Empty Nest, Abundant Life

Nag Less, Pray More

Category: Growing as a Person (Page 2 of 9)

Don’t Give Up

October 29, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You easily get discouraged when life doesn’t progress as quickly as you would like it to.   You are tempted  to quit when life gets hard.  If you succumb to your temptation, you will never get anywhere.

In order to make progress in life, you must keep moving forward, even if your emotions are screaming at you to stop.  When you resolutely exercise your will over your feelings and continue to put one foot in front of the other through pain, hopelessness, frustration, and sadness, you will get closer to your goals.  If you stop, you will either stagnate in your life or even move backwards as you establish a poor track record.

Life is hard, but when you advance through the difficulties with your eyes on Jesus, you establish  momentum that is hard to stop.  Apply Newton’s first law of motion:  an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a force.

Allow God to keep you going, and you will reap many benefits.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last

October 28, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

While I was researching this blog series, I asked a number of people what advice they would give to their younger self.  One of your friends you haven’t met yet, Pat, an octogenarian great-grandmother and widow, was the oldest person to reply to my question.   She answered quickly with a  wistful look in her eye, “Live each day as if it were your last.”

You have no idea what will happen from day to day, and you are not promised to have a tomorrow.  You will meet many people in your lifetime who pass away with very little if any warning.   Make sure you tell the special people in your life that you love them every time you talk to them.   Don’t leave conflicts unresolved.  If there’s something you’ve been wanting to try in your lifetime, there’s no time like the present to begin your pursuit.

As you look back on your life as you take your final breath, you will want to look back with fondness rather than regret.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

This Too Shall Pass

October 27, 2018 / / 1 Comment

Dear Younger Self,

I know that what you are going through today seems insurmountable and never-ending, but I can promise you that it won’t last forever.  Don’t lose hope or perspective as you experience the challenges and joys of today.   Everything on this earth is temporary.

You will encounter many seasons throughout your lifetime, and you will often get no warning when one season will transition to another.  Even if circumstances seem difficult today, embrace the lessons you can learn from it and engrave it into your memory, because the circumstances will eventually change.

When you see what you are enduring as fleeting instead of permanent, your entire outlook will transform.  The sickness will end.  The babies will sleep through the night.  The pain will subside.  The children will grow up.  The trial will cease.

I have been through enough of life to know that everything really does pass.  You will be able to get through any hardship if you realize this.  Hang in there, my friend.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Nag Less, Pray More

October 26, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You may think that your constant reminders to loved ones are helpful, but they are not nearly as efficient as praying on their behalf.   Nobody appreciates being badgered.  In fact, it often drives them away from doing what you want.

Instead, take your concerns straight to the God of the universe who created you and the ones you love and knows the absolute best plan for each person’s life and the absolute best way to motivate each person toward that plan.  The Holy Spirit can convict others so much better than you can.   Trust God’s sovereignty instead of your own determination.

Be the person filled with encouragement  for others instead of the one people avoid because of the negative messages they bear.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Relationships and Experiences are Worth Far More than Any Material Possession

October 25, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

How will you choose to invest your life?  In modern America, the word investment is closely associated with the accumulation of more money and more stuff.   Material possessions will bring fleeting happiness, but not lasting joy.   The more stuff you get, the more stuff you have to maintain, keep track of, and clean.

Instead, I would recommend that you spend your money on memorable experiences and meaningful relationships.   Don’t wait to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.  You never know when you will get the chance to do them again.  The time and energy you spend on others will continue to bless people for generations, long after anything you owned even exists.

So, savor each day, take the time to develop friendships, teach those younger than you what you know, and give a smile to someone who needs it.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

You’re Not in Control

October 24, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You like to be the boss of your life and like to boss other people around as well.  You rush around like Rabbit from the Winnie the Pooh stories, throwing fits when people don’t do things the way you want them to.  It’s so much better to take a step back from your domineering ways.  The earlier that you learn you are not fully in control, the better.

