How Can I Smile When I'm Not Happy?

Our knowledge of God has the potential to help us to smile in the most distressing of circumstances. Why? There is nothing that can separate us from God's love. He has given us that major promise and he will fulfill it, for he cannot lie. I am able to smile often when I am distressed, sorrowful, depressed or discouraged. If not smile, I can at least feel hopeful, which is a type of joy.

I say "Thank you Lord for joy unspeakable and the peace that surpasses all understanding. I know that the joy of the Lord is my strength and you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon you." I feel better immediately. What about the times when I don't feel like quoting those truths? That's another story but one that is also filled with success. Nothing is too hard for God, no matter what it feels like or looks like.

On the physiological side, which God also owns, he has built into our systems the ability to feel better when we smile. It is good to try smiling when we don't feel like it. I didn't believe it and it really annoyed me when I heard people say this or read it. One day, I decided to try it and I did feel a lift in my spirits begin to happen soon after I tried it.

I think how much of a lift we feel will depend on at what depressed level we're starting. If we've just endured a great tragedy, it would be very difficult to want to try to smile but we can always try. I try to remember that I can do all things through Christ, nothing is too hard for God and when I'm weakest is when God is strongest in me.

Neurologists have proven that smiling can trick your brain into happiness — and boost your health. A smile spurs a powerful chemical reaction in the brain that can make you feel happier. Science has shown that the mere act of smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost your immune system and possibly even prolong your life. 

So just try it and tell God what's going on. Tell him several times, if you have to, what it is that is making it so difficult to impossible for you to smile. Just remember to ask once for help, healing, blessings, etc., whatever it is that you need. After that, thank him for it until a change occurs. You can have confidence that he heard you the first time if you asked according to his will.

If you believe that he heard you then you know you have what you've asked, one way or another (1 John 5:14-15). You don't have to ask anymore or beg and plead. Since you know you already have it just thank him until his answer manifests. So remember, try to SMILE and always tell God.

Mornings With God

Begin each morning with prayer and triumph throughout the day.

I feel wonderful when I start my day with God! Before I talk with anyone, before I answer emails, before I open my door to anyone, before I engage with the world through sight, speech or reading, I engage with my Heavenly Father. First thing!

I probably have written about this before but I am actually afraid to start my day without talking to God first. It's dangerous. It's the same as going into a serious war without weapons.

It's suicide. It's murder, self-murder to go into any battle without having the center area of our bodies protected with our breastplates, without having our feet armor on, without hefting up our shields, without putting on our helmets and without our all-important swords. (Ephesians 6:14-17) These weapons of warfare don't come automatically. They don't put themselves on us. We have to put them on, to dress out, to suit up at the beginning of every day.

Cares of the world take over when we don't start out with God.

We cannot handle the issues of our private lives and our relationships with the world without God. When we don't set our day with him first, we find very little time to do it later. The cares of the world quickly take over as the day advances and serious thoughts about God are often crowded out.

We have to be aware of God to feel that he's helping us and to recognize his help when he sends it. Since he often sends help in unusual ways, we have to be close to God to not only recognize that help but to accept it.

Feel close to God all day when you meet him first thing.

When I meet God before I start my day, I feel close to him all day and into the night. It leads me to think about him often throughout the day. I am reminded to talk to him and pray little prayers at various points during my day. These are all very important for us to live an ever-increasing, strengthened Christian life. 

Whatever time you begin your day start it with God!

Now your day may begin at a different time every 24 hrs. You may have some temporary changes in your schedule where sometimes you stay up all night or late into the night, and arise in the afternoon or evening. It doesn't matter with regards to meeting God in the morning. Your morning is whenever you get up from an extended period of sleeping. The beginning of your day is whenever you start it.

Satan never rests. His demons never rest. Evil influence never rests. Wicked plans never cease. We can't rest either when it comes to seeking God's face, drawing nigh to him and putting on his whole armor at the beginning of every, single day! 

God In The Morning

I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best,
And His presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

 

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them
Brought to us a peace and rest.

 

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the Presence left behind.

 

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

~ Ralph Spaulding Cushman ~

 

Helping The Poor With Clean Water

Charity: Water A Good Way To Help Others

I know that our drinking water is not perfect and probably has pollutants in it despite municipal filtering. The purity of even bottled water has been called into question. Though the water that we have may still be contaminated in some ways, I can't imagine drinking cloudy water every day in desperation. I can't imagine scooping water out of dirty creeks and streams and from polluted waterways because of burning thirst. 

Clean Water Is The Right Of Every Human

I started my week by giving to Charity:Water, who provides clean, safe drinking water in 29 countries. They don't just send bottled water, they implement long-range projects for good health. 

They partner with experienced local organizations who build sustainable, community-owned water projects around the world. Their local partners select water point locations based on a variety of factors like:

• geography,
• assessment of need,
• community participation,
• and long-term sustainability.

Give To Charity:Water For The Good  Health Of Others

In addition to the construction process, local partners spend months establishing community buy-in, promoting safe hygiene practices and building water committee capacity to manage projects.

