Building a Clubhouse and The Importance of Working as a Team

What does building a clubhouse have to do with teamwork?  It has everything to do with teamwork unless you are building it on your own.

Building anything takes a lot of hard work.  You have to make the plans, get the materials, find the necessary tools and then spend time putting everything together.  Having some help from family and friends can get the project done quickly and easily.  However, there is something very important that is needed from start to finish if you are working with other people.  Do you have an idea what that very important thing is?  If you said TEAMWORK, you are correct!  Working together towards a common goal can be fun and rewarding and it makes the job easier.

So let’s take a look at 3 children who discovered the importance of teamwork.  Their names are John, Mary and Peter.  John lives on a farm with his sister Mary and Peter lives down the road on the edge of town.  They spend all summer playing in the woods surrounding the farm and along the creek.  They love being outside all day every day but when bad weather comes along, they are stuck inside.  This summer they decided to build a clubhouse.

It was exciting to share ideas and make plans.  There was lots of old wood and skids in a big barn on the farm and all sorts of tools available.  They decided on putting the clubhouse in a small open area with a big tree just behind the barn.  The tree would provide shelter and they could put up a tree swing to play on.  Everything was perfect!

They spend a whole day gathering wood, nails, screws and tools.  There was even an old window and door in the barn they could use.  They brought everything to the site where they would build the clubhouse and covered it with a tarp so they could start working the next day.

John, Mary and Peter got up early the next day and went to the work site.  They started putting some skids together for the floor and a frame for the sides.  Things were going well and then John picked up the window and started to nail it into the frame at the side of the playhouse.  Mary yelled for him to stop because she thought the window should be at the back, not the side.  Then Peter said he thought the window should be at the front beside the door.  John put the window done and all 3 argued about where the window should go.  This ended badly and all 3 started back to their homes, leaving the materials in a heap on the ground.  The clubhouse didn’t get built that summer.

 So what happened?  John, Peter and Mary couldn’t agree on where to put the window.  Each of them had a different idea and nobody wanted to talk about it or try and work together on a plan. 

Teamwork is very important if you want to have a good end result.  We all have great ideas and we all should make our opinions heard but if we can’t reach an agreement that works for everyone, nobody wins and we all lose.  Sometimes we have to agree to disagree and try new things instead of just doing what we want.  If 3 people want the same result but want to do it in 3 ways, it will never work. 

When you are working on any type of project, look at all the options and then try something different.  All through life, we have to work with other people and we can learn a lot from each other.  We really don’t know everything, even if we think we do.  We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses.  Our strengths may be another person’s weakness and we can help them in many ways.  Our weaknesses may be another person’s strengths and they can help us learn something.

When people work together as a team, they are strong and have power.  When people don’t work together they are weak and have little or no power.  Always remember the phrase “United we stand, divided we fall”.  Do you believe this is true?

My heroes

What is a hero?  A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.  I have never been a hero and will likely never be a hero but I admire heroes greatly.  Heroes go above and beyond what is expected, often risking their reputation and life for what is right.  It is hard to see any heroes today amidst all the chaos, but they are coming forward and bravely speaking out in truth because they care about other human beings.

Our world is being destroyed but not by a coronavirus. It is being destroyed by lack of knowledge and common sense.  There are so many facts that are not being presented by mainstream media and this leads a lot of people to only see one biased side of what the big picture really shows.  I am so thankful that I am a person who searches for the truth and doesn’t give up until all the facts are sorted through and I can reach a reasonable conclusion.  I have been accused of being uncaring, careless and irresponsible because I don’t blindly accept what our government leaders are telling us.  I have also been accused of believing in conspiracy theories but this is NOT true at all.  There are definitely conspiracies going on the world all the time but I ONLY believe in facts and I search for evidence that presents the truth.  Bible prophecy predicts a lot of what is happening right now and we need to pay attention.  If you don’t know what I mean, do some research on End Times and it will explain things like one-world order and a mark on the body to do buying and selling (Mark of the Beast).

