Are you one of those people who hates cloudy days? When the sun is hidden by dark and dreary clouds, it tends to affect our moods. When those clouds bring rain, that also tends to bring on depression-like feelings.

"Rainy days and Mondays" can bring us down because there is something about sunshine that lifts our spirits. But in these mostly dark and dreary winter months, we can sometimes go DAYS with no sun. Does that mean we are doomed to gloomy moods in the winter?I don't believe so. When grey skies cloud my mood, I try to remind myself that we NEED rain and other forms of precipitation in order to have water to drink and plants and flowers to enjoy when the sun shines. Clouds are part of the deal. The problem is, no matter how much I remind myself, no matter how much I try to rely on my own attitude to lift my spirits...I still find myself becoming a "gloomy Gus."But God made us a promise...

"O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness." 2 Samuel 22:29

Dear God, how I needed to hear this promise today!

You will lighten up my darkness.

I cannot, nor can my family and friends.

You alone can bring light to my darkness.

Though it is pitch black

Though clouds pile heavy and high

Though thunder roars

Though I see only confusion

YOU will lighten my darkness!

My hope is in you.

I look for You.

I wait for You.

Nothing will prevent it.

You will lighten my darkness.

It is possible to shake off the gloomies...call on God to lighten your darkness. He is there for you. Does that mean if we have God in our lives we will never get depressed or gloomy? Will we always have sunshine in our hearts and sing and skip through this dark and dreary world? Not at all. There WILL be hard times, there WILL be times when we are saddened and depressed by our situations. The promise God makes means that when the clouds roll in, when the darkness comes, if we look to God, if we "give" our dark mood to God, He will walk us THROUGH it and back to the light of the sunshine. Call out to Him...He is there.

Planning for new beginnings...

It has been several days since I last posted. I'm still having computer issues and I also needed a writing break.

I thought it would be neat to get a conversation started here...I don't like making New Year's Resolutions because I just end of breaking them. But, a new year gives us a chance to recommit ourselves to goals we have made in the last year. Do you do that? I have made great strides in making healthier choices in the food I eat and in the exercise I do. I would love to have a strong and healthy body to help me keep up with the fast pace this life has me going at. Right now, I would like to get back on track after slacking off a bit over the holidays. I am back to recording everything I eat and my activities and exercise on Myfitnesspal.com. (A GREAT tool!!!) I also need to get a little more focused on time management this year. Making sure I have time to do my daily devotional and write my messages AND have time to exercise in the morning means I have to manage the other things I do in the mornings a little differently.

I am hoping that these things will help me lose at least 30 pounds in the next year. But...as Pastor Geoff talked about Sunday, I have to remember that I cannot do these things alone. I need to give these goals to God and allow myself to rely on Him...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I also know that in my life, God works THROUGH people. My First Place family encourages and inspires me and keeps me accountable. It's not just the weigh-ins...its the notes of encouragement, the advice and the hugs that get me through.

So...what are your goals for this year? Do you have a support system to keep you accountable and keep you going? Let's use this as a sounding board and help each other get motivated to get healthy in 2011!! What do you think?

A Very Merry Christmas to you!!!

In these past several weeks, my postings have run the gamit of emotions. I have been sad over the death of a friend; I have been worried about money, my family, and work; I have felt joy at being with friends and family and reminded of my many blessings; I have had melancholy feelings about Christmases gone by...as I read back over what I wrote, it makes me think I seem a bit mixed up! Exactly what mood am I in these days? But, I think God gave us emotions and feelings to let go of the hard things going on inside of us, kind of like the steam coming out of a pressure cooker. I think it is ok to feel and let others know what we are feeling...that is how we relate to others because we ALL have feelings. Some of us just show more than others.

Today though, I just want to concentrate on Christmas and the joy that God's gift of Jesus brings to me.

It's Christmas! Sing! Rejoice! Celebrate!
Let God create in you colorful explosions
Of joy and excitement!
Smile away fears, push away tears.
Out with the pretense, in with the praise!
Open your heart to light, trust and hope.
Awaken slumbering memories
Stir up stupendous dreams
Anticipate surprises
Open your arms wide!
Thank God for life.
Thank Him for the manger,
For the splintered cross, for the empty tomb.
Thank Him for the gift of Jesus,
The savior of the world.
Shout! Laugh! Share! Care!
And say to God on Christmas morning:
"I entrust myself anew to you today!"
It's Christmas!

That is my wish for you, my friends! Merry Christmas!

Thirsting for SOMETHING...

Have you ever wanted something that you didn't have? Since this is Christmas, you might be thinking of that perfect present and hoping someone picked up on your subtle hints. How about other things you want...a better body, college education, a nicer car, bigger house, how about a family that doesn't fight all the time...

We all want things we don't have. The problem is...those THINGS don't fill the hole; if we do get them, we still find ourselves wanting more. The problem is we are searching for the wrong THINGS. We are parched...dry...empty and we long to be filled to the top...We are thirsty for something...something that we can't get through things here on earth.

