5 things for when life treats you bad & weather drama

April 17, 2018April 17, 2018 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are unfortunate circumstances that happen in life, that there is nothing you can do about. You didn’t create it. You didn’t do anything to make it happen. You don’t support it or even want it around. But there it is. And you have to deal with it. Everybody has things they just wish they didn’t have to deal with. Sometimes life is just unfair. When bringing this fact to my Daddy’s attention, he will always say, “Fair is where grandma takes her pickles.” Point taken.

If you have never encountered a situation that has completely pulled the rug out from under you, that you had no control over, you are so blessed. However, don’t get too comfortable, because there’s a good chance, it’s coming. What kind of events am I referring to?

Sickness– Either yours or someone very close to you.
A broken relationship– This could be a husband, wife, child, sister, brother, mother, father, friend. Anyone that means something to you.
Finances-losing a job, not being able to work due to sickness, etc.,.
Addiction– yours or someone close to you.
Loss– The loss of a loved one.

Y’all, this is just a short list. In our daily lives, there are all kinds of things that can be thrown at us. Unwanted things & situations we just wish we did not have to deal with. However, I am a firm believer, that’s just life. Life is not simple. It can be really hard sometimes. There are things that we go through that maybe we are ashamed of or don’t think anyone cares or understands. No matter what there is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Even if it’s that all days are not like the one you just had! Here are some ways to make it through a tough time.

Realize. Realize that not everyone was raised like you. Not everyone wants to change. Not everyone cares they are causing you problems. Realize you cannot change anybody. Realize you are in charge of you & that’s all.

II Timothy 3:6 (NKJV) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lust

2. Think. Think about how you will react to situations. All the hollering and kicking and screaming will not change some folks. Don’t put yourself through it. Just don’t. Those are the people who are not worth it.

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(AND THEN THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS. The quicker you take this into account, the better off you will be.)

3. Pray. I know this is just a given. But you know, sometimes the rug can be pulled out from under us so quickly, that we forget to go to the Lord in prayer. If you haven’t heard, the Lord has all the answers. We just need to make sure we are talking to him & taking it all to Him in prayer.

Nahum 1:7 (NKJV)The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him

4. Focus. Focus on the good. Focus on someone else, who may not have it as good as you do. Focus on helping others & being a light, in a dim world. Focus on what you can do to make something easier for someone else.

I Corinthians 9:24 (NKJV) Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

5. Encourage. Be an encouragement for everyone around you. I promise you, if you are thinking of others & loving them, your problems will most of the time take care of themselves. Be so busy loving others, you don’t have time to think of the hatefulness of others.

Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)²⁴Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

I know hard times can be, well, hard. We just need to have a plan to make it. If not, things can spiral pretty quickly. We need to love others and be sure to not be selfish. Find someone to talk to about what you are going through. You may be surprised to learn, others may be going through the same thing or may have a way to cope until things get better. **I do want to mention, some people struggle with depression. It’s not really something that just giving yourself a pep talk will take care of. Sometimes you need to see a doctor. And that’s okay. There are all kinds of medications to help you cope. Don’t be ashamed. You don’t have to be on them forever. Just to help you out, when you need it. Know that you are not an island. Other people depend on you. So, take care of yourself.** And know, the Lord is there for you. He wants to help you through your challenging times. Bad things happen to good people. But, the Lord shows you how to weather the storm & learn lessons you can only learn through difficult times. Then, you will have the experience to help someone else. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Loving and helping each other.

I thought I was done, but I do have one more thing to say.

Bad times happen to everybody.

It’s just how we view them & work through them that make the difference. We accept good from God. We also have to accept trials.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

I hope everyone is having a blessed week. It has been cold here. I wore my sandals to work the other day and about froze my toes off. 35 degrees is still 35 degrees whether it’s in April or December. LORD HAVE MERCY, I know it’s going to warm up, but it sure is taking it’s time! Beats all I’ve ever seen. We are still playing softball. And by we, I mean Miss Neenee. She is enjoying the fire out of it, to our dismay of long, cold nights sitting outdoors, at a ball field.

Until next time, I should be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: makeameme.org, , know your role, Calvin & Hobbes

If this don’t melt your heart, nothing will

July 15, 2016July 15, 2016 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Recently, I clicked on my local Facebook interweb page & saw a wonderful story I wanted to share. Click on the picture to read this truly heartwarming story.

Two important lessons I want to bring out of this story.

When the cop found this teenager he did not get all racist on him, he did not brutally attack him, he did not gun him down. Because he took time to listen to the teenager, the officer was the beginning of a beautiful life changing situation for this young man.
This young man gave God the glory for his newfound situation.

