How Can You Find Peace in Your Circumstances?

Ready for a garage sale

Someone once noted that during the first 50 years of our life we go about acquiring things and the last 50 years of our life we will go about getting rid of our things! Hence the importance of neighborhood garage sales. And who doesn’t like garage sales whether we are getting rid of our own “stuff” or they are someone else’s things? It’s kind of funny but probably has much truth in it too.

Many single-again women have already gone through (or will eventually go through) a type of “environmental cleansing” simply because of current circumstances. Maybe it was due to a move to a new house, renting out a room in the present house, or finally getting around to discarding all the hoarding trash that has collected over the years in every room of the house. It may not have been something we desired to do at the time, but still, we were compelled to face the idea of de-cluttering vs. getting buried in things and possessions that only reminded us of a life we were trying to let go of.       

Talk About Dizziness!

Depending on how long it has been since our marital status moved to a different column on our tax forms (divorced, widowed, or single mom), it has changed us both on the inside as well as the outside. We are not the same woman we once were whether we recognize it or not. And that may be the precise key to some strange feelings of woe—sadness, heartbreak, worry, and gloom--we get now and then. We just are not the same and we are having trouble admitting that fact. We have shifted 180 degrees, but our heads are lagging. Talk about dizziness!   

It’s possible we may be trying to fight what’s going on inside instead of “going with the flow” and finding peace. Our life has changed and wants to get on with the business of living while we are stuck in “quicksand.” Life itself is still moving faster than ever and, true, time is not going to wait for us. It’s a matter of trying to discover who we are and what we really want now.                    

If that familiar “Aha” moment is knocking at the door right now, that’s a great sign. Deep inside we all wish for the very best to happen now that we are on our own. Of course, it will be different for each one of us. For some, their top priority may be a much-needed vacation. New clothes for our kids going back to school. A new house in a new neighborhood, maybe even a new state. Education. A new business we've always wanted to open. These are all important for sure and we do need many of them. But we must understand most are not permanent. So enjoy anything good that comes along, but don't count them as a forever thing.        

Aaah! Peaceful

Finding the Recipe for Peace

Just like all that clutter we want to get rid of in our next garage sale, we will be more content and peaceful if we continue the process of cleaning out the junk both in our homes and in our minds. Figure out what is really important to keep and dump the rest. Hint: if we keep looking for empty boxes to store it all away, we don’t need it! [Okay, maybe the annual holiday decorations can stay]. We can only use so much “stuff” in our lives, so keep sorting and dumping until a new feeling of happiness invades our very existence! Strive for less chaos and disarray (some call this minimalism) to make room for peace, joy, and pure contentment. These are the things that will last forever and we can't have too much of them!        

In the Bible, Apostle Paul said, “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One [God] who makes me who I am” (Philippians 4:12-13 MSG).

When Is Your Right Place at the Right Time?

College book and glasses

“During a parent-teacher conference, a mother insisted I shouldn’t have taken points off her daughter’s English paper for calling her subject Henry 8 instead of Henry VIII. “We have only regular numbers on our keyboard,” she explained. “No Roman numerals.” [Lisa Rich, Milledgeville, Georgia, as reported in Readers’ Digest www.rd.com]

Precious, right? Hopefully, by college, it gets better! This time of year is exciting, and sometimes nerve-racking at the same time, for many people (regardless of age) starting college. Whether we are a first-year student, a soon-to-graduate student, or an older woman just beginning classes, it takes a certain amount of dedication to get to where we want to go.

By the time we start interviewing for a job in our field, life seems to “smack” us in our head with a wake-up call. Unfortunately, “More than 40 percent of college graduates take positions out of school that don't require a degree…and more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren't working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school.” [www.cnbc.com]

That may be discouraging, but a degree is still a good idea as it mainly shows we are women who can stick to a long-term project and that is attractive to an employer. So, let’s go ahead and finish that education, even if it requires taking night courses while working somewhere to pay the bills. As single-again women, we must do everything we know to change our lives for the better.

The Right Place at The Right Time

Eventually, we will see an opportunity or an “open door.” It could suddenly be a case of standing in the right place at the right time. Now that we are on our own, we can create our “perfect” life because no one is holding us back any longer! Mostly, we need to remember we are each unique, so one life will not look like the next woman’s life even though we use the same tools.

