Life is guaranteed to throw some tough times at us! But, how do we handle it? There are three sailing tips to help us smooth out those rough seas as we sail through this sea of life.
1. Life Skills and Adaptability...Change what needs changing while maintaining balance and presence of mind. Learn new skills to help us communicate and navigate the tough times.
2. Awareness and Foresight...Pay attention to what is going on around us! Too often we see trouble coming and do nothing to avoid it. Prepare our ship, seek a safe harbor, ANCHOR DOWN!
3. Have an Adventurers Spirit...Test our skills, venture further from shore as we get better at navigating tough times!
Smooth Sailing doesn't come just from no tests or trials, but from how well we make the adjustments necessary to navigate those tests and trials.
Blessings,
Dr. Tim
Launch the fleet!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
STEPPING OUT!
Living your life to the fullest begins when you step outside your
comfort zone. It can be quite tempting to stay in your comfortable place
where things are predictable and safe. But your growth comes when you
dare to shed the comfortable surroundings and venture out. You can do
this by setting new and more demanding goals, making new friends, or by
reading new books that stretch your visions. When you venture out you
will meet new and exciting people who are exploring just like you. You
will soon discover that the reasons you were afraid to venture out were
not as bad as you thought they were. In fact you will wish you had done
it sooner. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead; venture out, get
uncomfortable with being comfortable and grow a little. The rewards of
new growth will do you good!
Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it. – Rapunzel, Tangled
Blessings,
Dr. Tim
Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it. – Rapunzel, Tangled
Blessings,
Dr. Tim
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sculptured Days!
As I read the Psalms, it becomes evident that the Psalmists did not write just to teach us a few life lessons. These songs of scripture were written as a record of the life of the writer. In other words, a record of days they will never forget! Some good, some not so good! Days that have been sculptured as a memorial of remembrance.
Today, I am reminded of some sculptured days in my life as well. You surely have some yourself! Our wedding days, the birth of our children and the birth of our grandchildren, graduation from college, and many others I don't have room to mention.
Not all of these sculptured days are happy ones. Some were days of intense heartache and stress. Days that we would actually love to forget but can't. They, too, have played a part in the shaping of our lives.
The lessons learned from the Psalmists are these...I can do the sculpturing, or I can allow others to do the sculpturing for me. The Psalmist David certainly wrote of both. By giving God His due praise and thanking Him for his mercies were days that David sculptured himself. Days when he allowed the persecution from others to cause depression or anger, were days that he allowed them to create the sculpture.
When others are trying to sculpture our days, we need to take over and do our own sculpturing. Trusting God in what He has already taught us. Even when things are hard, we can sculpture that day into one with a lesson instead of a regret. Doing this will allow us to look back at the masterpieces that have been created.
A little smoothing here, a little chisel there...add this, remove that. See what the day has in store. I'm sure God has given us the tools to turn this day into a masterpiece...with a little instruction from Him of course!
Lord, mold me and make me!
Blessed,
Dr Tim
Today, I am reminded of some sculptured days in my life as well. You surely have some yourself! Our wedding days, the birth of our children and the birth of our grandchildren, graduation from college, and many others I don't have room to mention.
Not all of these sculptured days are happy ones. Some were days of intense heartache and stress. Days that we would actually love to forget but can't. They, too, have played a part in the shaping of our lives.
The lessons learned from the Psalmists are these...I can do the sculpturing, or I can allow others to do the sculpturing for me. The Psalmist David certainly wrote of both. By giving God His due praise and thanking Him for his mercies were days that David sculptured himself. Days when he allowed the persecution from others to cause depression or anger, were days that he allowed them to create the sculpture.
When others are trying to sculpture our days, we need to take over and do our own sculpturing. Trusting God in what He has already taught us. Even when things are hard, we can sculpture that day into one with a lesson instead of a regret. Doing this will allow us to look back at the masterpieces that have been created.
A little smoothing here, a little chisel there...add this, remove that. See what the day has in store. I'm sure God has given us the tools to turn this day into a masterpiece...with a little instruction from Him of course!
Lord, mold me and make me!
Blessed,
Dr Tim
Thursday, March 3, 2011
MY TRUCK IS DIRTY!
It is a beautiful day today! I am looking around and admiring the new blooms that some of the plants have already started to develop. Then I see it! My truck. So dirty! No clinging mud or anything like that, just road film and dust from all the dirt roads I have been driving down lately.
My truck is a beautiful "Crimson" color (can you say "ROLL TIDE!"?) when it is clean. But, today it is starting to take on a tan appearance. So dusty in fact, that when you touch it, you leave your mark!