This could just have very well been just another frightening & sad event for the media to hone in on to discourage us. But because the police officer took the time to listen to the teenager & because the police officer took his job to protect & serve seriously, we are reading a happy ending instead of a terrible one. I’m not sure how well publicized this story is, however, I bet you it doesn’t get the attention all the negative in the world has been getting. And you know something I find so heartwarming about this? After all the money this teenager has gotten on his GoFundMe page, all the donations kind folks have made to him, the free health & dental care that was promised him, the job, the new bike, all the tangibles, you know what he said meant the most to him?

THE RELATIONSHIPS he had made through all this.

It looks like this young man is wise beyond his years. I know people with much more years & experience on him, that has yet to realize this. Relationships are everything. Jesus talks about love for one another as a commandment, not just a good idea.

Mark 12: 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.(NKJV)

Mark 12: 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(NKJV)

I believe the morale to this story should be : God will provide.

God provided for this young man & He will provide for you, as well. Don’t you just love it when God steps right in & blesses people? It just give you that deep down good feeling. Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good.

I hope you are having a blessed day. We have had a smidge of rain & our little container garden has runneth over. I’m really enjoying having some fresh summer vegetables. What are you enjoying this summer? I want to hear all about it. But until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Now that she’s in 6th grade & have mercy….

September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

It always amazes me how much I learn by having kids around me. Just this week me & my Miss Neenee have had some pretty good conversations. You know she is in 6^th grade, this time around. The kids are stuck in the preteen years. They don’t know whether to play with dolls or be boy crazy. Some of them are both. They are also so very silly. There is a little girl, that’s just come to school this year. They have named her, “Bacon”. Miss Neenee talks about Bacon all the time. Everyday Bacon says something or does something new. It’s always something goofy or weird or obnoxious. You know YOUR PRETEEN YEARS in a nutshell. Any the whoo, one day Miss Neenee & I was talking about school this year. I asked her about some of the kids from school. Some that just so tee-totally got on her last nerve last year. (Which is funny, because she was probably getting on their nerves just as bad.) She said that they really didn’t bother her so much this year. She said it was all good with them. I told her perhaps they grew up some over the summer.

She replied, “No, I did.”

What a grown up thing to say! Sometimes we get so up in arms about how other people act, that we forget to look at ourselves. My Papa Clyde always said, to have friends, you had to first be a friend, yourself. I think that lesson has hit home for my Miss Neenee. She is becoming a mature little lady. I wish I could be as understanding & compassionate as she is.

Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(NKJV)

Maybe she is learning the world is not all about her needs, but the needs of others. Hopefully, she is growing to have the heart of a servant. To be kind & tenderhearted, like the apostle Paul talked about

Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.(NKJV)

Relationships are important. I am glad to learn from my 6^th grader that love, forgiveness, & mercy can come through from any age. And speaking of mercy, we talked about the unmerciful servant in my Wednesday night class, this week. I asked the class what they thought unmerciful meant. One little girl said she knew exactly what it meant. She said when she played basketball with her brother & his friends they just kept trying to beat her down & not let her have the ball. She said that was very unmerciful. These kids tickle me to death. We had promotion Sunday a couple of weeks when the school year started back. This is when the kids move classes, since they are advancing in grades at school. I MAY or may not have a couple of kids that do NOT want to advance out of my 1^st & 2^nd grade class. We just have so much fun in there. If one of the elders is reading this, I sternly told the kids they had to move up next Wednesday night, no exceptions. Then, I gave them a bunch of candy.

Hope you are having a wonderful week. Summer is back. If you haven’t heard. It’s just weather in Mississippi. Hot, cold, air conditioner, heater, all in one day. You just never know. I hope you had a great long weekend. We did. Lots of food, family, friends, & fellowship. Until next time I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

My favorite quote of the week. Don’t worry about saving your money. You don’t need a penny to do this-

Because I’m happy……

June 2, 2014 / kstrick7 / 6 Comments

Faces that make me happy.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m just not happy.” Have you ever heard someone say “I’m just not happy because of….” (my husband, my wife, my boyfriend, my girlfriend, my job, my dog, my cat, the president, the boy that mashed my bread, when he was sacking my groceries,) It’s always about putting the blame on someone or something else besides themselves. Or the one that gets me every time,

“God wants me to be happy.”

This is normally followed by a decision to do something that person probably doesn’t need to be doing in the first place. Let me just tell you something. Life is not fair. Life is hard. I went to a graduation recently, where some elementary school students wrote advice to the graduating class. One of the comments was-

“College is tougher than high school, yes, but you are advancing into life and life is harder than college.”

Well one of those babies understood reality better than some adults!

The other day I came across something, I knew to be true. It was just a reminder. It was on a Mental Health Month calendar by Mental Health America. It gave tips on things you could do every day to help you keep your mental health, well, healthy. On day 24 it said,

“Call or email a good friend. Studies have found that the difference between happy individuals & unhappy individuals comes in the form of good relationships.”

