Key to healthy relationships???

Relationships are everything.
We crave community - we need one another!
Our people provide for us support, fun and even growth.

Goes without saying…but our relationships must stay healthy
in order for them to be something we crave and need.

What is key in preserving healthy relationships?
I believe it is GRACE.

What exactly is grace?
There is God’s grace for us - and our grace for one another.

God’s Grace?
When the word “grace” is used in connection with God, the meaning is quite powerful. Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves. Grace is His benevolence to the undeserving. And because of God’s amazing grace we can be in relationship with Him!

“Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.”  -John Stott

Grace to one another?
We don’t have the life-saving grace to give that God has bestowed upon…
BUT, we do have life-giving grace to share with the world BECAUSE of God’s grace for us.

Pertaining to both God and one another…in a nutshell:
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve, and not getting what you do deserve.

——

We are living in a stressful period of time. Our natural reaction to a difficult situation tends to be harsh,
flippant, and unforgiving. When given the opportunity to choose kindness over impatience -
I think we can all agree upon the appropriate reaction.
“Even when it’s not fair???”…I can ask myself.
Yep!
Generous words and deeds have the power to transform the atmosphere -
providing lightness, hope and peace.

Sometimes grace to others presents itself as silence - am I right?
Hold your tongue; cut people some slack; let things go; assume the best; put yourself in their shoes;
stay calm.

I love this Bible verse that demonstrates GRACE:
“Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he who shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” Proverbs 17:28

——

How can you extend grace and transform your atmosphere?
Is it a kind word? A generous deed? A forgiving spirit? A closed mouth? Haha!

Extend God’s life-giving grace today and bring PEACE to your people!

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other,
making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
Ephesians 4:2

Make it a WONDERFUL day!

Oh how I love Maya’s outlook here!
I sense expectation, hope, positivity, excitement, happiness, and spontaneity - for each day!
I want to adopt this attitude! You and I can choose to see our days like this. 

How?

I’ve heard it said that focusing on the past can cause depression and focusing on the future can cause anxiety. What would happen if we fix our eyes on the present? What if we choose to focus only on today and make it WONDERFUL? I bet our present focus would result in gratitude, contentment, joy and peace.

What I love about zeroing in on “now,” is the simplicity of it. It’s not complicated. It’s not overwhelming and too much to handle. That is where the peace comes in.

And you know what? It doesn’t take BIG things to make a day great….it’s all in the little things.

Here are a few of the little things that make my days WONDERFUL:

A good cup of coffee (extra foam PLEASE!)
Reading inspiring Scripture and prayer
A smile from a neighbor
A laugh from a silly meme or gif
A yummy meal
Journaling my gratitude
Popcorn!
My Kindle
Neighborhood walk & favorite podcast
An unexpected contact from someone special
Flowers
Encouraging a friend
A sunny day
A rainy day
Chirping birds
A really good TV series or movie
Trying out a new recipe
Restful sleep
Comfy sweats
An organized drawer
Corn Hole
A good glass of wine
Listening to my country music

What are the little things that you can do today to make your day WONDERFUL?
Make a list and DO them!

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. …….then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

You may need a perspective shift!

“Perspective” is defined as: “A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” Secondary definition: “An art technique that changes the distance or depth of an object on a surface;
the appearance of objects or scenes as determined by their relative distance and positions.”
Synonym: Angle

Why take the time to understand the entire meaning of perspective? First, it is important to realize your perspective is an attitude/opinion you choose to have. Yes - it is true your perspective is influenced by past and present experiences and circumstances. But HOW will these impact your perspective?
Perhaps it is the angle at which you choose to view these experiences and circumstances that is significant. Just as in art technique, stepping back/pausing/zooming in/evaluating
can change your angle, which changes your view - which can change your perspective!
Acknowledging there is more than one way of viewing and perceiving the world around you is powerful.

You can control your perspective! Your angle…your view…your attitude…your mindset.

As we see in the above adorable picture - this little gal is currently looking at her surroundings
from a different viewpoint (I wish I was that flexible - haha!).
What about you? Is there a current situation in which a shifted perspective would be beneficial…necessary? So many times we tend to search for and get obsessed with the “WHY?” of our circumstances:
“Why is this happening to me???” Questions are always good, but how about instead we ask,
“What can this mean for me? How can this benefit me? How can I learn and grow from this?”

The Bible guides us in having an eternal perspective:
”For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
You don’t have to fix your eyes on your current troubles. Instead you can make the choice to focus on all that is coming - all that God has in store for you. THIS is the perspective you can choose!

I encourage you today to imitate this sweet child and choose to shift your perspective…look at your circumstances from a different vantage point and see your mindset expand!

Let's be like Pollyanna!

Have you heard the concept, “Pollyanna?”
You may be asking, “Concept? Isn’t that a name?”

Yes it is a name…a name of a character in a classic tale by the same name of  “Pollyanna.”

The story of Pollyanna goes like this:
Pollyanna is a cheerful orphan who was taught by her late father to always play “The Glad Game.”
The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be.
After her father’s passing (her mother had died during child birth), Pollyanna went to live with her stern and cold Aunt Polly in a dispirited New England town. Pollyanna’s sunny personality and sincere, sympathetic soul ends up transforming not only her Aunt but the entire town - turning it into a wonderful place to live!

“What is your point, Suzanne?”

My experience with this “Pollyanna” characterization has been pretty negative.

“Oh stop being so ‘Pollyanna!’”
or
“Don’t pull that ‘Pollyanna’ stuff on me!’”
(Referring to…being unrealistic, overly positive, cheerful, and even naive)

But when you consider the character of Pollyanna and what she was able to do for herself
and provide for her community with her irrepressible optimism and tendency
to find the good in EVERYTHING…well…it is absolutely beautiful!

She had the ability/made the choice to turn a negative into a positive! Pretty powerful, huh?
I would go so far as to say…this is a SUPER POWER that I strive to have!

Greg McKeown (well-known author) says it best:
“A person who can turn a negative into a positive can never be defeated!”

During this time of uncertainty and quarantine, how can you be more like Pollyanna?
What negatives can you turn into positives?

Let’s have the irrepressible optimism of Pollyanna and transform ourselves,
our family, our friends, our community and our world!

Feeling down? Look out & lift up!

One of the first things I challenge my “stuck” clients to do is serve the people that are on their path.

Why is this so important?

• It’s an opportunity to take your eyes off of your own woes. What happens? The perspective of your situation often shifts.

• We can all admit there is purpose and fulfillment when you take the opportunity to spread love and provide for a need. (Don’t we all need a dose of purpose and fulfillment right about now???)

• When you are serving others, you are drawn closer to God.

Do you know the reason why there is so much good that happens when we help others?

Because this is how God created you. God gave you your talents for the benefit of other people. We cannot do life by ourselves! God wired the universe so that we would need each other.

You were created to use your God-given talents and gifts to serve and love people.

In the Bible we read:

Ephesians 2:10: “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”

1 Peter 4:10:  “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”
___
Instead of being inwardly focused, choose to fix your eyes on the needs around you. The opportunities are endless! And the upside? It’s good for your soul!

Growth + Change

Growth + Change…..necessary for a fulfilling & meaningful life, right?
If you're feeling stuck (who isn't during this quarantine?).….
LET'S MEET and see how you can MOVE forward
utilizing God's Word and practical tools for genuine transformation.