"Wash it!" you say. Well, I want to. It just seems as though every time I tell myself that I need to, something distracts me and takes my attention elsewhere. It has been two or three weeks now since the last wash. The longer I go, the dirtier it gets. The dirtier it gets, the more noticeable it is! The more noticeable it is, the more I am reminded to wash it. I just can't seem to find the time to get it washed!
I think our lives are the same way. We travel down this road called life and get a little dirty. Sometimes it is a full blown mud hole we go through and sometimes just a dusty old dirt road that puts a little "dusting" on us. Either way, we get dirty!
Because of distractions, we put off the washing of our lives. We get dirtier and dirtier. Finally, that dirty life becomes noticeable to us as well as those who have noticed it much earlier!
Isn't it sad that I can find the time to do everything else except wash my truck? An average T.V. show lasts an hour. Surely I could clean my truck in an hour! We could begin with at least an hour a day devoted to "cleaning up" those things in our lives that make us dirty. Bible reading in order to understand the principles of God's Word. Prayer to personally connect with the One who can keep us clean.
I'm sure that those who see my truck would enjoy it more if it were clean! It is so with my life as well. Those with whom I come in contact would enjoy me more if I were "clean". A pleasant personality, non-complaining, happy, caring, and even fun guy!
I am going to enjoy my life! And, in doing so, I will get a little dirty. But, I need to wash my life frequently in order to be presented as "clean"!
Honey, where is the bucket?
My truck is a beautiful "Crimson" color (can you say "ROLL TIDE!"?) when it is clean. But, today it is starting to take on a tan appearance. So dusty in fact, that when you touch it, you leave your mark!
"Wash it!" you say. Well, I want to. It just seems as though every time I tell myself that I need to, something distracts me and takes my attention elsewhere. It has been two or three weeks now since the last wash. The longer I go, the dirtier it gets. The dirtier it gets, the more noticeable it is! The more noticeable it is, the more I am reminded to wash it. I just can't seem to find the time to get it washed!
I think our lives are the same way. We travel down this road called life and get a little dirty. Sometimes it is a full blown mud hole we go through and sometimes just a dusty old dirt road that puts a little "dusting" on us. Either way, we get dirty!
Because of distractions, we put off the washing of our lives. We get dirtier and dirtier. Finally, that dirty life becomes noticeable to us as well as those who have noticed it much earlier!
Isn't it sad that I can find the time to do everything else except wash my truck? An average T.V. show lasts an hour. Surely I could clean my truck in an hour! We could begin with at least an hour a day devoted to "cleaning up" those things in our lives that make us dirty. Bible reading in order to understand the principles of God's Word. Prayer to personally connect with the One who can keep us clean.
I'm sure that those who see my truck would enjoy it more if it were clean! It is so with my life as well. Those with whom I come in contact would enjoy me more if I were "clean". A pleasant personality, non-complaining, happy, caring, and even fun guy!
I am going to enjoy my life! And, in doing so, I will get a little dirty. But, I need to wash my life frequently in order to be presented as "clean"!
Honey, where is the bucket?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
THREE RINGS AND A RINGMASTER!
I took my grandson to the circus a few days ago. A fun time was had by all!
While I was watching the circus, I was reminded of how our lives are similar to the circus. So many things going on at the same time, that we have a hard time focusing on just one of them. Watching this one, watching that one, and of course, watching the other one! All at once!
Trying to keep up with it all is so tiring. Not to mention, that when you try to focus on just one of the acts, the others do something so fantastic that you miss it! All the while, a Ring Master is talking and trying to guide your attention to a specific spot!
As I counsel so many people, I find that their lives are spinning out of control because they can't focus on what needs to be done. Their emotions are being tossed to and fro because they are pulled in so many directions. Just as they are getting settled on at least one of the issues, a "Ring Master" starts talking and directing their attention to another area, causing them to miss the spectacular!
I decided to just find the ring of activities that grabbed my attention first! I would watch that ring for the whole performance with only a quick casual glance to the other rings! This allowed me to not only enjoy the show, but it gave me the opportunity to allow others to share with me what they saw. None of us watched the same ring of activities!
Remember, our lives need to be focused on our abilities and our passions. We can reduce the stresses in our life by not worrying about all that is going on around us. When that obnoxious "Ring Master" begins to speak, and tries to direct your attention away from your focus, just remember that there will always be something going on... all the time... somewhere! Just keep watching your ring of activity!