Jesus taught about how important relationships are.

Mark 12:31 – And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(NKJV)

By God’s inspiration the apostle Paul penned these instructions to the church at Rome:

Romans 13:9 – For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(NKJV)

Sometimes what we think happiness is, really isn’t what happiness is all about after all. You see a lot of times I think we try to put our cause for happiness into something tangible. Money & possessions are one of the big things that comes to mind. Many think if they had more money, a bigger house, a nicer car, more land, that their world would be a brighter, happier place. Those people will never find happiness in those things. Do you know why? Because Jesus wanted us to understand how we treat each other is an important factor to how happy we will be.

Jesus did not say,“ Love thy house.” He said, “Love thy neighbor.”

It’s these sins of the heart that get a person every time. Greed, pride, & jealousy- people with those qualities will never see the kingdom of heaven. (Galatians 5:21)

So, what do you do? Remember what our purpose is in this ol’ world. (To seek and save the lost.) First we have to understand & obey the gospel. Next we have to study the Bible & grow ourselves in faith. We are then able to go tell others the Good news about Jesus & what He’s done for us. If you do these things, kind friend, you will learn happiness that you never knew existed. You will be more worried about helping people, than hurting them. The desires of your heart will turn to what Jesus wants you to do. Remember that happiness is an inside job. If you change what’s inside your heart, everything else will fall into place.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with me today. I love it when you stop in. We have had some glorious weather, here in northeast Mississippi (sign me up for some more of that!). Just the right weather to sit out on my deck. I hope you have a great week. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

More faces that make me happy.

Into the Word Wednesday-Friendship reminder

April 3, 2013April 2, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Is it Wednesday already? I am so glad to be Into the Word with Falen & Laura at Upward Not Inward. Those gals have a great link up every Wednesday where we tell what the Word has been saying to us during the week.

This week I read a scripture that really hit home for me. I have learned so much, the past few years, about friendship. I have learned about what kinds of people I want to be friends with. And what kind of friend I want to be. This verse really spoke to me in a powerful way. It confirmed everything I already knew:

Psalms 22:24-25

Make no friendship with an angry man.

And with a furious man, do not go.

Lest you learn his ways,

And set a snare for your soul.

You see, I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by good friends. These are people who are happy, loving, & genuinely concerned for me. And I likewise, love & care about them, too. It’s so easy to get caught up in judgmental, dramatic, angry, people. This verse reminds me, it is poison for the soul. Thank you, Lord, for this sweet reminder.

Courage- to make relationships better

February 15, 2013 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

I am glad to get the chance to link up with Melanie at Only A Breath blog to talk about my one word. This year I chose “Courage” to be my one word. When I was thinking about my one word, I was thinking a word that would help me to be the best I could be. I made a list & thought about what I should work on. It came to mind that everything in my life, that was holding me back, had to do with action. It was being afraid to step out & act on something. It was being too lazy to act on something. It was getting my thoughts together. It was communicating & trusting. It was wallowing in situations, that I just did not have the will to overcome. All of it was entwined in the word “Courage”. Since I picked my word, I have never looked back.

Just this past week, I made a commitment to myself that I would have the courage to make some of my relationships better. I started by talking to my Daddy for about 30 minutes on the phone. For he & I that is like 3 hours to someone else! He is retired & doing his own thing. My mother passed away in 2002. Since then, he has enjoyed being able to be on his own, without responsibilities. Sometimes I resent that just a teeny bit. Probably because I think he should be over at my house, seeing what I need, doing things with my family, hanging around, seeing what I need, telling me everywhere he is going & what he is doing, seeing what I need, etc.,.(Do you see a pattern here?) He is more of the “if you need me call me” type. When I need him, I call him & he comes. HOWEVER, I thought, you know, I should be less selfish about this. Not having my feelings hurt because I don’t know what he’s doing every day. So, I am planning to call him more, visit him more, & then just leave him alone (like he likes  ) Then, I talked to my brother & emailed him & text him multiple times. He is another that I want to make more time with. He & his family live 4 hours away. So, that does not always give the best circumstances. We did say we were visiting each other VERY SOON. I love him so much. It’s just when you have your own family & live 200 miles apart, you kinda get in your own routine & forget to call & email & text- not to mention visit. It takes courage to keep relationships going. I can’t get my feelings hurt about the relationships with them not being all that I want them to be, when I am not making an effort. I am using my courage to help be more involved in my Daddy & brother’s lives. Hopefully, next month I can tell you about some great memories we’ve made !

Thank you, Melanie for having this wonderful link up to tell about our one word. I have been so inspired by Courage this year. It has helped me make some really simple decisions . I already feel better about where this year has been taking me. I appreciate you stopping by my blog. It’s always great to have company! I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.