How Will Things All Work Out?

“Jeannie worked as a neonatal nurse at a hospital in Rockford, Illinois, for ten years when she met the shoebox baby. She was in the special care nursery when she noticed a young boy in a hooded sweatshirt holding a shoebox and crying…inside the shoebox was a three-pound infant. Wrapped in a dish towel, the tiny newborn wore a doll’s onesie. The baby boy had been born six-weeks premature.

 

“The medical staff treated him for hypothermia, dehydration and an infection from the household scissors used to cut his umbilical cord. Despite the harrowing conditions, God used Jeannie to help work all things out for good!

 

“As hospital staff did everything to save the newborn, his teenage father waited outside, sobbing uncontrollably. Jeannie kept him posted on his baby’s progress. And once the infant’s condition stabilized, she explained to the young, terrified dad that if he gave up his baby that day, he’d no longer be able to receive updates on his health. She reminded him he could take his time in exploring options rather than make an impulsive decision. The boy took the parental bracelets Jeannie offered him so that he and the baby’s mother could come back to visit him. The young couple returned the next day, and every day after for several weeks.”

 

“This is one of the cases I won’t forget,” said the doctor who treated the shoebox baby. There was someone looking down on him.”

 

[Click on the following Shoebox link to read the rest of this true story and others like it from godupdates.com]

 

Shoebox

 

The World is Still Spinning

It’s been nearly five months since many of us have had any chance to venture outside our homes. Maybe to keep a doctor’s appointment or to stock up on whatever groceries we can find on the shelves. But other than that, if we are responsibly following medical guidelines, we are basically hibernating.

It isn’t surprising then when feelings of aloneness (different than loneliness) invade our minds. But no matter what is going on in our own lives, we can find many, many stories of hope out there like the one above if we try. And we desperately need that right now. Even in this tumultuous world, it will lift our spirits when we hear about how hope and inspiration remind us the world is still spinning!

We have all had many ups and downs in our lives including divorce, widowhood, and maybe even our own story of a premature infant. Sadness does not escape anyone. It is what we do with those agonizing moments in our lives that will make a difference. How will God “work all things out for good” in our individual lives?

The plain truth is that God will never force us to do what we don’t want to do. Don’t misunderstand. He created us and has a great plan for our lives because he loves us. Have we ever given a gift to someone just because we loved them? God does that too. He delights in showing us how satisfying and fulfilling our life can be if we only choose to listen to Him. But He won’t pressure, coerce, or threaten us. He’s not that kind of God. He would rather love us.

A Love Gift

It’s all about our choices. Teen parents chose to bring their premature infant to a hospital for care rather than abandoning the baby. They didn’t have to be that responsible or loving.

Jeannie, the neonatal nurse chose to jump right in and help save a three-pound infant. She could have wasted her time by judging the teen parents and refusing to allow them a chance to change their minds. Jeannie’s job was to tend to the baby. But she also chose to love those teen parents.

We also have many, many choices day in and day out to make. Especially now that we are on our own for however long. Like we mentioned, God never forces us to do anything. But He certainly will guide and lead us to do the right thing. To love when we can choose to turn the other cheek. Love—it’s his trademark and design for our lives because he created us, and we belong to him.

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7 NLT).

Where Can We Find Help?

Use caution!

No one in their right minds would ever want to come across or tempt an animal such as a wild tiger. Especially one that is not in a good mood! Of course, we can probably all remember the famous duo, Siegfried & Roy who made a career out of training and handling wild animals and they were very good at it for many years entertaining audiences in Las Vegas. (Roy had a stroke on stage and his white tiger bit him ending Roy’s career. He died recently on May 8, 2020, from Covid-19).

Many of us are animal lovers and some not. Animals can be demanding but they certainly warm our hearts and offer companionship. And they do such funny things! But we admit, there are animals who have a grumpy attitude about them causing us a not-so-happy encounter if we have ever had the unfortunate occasion of being bitten.

Amazingly, grumpiness is a trait that can affect humans too, especially when faced with a life-changing situation such as a divorce or even a death in the family. Just ask, how often have I felt grumpy lately?

