Empty Nest, Abundant Life

Nag Less, Pray More

Category: Growing as a Person (Page 3 of 9)

Pray for Wisdom Every Day

October 17, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

Life is hard, and it’s not getting any easier.  You have always been confident in your own intellect, but your conduct in this life will demand more wisdom than you are capable of mustering up on your own.  My advice to you is to rely on God for His unending wisdom instead of your shortsighted self.

The best way to do this is to pray before you even get out of bed in the morning, pray before you respond to any situation, pray before any conversation,  and pray before any major decision.  God delights in filling you with His wisdom but you have to confess that you don’t have enough wisdom on your own and ask God for His wisdom.

Ever since you made the choice to follow God, you have spent endless hours dwelling on the question, “What is God’s will for my life?”  God answers this question very clearly in His Word.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

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!

When you play the blame game, nobody wins

October 16, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You have always liked to assign fault for things that happen in life.  It makes perfect sense to you to try to find out who caused a problem and place the blame on that person, but this is not a productive use of your mental and emotional energy.  Blaming yourself, others, or God for actions can cause strife, condemnation, and a negative environment.

I will give you an example that actually occurs in your garage a few years after you are married.  By the time you reach your late 20s, you will have two children, a sweet, timid son and an outgoing, brash daughter, and become a minivan-driving soccer mom.  One morning, you are rushing around in attempts to get the children out the door to one of their activities on time.  You locate the keys, gather the kids’ needed equipment, and fasten each child in their car seat.  Your heart beats faster as you realize you are once again running late.  You close the van doors, hop into the driver’s seat, and turn your key in the ignition.  Instead of the engine roaring to life, the car does not respond.  Your daughter’s sing-song voice pipes up from the back seat, “Whose fault is it this time, Mommy?”

Yikes!  Talk about convicting words!  Sometimes life just happens, and no one is to blame.   Cars break down.  Kids get sick.  Stuff malfunctions.  Even when your day doesn’t go like you expected it to, release your instinct to accuse others in order to justify yourself.   When you work together to find a solution, everybody wins.

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!

Never stop learning

October 14, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

I know that you just graduated from college and are thrilled to be done with homework, tests, papers, and projects, but I don’t want you to give up on learning.  If you are interested in something, make it a point to learn all that you can about it.  You have so many ways and opportunities to learn skills, languages, subjects, facts, Bible verses, methodologies, and inspiring thoughts, and your newfound knowledge can be used to teach and bless others.

When you allow your brain to stagnate, you become uninteresting.  You have much less to offer.  Your mind becomes dull.  You are less excited about life.  I don’t want that to happen to you.

Never go through an entire day without reading.  Whether it’s reading the Bible, a newspaper, a well-loved novel, an instruction manual, a textbook, or a magazine, find words that will expand your mind.  Never stop going to the library.

I know it’s hard to believe that someday your body will slow down, but I can tell you with certainty that it will.  The wisdom you have attained throughout your life will be a great comfort.

 

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!

Talk less, listen more!

October 12, 2018 / / 2 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You learned to talk late and have been making up for it ever since then.  God gave you two ears and only one mouth for a reason.  He wants you to be a great listener.

Remember how frustrated you used to get when you were talking to your dad and could tell that instead of paying attention to what you were saying, he was already busy formulating what would come out of his mouth next?  You are just as guilty of this as he was.   Don’t be so preoccupied with a response that you fail to hear the words that another person is expressing.

This can apply to any relationship at any time, from a quick chat with the grocery store checker to a heartfelt conversation with your husband.   When others see that you are not listening to their words, they will be less likely to confide in you or accept your words.  An unwillingness to actively listen keeps a relationship from growing.

Holding your tongue involves discipline and self-control, but it is so worth it in the end.

 

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!

Don’t get sucked into the yuck

October 11, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You have a life-changing choice in this world.  Are you going to pursue joy, or are you going to allow negative thoughts to hijack your day?  You are going to have both wonderful and horrible things happen to you throughout each day of your life.  How you choose to react to them will determine the kind of person you are.   You will face this choice countless times each day.

For any situation, you can find both a bright side and a gloomy side.  I encourage you to embrace optimism instead of getting “sucked into the yuck.”  Once you have allowed your thoughts to deteriorate to that deeply negative place, it is much harder to climb out of that deep hole and you may unconsciously pull others into the hole by your grumpy outlook.  Instead, look for the benefits, blessings, and lessons at every juncture in your life, instead of complaining and grumbling.   You will enjoy being around yourself much more, and you will be a better companion and positive influence on others.

 

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!

Forgive both others and yourself

October 10, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You expect too much out of both yourself and others.   You  mentally beat yourself up when you don’t meet your expectations, and you replay how others have wronged you over and over again in your mind.  You exaggerate the sins of yourself and others and hold bitterness in your heart.

You need to stop this!  It makes you ugly and causes more stress and negative feelings than you can imagine.  Before you start to get sucked into that slippery downhill spiral, remember that Jesus, who never sinned against anyone,  died for all sins, both yours and everyone else’s, and has given complete forgiveness to all who ask for it.