In the beginning of this crisis I listened and believed, trusting I was hearing the truth. But in searching for a deeper understanding of the virus, I was shocked to see the number of doctors, nurses, scientists and other experts stating that covid was not the terrible virus they thought it was.  Everything they said was backed up by personal experience and scientific data.  I wasn’t sure what to believe at that point but it made absolutely no sense to me that these professionals from all over the world would be lying.  Some of them had lost their jobs and their lives had been threatened for telling their story.  Why would anyone risk their life and livelihood to tell a lie?  Nobody in their right mind would die for a lie unless they were completely crazy or were brainwashed.  The people I have been listening to are intelligent, sane and credible.  However, there are many people whose agenda is power and money and they WILL lie to get what they want and they will hurt anyone who gets in the way.

Here are some of my heroes.  They may not be yours and that is okay.  We all have different ideas and beliefs.  However, it would be in your best interests to check out what they are saying and see if their views line up at all with what you are hearing.  You can find videos and articles on You Tube, if they haven’t been deleted yet.

Randy Hillier, a Member of Parliament in Ontario.  On Thursday he addressed the legislature debating the State of Emergency.  He gave valid evidence to stop the lockdown and also provided statements from people whose lives are being destroyed. One lady talked to him about her husband who need a liver transplant but they won’t do surgery because they are only focusing on covid cases, so he will likely die soon. Another call was about someone with a tumour but again no surgery allowed and that person will also likely die. Another call from a man who had worked hard for his entire life and put every cent of his savings into a business that would support his family for the rest of their lives but now he has lost everything he spent years to build up. This video will not likely be seen on the news and most people have no idea of the tremendous destruction that is taking place because of the lockdown.  Here is the link in case you would like to hear what he says.  https://youtu.be/9YR0ZEwyWIY

Del Bigtree and Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson who continually interview top experts and advise people about the dangers of the lockdown and vaccines.

Dr Scott Atlas (Physician and health care policy expert, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution), Dr Kelly Victory (a trauma and emergency physician with a speciality in disaster preparedness and response, and public health, Dr Jenson (a well-respected physician and a member of the Minnesota Senate) who is being targeted for speaking out in truth about Covid.

Pamela Popper (a naturopath and internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health)

Rebel News, A Canadian media outlet that reports all the news and not just what the government tells them to say.

Blaze TV, One America News Network, Huckabee are all valid news channels that also report all the news and not just selected topics to keep people in fear.

Fox News is mainstream media but for some reason they are reporting the truth and I admire them for being out there against all the other news networks.

Every day I am finding new heroes and this gives me hope that the truth will soon come out.  Way too many people are living in unnecessary fear of a pandemic that is not backed by scientific evidence.  It distresses me greatly that people are so focused on covid 24/7 and are completely ignoring the obvious devastation and destruction from loss of jobs, increasing suicides, deaths from cancelled surgeries, child abuse and domestic violence.  What happened to all the people who used to care about injustice?  The collateral damage from the lockdown is far greater than the virus, yet people are fighting to keep things locked down and are happy to give up all their freedoms.  Why is Covid the only thing that matters?  When is one death or one life more important than another?  We should never have to make that decision but we do have to weigh the risks and choose the route with the least devastation.  I don’t believe that our governments have made the right decision and I will not support anything that is destroying almost every life on the planet . 

Things will likely  never go back to the way they were and this is a good thing because a lot of changes need to be made.  However, if we keep going the way we are, we could easily be locked down forever and the entire world will become a one-world system as it predicts in the Bible.  I am very aware of what is coming and I am not afraid because I am ready.  I do hope that we are not quite at that time yet and some kind of peace will be restored to our world so that more people will have a chance to learn about and prepare for the End Times.   I pray every single day for God to expose the lies and corruption that are going on in the world and bring light back into our quickly darkening world.

I am no longer proud to be Canadian

Our veterans who fought in World War 1 and 2 risked their lives to keep Canada safe and free.  Those brave soldiers would be greatly appalled at what is happening to our country right now.  Our freedoms are being quickly taken away from us.  Many people are willingly allowing themselves to be brainwashed by mainstream media and have lost all ability to think logically and clearly, allowing themselves to fear sickness and death, something that we face every single day of our lives and until now, have never been afraid of.  People are blindly following restrictions and rules set up by our government and so-called experts that are not even based on scientific data, do not make any sense at all and are actually against our constitution.  There isn’t much going on right now that would give me any reason to be a proud Canadian.