John 4:14 says "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." I have wanted that water...and I have asked for it and received it. I feel confident knowing that I DO have eternal life.

When I remember this promise from Jesus, I feel satisfied, quenched and full to the top! The problem comes when I let my frustrations overpower me and I forget and allow myself to feel that hole inside me to open up again. I don't understand myself! How can I possibly forget?????

This world we live in is a powerful thing...almost a drug that clouds our vision and judgement. We are given a taste of "the good life" through the tv shows and movies and books we read. We want what THEY have because it looks so good. We get frustrated with our lives because they aren't what we want them to be. We allow ourselves to get THIRSTY again!!! Perhaps that's the reason we should stay in constant communication with God and read His word daily...to keep ourselves quenched in HIS PROMISES and not the promises of the world.

Yes, I do these daily messages everyday, but yet I still allow myself to forget. I can't even imagine what my life would be like if I DIDN'T have God in my life every day!! No wonder there is so much sadness, drug and alcohol abuse in this world today! So many THIRSTY people!

Are you thirsty? Is there a hole in your life that you can't seem to fill with food, things or relationships? God is there, just waiting to give you a drink of that living water! It's a daily journey to the well...not a one time deal. We need water to survive on this earth, and we need that living water to survive every day too!

A Melancholy Christmas feeling

Why can't Christmas be like it was when I was a kid? I looked forward to Chrsitmas...the presents, the family, the fun, the tv shows, the food, the music...the anticipation was tantalizing!

Now, as an adult, I love the reason for the season and thank God for the gift of His Son who saves me every day! I sing His praises and I have moments of great joy!

But...that tantalizing anticipation is not there. It's five days until Christmas and while there is part of me that is looking forward to the big day, there is a bigger part of me that just wants it to be over so I can get on with regular life, regular eating and my regular routine.

That lack of excitement and antipation fills me with feelings of sadness and melancholy that I don't like.

I recently heard a friend sing a beautiful song..."Soon and Very Soon." It speaks about Jesus coming and all the wonders we will se when that happens. I love how it says all our sins will be erased and shame will be forgotten. (What a wonderful thought! I know God forgives my sins, but it's me who remembers the shame.)

But, the verse that gets me the most is the one that says soon I'll be with the one I love...

"I will be with the One I love

With unveiled face and I'll see Him

There my soul will be satisfied

Soon and very soon."

My soul will be satisfied...I won't feel lonely, unworthy, unlovely....I will have no unmet needs or desires. No more aches, pains and sickness. No more sadness and tears. I will no longer feel the subconscience need to eat to fill the void. There will be no void!

Hanging on to those promises will get me through this bout of seasonal melancholy. There are still things to be joyful about and even if Christmas doesn't hold the same joyous anticipation as it did when I was a child....I can still look forward to it and enjoy the joy I see on other faces as they enjoy it as well.

I encourage you to hang on to thosepromises that God made to all of us. THere will be a time when your soul will be satisfied as well!

Happy 5 Days 'till Christmas!

Finding the joy...

I have so many friends who are hurting in some way right now...broken marriages, family issues, money issues, health problems...the list is longer than Santa's gift list. How hard it is to be happy with holiday cheer when your life has been turned upside down for one reason or another!

I try to keep joy in my heart each day (I wear a JOY pin to remind myself) not so much for myself, but for others. It makes me happy to give someone else a smile and I feel it makes getting through the day easier seeing others smile. That sounds pretty simplistic...I am not delusional enough to think my smile and a kind word can change someone's life situation, but...it can't hurt!

My problem comes when I forget that many others don't share my need to smile and make others happy. There are many who would rather revel in their own misery. I seriously think there are some people who are happiest being unhappy...and making everyone else around them as unhappy as they are. I feel sorry for those people, and give them my very best, practiced and perfected Pollyanna! It is good therapy for me, (and fun too!!!) to drive the habitually grumpy crazy with my cheeriness!

Oh, I know people get aggravated with this cheery "sun porch" attitude...but I believe God gave me this personality for a reason...perhaps it's my job to try to make people feel better and bring a little positivity into their lives. I get frustrated with grumpy complainers...I hope I can remember that they have had hurts in their lives that have helped to make them that way...and love them all the more!

In my fretful impatience

I am so often inclined to ask"Why can't she change?"

"Why is he so slow?"

"Will they ever learn come past mistakes?"

"Why is she so mean?"

And then God begins to impress me

With my own slow process and growth

I see His stretched-out patience with me

I remember how long He has waited on me

And I am sad at how often my attitude

Is so intolerant

O God, keep fresh the imprint

Of my own need to grow

And make me more flexible

More understanding

More forgiving

And alway more loving.

Put on your own JOY pin and remind yourself that even in the hardest situations, we have reasons to be thankful and happy when we rely on God!

Eyes of a child