Their Hearts Are Hurting

Sep9

So you wake up each morning, hang your legs over the side of the bed and say to yourself, “How Can I Screw Up This Day?” Right???

WRONG!!!

However, there are those who would believe otherwise. In-fact, it becomes their goal to critique you on everything you do. You know…that person who makes it their personal goal criticize your every move. Have you ever wondered what make the critical person tick? Having had my fair share of criticism I have recognized the following commonalities of a critical personality:

Internal Anger:

Often the critical person has deep-seated anger carried within. This anger could possibly be generated by unmet goals, emotional abuse, or the belief their rights had been violated. This person walks miserable and by being critical they ensure everyone is as miserable as they are.

Upbringing:

A person can be overly critical because this is how they were wounded as a child. Then, carries the wound in the subconscious mind making him/her overly critical and unbearable to be around. This person has received negative messages as a child resulting in an overly critical and sarcastic adult. The negative messages that this child constantly received as a child turned into a way of thinking that lead him to become an overly critical and sarcastic adult.

Lack of Self-Confidence:

The person who lacks self-confidence frequently puts himself down. This person is full of negative messages and these negative messages are transmitted to others in the form of criticism.

Now when you encounter that constant overly critical personality you no longer have to become defensive because your are able to recognize the criticism is not always warrented. In-fact, now rather than seeing an overbearing critic you are able to see a wounded child who is angry and lacks self-confidence.

So how do you respond to the criticism? Do you retaliate or withdraw? Dealing with Criticism is an awesome article I found that is full of advice for you on how to deal with criticism.

To deal with the critical persons…pray for them!

Their Hearts Are Hurting!!!

Love Lee ♥

Dealing with Difficult People

Sep8

“Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don’t hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people.” ~Zig Ziglar

Ain’t That the Truth!

I would rather rob a liquor store than be around that person but unfortunately you have to work with that person or worship with that person or perhaps even live with that person. We have all had to deal with that difficult personality who is miserable and wants to share their misery with everyone else by being…

Negative
Hateful
A Bully
Vindictive
A Kill Joy
Angry
Unrealistic
Passive aggressive

You get the picture and I am sure someone’s name or face came to mind as your read the list of negative descriptions. So, how do you deal with this person you are forced to interact with?

Recognize The Enemy:It is spiritual warfare. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Put Your Armor on: Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11
Say to Yourself: “They are not the enemy”. You are not fighting against flesh and blood. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Ephesians 6:12
Pray: Take a mental pause from the ranting and raving to whisper the name of Jesus over your situation. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 2 Thessalonians 3:2
Love: We are instructed to love our enemies so when this difficult person is acting out make a conscious decision to love. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44

It is easy to get caught up in drama but we must be the rational healthy one and recognize we can not change this person but God can. And remember that is why they are refered to as…

Difficult People

Love Lee ♥

Trusting His Heart

Sep6

It has been a week…

We have been reminded life is fleeting and we are only promised the here and now. With Richard’s mother in ICU fighting for life, our grandson lost his half-brother in a car wreck today, and my loss of a beloved pet our hearts are hurting.

When life doesn’t make sense or seem fair and we feel all alone we have to learn to trust His heart…

This song is so incredibly perfect for where we are in our lives today…Listen closely to the words of this song. When everything in our world falls apart we have to…

Trust His Heart

Love Lee ♥

Praying For Our Nana

Sep6

Amazing the difference a day can make. On May 7th 2011 the family was celebrating the graduation of one of my nieces the next day our Nana took a nasty fall in the parking lot of the hotel. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital and while she had a couple of nasty bumps and bruises on her forehead and a laceration on her knee she was cleared for discharge home. Later that month, we had our 5th annual Smith Family Reunion and Nana was not able to attend because her knee was not healing. In-fact because she is a diabetic it was progressively getting worse. She was so disappointed she was not able to attend as she loves being surrounded by family and friends.

The first of June Nana returned to the doctor to find out she had a nasty infection in her knee and would require IV antibiotics…After long term antibiotic therapy and 6 knee surgeries our Nana took a turn for the worst last Thursday.

One day she was celebrating the graduation of her granddaughter…the next she sustained injuries from a fall.

One day she is getting a manicure, pedicure, and her hair done while sitting on the side of the bed…the next she is in ICU engaged in a battle for her life.

Our Nana remains in ICU in septic shock…She is on a ventilator, receiving mega doses of antibiotics, feedings, and dialysis…

All of this from a FALL…

I share our Nana’s story for three reasons:

To Remind Everyone to Put Safety first!!
Falling is the leading cause of unintentional injury at home among Americans 65 and older. Older people sustain such injuries by stumbling on stairs; slipping in bathtubs; falling off ladders and step stools; and tripping over garden hoses, dog leashes, and household appliance cords. Nana fell in a parking lot…
To Remind Everyone to Talk to your family about your wishes!!! What do you want if:
Your heart stops beating or you have a lethal arrhythmia: Do you want someone to try to get your rhythm back by performing compressions or shocking your heart with a defibrillator?
You quit breathing: Do you want to be intubated and placed on a breathing machine?
You are not able to eat: Do you want to sustain your life with feeding tubes?
Your kidneys shut down: Do you want to have dialysis
To Remind Everyone each day is a Gift!!!
We are not promised tomorrow so…Grab every opportunity you have to tell your family and friends how much you love them.