Scientific data clearly shows there is NO emergency and no need for wearing masks, taking tests or social distancing.  Hundreds of doctors and experts have stated over and over again for the past few weeks that this is not a pandemic, only another annual flu that unfortunately can cause serious illness to those who are elderly and those in poor health.  I feel very badly for anyone who gets sick for ANY REASON.  ALL deaths are terrible but people seem to be fixated on covid and completely ignore any other illnesses or deaths.  Compassion for all people seems to have gone out the window.    There is NO reason to keep healthy people locked down or making them wear masks.  There should be restrictions put in place ONLY for those who are at risk.  People who are against this lockdown have been called irresponsible but in my opinion, our government has been irresponsible, causing more deaths and distress by keeping people in fear and imposing unnecessary restrictions.  Any doctor who backs these restrictions obviously is being forced to comply or has their own agenda.

I have sent letters to government officials stating how I feel, sending them articles with correct information and asking questions.  I usually get a form response with no answer to any of my questions.  Here are a few:

• Why do we hear about increasing cases every day when these are not people who are ill or even deaths?  It should be good to know that so many people have tested positive because they have already been ill, so this is actually a good thing and it will lead to herd immunity and help the virus die out naturally.  Is the purpose just to keep people scared?
• In a world population of 7 billion people, only about 500,000 people have died from covid (although this is questionable because doctors are being told to list all deaths as covid).  This is lower than the death rate for the annual flu so it is NOT a pandemic and why is it still being treated as a major disaster?
• Why is it safe for people to sit at a table in a restaurant for an hour or more, eating and talking without wearing masks BUT it is not okay to shop in Walmart for a hour without wearing a mask?
• Why is it safe enough to spend half an hour at the dentist having our teeth cleaned or getting a checkup without a mask but have to wear a mask while sitting alone in the chair waiting for the dentist?
• Why is it necessary to traumatize kids when they go back to school with social distancing and masks when there is NO evidence that they will get sick?

Every day I do at least 2-3 hours of research, reading articles and watching videos from top scientists, doctors, lawyers, alternate media and I admire all the hundreds of experts that are willing to stand up for what is right and share the truth, often at personal cost.  They are my heroes and they are fighting to take our world back before we all become one global community run by communists.  Holding people hostage with a pandemic of fear WILL destroy our country.  If Canada falls, we ALL fall.  If we allow our freedoms to be taken away, ALL of us lose.  If we become a communist country, we will ALL have to abide by very strict laws.

I care deeply about people and I am very concerned about the future of our country and the safety and welfare of our children and grandchildren.  What kind of world will they grow up in?  Will they have any freedoms at all?  I can’t do much because I am just a poor senior but I will fight in any way I can for the rights of my family and my grandchildren.  I will also keep praying because I know that God is still in control of this world and He will ultimately bring justice.   Please stop listening to mainstream media and corrupt leaders and start searching for the truth.  Many people are being silenced but there is still a lot of truth out there.  Check Rebel News and Fox News (they are mainstream but they are reporting the truth).  Then stand up for your family, your country and your God-given rights!

 

What is happening to our world?

I never thought that I would come to the last years of my life living as a slave to tyranny. For 68 years I have considered the country I live in to be the best in the world. I was proud to be a Canadian, proud and free as our national anthem says. But now I am shocked to see what is happening in my country and around the world. We have been taken hostage by governments whose agenda is not to protect our health or welfare.  Instead, it is to promote fear, cause people to distrust each other, divide families and destroy lives.

For those who only watch mainstream media, either by choice or because they do not have access to alternate media sources, they are being told 24/7 to fear, fear, fear! Cases are rising! People are dying! Stay home and stay safe.  Wear masks! Avoid people!  Does this not send off an alarm that something is wrong?  It should! Why have we lived for centuries taking risks of getting sick, having an accident, getting injured or even dying, and not given it a second thought?  It is because we know that sickness and death are inevitable and we can’t stop this from happening.  We always have to use wisdom and common sense and be cautious when dangers are present but we should NEVER fear living!  We have had serious pandemics in the past and germs and viruses will be with us forever but we have never locked down the world before and destroyed so many lives.

I am disappointed to see how many people are not paying attention to what is going on around them and are allowing their freedoms to be taken away without a fight. Fear is a terrible thing and once it takes hold, it is almost impossible to ever think clearly again.  We have to fight fear itself or it will become like a cancer that grows and overtakes our lives. Covid is seen as a major disaster, yet people are failing to see any other deaths or disasters as having any importance.  ALL deaths are horrible but sickness and death are inevitable and can’t be stopped.  What is more serious – the death of an 80 year old with serious lung and heart problems who contracts covid and it shortens his life by a few days or months or a 12 year old who hung himself because of the lockdown?  I cry for both but there are many young people who are so full of despair that they are just giving up and losing their lives and this is WRONG!

