Just Share It: Glynnis Whitner

                                                     Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.
                              



Quiet, Lord, my froward heart,
  Make me teachable and mild,
  Upright, simple, free from art,
  Make me as a weaned child;
  From distrust and envy free,
  Pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.
J. NEWTON

I think I am the queen of procrastination, especially when it comes to doing things I don't like to do. I can keep sweeping the unpleasant under that rug until it becomes Mount Everest. This past year, I've been climbing all my Mount Everest's from years ago hoping to finally overcome that horrible habit. Yet, I don't believe I am the only one. I think we all have a bit of the procrastinator living inside of us. Enjoy the following post  from yet another of our kind. 


When Life Is Too Busy
By:Glynnis Whitner

My husband and I used to laugh and say if it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done. Then we’d stay up all night to finish a project due the next day or make the whole family stressed because of our stress.

I laughed it off at the time because I didn’t really think it was a problem. Everyone procrastinates on something, I reasoned. Plus, what more could I do? The problem certainly wasn’t with me.

On the surface, there were always reasons why I couldn’t get everything done. Good, solid reasons, like I’d taken on too much work or my family needs were too demanding. And the technology which should have made my life easier, actually made it harder sometimes. Who couldn’t understand that? I reassured myself.

Faced with a deadline, I snapped at everyone, stayed up late, and rushed to finish what needed to be done. Consequently, everything suffered. My family was shortchanged, my work was subpar, and I became a person I didn’t like very much.

Those issues affecting me were all legitimate. But there was still another issue afoot. One that took some soul searching to identify. And that was an internal desire for ease rather than a challenge.

This truth about myself hit hard when I read Proverbs 13:4, today’s key verse: “The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.”

At first, I didn’t think this verse applied to me. How could I be lazy when I’m always busy? When my whole life is too busy?

In fact, I didn’t know any woman around me who was actually lazy. So why did we all tend to complain about not being able to get things done?

But then it hit me: Faced with a choice between two tasks, my tendency is to choose whichever seems easier. I tend to put off what’s difficult until I “feel like it.” But that day never comes — because I never feel like organizing my tax information or tackling projects that highlight my weak areas.

So my days were filled, but filled with less challenging work. And my to-do list got longer, overflowing with tasks and projects I’d much rather avoid. The crazy thing is I will even avoid good things if I think it will make me address an issue I’d rather not face — like choosing not to clothes shop to avoid admitting my size isn’t what it once was.

At some point, I got around to doing my work, but usually with a wrong heart and only a shadow of the quality I could produce. Or, it was filled with so much frustration that it affected everything else. I even abandoned some fabulous opportunities. How can I follow a dream if I can’t even keep my kitchen counters clear?

Eventually, I realized I was disobedient to God in some areas. Of course, they were the hard things God asked me to do. I’d much rather obey God in the easy areas — but step out and take a risk? I’ll do that another day, thank you very much.

However, realizing my tendency to avoid discomfort, to choose ease over challenge, helped me finally address my busyness.

Each time I caught myself thinking I’ll do that later, I tried to identify my resistance for each task and face it. It’s not always easy, because my reasons for procrastinating are often complicated and overlapping.

But when I address my resistance and don't give in to it, I get stronger. It’s just like going to the gym and lifting weights. It might hurt, but the only way to strengthen anything is to face resistance.

God’s Word did reveal a lazy tendency in me. And honestly, it’s still there. But with His help, I’m not avoiding it anymore. And with His strength in me, I can face it and get more of the right things done.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Another Day

                                                 Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                  everyday is a journey.


The Holy Supper is kept, indeed,
In whatso we share with another's need;
Not what we give, but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare;
Who gives himself with his alms feeds three,
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.

—James Russell Lowell

I don't think I will ever choose to participate in a "word for the year" or "goal for the year" again. Or at least, not for a long while. In my quest to always be on the look out for ways to grow my soul, I tend to feel I need to be constantly working on something. Sometimes, we just need to sit still. Not for long, but enough to bask in the current knowledge we have acquired.