Turning Grumpy into Cheerful

It happens. Yes, it does. In fact, it is almost expected in the first days, weeks, and months following a divorce or death in the family. So, let’s not beat ourselves up over it; it’s a normal feeling. Of course, over an extended period, it is not so enjoyable, entertaining, or exhilarating. All that anxiety, worry, and distress can ruin our health.  

Hopefully, that uncomfortable state has passed for now. But in case it is still hanging around like a bad household odor, what might we do to reach a better frame of mind? Some of the following ideas have helped many women to find their “happy” place. Start by remembering this famous quip:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” [Jessie Potter, educator, and counselor at the Woman to Woman Conference, 1981]

[Please note this quote was made popular much later by motivational speaker Tony Robbins].

Finding Our Happy Place

Get out and be happy!

• Read – go to the local library and find dozens of books on attitudes, gratitude, and making progress as a single-again woman. (Of course, Kindle works too). A good starting place because we don’t know what we don’t know!
• Connect – sitting home alone isn’t going to work. Better to open the Contacts on our smartphones or computer and count how many friends (especially single ones) we’ve been missing and make a friendly call today!
•  Talk - there is no shame or harm in speaking with a professional counselor or pastor about how to move past our past which is like an anchor holding us down.
•  Record – start journaling. Really. Instead of feeling angry, grumpy, and down, we can take our thoughts to the pages of our notebook (no one else will see it). Try to make this a daily habit and see what fabulous results we get. It doesn’t need to be lengthy. Nine minutes while drinking our coffee or tea in the morning is great. Now, we can begin our day refreshed!
•  Celebrate – one of the worse things we can do is decline invitations to have fun with people. It gets easier every time we say “Yes.” Just this one thing can cause a positive reaction in your mind and suddenly grumpiness is a thing of the past.

There are millions of things we can do to become the person we’ve always wanted to be. Do we have to change? Sure. Life is stale without change. But we can be in the driver’s seat this time around and create for ourselves a brand-new world just the way we dream of!

Who Is Going to Help Us?

One of the best things about reaching a point in our life we can be proud of is being able to share it with others. Wanting to help other women who are still struggling with bitterness, negative thoughts, and uncomfortable feelings is truly a gift. We’ve been there—we’re experts. We know how it goes and there are lots of options others need to hear about.

Speaking of “help,” none of these suggestions and tips will work without first asking the Lord God to direct our steps. He’s way ahead of us and is just waiting for us to talk to him about our lives and where they are going. He’s got ideas! So, perfect as he is, upon accepting him as Lord of our life, he will gladly give us his Helper called the Holy Spirit. His Spirit will provide guidance, wisdom, and discernment. And how can we go any further without those?

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT).

None of Us Want to Be Alone

Alone is a Choice

Many people want to belong to something important where they can make a difference. Some of us join clubs of all kinds. There are groups for moms, book lovers, students, writers, artists, and for cooking, sewing, and working out. Joining one of these sisterhoods helps to encourage and educate us.

Sometimes we have ideas that don’t seem to work out no matter what we do. We need the assistance of others to see how they do things we’ve never thought of as a solution. We learn as our hearts are warmed by their friendliness. Suddenly, the project we’ve been working on becomes much easier. And we breathe.

We were never meant to do things all alone especially now that we are single-again. What would be the point anyways? If we want to share some new ideas, who would we share them with? Want to help in our neighborhood? How would we do it alone? We simply cannot get trapped in our own little world.  

We may not be a mountain climber like Aron Ralston, but in the movie of his true life story, 127 Hours, we witness how a huge boulder traps him in a canyon in Utah. All alone, he had no way to call for help. For five days, he drew “strength and inspiration from his family and friends.” Without them, he probably would still be pleading with the rocks!

Feedback is Important
Living alone can be very similar. How many of us have found ourselves talking out loud to, well, nothing in particular? Of course, we don’t expect an answer (hopefully not), but, strangely, it seems to help every now and then even though the sound of our own voice in the silence may startle us.