Basically, we need a plan to follow. A “key” that will open our own door. We can experiment with some of these suggestions to get us on the right track:

What is our field? What did we study in school? Whatever that might be, we can try our best to work (or intern) in that same type of business even if it means an entry-level position and entry-level pay to gain the experience we need for later. 

Networking puzzle

While in that job, don’t be a loner and just clock-in and clock-out and then home again. We will never get to know people that way. Participate in company activities, especially networking (sharing and getting to know others at events). Volunteer for a committee at work. Our face will get well-known and when the opportunity comes along, the boss will remember us for that promotion!

Keep our eyes open for posted promotions and apply for that position even if we have no exact experience for it. We can at least interview for it explaining to the boss we are fast learners and are determined to become an asset to the company.

We have many things we can do to change our lives. In addition to the above employment ideas, we can stay on top of the business (keep researching). Sooner than we expected our lives will change and we will go in the direction we always intended to anyway. Someday, someone will ask us for a job!

Who Are We Following?

In the Bible there is an amazing story of a young leader named Joshua who was promoted to take the place of Moses! His first assignment was to lead the people to the Promised Land (from Egypt to Israel). A big job he was not trained for yet. He did a fantastic job because of his strong belief in God. However, the people faltered, lost sight of their purpose, and basically gave up. Amazingly, out of two million people, only Joshua and his friend Caleb entered the Promised Land! Two people who stuck with it until they succeeded.     

We too have certain beliefs about where our lives are going and what we would like to do with them. As we go about attending our classes, following instructions, and completing assignments, we come to realize it takes much more effort than we thought it would. With a good attitude and a mindset of not giving up, we will reach our goal. Much like Joshua and Caleb. 

"Study this Book of Instruction [or the Book of the Law aka the Torah, the first five books of the Bible] continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do" (Joshua 1:8 NLT). 

What Are Your Choices, Challenges, and Changes?

Red rose of Love

Hate is never the answer to hate. History has proven this truth over and over. Yet there are those who still allow extreme, out-of-control emotions to fill themselves with hostility leading to violent attacks and aggression toward others. And, yes, sadly, loss of someone's life is almost always a part of it.     

“On a day like today, there are many directions we can go in our prayer...We can be in sorrow, in anger even...including anger at God for letting something like this happen." Instead, El Paso Rev Mike Lewis urged them [funeral attendees] to "have faith and to love one another, especially those who are hard to love.” (www.latimes.com)

The Gift of Free Will

Let's be clear, though, and not get the wrong idea. In no way does God ever cause the hatred that can destroy others. Only pure evil lashing out with arms of fire can cause such violence.

“Scripture shows that God did not create evil and does not promote it; rather, it describes God’s actions in combating it. God limits the impact of evil, warns us of the dangers of evil, acts to stop the spread of evil, gives us an escape from evil, and will eventually defeat evil forever." [gotquestions.org] 

Something many people do not understand is the free will God willingly gives each one of us. He gave us that gift of free will because he loves us and wants us to make good decisions that will benefit our lives and those we love and that he cares about (which is everyone he has created). Never would God want us to use free will as part of a plan to kill others! 

Choices, Challenges, and Changes

How about our own choices and decisions since we became single-again women? It's understandable our own emotions were running high while dealing with all the challenges required to get to a better place in our lives. The shift in marital status alone may have caused a change of living arrangements, school (for both us and/or our children), new friends or a new job, and certainly finances. All stress-caused emotions. It certainly wasn’t easy looking in the mirror each morning at someone we didn’t even recognize. We've all been there in one way or another. We changed. We are still changing. Hopefully for the better.

However, it’s possible we are still not in a good place. Our lives are crawling very slowly, and they are not quite where we want them to be. We haven’t moved out of the anxiety phase and may even be heading towards depression. How many times have we pulled the covers over our head in the morning? Pretended to exist solely on potato chips, cookies, and ice cream just because we couldn’t find the energy to cook a decent meal? It happens and is quite common but tolerated only to a certain degree. Eventually either we move or some outside force will move us. What we don’t want is watching our lives get buried in the mundane.  