It's only February and already I regret choosing the word I have chosen. Relaxing is a lot harder than one thinks. This morning, I awakened to the toilet leaking after each flush. It was bad enough for the floor to be wet so I knew it could not wait. I headed out to the association office to make a request order for maintenance, paid the rent and went to pick up Emily. By the time we arrived back home, the maintenance guy was already there and for the rest of the morning nothing else could get accomplished. Just the toilet.

Another day I didn't post a blog even though one is written. Another day a video sat waiting to be uploaded. Another day no appointment has been set with the dentist or the oncologist. Another day of no Ministry work being done. Another day of just plain nothing.

It seems that all we do is sleep, eat and work. Then the cycle begins again and again. It is no wonder that we had a successful no buy January, we had no time to go spending any money. It seems that one has to make an appointment to relax.

It isn't even that important that time gets away from me, it has always been this way. It's the fact that all these small, but irritating things keep happening like someone constantly parking in my spot. Or a paycheck that isn't right. Or the toilet leaking. Or the computer keeps buffering. All these mild irritation just won't quit.

My girlfriend said the same thing the other day. She chose clarity as her word, because indecision has plagued her for years. What do you think is happening? All these decisions are thrown her way. She can't make up her mind about anything and its upsetting her beyond normal.

All these goals we make are fine and dandy, but they can add stress to our life. We keep going on about them all our waking moments. We have to meet our goal, we just have to. I mean, we made a declaration all over social media last January 1, didn't we? What will everyone think? Well, perhaps that we failed?

It's crazy what we do to ourselves in our desire for betterment of the soul. I think we just need to relax.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Just Share It: Spirit Lifters

                                                                Everyday is a brand new day, 
                                                                everyday is a journey.
 

My Father! what am I, that all
Thy mercies sweet like sunlight fall
So constant o'er my way?
That Thy great love should shelter me,
And guide my steps so tenderly
Through every changing day?
ANON


Over my Christmas vacation, I went through a lot of my files that I have been accumulating over the last couple of years. The following has been there for who knows how long, but people do say that when we are in need, the appropriate things just pop up. In my quest for finding relaxation this year, I think it is extremely appropriate. It wouldn't be a bad idea to write these out and place them in a small box to pull out when doubt finds us. I hope these really do lift your spirit and remind you who you are to the Almighty Father above. Enjoy.

Spirit Lifters

by: Norman Vincent Peale

1. What Christ can do for you.
2.  Develop a right thought pattern, along with intelligence is positive not negative.
3.  You are never alone. God will always see us through.
4. Joy has healing value but gloom is sickening
5. Be optimistic and hopeful in attitude.
6. Clean mind and high spirits.
7. You are stronger than you think.
8. You have in you to meet all your responsibilities.
9. No matter how overwhelming your problems you need have no fear.
10. God will strengthen and help you.
11. He will hold you up and make you adequate for any situation.
12. Every longing of the human spirit finds enduring satisfaction in the life giving message of jesus.
13. Depression is sometimes due to evil in thoughts and actions.
14. From the water of life, our spirit is endowed with continuous refreshment. We never thirst again.
15. Love given returns to you.
16. Practice kindly affection, always take a generous  and patient attitude.
17. Practice consideration by placing others ahead of yourself.
18. Courtesy has amazing power to dissipate ill will.
19. Free your heart of jealousy and resentment.
20. The love you give will be returned to you and your spirit will be lifted to new levels.
21. Tension is one of the worst of all depressants of the spirit.
22. Receive God's blessings.
23. Be rested and be happy.
24. To keep spirits high one must find renewal and refreshment of body mind and soul.
25. Learn to sleep fore sleep is the greatest restorer.
26. Remove anger and lift your spirits.
27. So much energy is expended in anger that you are literally exhausted.
28. Anger that simmers and seethes is even more depressing because it permits a constant leakage of energy.
29. Negative thoughts can lead to restlessness and weariness.
30. No one can experience inner peace until they experience inner cleansing.
31. Our souls are restless until they find peace in God, then we know pure joy.
32. We become low spirited when we weakly give into temptation.
33. God has his eye on you.
34. Depression of spirit is often caused by a haunting sense of incompleteness and by unresolved conflicts.
35. You can overcome rather than be overcome.
36. Faith, hope, love.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Simply Wellness

                                Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 

Although a friend may remain
 faithful in misfortune, 
yet none but the very best 
and loftiest will remain faithful 
to us after our errors and our sins.
—Dean Farrar.

