Today is the day our daughter will be married...again! Nobody told me that raising kids was so stressful for so long! But, when you see God working in their lives you just have to sit back and praise Him. So, what is there to stress about? Well, it seems there is still plenty. So I have something to share with you that will help us all. I got this from Ron Wisbey. I don’t know if he follows all the counsel all the time, but it is good counsel none the less.
WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS
An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it!
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
There, don’t you feel better already? I do. Of course that may be because I am surrounded by our kids and grandkids, but we’re still thinking of you.
There will be a memorial service for Dorothy Holland in the near future. Check with Sandy in the office for the finalized date and time. There will also be one for Clara Anderson coming up. As I write this she is still at her home in Yountville, but we don’t expect her to live a lot longer. I was able to visit with her before we left to come back here. She told me to give her love to the whole church. What a sweet lady, even in her last days.
Please pray for Julie and her new husband, William Turnor Wootton. This has been an amazing journey that we never could have foreseen, but we are so happy for them and we know that God has been working in their lives.
We’ll be back with you next week as we have a special service dedicated to our teachers. See you then.