Love puzzle: we all have choices

Rather than ignoring all these unhealthy symptoms, it’s time to gain some momentum. We know we cannot change others around us (we’ve tried!), nor can they change us. We are the only ones who can do the changing and isn’t that a good thought? We finally get to create our lives exactly the way we want them. Something that may have held us back so far is thinking we need to re-create our old lives and we just don’t know where to begin. Frankly, that is the number one major stumbling block because our old life is gone. It's like trying to fix something without any workable parts. Our new life is here right now! And that is exciting because we are not going to re-create anything—we are going to start fresh.    

Get ready to have some fun! Here are nine ideas or suggestions that will set our feet in motion. Try one or all of them or at least jot down some of your own ideas:

Choices – 

Adopt that new pet you’ve always wanted

Join a club (i.e., health, art, book) and make new friends

Pick a non-profit organization and volunteer

Challenges – 

Turn a hobby into a new business

Take a class in computer graphics, French, or cooking

Write a book (memoir, children’s)

Changes – 

Move to a new neighborhood

Get a new hairdo, including color

Adopt a new nutrition plan and get healthy

Final Word

Are we the one who can help lessen the impact of evil? Sounds difficult, but God obviously gave us the freedom of choice and gifts/talents to use. If we can find just one little way to show love to a neighbor or a stranger in need, it’s a start. We can decide to do our part. Will we?

“God has provided the one and only means to make all wrongs right.” Part of that plan is to accept him as Lord and Savior and then help another to do the same before it's too late. “One day, God’s plan to defeat and destroy evil [sin] will be fully complete.” [gotquestions.org]

"The world's sin is unbelief in me" (John 16:9 NLT).

That's Not Who You Are Anymore

Lost bottle in the ocean

It's hard to say what we were thinking about in second grade. Our memory may not be that sharp any longer. But Laura Terry may not soon forget her second-grade science experiment.  

In 2017, Terry and her classmates were studying ocean currents and thought they could test it out by placing messages in bottles, sealing them, and sending them out to sea from their town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Terry never expected anything to happen to her bottle except that it would sink. Nearly two years later, her bottle was found on Doohoma Beach in western Ireland! [Ann Smajstria, Cox Media Group]. 

A grandmother in Ireland walking on the beach found Terry's bottle with a note inside and subsequently wrote to the girl at her school. Out of 70 bottles sent out, five have been found including one in Portugal and three in France. Wow! What an amazing science lesson.

That’s Not Who You Are

In today's culture though, we are nearly buried in electronic message sites like the top five Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and SnapChat to name but a few! Of course, good ole email and texts are still available. A message in a bottle, though, is so much more romantic, wouldn't you say? (Who can forget Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, and Paul Newman in the Message in a Bottle movie?). 

But today's blog is not about the internet. Whew! We are sliding back down out of the clouds and trying to figure out our role as a single-again woman and how we can go about changing our communication methods. Because what worked in our past may not work in our new world anymore.

We've come through one of the worst experiences of our lives. The good news is we've made it to the other side and are still intact. Congratulations! So now what do we do? In some cases, especially if we have young children, we may unavoidably have to face our former spouse and possibly former in-laws every now and then. 

Of course, when that happens, we can rage, scream, and freak out but hopefully, that's not who we are now. Yes, it's been a whirlwind of decisions, decisions, and more decisions heaped on our shoulders. It could make anyone feel like a witch from the movies. So, one more time, let's say it out loud, that's not who we are anymore.

Five Messages to Start Your Plan

Did someone say Relax?

If you are serious about becoming a better communicator, then grab a notebook and take down some ideas (no, you are not going to send it out to sea):

--Breathe. Make it a goal several times each day to deeply inhale/exhale. Amazing how good this feels.

--Relax. Of course, this goes along with breathing. Shoulders down!

--Plan. If you know the upcoming situation, practice what you will say.

--Listen. Ask questions and find out what the other person really wants (hint: address only one subject at a time, not your entire past).

--Speak with confidence. If you have never tried it, think of joining the Toastmasters organization. Nearly every city in the country has a club. 

