Quote: “Worry is just a dark room in which negatives develop.” ~Tauren Wells Scripture: Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not fear, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10 Perspective: Isaiah 41:10 is a very special scripture to my family.  About six years ago, when my 13-year-old son was seven, my family was on vacation and at a water park waiting in a very long line.  My husband and I were quietly talking about challenges he was having at his then company, which were…

 “Pain will teach you a lesson, pride won’t let you learn.” ~Author Unknown Scripture: When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. ~Proverbs 11:2 Perspective: When most of us think of pride, a few different things come to mind.  In the dictionary, pride is defined as a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction with one’s own achievements, which can and often does extend to our children and their accomplishments.  It can also be arrogance, or hubris, an exaggerated sense of one’s importance or abilities.  In the Bible, it is referred to as it is a reliance on and trust in oneself rather than in God, the inability to…

Quote: “Our habits will make us or break us.  We become what we repeatedly do.” ~Sean Covey Scripture: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the harvest if we do not give up. ~Galatians 6:9 Perspective: Happy New Year!  It’s that time of year when we have hope for a better year ahead, better than the one that just ended; no matter how good it was, people tend to always strive for more and better than whatever they had.  This New Year there was even more excitement and hope than usual because it is also a new decade, giving a greater…

Quote: “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge.  It requires no accountability, no understanding.  The highest form of knowledge is empathy, it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.  It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” ~Bill Bullard Scripture: If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. ~1 Corinthians 12:26 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ~Romans 12:15 Perspective: Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, to walk in their shoes.  Compassion is defined as feeling for another, it is an emotion…

Quote: “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.  The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” ~Zig Ziglar Scripture: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~1Thessalonians 5:18 Perspective: Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.  Synonyms: appreciation, gratefulness, thankfulness, appreciativeness, thanks It is so very easy to wake up every day and focus on what is wrong, on what we still  lack that others seem  to have so easily.  All you have to do…

Quote: “Contentment isn’t a feeling, it’s a focus.” ~Wade Joye Scripture: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4:12-13 Perspective: Have you ever thought, “When I get XYZ, then  I will be happy?”  I have, too many times to mention!  Looking back, I don’t even remember what most of the things were that I was waiting for to make  me happy; clearly…

Pause and Prioritize… “Your mood won’t always match your mission.” ~Steven Furtick Scripture: The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. ~ Proverbs 21:5 Perspective: Every single day, we make more choices than we even realize, simply as a natural part of our day.  However, the reason we choose to do something, does NOT have to be because it makes us happy.  In this day of instant gratification, it is “work” to do things that don’t make us happy in some way.  When we make choices, we usually base them on the level of satisfaction they are going to bring us, on how…