To ensure that water continues to flow for years to come, the local partners empower local leaders, use strong operations and maintenance structures, collect data on specific WASH indicators, and implement innovative sensor technology.

Help Others To Have Clean Water Through Charity:Water

Existing water sources, terrain, and population are taken into account when choosing a water solution. From household BioSand filters to piped systems that stretch for miles, Charity:Water and their local partners and leaders work to make sure they’re funding the most appropriate solution for each community.

A person can survive only about 3 days without water. It's wonderful to be a part of bringing safe drinking water to others. The Lord wants us to reach out and help those who are poor and less fortunate than we are. There are many ways to give but for some reason the need for clean water in many places seems to pull at my heart.

I give regularly by selecting an amount when I purchase through Paypal and by making my Amazon purchases through Amazon's Smile program, which costs me nothing extra. I'm thankful to be a part of providing clean drinking water to those who are dying of thirst.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27

 

Problems With Forgiveness?

Keep trying forgiveness until you succeed in speaking it.

Forgiveness is a choice, just like happiness, love, faith, etc. No matter how we feel, if we confess to God that we forgive someone(s), God will do the rest.

God focuses on our hearts, not our feelings. He knows why we feel the way that we do, why it is hard to forgive that person or those people. Never give up on trying to utter words of forgiveness. Say what little bit you can to God about forgiving someone. Keep trying forgiveness until you succeed in speaking it.


Keep launching your kite of forgiveness until it catches the wind and flies high!

Obedience is to say to ourselves and to God "I forgive _________," even when we may feel that we shouldn't have to, that it's unfair, that it hurts too much, that God doesn't care. It is the honest effort that God honors. He will help you as you try.

Keep trying to launch your kite of forgiveness. It may take several tries. Your kite may take a nose dive several times and may even crash to the ground a couple of times. Pick it back up and launch it again.

Keep launching it until it catches and flies high into the sky with success. In a similar way, you will become adept at forgiving, with sincerity.

God honors us greatly when we obey in the name of righteousness! Over time, we will see great changes in ourselves and our lives when we choose to just obey and forgive. 

 

 

We Can Do It!

God helps us to extend beyond our limitations.

I think all of us are in denial of our physical and other conditions and limitations sometimes, especially as we age. God can help us consolidate the practical truth with the can-do living that we love to cultivate. God also gives us a chance everyday to extend beyond our limitations. There is an important point that we must remember as we reach up to achieve and realize our hopes and dreams.

We must be careful with whom we share our aspirations and not cast our pearls before swine. We must be careful to not allow others to trample upon our precious plans and pursuits. We want to be encouraged by those who support us and believe that we can do what we determine to do, in Christ Jesus.

God expects us to extend ourselves in order to manifest his blessings.

God's Word tells us that The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27) and All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). 

These and other similar scriptures refer to ALL THINGS, not a few things, not some things, not certain things in specific circumstances, not things for some people, but ALL THINGS. If we can believe, then a way will be shown unto us by God's Holy Spirit. We have our parts, however, that we must play and procedures that we must do to realize what God has already secured for us. God expects us to extend ourselves in one way or another to embrace and manifest his blessings.

I am learning to remind myself of the truth every day, that despite aging and regrets over so much time that has passed, I can do more than I've ever done. I confirm it. I declare it. I pray it everyday.

I thank my Heavenly Father for broadening my scope and widening my horizon, for giving me a seeing eye and a hearing ear, for helping me to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to life, for helping me to not look to the right hand nor the left and for helping me to keep my eye single so that my whole body will be full of light.

Be encouraged through the truth of

Matthew 21:21 and 17:20.

I pray for you that your way will grow brighter every day!

 

He Cares For You

Jesus has truly suffered it all.

Turn To Jesus, The Lover Of Your Soul

No matter what it is, you know that Jesus understands. He who suffered everything that you have and will suffer offers comfort in a way that no one else can.  Though he may not have experienced what you have in the way that you did, he has truly suffered it all.

He suffered it for you.

In his divine spirit and in his human heart and emotions, he experienced all of human horror. It is in the spirit and heart of man where the roots of true suffering are for all outer suffering. Jesus truly suffered it all for all mankind in the way that only God can. He suffered it all for you. He does know what you are feeling and why.

He did it for love, a special kind of holy love.

Jesus felt it all in a few moments of time, when he took into his human body all of the hurt, terror, depression, fear, discouragement, anxiety, hopelessness, rage and despair for each and every human who has lived, is alive today and who will come into this world. He did it for your soul. He did it for love, a special kind of holy love. Just tell him about it.

Talk to Jesus and remember that it is our Father God who raised him from the dead. 

 

Poetry: God And Son As One

 

How hard it must have been

For you to know, Lord,

That you are the Light of the World,

And to walk among hatred and blindness.

How hard it must have been

For you to live under

Being harassed and hated,

And to walk among

That determination to murder.

 

But you were determined

To enforce God's will.

Your Father, who gave you up

To a vicious world of dark haters,

Lived the horrific sacrifice through

And with you.

~ Sandi Holland ~