays, one more candle is lit. On Christmas Day (or Eve) the last Advent candle is lit. What does it all mean?

There are various meanings surrounding the season of Advent, which means “coming.” But to make this simpler, we can remember that the five candles represent the following themes:

Candle of Hope

• Hope (or promise)
• Preparation (waiting)
• Joy (peace)
• Love (adoration)

And the fifth (center) candle represents the true meaning of Christmas, the Birth of Jesus Who is the Light of the World.

It’s a Perfect Time!

Traditions anchor us in a world gone crazy during this season. As we see our children grown and off making their own traditions with their own families, sometimes our homes can take on a simple or “minimalist” environment. It’s not so important to go “bananas” trying to keep it just the way it was when the kids were five, eleven, or even thirteen. Actually, it’s rather fun to see a new kind of wonderful appear in our homes.

The one and only event to keep in the forefront is to remember and celebrate the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who can light our world with heavenly stars, angels blowing trumpets, and three kings bringing the gifts! Now that’s a perfect birthday party!

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT).     

Do You Wish for More Time at Work?

Relax and Kick Your Feet Up

"Stress and relaxation cannot exist at the same time--just as darkness cannot exist where there is light!" (Sue Ingebretson, author, speaker, and certified holistic health care practitioner) CLICK HERE for Sue's Blog       

Most of us overdose on way too much stress and not enough relaxation making us a "stressaholic". We get busy from the moment our feet hit the ground in the morning and then we fall into bed (sometimes literally!) at night without ever calming down. We have jobs and careers, people to take care of, chores to get done, and never enough time to enjoy the benefits of relaxation.  

Leisure activities such as reading, working on a hobby, journaling, crafts, sewing, sports, exercising and so on are a necessary part of resting our minds and bodies. Notice we left out "screen" time--TV, computers, social media, texting--which sucks out brain cells and leaves us feeling worse (okay, we cannot prove it here, but ask any life/health coach and you'll hear the expert result).

We all probably have some type of calendar to organize and plan our lives. So, we can put that tool to good use by scheduling our leisure time! Yes, we can get into the habit of doing just that! One other important stress-reduction method is to only work five days a week at our regular job to allow “downtime” on the weekends. Once we get into a practice of taking breaks such as these, we’ll most likely see an improvement in less stress and better health. 

Readjusting Our Lifestyles

There is a reason why a regular workday has always been set to cover eight hours of activity. Because more than eight hours nonstop shows up in our lack of productivity and is the perfect recipe for stress. Wow! In 2019 that sounds so antiquated, doesn't it? 

Especially in America where we have stretched and stretched the acceptable workday into 12-16 hours to the point that if we do not work those crazy hours, we may be considered lazy or unproductive! That is sad. Someone once said, "No one on their deathbed ever said they wished they had spent more time at work." 

Stress anyone?

Work hours around the world vary. For example, Eastern Europe has a higher number of daily work hours than the U.S., but Western European countries typically work 35 hours per week on the average, especially France. And in Spain, there is a Siesta (break) from 2:00-5:00pm with long lunches and healthy afternoon naps followed by a late nightlife!  

Wherever we work, and the more we work per day at a job, career, or at home, the more stress will show up in our life. The only way to combat this health danger is to treat relaxation as a necessary component to our schedule. 

Somehow, we need to think seriously about ways to reduce our stress level or accept the fact we will visit the doctor's office more and more. Even though we are getting near to the end of the year, it’s still the perfect time to readjust our lifestyles for the sake of our health. If we are in our 20s, 30s, or even 40s and are in good shape, this might seem silly to "program" relaxation into our day. But with each decade that passes, it will definitely become more and more obvious we have to do something! Better to begin now.

Using Our Brains to Calm Our Body

Relax with a book

It's been said it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So, we can just start with one fun activity and add it to our calendar. Go easy: for example, 11-21 minutes per day of reading a great short story before bed will have an amazing effect on our sleep and sleep is when our bodies repair any damage from the day. After three weeks, add one more fun thing like walking for 16 minutes before work, or journaling. Whatever makes us smile will do the trick! 

Peace of Mind Once and For All

Life can be so difficult at times; we need a Helper. God knew how stressed we would get and so He already planned on leaving us Someone named the Holy Spirit that would live in our hearts. He's the best stress-busting gift of all! Whenever we are ready, we can just ask Him to come into our heart and He gladly will!  

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27 NLT). 

How to Find Peace, Quiet, And Calm Sleep

My own bed! 

Nothing is more welcome for most people than getting into our own bed between cool, clean sheets and a super soft pillow (or two or three). Cuddling up inside a cozy blanket and closing our eyes to block out the world. We drift away into dreamland intending to enjoy seven or eight hours of calm and quiet. Perfect serenity!

That is one version of the ideal night so we can wake up refreshed and ready to go in the morning. But so many women struggle with making this happen on a regular and repeated basis including this blog writer! Aside from the aggravation of not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep, there are some serious health issues we should understand. 

If we drag through our day at work (or home) and doze off at inappropriate times, or we are unable to look our best because we had no energy to get ready for school or work, we might recognize the many symptoms of insomnia.     

What's the big deal about sleep? 
We might feel that our four hours of restless sleep is adequate because we've been doing that for months. But a good night's sleep encourages restoration and healing for our body. If we feel like we can't remember anything from the staff meeting at work, and we forget to pick up our toddler from the babysitter, this lack of sleep may be on its way to becoming a huge health issue.

