Missions Ethiopia

We went to a banquet at Hope Community Church and heard President Girma Wolde-Giorgis of Ethiopia speak. I enjoyed being there. He thanked everyone for helping his country and told a little bit about the poverty and problems and his hopes for the future. It was so impressive to me that he would go to a church gathering in the middle of the country because they were helping his people. As they said, that is a sign of a humble man.

President Girma joked about being invited to ring the bell in New York for the start of the day at the stock exchange. He said the day before he rang it, it had the worst drop in many years (and it did). The day he rang it things got much better. He told other jokes too.

One of the things President Girma said that 64% of the country had been covered with trees and now only 3% was covered with trees. They needed to replant. I don't think people heard him rightbecause, when he said 3% a lot of them clapped and it was bad news, not good news.

I was very glad to get to go. We talked to several very nice people, including a young couple at AGTS and Evangel. We hope to see them again.

We also got to hear the Ethiopian Ambassador to the US and Pastor Tom Deuschle of Zimbabwe. It was an interesting evening. The food was good also. I had brisket and John had pecan encrusted chicken.

Happy Cat

We have discovered that our cat loves strings of beads. As a Mardi Gras decoration, I put a bowl of necklaces I bought in New Orleans several years ago in a bowl of the coffee table. The cat is so funny. At first he did not notice the beads. One morning we woke up and they were strung from the living room to the kitchen. The guys put a couple of the necklaces on the cat and he loved it. Now, every day, he pulls some of those beads out of the bowl and carries them around the house as if he is decorating. At night I take the necklaces off the cat, but in the morning he's up there meowing to have them put back on him. He is so proud of his beads.

This morning I put some beads that were on the floor back on the table. He picked up one string of them in his mouth and carried them over to a chair. Who would think a cat would like something like that?

Keys to Happiness #4

There is an epidemic of saddness all around us, particularly in youth. I have read that over half of all youth are significantly depressed. This can be verified anecdotally by going to a youth dominated blog site such as myspace and reading what the kids have to say. There is a lot of hopelessness everywhere. If one spends much time with youth, particularly those who are not in the top 25% academically and socially, you become very much aware of it.

It doesn't stop with youth. Most authors who write on how to get healthier point out that a majority of people who go to see doctors have illnesses that are the result of negative emotions and stress.

Today's tip is to laugh several times a day. Find things that are funny, such as movies or jokes deliberately and laugh out loud. If you can't find anything funny. Laugh out loud a fake laugh. Find somebody to compete with to see who can have to best, or worst, fake laugh. Make the wierdest face you can at each other. Or try making them in the mirror. Find a laugh track recording or make some of your own and smile while you listen to it. Fake it.

Keys to Happiness #3

Our own words build us up and give us a sense of well being. When we are driving down the street we need to say out loud things like, "I love...." and "I really like...." When we are in our homes, when we talk to others, and anywhere else, we need to make these affirmations. This is especially true if we are feeling a bit negative or burdened.

The more positive statements we make that are true, the more our mood will lift. I don't know why, I just know it is. As I was telling the person this morning who was having a hard time, if you are really bummed out, you may have to make 100 different statements before your mood lifts. If we are really in a low mood and nothing seems good, then we need to affirm anything that is slightly good or anything we remember liking in the past. For a very depressed person it is fine to start out with, "I used to really love...." or "I used to really enjoy..." or"I kind of like...."

Here are some of the kinds of things one could say
I love.....
it when the sun is shining.
ice cream.
watching birds fly.
the color blue.
breezes.
my house.
email.
my dog and/or cat.
my church or pastor.
my offspring.
my spouse.
my __ store.
old cars.
my Bible.
grandma's quilts.
old master's paintings.
my _ teacher's style.
the way _ takes care of my hair.
the smell of lilacs or candles burning or barbeques or donuts or......
soft pillows.
__ restaurant.
fresh brewed coffee (or tea).
fog.
dancing.
bicycling.
that sign. (whatever you are looking at the time)
___ TV show.
autumn leaves.
the ocean.
the mountains.
my friends __ and__.
my boat.
___shows.
squirrels at play.

Look around you wherever you are and be aware of what you see. What do you like? What do you admire? Focus on it.

Keys to Happiness #2

The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It has two parts, love others and love self. It is a balance. The first half of this is to love our neighbor. We know that giving and helping others is fulfilling and we are told to do it.

But what about the other side? Do we really love ourselves? Sometimes not. Sometimes we put the needs of everyone else before ours and we never get around to taking care of ourselves or being nice to ourselves. In the case of parents, caretakers, the sandwich generation, people in jobs that serve the public (such as teachers, social workers, ministers, chaplains and other similar serving jobs) and giving people, this sacrifice of self is becoming epidemic. After a point we can become miserable, physically ill and weary of life. A lot of the people who feel bad and go to the doctor for treatment or even wind up in the hospital are suffering from this malady. It shortens people's lives according to authors I have read. This is not what Jesus had in mind for us when He said, I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.

There are many steps one can take to renew themselves so they have something left to give. One is to set boundaries. Think the people you are sacrificing for can't get along unless you are constantly at their beck and call? What are they going to do if you have a heart attack, stroke or collapse? I know of instances where the caretaker died before the ones they were caring for. You are not invincible and it can happen. Just look at the obituaries. You are doing them a favor by taking time for yourself and setting limits on your life. That way you get to stay around longer.

So how can a person get some joy back in their life when they feel life has milked them dry? Here is one suggestion that anybody can do. Make sure you treat yourself to something special every day. It doesn't have to be big. Listen to a song you enjoy, go for a walk, if you like strawberries or grapes or any other food, treat yourself to them, read a chapter out of a book you enjoy, spend some time on a hobby, go to the art museum, you get the picture. You need to do something nice for yourself every day.

Keys to Happiness #1

This morning I was having a conversation with a family member who is having a rough time. I came up with several suggestions that I feel are worth writing, even though I have written them other places.

Sometimes life gets out of balance. We work very hard and take a lot of responsibility to the point where life is just a burden. A lot of bad things may be happening all around, including to us. It's a rare person who has never had that happen. We start to get very tired and negative and the whole world looks bad or hopeless. The negatives take over.

It's time to have some fun and schedule in things you enjoy. Jesus took time for himself and to rest regularly and we can too.

Sometimes the balance has to do with the people around us. Needy, hurting people can be a drain on our lives, especially if they are the only people we ever spend time with. They do not mean to be. (And most of us get a turn at being a needy, helpless person in some way.) They really do need the help. Their concerns can be unending, depending on the individual. The people I am talking about are the ones who take but have nothing to give for the time being. Some day many will turn around and be givers.

There are other people who are simply takers that we might have in our lives. They add little or nothing but we keep them around for our own reasons and put up with them. Some of these may be relatives or friends, or they could be coworkers or neighbors, but they are around.

When we find that everybody in our life needs us or is a taker that drains us, it is time to seek balance for the sake of sanity. We need to seek out people who can, and do, add something positive to our lives. They might be givers or they might simply be people who ask nothing of us but enjoy our company. We all know people like, that but sometimes we forget to spend time with them. These are the people we laugh with and we feel refreshed and relaxed when we leave their presence. Without them, life can stink.

For many of us, a pet can be one of the friends who give more than they take. That's why pets are so popular. They are happy to see us and we are their world. They love us even when it seems like nobody else does.

Our lives need balance, whether it be activities, people or anything else. As Ecclesiasiastes 3:1-8 says in it's list of opposites, to everything there is a season.