Make it a Better Day!
When I worked as a purchaser, I used to try to figure out how to put personality into my emails. I preferred to submit orders for the parts and supplies in writing rather than verbally over the phone, so I was often sending emails. I had a basic template and I could tweak it for the contact. I did this job for several years and I would get depressed. My depression was not specifically about the job, but some of the people were more difficult to deal with than others. So, in an effort to improve my mood and others, I would include the following phrases depending on the day:
Dear God, Thank you that I was provided with the foundation of Your Holy Word and love, even though it got jumbled up inside along the way. None of that is Your fault, even though I blamed You. You always have been there as I worked through it. Amazingly, You welcome my thoughts and feelings and I can truly share my deepest burdens with You. I can trust You. Thank you that You never stopped trying to remind me of the love You gave through Jesus Christ. I wish I wasn't so stubborn or didn't feel so damaged. I believed the lies of Satan for so long. Now, because of those days, I can hopefully encourage someone else. Please give me the wisdom to be a wife that represents Your love and to be a mother that will guide her children towards You. I never want my kids to feel half of the pain I did but I'm learning to accept my powerlessness in that as well as in all parts of life. If I let You lead, stop worrying, then life will be so much better. God, help me to stay focused on keeping myself healthy, emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually so that I can be there for my kids and husband. Thank you for Your grace. In Jesus Name, amen.
- Make it a marvelous Monday!
- Make it a terrific Tuesday!
- Make it a wonderful Wednesday!
- Make it a tremendous Thursday!
- Make it a fantastic (or fabulous) Friday!
This was a reminder to myself mostly that I had the ability and the choice to determine how my day would go. My mood would then have the capability to rub off on someone else.
Every time I wrote "terrific Tuesday" or "tremendous Thursday" I was reminded of my days in a summer youth group. I have a bright orange shirt saved somewhere with this phrase on it. Amazingly, I found the shirt, even after this move and a house with boxes. Take a look!
1994. Wow! That youth group sure had an impact on me to save that shirt all these years. I might try to wear it to church. I still go to the same church, or I should say I eventually returned to that church. Since it doesn't fit me well these days, I will hopefully share it with my daughter or son. It means that much to me. Jesus means that much to me.
I'm quite lucky to have gotten my life straightened out and to be here and now to acknowledge how much my life relies on Jesus. I think I always knew in my innermost being that I couldn't ignore my Savior. There were these years of my life that I was sold out to Jesus but there many others where I was really, really wrestling with sin and guilt and shame. The devil had me so screwed up. The vicious cycle I am describing is not uncommon in people that have experienced trauma or abuse or addictions.
Depression was a tricky topic for me. I am not ashamed of seeking counseling or treatment if needed and no one should be. I personally think it is super healthy to address our emotional health as it affects us spiritually, physically, and socially.
One counselor I had suggested affirmations which irritated me. With others, I felt like I was just talking and talking and not really making progress. I had a hard time with medication and most were too much for me. I felt misunderstood and lost. But, I always had my foundation with Christ. I was viewing God as angry but Jesus as my rescuer. In time, I found a Christian counselor and the most valuable part of the session was at the end when she would pray for me. She invited God into the equation. Yes I technically invited God by going to a Christian counselor but I didn't have the full belief yet. She did. And in a way, I started recognizing how much I did believe God was a part of the solution.
That counselor didn't give me lists of affirmations, but she read me the verses in Ephesians 3:14-19. She wanted me to believe that God loved me. This was not the first time I heard this but it was a big piece of the puzzle I had been working on for several years, if not my lifetime. The pain I was wading in was thick and was going to take a long time to work through. But for me, focusing on it, was not the answer. I had to learn to let God love me and accept the peace of being saved by grace. I started serving in a city church and continued to wrestle through my junk. I continued to see the counselor, go to church alone, and found a medication and dose that was effective for me during that time. I didn't give up. I chose to get up and move forward even though I wasn't all better yet.
I started to believe I was loved. One day at a time. I did what I could each day to make it a magnificent Monday or terrific Tuesday. My attitude, our attitudes have a huge influence over the course of day. When you wake up tomorrow, what will you chose to believe? Will it be a long day to get through or a short day to embrace? Will it be a have to or a get to?
I'm quite lucky to have gotten my life straightened out and to be here and now to acknowledge how much my life relies on Jesus. I think I always knew in my innermost being that I couldn't ignore my Savior. There were these years of my life that I was sold out to Jesus but there many others where I was really, really wrestling with sin and guilt and shame. The devil had me so screwed up. The vicious cycle I am describing is not uncommon in people that have experienced trauma or abuse or addictions.
Depression was a tricky topic for me. I am not ashamed of seeking counseling or treatment if needed and no one should be. I personally think it is super healthy to address our emotional health as it affects us spiritually, physically, and socially.
One counselor I had suggested affirmations which irritated me. With others, I felt like I was just talking and talking and not really making progress. I had a hard time with medication and most were too much for me. I felt misunderstood and lost. But, I always had my foundation with Christ. I was viewing God as angry but Jesus as my rescuer. In time, I found a Christian counselor and the most valuable part of the session was at the end when she would pray for me. She invited God into the equation. Yes I technically invited God by going to a Christian counselor but I didn't have the full belief yet. She did. And in a way, I started recognizing how much I did believe God was a part of the solution.
That counselor didn't give me lists of affirmations, but she read me the verses in Ephesians 3:14-19. She wanted me to believe that God loved me. This was not the first time I heard this but it was a big piece of the puzzle I had been working on for several years, if not my lifetime. The pain I was wading in was thick and was going to take a long time to work through. But for me, focusing on it, was not the answer. I had to learn to let God love me and accept the peace of being saved by grace. I started serving in a city church and continued to wrestle through my junk. I continued to see the counselor, go to church alone, and found a medication and dose that was effective for me during that time. I didn't give up. I chose to get up and move forward even though I wasn't all better yet.
I started to believe I was loved. One day at a time. I did what I could each day to make it a magnificent Monday or terrific Tuesday. My attitude, our attitudes have a huge influence over the course of day. When you wake up tomorrow, what will you chose to believe? Will it be a long day to get through or a short day to embrace? Will it be a have to or a get to?
Dear God, Thank you that I was provided with the foundation of Your Holy Word and love, even though it got jumbled up inside along the way. None of that is Your fault, even though I blamed You. You always have been there as I worked through it. Amazingly, You welcome my thoughts and feelings and I can truly share my deepest burdens with You. I can trust You. Thank you that You never stopped trying to remind me of the love You gave through Jesus Christ. I wish I wasn't so stubborn or didn't feel so damaged. I believed the lies of Satan for so long. Now, because of those days, I can hopefully encourage someone else. Please give me the wisdom to be a wife that represents Your love and to be a mother that will guide her children towards You. I never want my kids to feel half of the pain I did but I'm learning to accept my powerlessness in that as well as in all parts of life. If I let You lead, stop worrying, then life will be so much better. God, help me to stay focused on keeping myself healthy, emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually so that I can be there for my kids and husband. Thank you for Your grace. In Jesus Name, amen.
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