Most of the covid deaths are elderly people or others who have serious health issues and they should have been protected. However, in order to try and protect a few thousand people, almost 7 billion lives around the world have been destroyed. Where is the logic in that? The lockdowns have caused a tremendous amount of death and destruction!   There have been drastic increases in suicides, deaths from postponed surgeries, physical and sexual abuse for children trapped in their homes, domestic abuse, addictions, job losses, businesses crushed and loneliness for people who are in homes and hospitals and not being allowed visitors.  We should never have to sacrifice one person’s life for another but this is what is happening.  A risk assessment should be done and the choice made to take the route where the least damage lies and this is not what has happened.  It may have started with the best intentions but there is enough evidence now that shows a lockdown is not helping anything.  In fact, the destruction is getting worse and there is no end in sight.

There is no longer any logical reason to be afraid.  Everyday we hear of new cases but these are NOT DEATHS!  These are just people who have tested positive or have a mild case and if they are sick, there is a 98% chance of recovery!  Hundreds of experts have been coming forward since April trying to tell us the truth but they are being dismissed by mainstream media or silenced.  Many doctors have stated they are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak up.  Covid is not the massive killer it was believed to be in the beginning and it has been around since the end of 2019 and millions are believed to have been infected and not even been aware of being sick.  Stats now show that it is no more dangerous than the annual flu and when herd immunity is reached, the virus will die out.  A lockdown people down may have initially kept the healthcare system from being overwhelmed, but keeping people locked down has kept the virus around longer and destroyed far more lives than necessary.

These things break my heart and it seems that there is no end to the tragedies.  We are being held hostage with rules that are not logical, are not backed by science and are rooted in fear.  Our governments don’t care about our health and welfare.  Their agenda is to keep us in fear waiting for a vaccine that may kill or maim us just so they can fill their pockets with money.  If this lockdown continues, we won’t have a world worth living in.   There is so much evidence out there and you certainly don’t have to believe what I say.  Just take the time and do the research.  It will shock you as to what is really going on.

I pray daily that God will expose the lies and corruption and bring our evil leaders to justice. We are all responsible for destroying God’s perfect world with our sin and the best thing we can do is ask for forgiveness and guidance. God is our only hope and I believe that He will help bring truth and light back into our darkening world.  May God have mercy on all of us!

This lockdown is killing all of us

Stay inside.  Wash your hands.  Avoid touching your face.  Stay 2 metres from other other people.  Wear a mask.  Follow the arrows.  Stand on the circle.  Every day we hear these words and they certainly do not bring us any peace.  We watch the news and it tells us how many people have covid and how many have died.  We go anywhere in public and we see these reminders everywhere.

For the first couple of weeks that we were in lockdown mode, I was bit apprehensive as to what was happening.  But I was never in fear of getting sick or dying.  Until covid, we just normally left our houses every day, risking the chance we would get sick, injured or even die and didn’t even give it a second thought.  Just driving a car is a huge risk because 1.5 million people die every year from vehicle accidents but we don’t avoid driving.

I believe that we need to use wisdom and common sense in dealing with any potentially dangerous situation but I do not agree with the lockdown measures.  In the beginning, we were supposed to try and flatten the curve so the health system was not overwhelmed and this made complete sense.  It was never intended to stop people from getting sick and dying because people get sick and die every day and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  Then we were told we needed to stop the spread and the lockdown continued using stats to control us with fear.  Numerous reports have show these daily stats to be inaccurate and research shows that the data is highly exaggerated with many deaths being listed as covid when in fact they are cancer deaths, heart attacks, lung problems and even accidents.  People may or may not have tested positive with covid when they died but someone who was on their deathbed from cancer or other disease did not die from covid and this is misleading the public and it is wrong.

Now we are told that we need to stay locked down, wear masks and keep social distancing until we have a vaccine.  There are so many reports of the dangers of vaccines, yet people are convinced it is the only way to avoid getting this virus and they will willing take a vaccine that could cause paralysis, allergies, seizures and even death.  Unfortunately, the drug companies make billions of dollars every year on medications and vaccines so they will not provide the public with all the facts.  And wearing masks is actually dangerous according to many experts.  Masks can weaken the immune system and they block proper air flow.