When you harbor resentment, it only hurts yourself.  Most people who have hurt you don’t even remember that they have done so.   Communicate with those who have sinned against you instead of getting angry and telling others what they did.  Learn from your sins, repent, and move past them.   You can’t do this without God’s help, so rely on Him for every step on the journey of forgiveness.

Living in this fallen world means that you will be dealing with sin on a daily basis.   Forgiveness clears your mind and heart so they are free to purse more positive actions.

 

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!

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened

October 9, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You are a great anticipater.  You look forward to any vacation, family get-together, holiday, and event.  You inflate it like a balloon in your mind, and then, when it is over, you tend to go into a state of mourning as the mental balloon bursts and the event has passed.

When I was researching this blog series, I asked many wise friends what advice they would give their younger self, and my friend, Gail, whom you haven’t met yet, mentioned that it’s not productive to long for what once was.  It puts you in a much better frame of mind when you are thankful for the time you had and you carry the positive memories instead of lamenting the fact that it’s over.

This can apply to so many situations in your life.  You would be sadly surprised by the number of people you are close to who die well before their time.  Don’t grieve the loss.  Celebrate the memory instead.

So cherish the time, live in the moment, take many pictures, and be grateful for the time you had,

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!

Develop good habits

October 8, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You have always hard a hard time with consistency, and the struggle will continue to plague you throughout your life.  It’s so easy to make excuses and talk yourself out of doing activities which are best for you.  I firmly believe that it’s because the enemy of our soul, Satan, whispers lies to us and entices us toward laziness and poor choices.  Don’t succumb to the temptations, younger self!

Work toward developing these kinds of disciplines:

  1. Spiritual-No matter what, make sure you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer every day.  You have so many choices as to the method to pursue so you can find the system that works best for you.  It’s imperative that you stick with these habits above all because it involves drawing closer to the God of the Universe, who longs to be in closer relationship with you.   Scripture memory and group Bible study are vital activities to pursue as well.
  2. Physical-I know you think exercise is a horrible thing now, but, trust me, it will help you far more than you will ever know.  Even when you feel like you are too tired to exercise, get out there  and raise your heart rate daily.  You will feel so much better physically and mentally.  Studies claim that exercise is the most underused drug and that food is the most overused drug, and I believe it.  Track everything that you put in your body, so you are aware how many calories and grams of fat, sugar, and protein you are ingesting.  Make sure you brush and floss often and get all your regular check-ups too.  Sleep is a vital component of your health, so go to bed at a decent hour.  I know I sound like a mom, but you will thank me later.
  3. Mental-Make sure you exercise your brain.  You love word and number puzzles, and these help to keep your brain nimble.  Read daily, and pursue new hobbies and skills.
  4. Social/Emotional-Contact friends often.  I know it’s more comfortable for you to “hermit up,” but we were created to be in relationship with others.  Also, make sure you schedule downtime to recharge your emotional batteries.  Journal to process through difficult circumstances.  Reach out if you read me.

It only takes 21 days to form a habit.  That’s not a really long time when you look at all the benefits that habits provide.  If you do happen to miss a day,  instead of beating yourself and completely giving up, quietly strengthen your resolve and get right back to it the next day.  When you are busy keeping up good habits, you don’t have nearly as many time for bad habits.  With God’s help, you can do 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!

Expectations kill relationships

October 7, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

You are such a sensitive soul, and your feelings are easily hurt.  You expect a lot out of yourself, and you expect a lot out of your friends.   Don’t let this hinder you from forming friendships or cause you to sever friendships you’ve already created.  Everyone has different standards, different circumstances, and different backgrounds.  When you expect them to speak, react, and do everything exactly like you would, you will be sorely disappointed.

When you build up great expectations of others without communicating these thoughts, you are setting yourself up for failure.   When you build up expectations, you are often building barriers in relationships.  It is much better to not expect anything and be delighted by anything that others do or say that positively affect you.  See these moments as gifts from God.

1 Corinthians 13 tells us, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”  I know it can be hard to look for the best in others when you are feeling wounded, but it can be the most healing salve available.

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!

Gratitude can help you get through anything

October 6, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Dear Younger Self,

The temptation is so strong to focus on what is lacking in our lives instead of what is abundant in our lives.  It’s so easy to think about what we want to acquire, achieve, or change instead of express thankfulness for each blessing in our life.

Make it a game to see how many things you can express gratitude for each day.  From the first smell of coffee in the morning to your comfortable pillow at night, you can find objects, situations, feelings, relationships, and experiences that cause you to express gratefulness.  The more you notice and thank God for all you have, the stronger your “gratitude muscle” will become.

Your “gratitude muscle” will be especially needed on dark days, when finding things to be grateful for will take more effort and creativity.  When you choose to focus on all the gratitude-worthy parts of your life, your mood lightens and you realize just how blessed you really are!

 

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!

 

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 Empty Nest, Abundant Life

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