Where we really need to hear an answer is when we are hurting, in trouble, feeling defeated, or we just want to express ourselves and get feedback other than our own. A friend who has been through all the mess life can dish out may have surprising insight for us. She can be our backup support when we are dealing with oh! so many dilemmas. And, in turn, we can be hers.

Without friends to share the good and the not-so-good in our lives, we leave ourselves open to the worst thinking patterns. How many times have we blown things out of proportion when left alone? What someone said to us yesterday in good faith today becomes an attack. We see two friends heading out the door together and immediately wonder why they didn’t invite us if they were going to the movies when really one friend was simply supporting the other to a doctor's appointment.  

Hope, Help, or Hazard?

We remember how very bad our lives have gone in years past and wrongly imagine how they will never get any better. We begin to see ourselves in the darkness without any hope. This kind of gloomy thinking can catapult us right into depression in its many forms.

Joining Solves Many Problems

If we are shy or an introvert, it may not be easy to step out and make new friends. Even if we are the social type, moving to a new town or a new job can make us feel reserved and less than confident. It may help to start with this list of ways to join in with others.

1. Exercise/walk/jog in the same place every day. Others will eventually make contact and it will give our smile a workout too.
2. Find a church home nearby and shake hands with the door greeter.
3. Join a class, team, or club. It’s a ready-made group with similar interests.
4. Attend lectures, book signings, poetry groups. A different version of the one above.
5. Accept invitations for coffee or a movie after connecting with someone.

Let’s keep adding to this list and soon our pet will wonder why her food bowl is empty all the time!

New and Old Make Great Friends

The One who created us never intended for us to be alone. The first person on this earth was Adam but God knew Adam needed a companion and so He created Eve. Now, even if we have decided not to date yet, it would be to our advantage to meet new friends as we also keep in touch with some of our old friends. Eventually, we will learn what works best for our new lives and start growing one friendship after another. God knows and loves us like no other could. His “door” is always open when we want to talk. Try it!   

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT).

How to Turn Desperation into Cheerful Circumstances

A big box of Joy!

This is the season of hope and joy! But let’s face the truth right now: we feel like saying bah-humbug, right? Living the single-again life--especially if it's a new situation to us--brings on welcome activities like pulling the covers over our heads for the next two months!  

If we want to breathe, however, the covers must come off. But good news, we are stronger than we look, certainly after savoring that morning cup of coffee, tea, or juice. Getting dressed in something cozy and colorful, styling our hair and makeup, and stepping outside for a walk will fill our lungs with hope. Now, we can think clearly.

Anticipate Something Good
We can take this season and make all sorts of things into new habits and traditions. We can show the world we are here to stay on our terms! Remember, our lives don't have to be a picture of perfection. We can choose to simply live, breathe and survive by what we do and how we act. One definition of hope is "anticipating something good to come in the future." Ready to test that thought? 

All of these fun pick-me-ups could fit right into our new wonderful lives (remember that's a choice we have too):

• Connect with a close friend who really understands and supports us. 
• Change our thinking and celebrate our own life. Try simple things we've never considered before such as a new restaurant. A new route to work. A new workout center. A new quilt for our bed.  
• Keep our sense of humor, even if we're not known as the funny-type. Watch a comedy. Tell jokes with our kids/grandkids. Share an amusing story with a family member.
• Keep an encouragement journal. As often as we can (morning or night) just list a few things we are grateful for or that bring us happiness.  
• Volunteer to help someone in need. Work at a thrift store that benefits abused women. Read to children or the elderly. Teach someone to dance. 
• If we don't feel like being the cook this year for family dinners, it's okay to bring a store-bought dish or flowers. Really. 

” Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.” –G.K. Chesterton, English writer, and philosopher

The Truth and Nothing but the Truth

The truth is powerful, and we need a good dose of it right now. Aren't we tired of experiencing lies, people evading us, and abusing our good nature? Of course, we are. On our topic for today, then, we need to know where hope comes from, so we can understand it and, apply it to our lives. If not, our hearts will continue to feel "sick." Our stomachs will react negatively to our situations. 

