|
 Dear
Readers:
With the holidays over and the New Year upon us, this is a great
time of year for not only reflection, but planning for the coming
year.
To help you a long and get you thinking about your plans for this
next year, in this issue we have an article on New Year's
Resolutions For Sandwiched Boomers as well as a devotional on making
the best use of your time.
As for me, this year will hold many new things.
I finished my B.A. in Human Services and my classes for Ministerial
Licensing in the Wesleyan Church. I'm not sure where God will
lead me from here, but one thing I do know that this year will be a
year to regroup, be still before God, and listen for His voice.
How about you? Are you listening for His voice?
Let's encourage each other to be "active listeners"!
I'd love to hear your ideas about planning and making goals.
If you would be willing to share your thoughts with our readers,
email me and I will
enter you in a contest to win a copy of today's Featured Book,
Energy Zappers.
Until Next Time,
Patti
 |
Devotional
Thought: Redeeming the Time |
"So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are
wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these
evil days." (Ephesians 5:15, 16 The Living Translation)
Time is and elusive thing. It slips away from us so easily, leaving
us wondering if we have indeed used it wisely. We are greatly
influenced by the clock, so we must consider the role time plays in
the way we live our lives.
God calls us to be disciplined in the use of our time. We have much
difficulty managing it and often feel that there aren't enough hours
in the day to accomplish everything that needs to be done. We feel
pressure, because in this fast-paced society we have so much to do.
But if we want to be Christ-like, if we want to finish the work God
has called us to, we need set priorities and to be disciplined in
our use of time because the way we use it is the heart of a
disciplined spiritual life. In John 17:4 Jesus says that He finished
the work that God gave Him to do. From this verse it is apparent
that Jesus lived His life in a disciplined manner, completing his
assignment from God.
There a few things we need to realize about time:
-
To begin with, time is short. No matter our
age, we are only on earth a period in comparison with eternity. And
the way we use our time has eternal significance. The wise use of
time prepares us for eternity. In this life we must slow down enough
to prepare for eternity because once you've crossed over that line,
there will be no second chances.
-
Time is not only short, it is passing. Actually, it
is fleeting. If we don't discipline ourselves in the use of our time
for building life-long relationships, we will never get around
to it.
-
The time that we have is uncertain. We never know how
long God has given us to live on this earth or how quickly the time
will pass. That's why Proverbs 27:1 gives us wise counsel when it
warns us not to boast about our plans for the future, because we
never know what the future holds. James 4:14 tells us that our life
is but a "vapor" that vanishes as quickly as it came.
-
Time is easily lost. The book of Proverbs condemns
the "sluggard" for being lazy and wasting his time away. Time often
appears to be so abundant that is doesn't seem to matter much if
squander some of it. What we need to remember is that time is
precious. It is even more valuable than money because no amount of
money can buy us time. And lost time can never be regained. Once it
is gone, it's gone
forever.
We seem to value time most at death, when it is
almost gone. We need to live our present life in such a way that we
have no remorse at death regarding our use of time. We don't want
too look back on our life with regret that we didn't use our time
wisely or that we didn't fulfill God's purposes for our lives.
We need to ask ourselves that if we knew we'd be in eternity
tomorrow, would we live our life differently today.
In the KJV, Ephesians 5:15-16, Paul tells us to walk
"circumspectly". This means we are to walk carefully and cautiously,
being mindful of every step we take and where it leads us. We are to
be aware of how we are living. We are also instructed to "redeem" or
"safeguard" our time. If we are not careful of how we use our time,
we will be easily led astray, away from Godly living and from living
up to our responsibilities.
It is important to remember that we are accountable to God for the
use of our time. Romans 14:12 tells us that day will come when we
will have to give an account of ourselves to God. This refers to the
Christian and non-Christian alike. Yes, we are saved by grace and
not by works, but in Heaven, our rewards will be based on our works.
We need to evaluate how we use our time and start spending it in a
way that would be pleasing to the Lord.
