Mind Yourself

Have you ever heard the saying, "A rising tide lifts all boats"?   I have that quote on my kitchen bulletin board because it reminds me to keep my mind on good and productive things;  to keep my mood lifted otherwise I run the risk of bringing everyone around me down!
It has been scientifically proven... how we think will have a strong influence on our attitude, our behaviors, and ultimately our health.  Our mind is very powerful and together it works in harmony with our body and our soul.

I like what Randy Alcorn has to say about this:

"Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny."


What thoughts, actions and habits are shaping your character today? 
I believe that character development continues our entire life so it's never too late to change your mind or your thinking about anything.  Have you heard of the acronym"G.I.G.O."?  It means "garbage in, garbage out"  Fill your heart and mind with good things and you will reap a harvest of great things in life.  Believe bad things will happen or fill your mind with negative and you will attract it.  Are there  challenges in life?  Of course.  Is there heartache and pain?  Absolutely.   What you choose to do with the circumstances that you are confronted or bombarded with will determine how your day,  your month,  your year, and your life take shape.
I mentioned above that your thinking can influence your health.  There is actually a study of how the mind or psychy can affect your health and specifically your immune system.   Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body.   It has been proven that the way you think affects your health, for good or bad so I want to encourage you to think health and not sickness!   It may be as simple as saying to yourself and others that you are "not going to get the flu" even when others around you have come down with it and are out of work for days.  And when you are feeling less than you should adopt the saying "I'm not 100%" or something similar,  instead of telling everyone how sick you are.   You will feel sicker just by saying you are and you will become more well by believing that too!  

This family photo is from Thanksgiving. My mother is flanked by my husband Robert on one side and my son Anthony on the other.  Also present is my son Bobby, my son-in-law Chad, my nephew Barry, my brother Jeff, and my mom's husband Kerry.

It is so important to fill your minds with great things and there are many beautiful things to be thankful for.   I occasionally encourage people to write a gratitude list.  This is especially helpful if you are going through a rough time.  Write down anything that comes to mind including relationships and material things.  Try not to over-spiritualize keeping in mind that we are all three; body, mind, and soul.
This evening my son Anthony left for his mission trip in Nicaragua.  I am so thankful for him and I will keep my mind on being assured that God will protect he and his group as they help build a church school for a hungry community during the next eight days.   

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, 
and break up your unplowed ground; 
for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."  Hosea 10:12


Do all you can do to lift people up.   Love them and support them.  Never be a part of their sinking!


God is blessing you.  Donna

I'm Too Young To Be This Old!

This guy tried a little too hard to stay young!!

 "I'm too young to be this old!"   I recently heard this from Steven Tyler on American Idol (yes, I watch American Idol!)  Since I just celebrated my birthday the end of January I have spent more time than usual thinking about age these past two weeks;  what it does and doesn't mean.  One thing for sure is that my body is aging but in spite of this biological fact I will continue to treat it well by eating good food in limited quantities,  and also by getting plenty of rest and exercise.   I have been given only one physical body while here on earth.   I believe that I honor God when I honor my body.

 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."   1 Corinthians 6:19, 20

Getting older means I was born in 1956 and I am 56 and therefore I am now closer to 60 than 50!   It also means that I am old enough to have four adult children;  three who are married... and two grandchildren.   It is obvious that when I drive around the streets, freeways, and tollways of Southern California the majority of the people driving in the cars next to me are younger.   (If you are nearing 50 test this in your area and see if I am correct!)  And for sure I am not quite as resilient as I once was and this becomes obvious when I travel through time zones internationally or when I don't get my 7-8 hours of sleep.
  Getting older chronologically does not mean that I become lazy and let my body fall apart.   It does not mean that I concentrate on or talk incessantly about physical aches and pains (in fact I thankfully don't have many)  Instead I try to spend the majority of my energy talking with my friends and family about life's present and past experiences, both painful and joyful, and I try to see something good in everyone.    It does not mean that I concentrate on all that I have lost including loved ones, relationships, jobs or assignments that didn't work out,  material possessions, etc.   It does mean that I strive to keep up with younger people.  ( I also try to allow my kids and other younger people to influence my thoughts and my attitudes.  I don't want to become so set in my ways that I won't try something new or different or that I won't keep an open mind to another opinion.) 
The main way I am reminded of my age is to count the years as proven by my life's calendar.  Even more so when I see myself in photographs and realize that I don't look the same age as that 20 or 30 year old standing next to me! ( I absolutely love young people and the energy that flows to me just by "hanging out" with them.  I sometimes forget that I am not their age!)

Like a lot of us, I'm a bit eccentric or odd in some of my ways.  One thing my husband can tell you is that I have a mind that thinks in songs.  Let me explain.  Often when I hear a phrase or a topic of discussion I immediately think of a song with similar phrasing.  I just can't help it...it happens!  Then I will sometimes sing a few bars out loud (but most the time it's only in my head)  For instance in the case of attitude and age I think of the following song and lyrics sung by Frank Sinatra back in 1954.  Although this song was made popular a couple of years before I was even born, my parents often listened to this while I was growing-up so I remember and absorbed these words.  They are so powerful!

