Waking up

 

How do you wake up each morning? Do you wake up to an alarm clock, cursing the day for dragging you out of bed? Do you postpone the inevitable by hitting the snooze countless times? Do you just generally hate mornings?

     Or, do you wake up praising God for giving you another day? Do you say a prayer of thanksgiving for the possibilities that lie ahead?

     I used to be the first set of examples above. I would wake up angry; sometimes even singing the old WWII song, "Oh how I hate to get up in the morning. Oh, how I'd love to remain in bed..." Then, I realized there are people who are bedridden who would love nothing more than to be able to get up in the morning. My problem wasn't the morning, it was that I needed more sleep, and a major tweak in my attitude.

     It makes me think of the movie "Groundhog Day." Bill Murray's character woke up angry every morning; he went through the day feeling defeated, bitter, and hopeless. He lived his life full of dread. After the turning point of the movie, his attitude changed; he found purpose and hope. He learned to make the most of his situation and woke up each day with anticipation. 

     Now I wake up saying, "Thank You, Lord!" I ask God to guide me as to His will for my day. It has helped tremendously. I no longer feel (as) overwhelmed (it's a work-in-progress), and therefore I don't have those feelings of being defeated.

     I don't want to come across like I have anything figured out, but I do want to share when I have that "aha" moment that not only makes my life a little easier but also draws me closer to God.

     My challenge for you is this, wake up every morning and say, "Hallelujah!" Say it like you mean it! Say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving and ask God for direction for your day. If you'd like to share what happens, let me know. I'm excited for you and for your week ahead.

     Our Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit deserve nothing short of our continual praise and love.

“For God so loved the world, 

that he gave his only Son, 

that whoever believes in him should not perish 

but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

You may also like: "Pray for a widow or widower" from January 14, 2019

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Please join me this week in praying for the Church. Pray that we focus our attention on our purpose and goal in this life. Pray that we keep our eye on the prize. Everyone, every single person will live forever, will have eternal life, but it's where they will spend eternity that needs to motivate our action each and every day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#ThisIsMyHallelujah #7thHourPrayerPower #mornings #attitude #wakeup #praise #challenge #hope

Disappointment

I seem to be experiencing a lot of it lately.  Mostly, I've become disappointed in several other people over the last couple of weeks, and it has been depressing me.  Therefore, I think (obsess) about it all the time.

The first person, I'll call "Pencil" (so I don't use real names or pronouns), has developed a double standard for the things that "it" can do as opposed to what the other "its" in its house can do.  And, Pencil is just acting really immature.  There's nothing I can do about it except accept this apparently new side of Pencil and get over it.  The people that Pencil is directly affecting need to do the discussing, but Pencil isn't listening, and definitely isn't seeing both sides of the issue.  I feel that Pencil is being very selfish.

The second person, Pillow, just doesn't "get" me, and it's frustrating when trying to communicate.

The third person, Parrot, seems so self-involved, that it's a little difficult to be around.  Parrot is extremely pompous and opinionated, but otherwise, very smart and friendly.

The fourth person is more like a group of people; they are closed-minded and won't even listen to other points of view.  They don't follow tried and true methods, don't speak up when they need help, and completely disregard me as a source of information and experience.

My first reaction (as a result of frustration) is to just ignore it; be numb to it.  If I expect nothing from these people, then I won't be disappointed.  This solution isn't really a solution.  It's just avoidance of a problem.  If I don't work through the problem, then it will always be there, at least in my mind.  Then again, there is no reason for any of these people to change.  They are just being themselves.  I wouldn't want someone to try to change me, and I certainly wouldn't want someone to approach me and tell me that they are disappointed in me.  My reaction to that would probably be one of anger, and in that state, I would have no desire to help repair the other person's opinion of me.

So, really, disappointment in other people is a conundrum.  At least, for me it is.  Maybe I'll come up with a solution some day.  Until then, I just need to not be so judgmental, and to just try to expect people to be themselves, instead of what I perceive themselves to be.

What Beagles Think

Velvet was barking out the window the other night, so I was telling her to get down from there.

This was her reaction.

Velvet: "You talkin' to me?" 

 {{{thinking}}} "I'll just hide here."

At this point, I'm just repeating "Get down.  Get down from there.  Velvet, get down."

Velvet: "What?!"

"Whatev's, mom."