I can tell you another story from your future to illustrate this fact.  In less than two years, you will be in the throes of hard labor with my first child, attempting to breathe right and do everything according to your meticulous birth plan, and what will happen in real life will look nothing like what you will spending plotting and planning. When you cry out to the nurse, “I feel so out of control,”  the nurse will look into my eyes and calmly reply, “Welcome to motherhood.”

Life rarely goes the way that we plan it will.  Don’t fret that you are not in control.  Instead, rely on God.  He’s the Only One who is truly in control.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Debt Isn’t Worth It

October 23, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

I know you feel special every time you receive a credit card offer, but don’t fall for their empty promises.  The immediate gratification of being able to get whatever you want whether you have the cash on hand to pay for it pales in comparison with the interest, fees, and extra charges you will be paying to make that happen.   More often than not, you aren’t even using the item you had to charge on your credit card by the time you’ve completely paid it off.  It’s important to have a credit card for emergencies and convenience, not to mention building your credit score but hold off on using it unless you know you can pay it off by the end of the month.

Once you have built up your credit score, you may be able to purchase a house someday.  This is a good investment and worth going into debt for, but refinance when the interest rates drop and try to pay off your mortgage early.  Only get a car loan if it is interest free, and you are easily able to make the payment each month.

I know I may sound like a killjoy, but you will thank me later!

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Remember That You and Your Spouse Are on the Same Team

October 22, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Our wedding day, June 30, 1990

 Still in love 27 years later at our daughter’s wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Younger Self,

You were a starry-eyed bride in 1990, looking forward to an amazing future with your groom.  You had no idea the joys and struggles to come in your marriage.   Many of the problems were caused by immaturity and poor attitudes on your part.  You often jump to the conclusion that your hubby isn’t on your side and you are at war with him.  You need to remember that you are one another’s biggest allies and moving towards the same objectives.

Each day, think of a way to bless him instead of a way to blame him.  Make sure you make him laugh every day.  Forgive him quickly.  Even when life is going at breakneck speed, stop to show him affection.  Complement him in front of others, especially your children.  Remember all the reasons you fell in love with him in the first place.

Marriage is a difficult undertaking, considering the differences between how men and women approach life, but it can be rewarding beyond your wildest dreams if you make the choice to be on the same team!

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Great Joy Comes from Giving to Others

October 21, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

Common sense might tell you that getting is so much better than giving, but that is a lie.   Some of the best times you will experience in your life are when you are giving to others.  Try to reach beyond your selfish desires and seek to meet other people’s needs.  It doesn’t take much effort to brighten someone else’s day, yet it can mean so much.  Think of the simple gestures of kindness that people have extended toward you throughout the years and what a difference they’ve made in your life.

Each day gives you fresh opportunities to bring joy to others.  It can be as easy as a smile or encouraging word to a stranger or as involved as a yearlong commitment teaching every week.  Share the topics you are passionate about with others in creative ways.  Don’t expect repayment or even gratitude.

You can change the world by giving your resources, time, energy, and self, and your life will be far richer as a result.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

Travel as often as you can

October 19, 2018 / / 2 Comments

 

Dear Younger Self,

You’ve been comfortable on an airplane since you were a toddler and have always viewed travel as a great adventure.  Even when your parents divorced and lived 3,000 miles away from each other, flying alone as a preteen was no big deal.  You love to plan and anticipate trips and can hardly sleep the night before your departure because you are “trip happy.”

Don’t ever lose that zest for experiencing new places and cultures.  Seize any opportunity you get to travel.  You’ll learn even more by traveling abroad.  Don’t just be a tourist.  Get to know the locals and immerse yourself in the culture and language if possible.  Learn to appreciate the differences between other’s lifestyles and your own.  Assimilate the positive characteristics into your own life when you return home.

While on a trip and exploring Bainbridge Island alone when you were in your 40’s, you found the wall hanging pictured above in a charming book shop on a rainy day and were immediately struck by its wise words.  Your purchased it and hung it in your dining room when you arrived home.  Those words are just as wise today…so go, visit, learn, enjoy, wander, and grow so you will be a better person when you come back home.

This post is part of a  31 Day Blogging Challenge entitled Advice to my Younger Self.  Please click here  to find all the posts in this series.  You’ll be glad you did!

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