Don't forget Hope!

Ready for a great truth? God is the original source of all hope. He knew we would someday need all the hope we could get. He offers it to us with hands outstretched! The Bible, in fact, tells us that hope creates patience, courage, and joy. So, we can THEN understand why we have none of these at times. Without hope, we have nothing else. In fact, it is one of the three things which last: faith, hope, and [true] love. 

Hope is produced by endurance--when we "hang in there" and keep moving forward no matter what happens. No matter how much pain we might be feeling. When we do something hard for a long time and still end up breathing. It is not a magical "wishful thinking" kind of thing. Hope is the confidence we have in things that are unclear or unseen. It's our inspiration! 

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 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).     

How Aggravating is Your Struggle?

Resistance Stretch

 It's quite a relief when we are able to move on with our lives to a new chapter after so much sadness, grief, and turmoil. It's like being held back with a giant rubber band (think of those rubber resistance bands people use at the gym to work out) and suddenly it snaps and we are hurdled forward.

No matter how we got to where we are right now, we can definitely celebrate that we made it! Our strength and determination have led us into a far better environment where we can create something new. It's a wonderful feeling! 

The Struggle is Real
Have you ever tried to survive and raise a family on the salary of a receptionist? Many of us have, including Indra Nooyi, an Indian-American citizen. But she didn't let that stop her. After receiving schooling in India, she moved to New York with little money to continue her studies, but working as a receptionist, she was finally admitted to Yale School of Management. It was difficult, but eventually, Indra received her Master's Degree in Public and Private Management.

Struggles Are Real

The key? Indra never gave up! And that determination soon found her in 1994 as the CEO of PepsiCo where she served until 2018. During her time there, sales grew 80 percent! She also currently serves on the board of Amazon. No one can keep this woman down!    


We, too, need to hang onto those days that we fought to claim as our own! Yet, still, remember we don't live in fantasy land. As long as we are alive, we will have struggles in this life. We all understand things don't 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 "Masters' Degree" in Endurance. 

We may, in fact, 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 but can be enjoyable if we allow that to happen.     

Faith and Hope  
So where can we turn on those days when we rather just run away? You may find this solution surprising, but the simple answer is "Stand still and stay calm." Take a breath. Most likely, we need a break at that point 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. He Himself will actually fight for us if we ask for His assistance. Then, we wait for God's direction for our next successful step.    
  
"The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm" (Exodus 14:14 NLT).

Simple Ways to Increase Your Faith

Pour Good Thoughts

Have you already said something like, "I hope you have a Happy New Year!" Or, "I hope my plans for finding a new job this year work out." What is actually going on in our brains with these kinds of wishes? 

Positive thoughts like these are truly an act of faith welling up inside us. We can't see them, but they rise to the surface and pour out of our minds and mouths. We can effectively use positive words to encourage others (or ourselves) and make them feel less worried about their situation. 

Our soul rejoices--like a little giggle creeping up--when we place our faith in things God has already planned and arranged for our lives. Of course, we have no idea what will happen to or for us next week, next summer, or next year. But our Creator knows. He knows! 

Sure, not everything that takes place in our lives is great. Or fun. Or what we want. That is because none of us are perfect. We make mistakes. We don't pay attention to what we are doing. We waste time, talents, and tempo.   

But there is a better way to live and enjoy life. So, first, we can identify that faith is definitely what we cannot see with our eyes, nor can we predict future events with our minds. We have to rely on our faith. If you are open to this idea and principle of faith, then, secondly, we know through experience that our faith fluctuates at times just because we are all human. It's like a thermometer. When we are sad, depressed, or even apathetic about things in our lives, our faith takes a dive and barely registers. If we are happy, joyful, content and positive, our faith soars! 

What Is the Answer?
Is there something we can do when our faith is low? This answer may seem too simple and quite opposite of what we are now thinking, but the solution is actually thankfulness! Yes, that's right. Stay with me now--there is something tangible we can do to change our situation. Have you ever tried expressing thankfulness and courting depression at the same time? It doesn't work.  