Since time is short and its passing is almost imperceptible, we need
to be diligently on guard in the matter of its use. We need to make
sure that the busyness of the day and the "tyranny of the urgent" do
not hinder us from using our time wisely. We want to live in such a
way that when our life is over and we stand before Christ we will be
able to hear Him say to us "...Well, done good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge
of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew
25:21). There is no greater joy than coming to the completion of our
life with the peace of knowing we have used our time wisely,
influenced others for eternity, and served our Master Well.
Patricia Chadwick is a freelance writer and creator
of several websites including
www.beyondthebend.com,
www.historyswomen.com,
www.bookbargainsandpreviews.com, and
www.pcpublications.org.
|
|
Guest Column by
Dr.
Rosemary Lichtman
New Year's Resolutions
For Sandwiched Boomers |
New Year's Resolutions For Sandwiched
Boomers
Are you like the millions of Americans who, year after year,
make New Year's resolutions that they don't keep? Have you made
a vow to lose 25 pounds, exercise four times a week or save
monthly for your retirement? Noble goals - but do you keep them
past the end of January? More crucial than setting broad goals
is setting achievable ones and then putting them into practice.
Baby Boomers in the Sandwich Generation are especially stressed
by the responsibilities they face from both their growing
children and aging parents. Miranda feels physically and
emotionally exhausted as the year draws to a close and vows to
make some changes in the New Year. "I love my parents dearly and
want to help them out as much as I can but I need to be there
for my kids too. Impossible as it may sound, the only way to do
both is to set aside some time for me too. I know that I'm
absolutely no good to anyone if I don't take care of myself."
Like Miranda, you can set some goals for yourself as you look
forward to the New Year. Here are 9 tips for making and
implementing meaningful resolutions that will help you deal with
the pressures of the Sandwiched years:
1. Use part of the Serenity Prayer as your new mantra. Make an
effort to "have the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to
know the difference." To remember the phrase, write it down and
leave it where you can see it - on your night table, the
refrigerator, the front seat in your car, your desk at work.
2. Recognize that you don't have to do it all alone. Decide to
get help when you need it from other family members. Be firm
about asking your siblings to lend a hand with your parents;
clarify your partner's responsibilities in caring for the
children. The Internet can be useful in identifying local
community resources that are available to you.
3. Set limits. Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln, you don't have to
please all of the people in your family all of the time. Trust
yourself to know when it is ok to say "no" to your parents or
your children and to say "yes" to yourself.
4. Take care of yourself - your body, your mind and your spirit
- through exercise, proper food, rest and relaxation. Set aside
quiet time for yourself and do whatever pleases you - garden,
listen to music, soak in the bathtub.
5. Bring gratitude into the forefront of your daily routine by
acknowledging your blessings. Make a detailed note, each
evening, of three positive experiences of the day. As you do,
appreciate what you have to be thankful for: the connection to
friends and family, the meaning that comes from being needed,
the fullness of your life.
6. Reach out to your friends for social support. When you are
at a low point is the time to receive rather than give. You have
been there for close friends when they needed you in the past;
now let them take a turn at comforting you.
7. Find something to be joyful about each day. Laughter is, in
fact, a potent medicine and much easier to swallow than a
handful of pills. Surround yourself with people who approach
life with a positive attitude. Let your creativity flourish as
you engage it.
8. Draw upon your strengths - both personal and spiritual - as
you put one foot in front of the other and do what you have to
do each day. You know best what sustains you in difficult times
- love, duty, loyalty, faith, hope, compassion, bravery,
forgiveness.
9. Create boundaries to protect yourself. Don't beat yourself
up for the mistakes you make - learn from them. Rather than give
up, allow yourself the opportunity to regroup and try something
else. Keep in mind that you are human and not all knowing. You
deserve another chance.
Remember that this stage of your life, as are all others, is a
process of inevitable movement. One day your children will be
grown and your parents will be gone. What you will have then are
the memories you have collected today. Resolve to take care of
yourself this New Year so that they will be ones you can
cherish.