Young At Heart lyrics
Songwriters: Johnny Richards;Carolyn Leigh
Sung by Frank Sinatra 1954

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you're young at heart
For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you're young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on it's way

Don't you know that it's worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are it's much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part, you have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart.

My paternal grandmother lived just shy of her 101st birthday.   Towards the end of her life, when she could no longer get around by herself,  she enjoyed her "walks" outside in her wheelchair where we would pause and look at every single flower and bird.   I would often pick a flower and put it in her hand and she would lift it to her nose, breath-in deeply, and then smile and make some kind of a cute comment.   I now do the same with my two-year old grand daughter, Haven when we take walks with her stroller.
 
Something happens to most of us in the gap years between young and old.   When and how do we become old?   I believe that one way we age is when we lose the ability to "stop and smell the roses."
It may sound cliche' but I think it's true. 
If we aren't intentional about staying young at heart we can become complaining and nagging people, concentrating more on our aches and pains than on our hopes and dreams.  No matter how old you are, God still has a great plan for the rest of your life.
My hope and prayer for you is that you will continue to honor your body as you age and that you would appreciate each and every small blessing, concentrating on what's right about your life remembering...

Psalm 17:22.  "A cheerful heart is good medicine."

Make every effort to stay young at heart. 
God is blessing you.  Donna

Spiritual Health Is the Soul of the Self

Enjoying a spirit-filled evening on my birthday, January 29th with my husband, my mom, three of my four kids, my grand daughter, and one of my son-in-laws.  (Bobby's wife Hannah just gave birth three days prior so she wasn't there.  Angie and her husband Chris live in Dallas so they were missed too!)

 "...the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being."  Genesis 2:7

The Latin verb to breath is "spirare".   From there we derive the word "spiritus" which in English is "spirit".   When I read and examine the above account of how God brought man into this world by breathing into his nostrils I get an incredible sense of oneness and belonging with the creator of the universe.  He literally breathed us into existence and he imparted his spirit on us and in us.    When we grasp the magnitude of this creation story we can see how the invisible God becomes visible through his creation- you and me.    Why is it then that our souls or our spirit, the very central, life-force that lives at the center or the core of who we are can sometimes feel so disconnected from him and from others?  I'm not sure there is just one answer to this question but what I do know is that if I don't work on staying connected to God I can become very easily distracted.  If I unplug from my life-source, God,  I know that my day to day circumstances become more complicated and can even become fear-provoking.   There is a definite cause and effect scenario which takes place when I don't keep God in the center of my life.   Out of gratitude I work with intention on my body,  my mind, and my spirit or soul. (or should I say my spirit or soul first and then my body and mind).
  God never moves away from us but we depart from him when we cut him out of our daily routine or when we make hasty decisions without prayerfully considering all of our options.   I truly believe that "in order to know God we must know ourselves, and in order to now ourselves we must know God."

 I am a mother to four (thankfully) grown children.  For those of you who are parents I'm sure you will agree that raising teenagers requires wisdom, courage and strength.  Looking back I recall a time when our 14 year old was struggling with his self-esteem and also with with his faith.  For several weeks he just hadn't been the great, happy kid that we had known him to be.  He was having problems with his school work and also with his relationships.    One afternoon my husband, Robert asked him, "how's your relationship with God Anthony?"  I will never forget the question and I will never forget Anthony's reaction to the question.   As if it would rest on his lap, his head began to slump, as ever so slowly he shook it from side to side.  That's all he had to do to reply;  no words or anything else was necessary for us to see how confused and unhappy our son was at that moment in time.   Anthony's innermost essence and being seemed as though it was utterly lost.  In the depths of his soul he appeared to be struggling with a disconnection to God and thus a disconnection to us, to others, and to life.    This detachment was affecting everything about Anthony.   Fortunately we loved him through this relatively brief rough spell during his teenage years and he has grown and matured into a great 24 year old adult.  He now has a very strong and active faith and he feels called to share that faith with people who come into his life.   He is a solid example of a loving, devoted and faithful young man who loves to help others in many diverse ways.  He is involved in local and global missions and his latest  project will be in full-swing in just a few weeks.  He is leading a team of nineteen others to Nicaragua February 22nd through the 29th where they will build a school and a church for a very small village.  Please pray for Anthony and his team and if you would like you can make a donation to the St. Patrick Project by clicking on the icon to the right of this blog.  Please designate your gift "for Anthony Schuller/Nicaragua Mission."  No amount is too small.
*I'm sure if you ask Anthony now he will tell you that he had to work on his relationship with God before he could grow into the person who feels good about himself and others.   I have seen his example of dedication in the time he spends with his creator and I have also seen first-hand the positive fruits of his discipline.  His spirit is full of the love of God.

