A Merry Heart
The Bible says that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine". Proverbs12:25
But you only have to finish reading that verse to see the result depression has on our lives.
"But a broken spirit dries the bone."
Throughout my years of living with Panic Disorder, my Lord has sustained me with a good sense of humor. He taught me to look for the humor in most situations, even in my panic disorder and agoraphobia.
Life is made up of choices and whether we realize it or not, we choose how we feel. If we dwell on the negative aspects
of life, then we will be negative. If, on the other hand, we choose to be happy, then we will be happy. Choosing to be happy doesn't mean that we will never experience sadness, or grief, or dispair....it simply means that regardless of our circumstances, we choose
to find the good in every situation that life throws at us.
The Bible tells us over and over again..."be of good cheer", "fear not". It is estimated that the Bible tells us not to fear
over 330 times in both the Old Testament and New Testaments combined. That's almost one for every day of the year.
Fear is one of the "ememy's" greatest weapons against God's Children. Why else would God warn us over and over to "fear not"
and to "be of good cheer"? God wants us to have joy..."joy unspeakable and full of glory". Why then, do so many of us,
allow ourselves to be robbed of our joy?
Could the simple answer be that we are "human", and as humans, we follow our emotions more than we follow our understanding?
Our emotions tug at our heart and we get lost in them. We forget, for a moment, about God's perfect plan for our lives. We need to hold on to our "faith" and keep our eyes on God. We can't fail if this
is our goal.
God understands what we go through as humans. He sent His Son, in human form, so that He could empathize
with us. Jesus took all of our sin, sickness, fear and doubt
with Him to the cross. He died that we might have eternal life. John 3:16 How's that for a reason for joy,... eternal life? Talk about a "merry heart"!
Okay, so we talked about "choices", now let's see if our choices do really make a difference.
Suppose we wake up and the sky is grey and rain is imminent, what are our choices?
Choice #1..."Oh no, what an awful day...this is going to ruin everything...why did it have to rain today?" Okay, check yourself, how do you feel?
Choice #2..."What a great day for taking it easy...we sure could use the rain...I can get some things
done around the house today." How do you feel now?
Did the weather change? No, the only thing that changed was our inner dialogue about the
day, and yet our mood is entirely different. Can it be that simple? There's only one way to be certain. We need to begin to change
our thinking and our inner dialogue about everything. We would be much healthier and happier if we could just learn to focus
on the good things in our lives. That old adage of "counting your blessings" is truer than we may have ever imagined. What can it hurt to try? I want that "merry heart"...how about you?
Okay, Let's get some Joy in our lives...let's get a "merry heart" and work some medicine in our hearts and souls.
Start your day with prayer and scripture reading.
Give and recieve at least 8.6 hugs a day.
Put on some music and sing along...go ahead, dance a little too.
Do something for someone else to brighten their day.
Play with a child, grandchild, neice or nephew.
Do some gardening, remember the fun of playing in the dirt.
Pamper yourself all day..buy yourself a treat..have a bubble bath..order dinner out.
Put the answering machine on and read a good book, with a great cup of tea.
Use the good china...what are you waiting for?
Have an ice cream cone..or better yet..watch a child eating an ice cream cone.
Call a Friend.
Have a family night, rent a video..pop some popcorn..enjoy each other's company.
Forgive someone who has wronged you....it's freeing.
Take a walk with a loved one, and don't forget to hold hands.
Don't compare yourself to anyone, you are unique.
End your day with prayer, remembering to thank God for all His Blessings.
One of God's greatest gifts to us is "free will". God will not impose Himself on us. He won't force us to love, follow, or serve Him and He won't force us to be happy. He has given us every tool that we need to live a happy and panic free life. It's all inside us and it's up to us to "choose" to live "joyfully" and "free from fear". It's not easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy, but we can rest assured in the fact that if God is first in our lives, He will more than meet our needs. He will help us to become all that He has hoped for us to be and this includes being HAPPY and JOYFUL!! The "choice is ours!! May God bless you on your journey toward a more "joyful" and "fearless" life.
CELEBRATE LIFE
There is a wonderful life waiting to be lived.
Celebrate it today.
Life is too short to put off living until tomorrow.
Live it fully.
Live it's changes and choices.
Let it surprise you.
Let it show you new ways of doing old things.
Let it help you explore and discover.
Let it introduce you to people you've never known,
to dreams you have never dreamed,
to seeds you have never sown.
Let life take away some of your worries and caress your woes.
Let it help you wonder and laugh and love.
Let it show you how to rise with the sun and aim for the stars.
Let it reveal how to reach out and become all that you are.
Let life challenge and encourage you.
Let it stimulate and arouse you.
Let it embrace and enfold you.
Let it show you the magesty of a simple, peaceful morning.
Let it show you the miracle of your complexity.
Let it help you find your belief and discover your God.
Let it amaze you with it's possibilities.
Let life help you realize that....
It is what you make it,
And that it can be everything you want it to be.
Have a wonderful day....
Today and Every day!!
Please feel free to visit Amazon books by clicking on the links below and check out the books I have listed as some of my personal favorites.
Christian Humor dealing with panic and fear and finding joy in your life.
Order God Uses Cracked Pots
Today!
OrderNormal is Just a Setting on a Dryer
Today!
Order I'd Rather Be Laughing
Today!
Books dealing with Panic disorder and Agoraphobia
Order Hope and Help for Your Nerves
Today!
Order Peace From Nervous Suffering
Today!
Order From Panic to Power
Today!
OrderPass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and FearToday!
OrderAnxiety and Phobia WorkbookToday!
OrderAnxiety, Phobias and Panic: A Step by Step Program for Regaining Control of Your LifeToday!
Order The Panic Attack Recovery Book
Today!
Thank you for dropping by!!