What disturbs me is that people are just listening to mainstream media and allowing themselves to be scared without doing any research.  There are numerous studies and videos by doctors, nurses, scientists and other experts that state covid is no worse than the annual flu.  Many people are getting sick but the symptoms are very mild except in a small percentage that is mainly seniors and people who have serious health concerns.   Locking down the world and destroying millions of lives to protect a few people does not seem logical to me at all.  Just consider this…if the virus was so dangerous, people would not be able to shop in grocery stores and Walmarts without large numbers getting sick and dying.  There are so many rules that are being implemented that don’t make any sense at all.

All deaths are terrible but people seem to be only concerned about covid deaths.   When talking to some family and friends, my concerns seem to fall on deaf ears.  If I am not following ‘the rules’, I am told I don’t care and they aren’t interested in hearing about the damage this lockdown is causing.  What happened to logic?  What happened to the compassion for everyone who is sick and dying and not just those who have covid?  What happened to loving everyone?  Why are we labelled as irresponsible if we don’t believe in what our corrupt governments are saying?  Why do we never hear about other serious issues that are going on in the world?

• Suicides are at an all time high due to social isolation.  Already there are about 800,000 suicide deaths every year worldwide but this year it will be far higher. I have heard stories about some children and teens who have committed suicide and one particular case is a 12 year old boy who hung himself because he was lonely and hopeless.  How did the lockdown save him?
• Thousands of people have died from cancelled cancer surgeries and other procedures. How did the lockdown save them?
• Millions of people have lost their jobs or businesses and will never recover from financial distress.
• Domestic abuse has increased greatly and help lines are ringing off the wall.
• Many children who are being kept ‘safe’ at home are being physically and sexually abused by abusive parents and have nobody to talk to and get help.  How is the lockdown helping them?
• Seniors are locked down in long-term care and are suffering from loneliness because they are not allowed visitors.  In my opinion this is senior abuse and the Canadian Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom is trying to address this problem.
• People who are sick in hospitals are not allowed the love and support they need from family and friends.
• Children and other people who are dying in hospitals are not allowed visitors until they are almost at the end of their lives.
• Millions of people are starving to death because they can’t work or get food.  How did the lockdown save them?
• Children are being kept out of school, not allowed on playgrounds or being able to access anything that might be fun for them, yet children are not getting sick or dying from covid.  Does this make any sense at all?  Interesting that the annual flu makes a lot of children sick and some even die but we have never closed down the world and kept them away from everything they enjoy doing.  In my opinion this is child abuse.

Does anyone else care about these problems?  Thankfully there are many people who do care and are fighting for our freedom.

This lockdown is killing all of us.  It is killing our bodies, our minds, our sanity, our emotions, our jobs, our relationships, our finances, our passions and our hope for the future.  For some of us it is a quick death, for others it is a slow death but one way or another, something in us will die, except for the very rich and they will soon control us all if we don’t fight back.  We need to fight for our children and grandchildren or they will grow up in a horrible world.  More people will suffer and die from this lockdown than the virus.  Please don’t believe me.  Do the research and you will find out what is really going on.   Nobody in this world can save us from sickness and death.  If we put our faith in the world, we are lost.  God is in control of the world and He is the only one who can save us.  God bless everyone!

Are we winning the battle with the coronavirus?

We are certainly going through some difficult times. Never before has the entire world been brought to a standstill. Not being able to work, visit family and friends, go shopping, take a vacation or even be able to access familiar places like parks and recreational areas is causing unrest.  Isolation is not good for us. We were created to be in relationships and to have basic freedoms that have been taken away from us.

I fully understand the seriousness of this virus and I know we need to take precautions but has the world taken the right steps to ensure our safety?  I’ve been reading articles from many experts in health, virology and science. Some believe measures are not strict enough, others say they are too strict.

Yesterday I watched an interview with a former Swedish chief scientist. Sweden has not imposed strict lockdowns and yet they are managing to keep things under control. They are treating their citizens with respect, keeping them safe with realistic guidelines to follow and allowing them to use wisdom and common sense implementing social distancing and good hygiene. They are protecting the vulnerable and letting healthy people live their lives as normal as possible. Last week the World Health Organization lauded Sweden for their approach and said the world should use them as a model. Why are we not doing this?

