I'll get to the "Sunday stuff" in a moment, but first I have a bit of bad news to share. My camera died. I had trouble with it last weekend, but thought it just needed new batteries. We have some rechargable ones that are well-used and need to be replaced. But I bought some regular batteries and they aren't working in the camera either. We've tried everything. I guess it's done for. Grrrrrrrrr. It was getting old anyway, but I just really can't afford to buy a new one right now. And yet, I'm going crazy without one. Because I stamped a bunch of cards (okay, 3)this weekend and can't take photos of them to share!! Oh no!!
I have to buy camera - have to! But there are so many out there and I know nothing about what to look for really. I mean a lot of them will not be possibilities just due to cost. I dont' take a lot of pictures, other than of my stamping projects, so I can't see investing too much in a camera. Yet I don't want junk either. Ughhh. I don't know where to start, and I know I'm not going to be patient about waiting either. So please wish me well with this latest "challenge"! And until I decide what to do, I will not be able to post any stamped stuff, unless I scan it. Grrrrrrr. *pout* ~whine~ LOL
But anyway, it's Sunday and I'd like to share a couple excerpts from my "The Word for You Today" devotional. My intention was to share these on Sundays but I haven't been very consistent on that. Sorry. And I looked back over the last week's readings and can't seem to pick just one, so I will be sharing two this week. I also am adding a "song of the week" feature. I absolutely love Contemporary Christian Music and would like to share some of my most favorite songs with you. If you've not heard this genre of music you will be surprised at how much it sounds like other popular types of music - but with an awesome spirit and message. At this point my plan is to leave one song that I'd like to "feature" for the week on my playlist (which you will find and can control at the bottom below all the posts on this page) and change it every week. But I may decide later to just post several on the playlist and then add or delete from time to time. We'll see. Please let me you know what you think - and if you just don't want the music to play at all, you can stop it down below. Hope you enjoy!
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Rejection-proofed
"Our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are. - 1 John 3:1 NLT
Ever wonder how anybody could find you lovable? For many of us the question becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The fear of rejection is so intense that we protect ourselves by:
- Vowing never to let anybody get close enough to hurt us again. Sounds good in theory, but by closing others out we close ourselves in, and all our relationships suffer.
- Putting on our best "game face". I'm tough! Who needs other people anyway? As a result nobody meets our needs.
- Pushing others away. When we feel rejected we imagine we're being attacked even when we're not. So we put on our boxing gloves and come out swinging.
- Trying to buy rejection-protection by doing favors for people. Or by putting up with abusive relationships because we think it's what we deserve and it may be our last chance to love.
- Practicing perfectionism. Give it up! God already loves you unconditionally, and human standards vary so much that you'll never make everybody happy however hard you try.
As long as you keep trading with a diminishing sense of worth, you'll keep attracting the wrong people. So listen up. "Our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are" And "that's only the beginning...when Christ is...revealed, we'll...become like him" (1 Jn 3:2 TM). If your self-worth comes from any opinion other than God's, you'll always be vulnerable. Your critics will diminish you; trying and failing will keep you from rising again. Worst of all, you'll never discover or be discovered for the unique and wonderful person God made you to be.
Overcoming procrastination!
"Find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to." - Ephesians 5:17 TLB
To overcome procrastination you must:
- Take responsibility for your life. No matter how hard you wish, the tooth fairy isn't going to come while you're sleeping and replace failure with success. Great souls have wills, feeble souls have wishes. You need to do something!
- Examine your excuses. An excuse puts the blame on something other than you, which means the solution is beyond your reach. Excuses are like exit signs on the road of progress; they take us off track. It's easier to move from failure to success, than from excuses to success. So examine your excuses and eliminate them.
- Focus on the benefits of completing a task. To get you over the hump, focus on what you'll "get out of it" when you do get it done. Will it bring you benefit? Clear the way for something else you'd like to do? Be a milestone in your personal development or the completion of something bigger? Will it help to clear the decks for you emotionally? Admiral Willam Halsey said "Problems become smaller if you confront them. Touch a thistle timidly and it pricks you, grasp it boldly and its spines crumble."
- Ask for help. Columbus didn't discover the New World on his own, he needed a crew. Speaking of the church, Paul writes, "Each part...helps the other parts grow" (Eph 4:16 NLT). There's no way to value the assistance others can give you when it comes to breaking old habits and beginning new ones. Yes, it means taking a risk because you will be vulnerable in sharing your hopes and fears. But the risk is worth taking.
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These are both lessons that I need to keep learning. And probably always will. I think I waited so long to let Jesus into my heart and to start following his example for my life because I didn't feel "worthy". But because of the price he paid for our salvation we don't need to be worthy. We can't be worthy. And our Father's love for us is unconditional - if we come to Him through Jesus. That is such an awesome thing. Because we all fall short of His glory. I am trying to do better with the life I've been given, but I'm more of the "feeble soul who has wishes" than the "great soul who has will". My intentions are always great, but my follow-through stinks! But as long as I keep trying, and praying (with thanksgiving and praise) for help from our Lord, I know I will improve. And any amount of improvement is better than none.
I'll try to post this week and share some older stamping projects, until I can get a camera to take pics of my lastest creations. Please don't go away and not come back! I promise I'll get something figured out as soon as I can!! As long as I can keep my procrastination at bay. ;-)
Have a good week everyone!
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