It's always good to find a partner in crime when pursuing extracurricular activities. I have a good friend with whom I like to share self improvement articles, retreats or any other information that can helps us. We both love to better ourselves through self examination where we can grow as individuals. It was during our usual lunch that she dropped a bombshell statement.

She said I can't tackle other issues like grief If I don't get healthy.

Wow, that makes so much sense when you think about it. The whole body, mind and spirit immediately comes to mind. Our growth depends on so many things, doesn't it? Whatever we are going through health-wise with our bodies affects our way of thinking and how we see our spirituality. Trying to find that balance can be both difficult and time consuming.

As Christians we are encouraged to grow, grow, grow as much as possible. We want to expand our knowledge of the scripture, past events and even Bible verses as a way to prepare our hearts to be the best we can be. We seek to be more loving, more understanding, more Christ-like in all our actions as we go about our daily life.

 I have come across many fellow cancer survivors and patients who have professed to spend many moments having crying spells and emotional outbursts in the middle of their treatments. They cannot make sense of their emotions since they feel they should be grateful and happy for coming this far when others haven't. It is so understandable since we can only focus our minds on one traumatic experience at a time. At that moment, we are dealing with surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Way too much to process all at once. Our brain feels so jam packed with feelings and information where decision making is almost impossible.

So we understand the body and the mind, but why spirituality? Well, what keeps you going every single day? What gives you that sense of purpose? That meaning? We need hope. We need faith. We need prayer. We need God. We cannot face the difficulties of life and persevere without these four.

Have a blessed day everyone.

No Buy January

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Not man's manifold labors,
 but his manifold cares, 
hinder the presence of God.
 Whatsoever thou doest,
 hush thyself to thine own feverish vanities,
 and busy thoughts, 
and cares; in silence seek thy Father's face, 
and the light of His countenance
 will stream down upon thee.
 He will make a secret cell in thine heart, 
and when thou enterest there,
 there shalt thou find Him. 
And if thou hast found Him there, 
all around shall reflect Him, 
all shall speak to Him, 
and He will speak through all. 
Outwardly thou mayest be doing the work of thy calling; 
inwardly if thou commend thy work to God, 
thou mayest be with Him in the third Heaven.
E. B. PUSEY.

I have been wanting to do a no spend month for a long time now. There are so many people out there who have tried this, especially right after Christmas. It's also a good thing to do as a new start to the year. It's always good to curtail a lot of our unnecessary spending as a way to save money. 


If we sat down and made a list of what is considered necessary within our four walls, you would be surprised to find how much we actually spend on things that are considered frivolous such as getting coffee every morning instead of making your own. Or going out to lunch everyday instead of bringing a meal from home. There are many ways we can cut back if we truly wanted to do so. 

So what are my reasons? Well, since I began my pantry and did some dehydrating of vegetables over the Summer, I haven't been spending a lot on food. In fact, I have noticed I am only picking up milk, eggs, salad or small items. Just those two things changed the amount of money I am spending. Imagine the possibilities and the freedom of no debt hanging over you. That is an awesome feeling. 

Let me list my rules for this month. The "no buy" goes into effect towards anything that isn't a necessity. If my shoes get worn out, I will need to buy a pair of shoes. If I see something I like or want, it doesn't mean I can buy it. It's pretty simple. 