Please Continue to Pray for Our Nana…

Love Lee ♥

The Power of Words

Sep1

As I was writing a Happy Birthday greeting on my friend’s Facebook Wall this morning, I began to think of how much power words hold and the affect they can have on a person. Think about it: Words spoken by

God created the earth and everything placed on it
Political leaders can begin and end wars
Teachers educate the world
Preachers encourage a congregation
News anchors provide updates on events occurring around the world
Spouses make or break a marriage
Parents influence the future of their children
Grandparents are cherished for a life time

And Words Spoken By You Have the Power to Encourage Everyone You Encounter Today!!!

The Power of Words…

What Will You Say Today?

Love Lee ♥

He Knows My Name

Aug31

There is so much comfort in being called by name..

Having lived in Brazoria County all our lives it was rare we could go to the grocery store for a gallon of milk and make it back home (a few blocks away) in less than an hour. You see, every time, it seems as though we would run into someone we knew and would end up talking for a good while. In-fact, I can’t think of a time I went to the store there wasn’t someone to call me by name.

I will never forget when we moved from Brazoria County to Fort Worth…we found ourselves in a town where we did not know a soul. I sitting in Long John Silvers one day and right in the middle of our meal, I broke down into tears. When Richard asked me what was wrong, my reply was, “No one knows my name”.

While living in Fort Worth, I experienced some very lonely times with minimal contact with family and friends. However, it was during those times I realized “He Knows My Name”!!! In-fact, he knows everything about me. He knew me while I was still in my mother’s womb and He loves me…

Today, I am not alone because…

He Knows My Name

Love Lee ♥

Just for Today

Aug30

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine with me…

What would the world be like if everyone walked in love…Just for today
What would the world be like if everyone spoke with kindness…Just for today
What would the world be like if everyone helped their neighbor…Just for today
What would the world be like if everyone allowed someone to go to the head of the line…Just for today
What would the world be like if everyone offered a meal to the hungry…Just for today
What would the world be like if everyone was non-judgemental…Just for Today
What would the world be like if everyone put others first…Just for Today
What would the world be like if everyone omitted the words “me” and “I”…Just for Today
What would the world be like if everyone cared…Just for Today

We are only promised this moment in time. To chose to make an impact on the world… Just for Today allows us to breaks down lifetime goals into manageable components of time. We remove so much stress and pressure when we wake up and say…

Just for Today

For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 30:16

Love Lee ♥

Tread Softly on My Dreams

Aug28

I remember in our early years of marriage Richard and I would sit for hours and dream of the future. Believe it or not…We still do!!! I love sitting out on the swing while having coffee and listening to him as shares his thoughts and dreams. Oh, and I so love the fact he is interested in mine!

When sharing my dreams with others, it is such a reality check to be reminded of my age… The buzz words are “at your age”…I am not quite ready to be an “old woman” and at times can be a sensitive subject for me; I sooo miss my youth!!!

I love this quote by James Dean:”Dream as if you’ll live forever… live as if you’ll die today.” I have always adopted this mindset. We only get one chance in life remembering… Dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for. ~ Travis White

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born. ~ Dale E. Turner. So, as Justin Bieber would say…”If you don’t dream big, there’s no use of dreaming. If you don’t have faith, there’s nothing worth believing.”

Having a dream is all the more realistic when I dare to dream with the person I love the most in this world. It is even more special when we both have individual dreams but they are amplified because they complement each other and are intertwined. For me to have a dream and my husband’s dream is the act of creating what I dream for…That is God in His awesomeness further amplifying how we compliment or complete each other….A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. ~John Lennon

Do you have a dream you are afraid to share with others? Don’t be!

Speak up…Share your dream and conclude with…

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. ~W.B. Yeats

Love Lee ♥

Powering Up

Aug26

Wow…soft music playing, scented plug-ins, accent lamps…Yep, everything is perfect as I walk out the door for work. A scheduled appointment to show our home was set for the early afternoon. I returned home at 6pm to find a silent house, I can’t smell the plug-ins, and my accent lamps are off.

Yes, you guessed it…the rain storm that blew through took out the power.

Of all days for this to happen! But isn’t that just like our lives?

When we least expect it a storm blows through and we lose our power. With the disconnect from our power source; Jesus Christ, we begin to stop speaking in love, our lights go out, and we begin to stink..

Thank goodness once we plug back into Jesus Christ we power up and our light is restored, our responses are tempered with love, and we take on His sweet aroma…

So, the next time you find yourself out of energy…

Power Up!!!

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 2 Samuel 22:33

Love Lee ♥

But…It’s Paid For

Aug25

Do you ever feel like everything is falling apart?

I recently began to focus on all the repairs that were needed on my vehicle when a friend opened the passenger door on my car and a piece of trim fell off. Initially I was embarrassed and then before I knew it I was focused on every flaw. Then like a goober, I began to point out all the issues to my friend by saying, “Oh Girl, that’s nothing…the engine light is on, the cover on my ashtray falls off easily, the back window tint is lifting, and oh as if that were not enough I think I need to replace a tire.” Then after I pointed out all the flaws, I followed up with..

“But…It’s Paid For”

My friend said, “You know when I was younger all of that would have mattered; I wanted everything perfect. Isn’t it interesting how things don’t matter as much as we get older?”

Our dialogue reminded me of my life…I have aches, pains, sin, baggage, and on occasion “attitude”. All associated with negative connotations but one statement makes it all better…

“But…It’s Paid For”

I don’t have to wallow in emotional pain, self-pity or guilt of my sin because all my sin is covered by the blood of Jesus. The debt has been paid in full…It is up to me to remember this prior to allowing my mind to wonder to the negative side and instead focus on the positive. I, bought by the Blood of Jesus Christ am paid in full. And, that purchase comes with a guarantee of eternal life in heaven.

Often it is the enemy’s ploy is to remind us of those areas in our lives that are lacking but we know it is up to us to say to the adversary…