It breaks my heart to see the number of deaths but we can expect this in a pandemic. What bothers me is that people are so caught up in the mass hysteria over the virus that they are not caring at all about what else is happening.  Isolation is causing a huge amount of stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness and hopelessness. People are losing their jobs, businesses are closing, domestic abuse and suicides are on the rise. In some countries people have been shot for not obeying lockdown orders and others locked in their homes and left to starve. So what are we protecting people from? The possibility of catching a virus? Yes, some people are dying and that is horrible but most cases are mild. We can’t live in a bubble. Every day we face the possibility of sickness, injury, accident or even death. But most of us don’t leave our houses fearing the worst. We accept that life is fragile and yet we keep moving forward.

The stats from this virus can look scary and there are now over 250,000 deaths but here are some even scarier stats. Every year in the world there are:

500,000 deaths from the flu

800,000 deaths from suicide

1.5 million deaths from accidents

700,000 deaths from mosquitoes

7.6 million deaths from hunger

71 million deaths from heart attacks, strokes

So why don’t we lock everyone in their houses forever to stop those mosquito deaths? Or why not stop driving cars so we can stop those deaths? It would be crazy right?  Life will never be the same after this. Some people will live with fear the rest of their lives. Others will face financial loss for years to come. Helplessness and hopelessness will become the norm for many.

Social isolation is very dangerous to our health as it increases the odds of dying prematurely from any cause. It is equally as dangerous as smoking and more dangerous than being overweight or having an inactive lifestyle. What will the stats be this year after being socially isolated? People have been using the statement that the cure is worse than the virus and I am inclined to believe this. As someone who struggles with depression, I am fully aware of the toll it can take on a person and I sympathize with others who are suffering from the lockdown.  Experts predict that the next pandemic will be a mental health crisis and we already don’t have enough resources to address this growing problem.

The media is fueling fear 24/7.  There is very little news about anything else but the coronavirus.  Many people stay confined in their homes either because they are afraid of getting sick or they are afraid of getting arrested.  People needing surgery are being pushed aside and this may well shorten the lifespan for many.  Other people with health issues will avoid seeking help for fear of getting sick and this may result in their death or a poor quality of life.  Our freedoms have been taken away and I doubt the world will ever go back to the way it was before.

Sadly death is inevitable. We have to take care of our health and not do anything foolish but when it is our time to die, we will leave this world. We can bubble wrap ourselves and hide in our closet and it won’t protect us. We need to use wisdom and make sensible choices and put our faith in the one who created this world. God is our best protection from the virus and I put my trust in Him.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,  no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being thankful during the coronavirus

Without doubt, the world is dealing with a serious problem.  The coronavirus has caused havoc everywhere.  People are sick and dying, businesses are closed, money is tight.  Social distancing has become a new way of life and it isn’t easy.  How can we be thankful during this difficult time?

Focusing on our problems keeps us stuck in negative thinking and this will never have a positive outcome.  This pandemic may last for weeks or even months but it WILL pass.  We need to focus on things that will bring us through this tragedy and give us hope for the future.  We have the power to make our own choices.  We can allow our fears to take control of our lives and expect the worst or we can have a positive perspective and think about everything that is good in our lives.

This virus is a terrible thing and we need to use common sense and be careful in everything we do.  We certainly don’t want to get sick and we need to take all necessary precautions (washing hands, social distancing, staying home as much as possible) to avoid this from happening.  However, it is comforting to know that most people who get sick are recovering from the illness.

It is always important to be thankful for all the good things in our lives but especially now so we don’t lose our hope and joy.  Make a list of the things you are thankful for and post it on your fridge or somewhere that is visible so you can be reminded.  Here are some things to get you started:

• Our families – start building closer relationships
• Our friends – connect daily with them by phone, email or social media
• Our health – stay indoors as much as possible, exercise, take daily walks using social distancing, eat healthy and of course wash your hands often!
• Our houses, food to eat and clean water to drink – think about all the people in the world who are homeless and don’t have these advantages
• Our health care workers and everyone who is selflessly doing essential jobs to keep us safe and healthy
• Our governments who are doing their best to contain this virus and help families with their finances.

What can you add to this list?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Do your molehills become mountains?