These are only but a few, so go ahead and research it and then keep adding to your list above. You've got this! 

Never Stop Learning

Have you ever said Someone needs to write a book about this? Well, Someone did. He is God Himself and He knows exactly how you feel past, present, and even your future. Really. The Bible is His book written just for you. Most Bibles today have a section in the back called Index or Concordance. You can look up any number of topics such as “Speech,” “Confidence,” “Change,” and “Listening.” Careful though, you may not be able to put it down!           

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).

Five Tools to Put Out the Fire

Small sparks lead to big fires

No one would ever want their world to go up in dense, choking smoke with flames out of control. Yet, it happens to homeowners more often than we can imagine. Currently, in the drought-stricken Southwest, there are massive and multiple fires in California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Fires do leave devastation in their paths with thousands and thousands of acreage damaged.  

It only takes one small spark to set off a fire that can destroy lives. Tragically, fires may start accidentally or on purpose through man-made carelessness. Other times it is the result of a lightning storm that spreads destruction for miles and miles all the while rain is badly needed.

Ironically, there are occasions when the fire begins inside us through the use of our tongues. It's true. With all we have experienced as single-again women struggling to get to this particular point in our lives, we may often lose control of the hurtful words that come out of our mouths before we can stop them.

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."
(Charles R. Swindoll)

Many women harbor anger inside especially now. It’s quite normal and part of the several stages of getting over a divorce including denial, depression, repairing the damage, and acceptance. Anger does not feel okay, but it is okay. Yes, we said it is okay. Remember, highly charged emotions like anger are part of us, however, that doesn't mean we should allow our highly charged days to destroy everything we have worked for nor to destroy others in our path. Who would that serve? Anger gets us nowhere fast. Of course, ignoring the anger and trying to "push" it down inside of us also doesn't work as it leads to more anger followed swiftly by depression. 

The key to moving past a firestorm is changing our "firefighting” response. Not all "fires" are the same. First responders will tell us when one method isn't working, then we try something better. 
   
5 Basic Tools to Put Out the Fire
We can’t expect every single day will be perfect just because we are on our own. We may have thought about, planned, and yearned for a new life like that when we were still married not knowing what to do about all the physical or psychological abuse displayed towards us or our children. Yes, we wanted a perfect life, but unfortunately, there is no such thing.

Healthy You

We need to find that “better method.” The one that will work for each one of us because we are all different and unique. No one method will bring every woman happiness. This we know: What works for one woman, won’t work for another. Therefore, we can suggest some starting points, but it will be up to you personally to put your own “spin” on things. Have fun with it! Be grateful that you are strong and courageous like never before!         

Try these “basic firefighting tools” and then add your own:

Community. Stay in touch with others. Isolation multiplies problems.
Goals. Concentrate on what you want to see happening in your life.
Change. Embrace something new: home, job, holidays, or hair-do.
Health. Now is the time to take control and beat that ____ (fill in).
Connection. Find a church home and discover who you are.

Love Like No Other

Never believe you are not valuable to God! He cares deeply for you as a woman. And He cares what happens to you, even now. Nothing can divert His attention from you. In fact, the Bible says that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate His love from you. Ever!     

God truly understands what we have gone through. Whether it was ten days ago, or ten years ago, He is right beside us holding our right hand in His! It's simply amazing how much He loves each one of us. Has anyone else ever literally died on a cross to save you from yourself? Jesus stretched out His arms and did just that!

"It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell" (James 3:5-6 The Message).

What Is Holding You Back Right Now?

Happy Colorful Balloons

When we were kids, many of us loved big colorful balloons, especially for our birthdays or other occasions. Some of us adults, still do because they simply make us happy just to look at them and their big bright colors. 

Of course, there are people that really dislike balloons of any kind. Maybe because balloons can be noisy if they POP! and surprise us. Or perhaps they have had a bad episode involving a balloon that reminds them of a scary or dangerous time in their past. Just the loud sound when they burst can trigger nervousness in us and make us jump. That's understandable.

There is a story of a little boy, named Karan, and his friends playing with their balloons each of a different color. They wanted to see whose balloon would fly the highest. Karan believed it had to do with the color of the balloon but his balloon never traveled the highest no matter what color he picked. 