This will be particularly hard when it comes to purchasing yarn, especially since I am always on the lookout for clearance or special sales. This, of course, I cannot do this month. Who knows? I may not be able to succeed. It might just sound like a good idea, but trying to enact it might be entirely something else. I will let you know at the end of the month how it went.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Staying Focused

                                                   Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Yet I believe that somewhere, soon or late,

A peace will fallUpon the angry reaches of my mind;

A peace initiateIn some heroic hour when I behold

A friend's long-quested triumph, or unbind

The tressed goldFrom a child's laughing face.

Whenever we choose a goal to work on, there will be obstacles following not soon after the declaration. The first week or so, things always go great. We are focused, we are strong and we are invincible in our quest to reach that goal.

The real struggle begins in the next couple of weeks. We have to resist negative thinking, feeling lethargic and a sense that we could never achieve a goal such like ours. We are attacked from every direction and once down, it can be difficult to get back up again.

There is another side. What if our goal is not the goal intended for us? That has always been the hard part for me determining if I should continue on or jump ship. If only life were a bit simpler and there was a road map with a GPS that I could follow. When a wrong turn would be made, we would be redirected promptly without any unpleasantness. Why can't life be like that?

Be still and know I am God.

I keep saying that to myself over and over again. I could hear the soft whisper inside my head: keep doing what you're doing. Be still and trust. For someone who has declared to avoid all stress, I sure love to dwell on things I cannot control. If anything, I feel bombarded with worry even more now than before.  It has become a daily battle to stay focused on what I need to do right now at this moment. Whoever said that tomorrow will take care of itself, sure knew what they were saying. I've seen this on someone's Facebook: Keep calm and crochet on. Now that's great advice, lol.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Do You Want To Get Well?

                                                    Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Whatever troubles come on you,
 of mind, body, or estate,
 from within or from without,
 from chance or from intent,
 from friends or foes -- 
whatever your trouble be, 
though you be lonely,
 O children of a heavenly Father, 
be not afraid! 
J. H. NEWMAN.


I've been thinking just the other day, how in the world did I become so stressed this year? I think back to my goals that I set way back in January of last year  and don't remember adding anxiety, stress or frustrations to the list. Yet, here we are in a brand new year so stressed out that I have had a headache and a permanent scowl on my face all day. 

I began a new Bible study via an online free course. It comes with a daily e-mail and video of about 10-15 minutes long. I love these, because I can do them at my leisure and even all at once if I have the time. This one is actually a 15 day study and so far, it has been really good.

In one of the entries, we dealt with being a victim. In fact, we are asked that very question and right away I answered forcibly never! That question has stayed with me the entire day. Whenever that happens, I know that deep down inside the Holy Spirit wants me to re-examine that question once again. Do you like being a victim?

I have been extremely disappointed in my current cancer team. They are almost entirely made up of new individuals right down to the oncologist. Many people have pointed out to me that I have been very spoiled by my last set of doctors due to the length of time we were together. All true, I will not deny that fact. There is also the fact that my new insurance has not approved any of my usual tests like the Ct. scan or Petscan. All deemed unnecessary in their eyes.

So I have been very disappointed in the care I have been receiving, even though I am still in remission and that doesn't involve much care. Many people would say you should be jumping up for joy that you are seeing them every 6 months. The longer the better, right?

No. I have been in this "patient' mode for twelve years. I have gone in and out with regular screening like clockwork. My days off were spent getting lab work done and oncologist visits. Suddenly, it is not needed any more. I want to yell out, But what about my recurrent cancer? What about my thyroid? What about my petscan? How am I going to know if my cancer is back?

I guess, there is a bit of the victim mentality here. I can't seem to let go of the fact that I should be monitored regularly by a team of doctors just in case the cancer is back.

To make matters worse, the Bible study asked yet another question. Do you want to get well?

There it is, in a nutshell. I think we all have that victim mentality. Some may have it a lot stronger than others, but we all experience it. There is that sense of security surrounding the victim mentality. Is it any wonder that we don't want to let go of it? It is amazing what we can discover about ourselves if we just open our hearts to it.

Have a blessed day everyone.