Do you have a bad habit of making a big deal about nothing?  Do you turn minor issues into major issues?  Do you exaggerate some things way out of proportion?  If you do, you are making molehills into mountains.  Moles are small furry creatures that tunnel under the earth and the dirt from these holes are named mole hills because they are deposited in piles on the top of the ground.  Making these tiny hills into mountains would be a huge task and this is often what we do with our problems.  We make something small into something big and it takes a lot of energy.

Life is difficult and there are always problems to deal with.  Some of these are big and some are small.  What we have to do is determine which ones need to be addressed and which ones need to be dismissed.  If we aren’t able to do this, we end up wasting a large part of our lives dealing with unnecessary problems.  When we encounter difficult situations in life, we need to stop and not react immediately as this can often result in doing or saying something we will soon regret.  Then we should ask ourselves a few important questions:

• How much does this issue really matter?
• Will it matter tomorrow, next week, next year?
• How will my reaction impact the people involved?
• Should I just ignore it or do I need to address it?
• How should I address the problem?

Making a big issue out of something that is not really a big deal, can easily result in communication breakdowns and hurt other people, even ourselves.  It can even cause a small problem to become a big problem. A mole hill does not have to become a mountain.  Learning to stop and think before reacting can help us live a happier and less stressful life.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

 

Are you competing with people or against people?

The world is always pressuring us to compete against others and that winning is the most important thing.  How does this affect us?  Does it make us better or does it make us feel like failures?  Competition is a good thing, it allows us to measure ourselves with others and see where we need to improve.  The problem is we are competing against people and not with people.   Society is obsessed with winning and leads us to believe that if we lose, we are failures and have no value.

The fact is we can’t all win; someone has to lose but this does not make us a loser or a failure.  Competing with others should be a time to enjoy being with others who have the same interests, share ideas and celebrate with the person who does win.  Competition can be a good learning tool that will help us measure how we are doing and let us become a better version of ourselves.

Social media especially makes us feel bad because it always points out the people who are the most beautiful, the most successful, the most powerful;  the people who have it all and have everything we want.  Sadly most of these people are also the most miserable because money and power does not make people happy and it really doesn’t really measure success.  In my opinion, success is achieved when you feel that you have done everything in your power to be the best person you can be and you are satisfied with your life.

When someone wins a game and the rest lose, everyone loses.  However, when someone wins and everyone supports each other, everyone wins.  Instead of competing against others, try competing with them to achieve your goals.  Be a positive influence and show others the importance of working together to become stronger and smarter.

Winning doesn’t always mean being first.  Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before.  Bonnie Blair

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.  Larry Bird

Competing at the highest level is not about winning.  It’s about preparation, courage, understanding and nurturing your people and heart.  Winning is the result.  Joe Torre

Turn your New Year’s Resolutions into Goals

What is a resolution?  The dictionary describes it with various terms:  a firm decision, solving a problem, finding solutions, improvements, a formal statement, a firmness of purpose, etc.   All these things may be good, but they are basically thoughts and not actions.  They are the beginnings of what could be great endings.  Everything starts with a thought but something needs to be done with those life-changing thoughts or they will never become reality.

This is the problem with making New Year Resolutions.  We start off the year with all sorts of ideas and plans which is really great but then we get bored, impatient or frustrated and we give up.  Life gets in the way and we keep on with our bad habits, struggling and feeling like we have failed until the next year rolls around.  Then we try again.

Change doesn’t come easily.  It takes patience, perseverance and planning.  Instead of just resolving to do something, we need to turn our resolutions into realistic goals that we can work towards.  The most important step in making change is writing down your thoughts.  Just leaving thoughts floating around in your head will rarely accomplish anything.

• write down all your amazing ideas and thoughts
• circle the 1-3 most important things you want to accomplish in the next year; don’t try to do too much or you will soon become stressed and not be able to keep going
• set up a plan to accomplish those things, breaking them down into small steps than can be easily be done every day or week
• every day, check off what you have done in order to accomplish your goals
• if you don’t succeed that day, don’t beat yourself up, just promise yourself you will do it the next day
• keep going even when you feel frustrated or defeated
• celebrate small victories as you go along
• get family and friends involved so they can encourage and support you
• review your goals and make necessary revisions if something is not working properly

If you stick to a WRITTEN PLAN, you sill soon seen some positive changes happening.  Be patient, be persistent and you will be victorious!