A Rule: Life Will Keep Changing

Sometimes, you go through periods of seemingly regular, even hum-drum activity.  You know the routine:  get up; go to work; clean the house; fix the meals; get the kids off to school, unless you home-school and that involves other have to's like planning lessons.  There are the scheduled things you do that are fulfilling and the things you consider chores, which you may or may not see as fulfilling.  I think that depends on the person and in some cases, a certain maturity level.

The point is life often seems to have a certain rhythm, until something comes along and disrupts that rhythm.  It can be unsettling, especially if it is something difficult;  however, there are challenges when the change is caused by something good too.  For me, the whole year of 2018 has been a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  We have had serious issues to deal with that involved a job; moving a sickly family member, which involved frequent travel; preparing ourselves for a move;  going through interviews; and lots of praying and waiting to see what direction we were going.

After we moved, which we considered a wonderful thing ordained by God, we encountered other circumstances that were fresh, new, and exciting, as well as some that were difficult.  Both my husband and I had new ministries, we were becoming active in our community, and we were (actually we still are) making wonderful friends.  We were living in a lovely house, which I am still putting together after two and half months.  Then there is the difficult I mentioned:  family members that passed away, and we could only  go to one funeral, which was upsetting;  ongoing elder care;  our car had a collision with a feral dog, which literally walked into our moving car  (weirdest thing I ever saw);  and serious illness in our immediate family, with ongoing treatments.

It's almost like someone took a bucket of mixed things that can happen to you, and threw it at us;  then, that person said, "Okay.  let's see how you are going to handle that."  This has been a different kind of year, and there has only been one way to get through it.  Do you think it was by sheer willpower?  No!  Well, maybe it  was by having a positive mindset.  Some say that can help, but no, positive thinking alone is not the answer, even if it is better to focus on the pure, the lovely, and the good, which is biblical.  Well, maybe you think if you had a ton of money, that would make everything better.   However, even while it's nice to have enough money for your needs; historically, you should know that wealth can be lost in a moment.  By the way, just so ya'll know -- this gal has never been wealthy by the world's standards.

However, my Father does own the cattle on a thousand hills.  And, I can go to Him whenever I have a need.  I can rely on Him to help me with all kinds of things:  forgiving people that are not apologetic, comforting me when I feel sad or fearful;  trusting Him to guide me along my path of life; and helping me to adjust to all circumstances -- the bad, the good, the in between, the seemingly chaotic;  the unexpected;  the sad;  the sacred;  the mundane;  and the wonderful.  There is no circumstance in my life that God cannot help me with.  I have a Savior, Jesus Christ.  I can take all my concerns to my Father God through Jesus Christ.  Even though worried thoughts may try to assault my mind, I can take all this to Him in prayer and leave it at the throne of grace, knowing that God hears me.  Philippians 4:6-7  tells us do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (ESV).

This brings me back to the hum-drum and the regularity of my life, which has not totally returned.  In some ways, that feels unsettling, but it also keeps me on my toes.  It reminds me not to get caught up in routines, leaving God out of the mix.  When I sometimes wake up in the morning with a feeling of impending doom, I pray.  I do not stay in the feeling.  I go on with what I have to do next during that day.  I know that is often difficult for some of you, because your body's chemistry is all messed up.  Chronic illness is a bummer, no fun at all.  *However, I know from my own experience, taking baby steps to discipline and control your thoughts can actually be beneficial.  I am sharing a page with you, which I googled.  It is Bible Verses About Our Thoughts.  I hope you find these helpful as you travel your path, even through the Changes in your life, both large and small.

I also find reading my Bible on a regular basis, as well as attending Worship at a Bible believing local church, and having fellowship with other Christians is very helpful.  If you are at a point in your life where you can serve in some capacity, whether singing in the choir, helping with the kid's or youth ministry, visiting shut-ins,  or a variety of other volunteer positions, your service would bless others.  Maybe, you could volunteer somewhere else, or perhaps you have all you can handle right now.  Ask God to show you what you should be doing.  I had several years that my service was to my family and encouraging people through  this blog.  That was all I could do.  

Most of all, it is important to be a follower of Jesus.  Read the Bible.  Spend time there.  You might think of starting with the book of John.  And, do not go it alone, even if you have ever had issues with someone at a church or you are avoiding going to church for some other reason.  I pray you find a good fellowship of believers;  then, spend time in God's word and worshiping Him.  Also, remember that those folks are human just like you;  and, none of us are perfect.  If we were, we wouldn't need a Savior.  Bitterness and unforgiveness are poison to our souls; and, I think it is poison to our bodies as well.  So, take what you are dealing with to God.  Let Him help you forgive and let Him direct your thoughts.  

*I cannot guarantee that anyone will have the same physical results I did.  I found wonderful supplements through a friend, which along with the baby steps I was already taking in my life to heal, have changed my life.  I have added Intermittent Fasting, which has been very good for me.  My life is an ongoing process, a unique quilting project that continues to evolve.  I have faith that God knows exactly where I am, and He is my guide.  What a beautiful life, even those threads that get knots in them!  I am still using the Baby Step process.  It is amazing what small steps add up too when you look back over a series of years.  What if I had never done that?  What if I had given up, and I had decided that baby steps and supplements could not work for me?  Then, I might never have felt healthier and have had improved habits. I would most likely be chronically depressed on top of being sick.  I am so thankful that God showed me a better way.  I pray He does the same for you.

Fly-baby Deborah's Journey Out of CHAOS

Hello again!  If you read my last post and clicked on the word, CHAOS, you should have discovered FlyLady, Marla Cilley's website.  I discovered FlyLady.net about 6 years ago, and I thought I would be a genuine reformed fly-baby long before now, but I am not.

I suppose the general consensus is that a person was a slob before having found FlyLady, but that is not necessarily true.  Most of us manage to have a reasonably clean house, until something happens that turns things upside down.  For me, it was chronic illness, which gradually grew worse.  The depression that came with the illness did not help.  I had no motivation, and I had no energy.  That was not a good equation for keeping one’s house clean and uncluttered. 

First of all, for the uninitiated, CHAOS is an acronym for can’t have anyone over syndrome.   That absolutely says it all.  I would have felt like I was going to die a thousand deaths over the embarrassment of having someone walk in my house after I got sick.  And on my good days, I managed to make myself feel more ill by doing a marathon cleaning job.  At the time, I didn’t think Depression or Fibromyalgia should keep me from getting my housework done.   I couldn’t figure out why I had long periods afterwards, that I couldn’t do anything.  I also found out I have a liver disease called NASH.   Furthermore, I found out I have Hypothyroidism and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome;  so, I got in this cycle of letting the clutter pile and waiting to feel good enough to do something about it.  Obviously, I needed to find a better way.  My self-esteem was going down the drain quickly!

So what happened after I found FlyLady?  Did I go through her thirty-one day plan and become renewed and revamped?  I wish I could say I did, but it wasn't quite that easy for me.  It was kind of like yo-yo dieting.  I didn't have the energy to stick to the plan every day.  Some days I didn't feel like taking a shower, much less getting out of my pajamas.  I had to find a way I could do this at my own speed.  That is what I am going to share with you.  You are going to read how I adapted FlyLady’s excellent plan to my own life.  Moreover, I am still working on it.  Let’s see if we can share the things that are helping us manage our lives better – our lives as they are now.