The Women's Health organization puts this issue into a "nutshell" for us: "Sleep is essential for good health. During sleep, our bodies and brains repair themselves. Some research suggests our brains use the time during sleep to clear away toxins that build up during the day. Sleep is also important for our ability to learn and form memories. Not getting enough sleep puts people at risk for health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, and depression." Click on the following link to learn more: Women's Health 

That's me!

Lack of time and sleep

Maybe a more comprehensive list would help us come to a conclusion of insomnia so we can speak to our physician for a diagnosis. So let's try and honestly check off any of the following symptoms. And then click on the following Mayo Clinic link for more information: Better Sleep   

• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Waking up during the night
• Waking up too early
• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
• Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
• Irritability, depression or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
• Increased errors or accidents
• Ongoing worries about sleep

Tips to try at home
There are many things we can try for our lack of sleep before we see our doctor for a prescription. Women's Health hits the nail on the head with these suggestions. [Again click on their link above for more ideas]:

• Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. 
• Do not nap longer than 30 minutes (nor after 3pm)
• Get outside every day for some natural light.
• One-two hours before bedtime, avoid computer screens, mobile phones, or televisions. No electronic devices in the bedroom. [Hard to break the habit but really works!]
• Follow a regular, relaxing routine at the same time each night when you get ready for bed.
• Go to bed only after winding down and when you are ready to sleep. Do not read in bed, listen to music, or do other activities that engage your mind and keep you awake.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool for sleeping. Use a sleep mask or light-blocking curtains. Use earplugs, a fan, or a white noise machine or app on your phone to block out sounds. [Love this one!]
• Do not drink alcohol, caffeine, or use nicotine for at least five hours before bedtime.
• Get regular physical activity during the daytime. Exercise or physical activity close to bedtime, or anytime in the five or six hours before sleeping, can make it harder to fall asleep.
• Do not eat heavy meals or drink a lot of liquids two to three hours before bed.
• If you still cannot sleep after about 15 minutes of getting into bed and turning out the light, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.
• See your doctor or a sleep specialist if you think that you have insomnia or another sleep problem.

Mind if I sleep now?

Where's the switch?
It seems like our minds are like little machines that someone forgot to turn off the switch. So we have to ask, WHO created and controls our mind? You may or may not know that the One and Only true God created every little piece of us inside and out. 

So, it is obvious that our very first suggestion or tip for improving our sleep habits has to do with speaking to the One who knows us completely--our Creator! He understands our difficulties with this problem. God is just waiting for us to open a conversation with Him. He only requires that we ask for His help. Let's try that tonight and every night. We might really be surprised how well God will react in our favor!

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe" (Psalm 4:8 NLT).

Are You a Stressaholic?

Planning Your Day

"Stress and relaxation cannot exist at the same time--just as darkness cannot exist where there is light!" (Sue Ingebretson, author, speaker, and certified holistic health care practitioner) CLICK HERE for Sue's Blog       

Most of us overdose on way too much stress and not enough relaxation making us a stressaholic. We get busy from the moment our feet hit the ground in the morning and then we fall into bed (sometimes literally!) at night without ever calming down. We have jobs and careers, people to take care of, chores to get done, and never enough time to enjoy the benefits of relaxation.  

Leisure activities such as reading, working on a hobby, journaling, crafts, sewing, sports, exercising and so on are a necessary part of resting our minds and bodies. Notice we left out "screen" time--TV, computers, social media, texting--which sucks out brain cells and leaves us feeling worse (okay, we cannot prove it here, but ask any life/health coach and you'll hear the expert result).

We all probably have some kind of a calendar to organize and plan our lives. So we suggest putting that to good use by actually scheduling your leisure time! Yes! Once you get into the habit of taking breaks like this, you'll most likely see an improvement in stress reduction and better health. 

Are You A Stressaholic?
There is a reason why a regular workday has always been set to cover eight hours of activity. Because more than eight hours nonstop shows up in our lack of productivity and is the perfect recipe for stress. Wow! In 2019 that sounds so antiquated, doesn't it? 

Especially in America where we have stretched and stretched the acceptable workday into 12-16 hours to the point that if we do not work those crazy hours we may be considered lazy or unproductive! That is sad. Someone once said, "No one on their deathbed ever said they wished they had spent more time at work." 

Work hours around the world vary. For example, Eastern Europe actually has a higher number of daily work hours than the U.S., but Western European countries typically work 35 hours on the average, especially France. And in Spain, there is a Siesta (break) from 2:00-5:00pm with long lunches and healthy afternoon naps followed by a late nightlife!  

Wherever you work, and the more you work in a day at a job, career, or at home, the more stress will show up in your life. The only way to combat this health danger is to treat relaxation as a necessary component to your schedule. 

Somehow we need to think seriously about ways to reduce our stress level or accept the fact we will visit the doctor's office more and more. This is the beginning of a new year and the perfect time to readjust our lifestyles for the sake of our health. If we are in our 20s, 30s, or even 40s and are in good shape, this might seem silly to "program" relaxation into our day. But with each decade that passes, it will definitely become more and more obvious we have to do something! Better to begin now.

Using Our Brains to Calm Our Body
It's been said it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So we suggest starting with one fun activity and add it to your calendar. Go easy: for example, 11-21 minutes per day of reading a great short story before bed will have an amazing effect on your sleep and sleep is when our bodies repair any damage from the day. After three weeks, add one more fun thing like walking for 16 minutes before work, or journaling. You get the idea. Whatever makes you smile! 

It's Possible!
Life can be so difficult at times, we need a Helper. God knew how stressed we would get and so He already planned on leaving us Someone named the Holy Spirit that would live in our hearts. He's the best stress-busting gift of all! When you are ready, just ask for Him to come into your heart and He gladly will!  

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27 NLT).