TURNPIKE OBSERVATION

It was very interesting today as I was driving home from a wonderful weekend visit with son, Jeremy. I do not like I-95, lots of crazies on that highway and too many trucks, so I prefer to go the PA Turnpike. It is a wonderfully relaxing drive and through some beautiful country side. Coming back today I was noticing something I have never seen before on that drive. All along the route, especially from Harrisburg to the exit before King of Prussia which is where I got off, I noticed cars and pick up trucks parked off on the side of the turnpike. They were all over the place. I could not figure out why there were so many abandoned vehicles along the turnpike. Then as I approached another small group of cars I got my answer.......hunters! It must be hunting season along that stretch of turnpike and the land along there is undeveloped. I was seeing cars of people out in the woods along there hunting, I assume deer. I nave never seen this before. Not sure if it's because I've never driven along there during hunting season before or if because of the state of the economy more people are hunting to put food on the table........

PERFECT WILL and PERMISSIVE WILL

A few days ago I began reading a book by Lloyd Ogilvie called Asking God Your Hardest Questions. It is a book that has been on my shelf for at least 10 years, never read. But I've had some hard questions through out 2009 and so when I was looking for some inspirational reading it seemed to pop off the shelf into my hands.

The chapter I read tonight is titled; How Can I Know God's Perfect Will? It was an amazingly thought provoking read. Here are a few excerpts from it that I need to keep in mind and mull over.

• "The perfect will of God is that we fulfill the purpose for which we were created: to know /god, receive his love, and enjoy fellowship with him forever....God's perfect will for our lives is that we love him, love ourselves, love others as he has loved us...." p.53
• "God's perfect will is what he intended: his permissive will is what he allows." p.54
• "God is always ready to go back to ground zero with us and begin again." p.55
• "...at the lowest ebb of history he {God} came to earth in Jesus Christ, the Mediator....The mediator's persistant ant prayer was, 'Not my will, but Thine be done.'" p.55
• "Is it possible to be a Christian and be out of the will of God? Yes. We can accept Christ's salvation and still run our own lives. Once again the Lord;s permissive will must be involved. He must work out to bring good out of our wrong choices. We are thankful that he does, but it's not the best he intended." p58
• "We can trust what God intends, believe that he will use whatever happens, and know that his ultimate will cannot be dissuaded," p. 62

There are many other wonderful thoughts in this chapter as there were in the preceding 3 chapters. I have 16 chapters more to go and can't help but muse over what wonderful things I will uncover in them.

I don't remember when or where I picked up this book, like I said it was at least 10 years ago, but there is a reason I did and that reason was so I had it on the bookshelf to read now!

THANKSGIVING SAY 2009

Today is Thanksgiving in the US. Traditionally a day when friends and family gather together to share in fellowship and a meal together. Even when traditions may change and there is not a large gathering of family or friends there is much to give thanks for. We should never loose sight of the many blessings in our lives. I hope that this Thanksgiving was a wonderful day for each and every one of my family and friends. As the saying goes......"God is good, all the time! All the time God is good!!!"

THOUGHT AND PRAYER FOR THE DAY

This will be my prayer for today: All I have is from God. He is the author and the Lord of my life. He loves me and will care for me. I just need to put myself in his wonderfully tender hands. The days and nights may be rough but he is with me always. This he promised. I claim this promise as my own and His love and grace will be enough.

Every morning in my inbox I have a short devotional thought from The Upper Room. Usually it is a quote from one of the books which they publish. Today's quote was from a book written by Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job. The book's title is A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God.

The quote was "Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my entire will; all that I have and call my own. You have given it all to me Lord, I return it. Everything is yours to do with; as you will. Give me only your love and grace. It is enough for me." This will be my thought and prayer for the day.

To receive these wonderful morning devotional tidbits you may go to The Upper Room and simply sign up.

A LITTLE HELP WHEN NEEDED

THE 30 SECOND STRESS BREAK

1. Begin by sitting in your chair back straight, relaxed and looking forward. Place your hands over your stomach and breathe through your stomach so that your hands will rise and fall with your breath.
   
   
2. Imagine, that with each breath you are breathing in white light, that fills your whole body and mind with vital energy. As you breathe out, visualize all your stress coming out with your breath.
   
   
3. Now, as you breathe in slowly tighten the muscles that connect your shoulders and neck. Those muscles where we keep all of our tension.
   
   
4. As you continue to breathe in and tense you muscles, rotate your shoulders with tension, up as though you were going to touch your ears with your shoulders.
   
   
5. When you have breathed in all you can and your shoulders are snug around your ears, hold it for just a second.
   
   
6. Now, release the tension and your breath in a big whoosh at the same time as though you were releasing the weight of the world off your shoulders, visualizing ALL your tension rushing out with your breath.
   
   
7. Repeat this exercise until you feel clear, refreshed and revitalized!

This is from a web site I found that has some wonderful information on dealing with Emotional Stress. Compassion Fatigue. I am going to check out more of what this site has to offer.