The dictionary defines spirit as "the life principle, especially in man, originally regarded as inherent in the breath, or as infused by a deity."  (I believe they got this definition from Genesis)   It goes on to say that spirit is "the thinking, motivating, feeling part of man, separate from matter but connected with life, will, conscience, and thought."   A definition of the soul includes "the immortal or spiritual part of a person which has no physical or material reality.  It is credited with the functions of thinking and willing and hence determines all behavior."
I think we can say that our soul represents the very center or core of our being and that all inspiration comes from it's essence.  This is why it is so important to keep God where he belongs and where he started in our human existence when he first breathed the breath of life into us.      
  
I love these words of Jesus found in John 16:7b  Incidentally, Anthony led me to them.
"...unless I go away, the counselor (also referred to as the friend or Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you."   Jesus spoke these words to his disciples before he was crucified.

We are promised that the Holy Spirit is available to us today.  It can enter and possess our souls and give us a feeling of hope and comfort in our good times and also in our challenging times. 
If you are facing difficulties, pain,  a sense of loss, or if your life is full of confusion and doubt, ask yourself this question: "How is your relationship with God today?" I do believe that your answer will tell you something about your life and it's journey towards wholeness.  Your answer will also have a strong influence on how you are functioning, relating,  and reacting to the world around you. 

God is blessing you.   Donna

New Life!

Hi!  I wanted to post a photo of our brand new grandson, Robert Cohen Schuller IV!!!  He was born on January 26th and he weighed 8lbs. 12oz.  (he is a big, healthy boy!)
Here is a photo of him at just three hours old.   What a great reminder of the amazing blessing of new life.     I will be writing and posting a new blog on spiritual health in the next few days.

God is blessing you.  Donna

Renew Your Mind For A New You

I don't know about you but most days I feel like technology has a huge influence on me!   That's why I practice and I stress to others the importance of time alone without the distractions of phones, t.v., internet, radio, or anything that prevents us from an undisturbed time of self-reflection, prayer, and meditation.  For some of you that word "meditation" might throw up some red flags but let me assure you that I am only refering to the silent moments where we wait for God to speak to us.   Prayer is great but sometimes I think we might try to talk God's ear off and thus we can never hear his answers.  Of course I pray but the next step for me is to meditate and wait for an answer.   This isn't always easy because I have my own agenda and besides that I don't always receive the answers I want.  Often I hear no answers at all.

   In my last writing I focused on the body.  Today I want to focus on the mind.   There are so many sayings when it comes to the mind so I thought I'd add a little levity and list a few.  Feel free to comment and add more as you please!  Here goes:

Keep in mind that I am not always right and most often I need to be in the state of mind to write.  Hopefully you will keep an open mind when reading as I know that sometimes I may seem out of my mind because most days I have a lot on my mind.  My goal is to attract like-minded individuals so we can grow together in body, mind, and spirit.  If we can strive to be of one mind I know we can help inspire and motivate others.  I realize that we are sometimes double-minded and thus we can give each other a piece of our mind but the goal is to always have a meeting of the minds on this blog.  You can change your mind as to whether or not you want to read it but please be mindful that we are all individuals and entitled to our opinions.   Never mind that I won't always say what you need to hear but please bear in mind that I try to be sincere and honest.  I need to put to mind that not all of you will read all my blogs but if I set my mind on not including too much mind-boggling information I am sure that it will help with the mind-set of us all.  If you change your mind after reading this ridiculously silly paragraph, at least know that I am not on any mind-altering, mind-blowing, mind-bending substances.  I am trying to take your mind's off of negative, self-destructive thoughts and help you to set your minds on productive, God-inspired blessings.  Yes, to change you mind-set so that in your mind's-eye you may begin to believe how great the father's love is for you!  (please don't mind me for this craziness!)


"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will."  Romans 12-2b

To be transformed is to change your personality or character;  your deep and inner-self.  To make, new, fresh, young, strong; or to give spiritual strength to, to re-establish, to revive, to begin again, to become a new person.  In science it is related to the word transmute which means  "a change in basic nature that seems almost miraculous."  I found this definition to be most interesting since I'm sure that many of us have known a person who seemed to have changed overnight (miraculously).  I believe this is one of God's amazing mysteries, that he has the power to change anything, anytime, in the blink of an eye.  For most of us however change is a process which takes time and determination.   This is why I say it is so important to spend time in solitude and deep thought; to get away from all gadgets and entertaining distractions.  If you want to transform your mind I think you need to "pray like it all depends on God and then go to work like it all depends on you."   Martin Luther

It's a new year and it can be a new you as long as you are willing to put in the time.   As I said last week, we are body, mind, and spirit.   What part of your mind do you need to change or improve on?  Write down your goals for self-improvement and personal growth in the area of your emotions.  Until you get those in check you will seriously impede your ability to have good physical health.  This will also affect your spiritual life.  How you feel about yourself and others will influence how you feel about God and vice-versa.

Start spending time alone today.  Start with five minutes if that's all you have, or if that's all you can handle.  You can add five minutes a day (or a week) until you spend at least twenty to thirty minutes alone each day.   Take your Bible with you and also a pad of paper and a pen.   Be open to what you  might hear or what actions you might take as a result of this time alone.   You will be amazed at how much you will learn about yourself by doing this very simple thing.

It's a new year so make it a new you!

God is blessing you.  Donna