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“Lesson 1” by Julie Hill Alger
At least I’ve learned this much:
Life doesn’t have to be
all poetry and roses. Life
can be bus rides, gritty sidewalks,
electric bills, dishwashing,
chapped lips, dull stubby pencils
with the erasers chewed off,
cheap radios played too loud,
the rank smell of stale coffee
yet still glow
with the inner fire of an opal,
still taste like honey
The longer we live, the more things we will experience—both good and bad. The circumstances that we face help surface our true character while building resilience in the process. When dealing with disappointment, our response can determine the direction of how those experiences will impact us in the long run.
If you ever find yourself stuck on disappointment, here are a few ways to cope through the process:
Many times, the things we encounter are minor in comparison to the bigger picture. Never forget that. If you face disappointment with your friends, children, spouse or co-workers, ask yourself “does this matter to the bigger picture?” Would the disagreement matter one year from now? How about one month? If it’s not a deal-breaker, let it go and focus on the things that matter. Often times, the things that matter aren’t things; they’re people. So, focus on the greater purpose instead of the minor problem.
While talking with a friend about an unfortunate circumstance, I recall hearing him say, “Well it is mind over matter. So if I choose not to mind, it won’t matter.” I remember thinking…. WHAT?! What in the world was he saying? Is he saying that he can mentally make a situation so minuscule in our minds that it will be as if it’s non-existent? Absolutely. Our minds are powerful tools and the true battlefield within our head—not on this earth. When facing resistance in life, many times we make it into something much bigger… mentally. By choosing to master our thoughts toward the external circumstances, we’re ultimately choosing to master the power that the circumstance has within our lives.
Although we shouldn’t base our behaviors on our feelings, it’s vital for us to address how we feel as it happens. When we fail to tend to our feelings, they appear as outlets in other ways and areas in our lives. Our feelings deserve validity and value. Address how you’re feeling and get to the WHY behind the feeling. Cleanse your heart and embrace the feeling you’ve experienced, then move forward with a pure heart and clear intentions.
When things don’t go as planned, most of us have a tendency to shut out the world. We pull ourselves away from others to get ourselves together. It’s a good thing to step back for a moment to reflect, but it’s also imperative that we surround ourselves with positive things and people. It reminds us that in the midst of trouble, we’re still surrounded by beautiful things and people that we can appreciate. It also helps us to maintain a grateful mindset through the storm.
Disappointment is inevitable so using these things to help maintain a positive perspective is key. We may not be able to change our circumstances but we can change how we respond to those situations.
In the mist of challenging times, practice these four things and remember the beautiful words of the serenity prayer:
Did you know, that from the time a girl reaches puberty until about the age of 50, she is twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder as a man? Anxiety disorders also occur earlier in women than in men as well and women are also more likely to have multiple psychiatric disorders during their lifetime than men. As if that is isn’t enough, the most common mental disease to co-occur with anxiety is depression. (www.adaa.org)
This is disturbing. It breaks my heart that so many of my sisters out there are fighting a battle within their minds against anxiety and depression. I have not been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or depression, but I do struggle with worrying and deep thoughts sometimes weigh me down. Minutes before writing this, I was so anxious that I couldn’t focus on what I wanted to do. I would read my book for a second, then surf the internet, then write and then look at my phone. I’m aware of my body, spirit and mind and they all were completely out of order and antsy. I became aware quickly that something was off and maybe I just needed to spend a moment with God. I shut the computer, threw my phone across the room, grabbed my prayer journal and poured out my spirit. I started with a heart of thanks and asked for forgiveness and went into proclaiming that Jesus has the victory over everything.
After that, I began to pray for others who were specifically on my heart in that moment. Everyone I prayed for had a common need and the need was God’s peace. I felt in my spirit to then proclaim peace over everyone in my circle of influence. I feel like creation as a whole is searching and crying out for Gods peace. I then let the Holy Spirit lead me to scripture and to no surprise, he lead me to Judges 6:23-24:
The LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
   Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have found that scripture without the Holy Spirit prompting me to, I mean when was the last time I read judges? (The answer is never.) We search everywhere trying to find peace and the only place to find it is in Him and through His word. When we rest in his promises peace overflows and when we realize who He is (THE LORD IS PEACE) all doubt, fear, anxiety, depression and sadness have no place.
Sweet girl, the Lord Is Peace so stop worrying yourself. Trust that He is holding you and carrying for you. He is so close to you, he’s for you and he sees you. My prayer is that he covers you, me and anyone struggling with fears with His blanket of peace. Whenever you feel anxiety, depression, or fear creeping into your space and spirit chant this mantra of HIS promises:
“THE LORD IS PEACE. THE LORD IS PEACE. THE LORD IS PEACE.â€
With love and big smiles,
torrie
Back in 1913, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act something monumental changed in the way America decided to handle our money. He decided, on executive order, to have our money controlled by a private banking agency, which is The Federal Reserve. Congress didn’t know about this and the public didn’t know about this either. Only a selective handful of people were aware of what was happening.
Fast forward to 2015 and what cost you $1.00 now only cost .04 cents in 1913. That’s a 96% devaluation of the dollar since this act came in to existence. With the system that is in place right now, the dollar is only going to continue to decrease. How does this affect you and what can you do to prepare for what lies ahead?
The first thing you need to know is that it most certainly affects you which is why it’s important to educate yourself on it and why I felt called to write this article. You and I need to be mindful of what is happening with the economy. I suggest to be weary of false news and to only listen to the few voices out there that are being honest with what is happening. Two that I want to suggest are Alex Jones and Ron Paul. Alex can be found at www.infowars.com and Ron Paul can be found on www.ronpaul.com
Secondly, you need to know what inflation truly is. Inflation is NOT just the price of everything going up, but also the value of the dollar going down. If our dollar is decreasing this means we need to be preparing for when/if it collapse completely. We need to be investing our money into necessary commodities, the necessities of life. For example, long storage food, gasoline, and your basic survival tools. The last thing you want, is for the economy to crash and you and your family not be prepared.
I’m not saying to stop enjoying life and doing fun things with your money, but perhaps budget a certain amount of money each paycheck to go towards an emergency kit that will be able to help you and your loved ones survive. My husband and I have adopted this habit and it’s very reassuring. I’m not writing this article to scare you but to educate you and fill you with hope. If an economic crash ever happened I want us all to be prepared and ready because when you’re prepared fear has no hold.
With love and big smiles,
torrie
Shutting off the world and connecting with my maker is one of my favorite times of the day! Creating an atmosphere that is going to allow me to focus and hear the Holy Spirit is vital to how effective my devotional time is. Light some candles, put your phone away and allow this playlist to play quietly in the background! I hope you enjoy.
The Devotional Playlist
With love & big smiles,
torrie
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