"Karan asked the balloon seller, 'Tell me please, which balloon will go the highest in the sky? Is it the red, the yellow, the green or the blue one?'” The merchant explained it had nothing to do with the color but what it contained. To read the entire short story, click on the following link: Highest Balloon

How High?
What does that story have to do with us and our situation today? The author of the above story explains: "How high a person will rise in life depends not on his caste, colour or creed, but on his thoughts, confidence, values, and character."    

That is a great life lesson for us to remember. After all, we have been given another chance at life. It may not feel that way at this moment, but if we work at it, and don't give up, we will eventually see what lies ahead can be very good, indeed. We have an opportunity now to create momentum in our lives and change whatever we don't like.

Business Start-Up

There really is nothing we can't accomplish. But it takes determination and a clear head. How many times have you said, "I wish I could. . ." So, what is holding you back right now? 

Do you hate not having a college degree? There is no age limit on a college application. If that is too scary, start small at a community college. If that isn't what you want or it isn't important right now for you, that's okay. 

Do you want to start your own business? Look into how to do that the right way. Click on this link to learn more: Small Business  

Do you simply want to stay home with your kids? That's great, but don't hibernate; join a mom's group in your neighborhood or even online. Click on this link and be the best mom possible: Moms Are the Best

You Get the Idea! 
Once you start on this exciting track, you'll be amazed at what can happen. But don't forget to check in with your Teacher. He has the perfect plan for you. Find out what God wants you to do and ask for his guidance. He will never let you down, not ever. Just talk to him like a friend. You'll see!

"So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants" (Ephesians 5:15-17 MSG).

Can You See Your Own Footprints?

Writing it all down

Have you ever written an original article, essay, book, or poem you wanted to share with others? Then you likely researched how to copyright it and make it your own (or a publisher provided that service for you). That protection forever gave you solid proof and the rights to the written material. Not seeking copyright would put you at risk if anyone else claimed it as their own and not yours. It would become a lengthy court battle.

In 2008, John Marzulli of the New York Daily News reported a fascinating "3-Way Battle" over the rights to the famous poem, Footprints in the Sand. Eventually, it was established that the late Mary Stevenson of Long Island, New York, was the 1939 author although she never knew about needing to copyright anything (she was 14 years old at the time). 

"Stevenson's main proof of authorship is an early copy of the poem, penned on yellow notepaper that has allegedly passed a forensic examination," says Marzulli. The glitch here is that the other two women who claim ownership of the poem have each "copyrighted" their verses with slightly different versions. 

Hitting Rock Bottom

Like Stevenson's poem mentions, you also may feel as if God has left you on your own to figure things out and that can be a lonely place. Your previous marriage or relationship hit rock bottom way too soon. Now you are walking on a sandy white beach with no one to help guide and direct you. One set of footprints. 

How many footprints?

But wait! If you read the last line of the poem (click on the link in the above paragraph), you see the Lord has always been there with you throughout the entire relationship and even now that you are a single-again woman. He has promised you this and He will never ever go back on His Word! 

Maybe it never occurred to you, or it was just too difficult amidst all the chaos in your life at the time, to reach out and ask for the Lord's presence, protection, and provision. If you have never done that, it can literally be a life-changing decision and one you will never regret. 

Don't wait to experience the best of the best life you could ever imagine. Many people hesitate not believing it's possible to have something so much better than they have ever had in the past. Or they try something else in its place--sometimes for years and years--but the empty hole inside of your heart will not disappear like magic. God wants to completely fill it with His L-O-V-E!! 

The Simple Truth

This isn't a bunch of whoo-ha! It's the simplest truth in the world. And that is the problem. Too many people think that accepting the Lord Jesus into their lives is just way too simple. Why? Because all it takes is you asking Him directly in your own words. 

Right where you are, right now, you can start by telling Him about how your life has become a mess and that you want to change it all with His help. You want to fill that God-hole with His love. Isn't that true? Just let Him know you believe anything is possible with Him writing the poem. He knows. He gets you! 

It's as simple as that, dear friend. 

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love" 2 Peter 1:5-7 (MSG).