© 2007, Her Mentor Center
About The Author: Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. & Phyllis Goldberg,
Ph.D. are founders of
http://www.HermentorCenter.com a website for
midlife women and
http://www.NourishingRelationships.Blogspot.com
a Blog for Sandwiched Generation Boomers. They are
authors of a forthcoming book about Baby Boomers' relationships.
|
Well, it has been a full year since I began the Scale Down
program. I've learned a lot over the year and have been able
to turn lifestyle changes into habits that will go far in giving me
a better quality of life. It's not always been easy.
Whenever you make lifestyle changes, it takes work. For me, it
was often the proverbial "three steps forward, two steps back."
Regardless of how small the steps were, I can look back and see that
I am considerable progress and am glad I that I took this challenge.
Below you will find some of improvements in my overall health that
I've experienced:
-
I lost 15 lbs. This may not seem like much in a year's time,
but I did not go hungry and I consistently kept the weight off.
Next year's goal? Another 15 lbs.
-
My blood pressure dropped from 160/100 to 123/87. My doctor
was impressed!
-
I stopped taking iron supplements for anemia. My levels are
now normal.
-
I stopped taking stool softeners for chronic constipation. I'm
now very "regular".
-
My blood sugar went from borderline to normal.
-
My triglyceride levels dropped from borderline to normal.
What changes did I make? I exercise, eat more nutrient dense
foods than I used to (though I still could use some improvement), I
slowed my pace down to relieve stress, and I make sure I get enough
sleep.
Overall, I feel really great. I definitely consider the
past year a success.
This will be my final Scale Down Update, unless you write in
and tell me that you'd like to continue to follow my progress.
I am considering forming an online group to help others use the
Scale Down program if I had at least 5 people interested.
If you would like to see me keep this update or are interested in an
online group email me at
patti@beyndondthebend.com
If you have any questions about the Scale Down program, feel free to
contact me at
patti@beyondthebend.com
|
|
FEATURED
WEBSITE |
If you are watching calories at all, I have the
perfect website for you.
Hungry Girl reviews
the taste and quality of many foods available in your local
supermarket and restaurants. Lisa, the creator, scours
supermarkets, restaurants and more to offer readers choices to
replace unhealthy foods. Their eNews Daily Tips and Tricks
is full of great information. I highly recommend
this site.
 Energy
Zappers
By Shaun Blakeney & Wallace Henley
Retail: $14.99
Our
Price: $11.19
Baker Books
Book Description
We've all felt like there are some people in our lives who
drain us dry. Even Jesus experienced people who drained him. So
how did he deal with these people? And how can that inform our
own dealing with these types of people? Shaun Blakeney and
Wallace Henley serve on the pastoral staffs of two of the
largest churches in America and they've dealt with their share
of draining people. In Energy Zappers they show readers how to
show love to more than twenty different kinds of drainers. With
humor and pointed insight, Blakeney and Henley assist readers in
developing relationships and seeing others more positively.
Perfect for pastors, church leaders, and anyone who deals with
people!
|
Beyond the Bend Review
|
 |
The authors share from their own experiences in this book
about individuals who zap your energy. With humor as well
as insight, they share contemporary stories about the topic
along with lessons from the Bible that are still relevant
today. Energy Zappers offer practical advice on
turning negative relationships into positive experiences.
Order This Book!
You can order this book for $14.99 with $1.00
shipping by using our
special order form. You can also find this book at our
bookstore
for $11.99 or at discount at various Internet
stores such as:
Amazon and
Christian Book Distributors.
To SUBSCRIBE to this FREE newsletter, send your request by
email to:
mailto:beyondthebend@pcpublications.org
or you can sign up at
http://pcpublications.org/subscribe.htm
To UNSUBSCRIBE send your request to:
mailto:unsubscribe-beyondthebend@publications.org
or you can unsubscribe at
http://pcpublications.org/subscribe.htm.
If you have a problem subscribing or unsubscribing send an email to
mailto:patti@pcpublications.org
and a real live human being will try to solve the problem. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