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth!" That show is LIFE!
While I was watching the circus, I was reminded of how our lives are similar to the circus. So many things going on at the same time, that we have a hard time focusing on just one of them. Watching this one, watching that one, and of course, watching the other one! All at once!
Trying to keep up with it all is so tiring. Not to mention, that when you try to focus on just one of the acts, the others do something so fantastic that you miss it! All the while, a Ring Master is talking and trying to guide your attention to a specific spot!
As I counsel so many people, I find that their lives are spinning out of control because they can't focus on what needs to be done. Their emotions are being tossed to and fro because they are pulled in so many directions. Just as they are getting settled on at least one of the issues, a "Ring Master" starts talking and directing their attention to another area, causing them to miss the spectacular!
I decided to just find the ring of activities that grabbed my attention first! I would watch that ring for the whole performance with only a quick casual glance to the other rings! This allowed me to not only enjoy the show, but it gave me the opportunity to allow others to share with me what they saw. None of us watched the same ring of activities!
Remember, our lives need to be focused on our abilities and our passions. We can reduce the stresses in our life by not worrying about all that is going on around us. When that obnoxious "Ring Master" begins to speak, and tries to direct your attention away from your focus, just remember that there will always be something going on... all the time... somewhere! Just keep watching your ring of activity!
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth!" That show is LIFE!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
What's Your Number?
"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)
"One, two, three, three, three, three..." Words you don't want to hear while taking a Physical Training test for record! As long as you do the push-ups or sit-ups correctly, the number is given in a consecutively growing order. But, if the "form" is wrong, and you don't go low enough or high enough, the grader continues to repeat the same number so that you know those don't count.
Too bad that life isn't that way! We can't get this day back in order to correct the mistakes. Be that as it may, we can correct the "form" and continue with our life.
In that PT test, only the correct repetitions of exercise are marked on the score card and turned in for grading. We still did those "incorrect" push-ups or sit-ups! Our muscles still hurt! But only the correct ones count
As we live our life, we will have some days that are not good. We will make mistakes. Sometimes over and over again! They are not erased! We waste the day worrying about tomorrow or spend sleepless nights thinking about our mistakes today. Our minds are so occupied by these events that we can't enjoy the day we have. There are no dry runs or practice laps! This race of life that we are in is the real deal!
Moses wrote this Psalm of prayer to the Lord. He was reminding us that our days are numbered and we need to make the best of them. If we do make mistakes, sin, or whatever you want to call it, let's learn from those times and gain "wisdom" from them. Let's use what we have learned to teach others and keep them from the perils we have faced.
I'm reminded of just how short our life is when I pick up a paper and see the obituary column, or when I'm asked to conduct a funeral. We never know when we will run our last lap! Make a new friend today. Help someone who needs it without expecting something in return. Call someone and encourage them.
How has this day been numbered for you? Did it count? Gain any wisdom? I think I'll make a new friend today...."Hi, my name is Tim."
"One, two, three, three, three, three..." Words you don't want to hear while taking a Physical Training test for record! As long as you do the push-ups or sit-ups correctly, the number is given in a consecutively growing order. But, if the "form" is wrong, and you don't go low enough or high enough, the grader continues to repeat the same number so that you know those don't count.
Too bad that life isn't that way! We can't get this day back in order to correct the mistakes. Be that as it may, we can correct the "form" and continue with our life.
In that PT test, only the correct repetitions of exercise are marked on the score card and turned in for grading. We still did those "incorrect" push-ups or sit-ups! Our muscles still hurt! But only the correct ones count
As we live our life, we will have some days that are not good. We will make mistakes. Sometimes over and over again! They are not erased! We waste the day worrying about tomorrow or spend sleepless nights thinking about our mistakes today. Our minds are so occupied by these events that we can't enjoy the day we have. There are no dry runs or practice laps! This race of life that we are in is the real deal!
Moses wrote this Psalm of prayer to the Lord. He was reminding us that our days are numbered and we need to make the best of them. If we do make mistakes, sin, or whatever you want to call it, let's learn from those times and gain "wisdom" from them. Let's use what we have learned to teach others and keep them from the perils we have faced.
I'm reminded of just how short our life is when I pick up a paper and see the obituary column, or when I'm asked to conduct a funeral. We never know when we will run our last lap! Make a new friend today. Help someone who needs it without expecting something in return. Call someone and encourage them.
How has this day been numbered for you? Did it count? Gain any wisdom? I think I'll make a new friend today...."Hi, my name is Tim."
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