Since faith is something that can't be seen, we are suggesting keeping an on-going, daily journal on the subject of thankfulness and gratitude for every tiny thing God has given you. It's not a big chunk of time out of your day. Just take 3-1/2 minutes each evening before bed and record three things you are grateful for from that day. Be specific for big as well as all the little things each day. 

Start Your Thankfulness Journal

Thank you, God, for yellow tulips in my garden, fresh snow on the lawn, new sweater to wear, getting eight hours of sleep, friends who call, a new book to read, food in my refrigerator, and answer to my prayer for physical healing.        
   
Result? When you write down what you are grateful for, it can be seen later or tomorrow or next month. This reminder really, really works to increase the temperature of our faith thermometer!    
     
Moving Mountains
If we give God a chance, He will bless us with all the promises He has to help us enjoy a satisfying and abundant life. It's when we leave Him out of our plans--out of our lives--that things get all messed up. One of the amazing gifts God gives us is free will. We can do whatever we choose to do right or wrong; God will not stand in our way. But if we ignore His direction and plans for our lives, we cannot really expect our faith to grow. It is our hope and faith in Him that will make our paths straight. The Bible tells us that even if our faith is only as small as a mustard seed, it can move mountains! (Matthew 17:20). Nothing is impossible with God on our side!

"Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).

Tiny Ripples of Hope

Let's just face it, get it out, and get it over with right now. This is the season of hope and joy! And we feel like saying bah-humbug, right? Being single-again, especially if it's a new situation to us, brings on welcome activities like pulling the covers over our heads for the next two months!  

If we want to breathe, however, the covers must come off. Actually, we can be stronger than we look. Certainly after that morning cup of coffee, tea, or juice. Getting dressed in something cozy and colorful, doing our hair and makeup, and stepping outside for a walk will fill our lungs with hope. Now, we can think clearly.

We are here to stay
We can take this season and make all sorts of things into new habits and traditions. We can show the world we are here to stay on our terms! Remember, our lives don't have to be a picture of perfection. We can choose to simply live, breathe and survive by what we do and how we act. One definition of hope is "anticipating something good to come in the future." Ready to test that thought? 

Any or all of these fun pick-me-ups could fit right into our new wonderful lives (remember that's a choice we have too):

• Connect with a friend who really understands us. 
• Change our thinking and celebrate our own life. Try simple things we've never before done. A new restaurant. A new route to work. A new workout center. A new quilt for our bed.  
• Keep our sense of humor, even if we're not known as the funny-type. Watch a comedy. Tell jokes with your kids. Share a funny story with a family member.
• Keep an encouragement journal. As often as we can (morning or night) list a few things we are grateful for or that bring us happiness.  
• Volunteer to help someone who is in need. Work at a thrift store that benefits abused women. Read to children or the elderly. Teach someone to dance. 
• If we don't feel like being the cook this year for family dinners, it's o.k. to bring a store bought dish or flowers. Really. 

Every time you stand up for an ideal, you send forth a tiny ripple of hope. 
--Robert Kennedy

What will really help us is the truth. Aren't we tired of being jerked around? Tired of not hearing the truth? Of course we are. On the subject for today, then, we need to know where hope comes from, so we can understand it and, apply it to our lives. If not, our hearts will continue to feel "sick." Our stomachs will react negatively to our situations. 

The truth and nothing but the truth

How many ripples can we create this year?

First of all, the truth: God is the original source of all hope. He knew we would some day need all we could get. He offers it to us with hands outstretched! The Bible, in fact, tells us that hope creates patience, courage, and joy and, so, we can THEN understand why we have none at times. Without hope, we have nothing else. In fact, it is one of the three things which last: faith, hope, and [true] love. 

Hope is produced by endurance--when we "hang in there" and keep moving forward no matter what happens. No matter how much pain we might be feeling. When we do something really hard for a long time and still end up breathing. It is not a magical "wishful thinking" kind of thing. Hope is the confidence we have in things that are unclear or unseen. It's our inspiration! 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13