Does any of the following describes you?
1 sarcastic, cynical and filled with bitter humour
2 biting in your criticism of others
3 untrusting and suspicious of others
4 defensive, paranoid and self-protective
4 'self-focussed'rather than '"other focussed"
5 lacking in tolerance for the behaviour of others
6 turned off to other's conern, caring, or nuturing
7 bitter over real or imagined negative treatment you've received from others
8 quick to attack others for their real or imagined faults and failings
9 inwardly outraged over the unfairness of life
10 hide behind a wall or shield, unwilling to allow others into your life
11 feel like a bomb ready to be detonated
If you can identify with many of the above descriptions, you may be suffering from a dangerous emotional sydrome - hostility. Hostility not only hurts you and the people close to you, it can also kill.
Extracted from the book entitled EMOTIONAL FITNESS:coping skills for the ups & downs in life
Monday, 30 August 2010
GRATITUDE
4 Ways to Spark Gratitude
In the e-book, The Principle: A Golden Key To Happiness, Don Ginn suggests you try the following ideas to spark gratitude.
1. First of all, remember that anything that's uplifting and inspirational will spark gratitude. So add more colour, beauty, art and heartfelt music to your life.
2. Keep in mind that gratitude emerges easily when we're in the spirit of giving. So discover more ways to give back to life. Develop a heart that's full of generosity. Give freely to charities.
3. Make a point to practise random acts of kindness on a daily basis. A heartfelt smile, or a beautiful thank-you card, a sincere compliment, or a gift of any kind, will help gratitude to flourish in our lives.
4. Also, as simplistic as this sounds, live in wonder! Wonder will awaken a sense of miracle within you. Through wonder you can view the world with new eyes. You can begin to experience the magic within each moment.
In the e-book, The Principle: A Golden Key To Happiness, Don Ginn suggests you try the following ideas to spark gratitude.
1. First of all, remember that anything that's uplifting and inspirational will spark gratitude. So add more colour, beauty, art and heartfelt music to your life.
2. Keep in mind that gratitude emerges easily when we're in the spirit of giving. So discover more ways to give back to life. Develop a heart that's full of generosity. Give freely to charities.
3. Make a point to practise random acts of kindness on a daily basis. A heartfelt smile, or a beautiful thank-you card, a sincere compliment, or a gift of any kind, will help gratitude to flourish in our lives.
4. Also, as simplistic as this sounds, live in wonder! Wonder will awaken a sense of miracle within you. Through wonder you can view the world with new eyes. You can begin to experience the magic within each moment.
Friday, 27 August 2010
CAN'T SLEEP?
Recently some sisters from my cell group and also from the Bible Study Group asked for prayers regarding their insomnia. They are unable to fall asleep not because of worries or concerns, nor of sickness or because of the intake of caffeine, but simply because they just couldn't sleep!
For those who have no problems in sleeping (except when they are troubled), they are not able to empathesize with those who simply have difficulty in falling asleep. It's even worse when they do not want to disturb their family members by moving around in the house in the night or switch on the bed light to do some reading. Someone once shared with me how terrible it is not to be able to sleep, but to just lie still on the bed (not wanting to disturb her hubby) and stared at the ceiling until daybreak!
As I ponder over this and read the Bible to behold the beauty of His Word, the Lord is good and He gave me these few verses to comfort and encourage me.
Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
What I learned:When I cannot sleep, don't fret. Just lie still and meditate on God's Word and talk to Him. Be always grateful and thankful and be filled with joy, in whatever situations we are in. Indeed, we must not take for granted anything. God is good and His mercy endures forever!
For those who have no problems in sleeping (except when they are troubled), they are not able to empathesize with those who simply have difficulty in falling asleep. It's even worse when they do not want to disturb their family members by moving around in the house in the night or switch on the bed light to do some reading. Someone once shared with me how terrible it is not to be able to sleep, but to just lie still on the bed (not wanting to disturb her hubby) and stared at the ceiling until daybreak!
As I ponder over this and read the Bible to behold the beauty of His Word, the Lord is good and He gave me these few verses to comfort and encourage me.
Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
What I learned:When I cannot sleep, don't fret. Just lie still and meditate on God's Word and talk to Him. Be always grateful and thankful and be filled with joy, in whatever situations we are in. Indeed, we must not take for granted anything. God is good and His mercy endures forever!
Jesus Wrote on the ground (John 8:6)
This is a very heartwarming story of Jesus who loves sinners (a woman caught in adultery). Jesus does not condemn anyone.
In the 4th Gospel, we read in Chapter 8:6-7, " But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
The Bible does not reveal what Jesus wrote on the ground, but I remember someone once told me that most probably Jesus wrote about the sins of the world - pride, lies, unkindness etc. When the people who wanted to trap Jesus saw those words, they were somehow ashamed and left, one by one. This may be credited to the words Jesus spoke 'if any one of you is without sin'.
But as I read this passage this morning, somehow I think that Jesus being a person full of love and compassion, did not write about sins. I imagined Jesus writing words of affirmation, of love, of comfort, of encouragement, of forgiveness etc. Jesus might have written :
Forgiveness Love Compassion Tolerance Acceptance Peace Kindness
I believe these words would have left a mark on the people's hearts too! When I want to teach my sons about being generous to the poor, I don't remind them of their wastefulness or carelessness in spending, instead I encourage them to give by saying how much joy we get when we give etc.
Lesson learned: The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sins and faults in different ways. Sometimes He is so gentle and patient that we miss His lessons!
In the 4th Gospel, we read in Chapter 8:6-7, " But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
The Bible does not reveal what Jesus wrote on the ground, but I remember someone once told me that most probably Jesus wrote about the sins of the world - pride, lies, unkindness etc. When the people who wanted to trap Jesus saw those words, they were somehow ashamed and left, one by one. This may be credited to the words Jesus spoke 'if any one of you is without sin'.
But as I read this passage this morning, somehow I think that Jesus being a person full of love and compassion, did not write about sins. I imagined Jesus writing words of affirmation, of love, of comfort, of encouragement, of forgiveness etc. Jesus might have written :
Forgiveness Love Compassion Tolerance Acceptance Peace Kindness
I believe these words would have left a mark on the people's hearts too! When I want to teach my sons about being generous to the poor, I don't remind them of their wastefulness or carelessness in spending, instead I encourage them to give by saying how much joy we get when we give etc.
Lesson learned: The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sins and faults in different ways. Sometimes He is so gentle and patient that we miss His lessons!
Sunday, 8 August 2010
GIVING THANKS IN PUBLIC
Hurdling Social Barriers:
When we are dining with non-believers, we do not want to offend them so that there's always an opportunity to share the Gospel with them.
When we are alone in a restaurant, we should have no question about bowing our heads to give thanks. But what about when we're out with a group or at a business lunch? Giving thanks can be awkward at times. Check to see if your way of saying grace implies to another person,"You're pagan; you don't give thanks." To avoid creating this barrier to friendship. it may be best for us to keep our eyes open while we thank God for our food. No verse of Scripture dictates "Thou shalt say grace with thine eyes closed." God looks at our motivation and our hearts. We can always ask."It's my custom to give thanks for my food. Would you like me to say grace for both of us?" In the right situation, this is not usually an affront.
Extracted from the book "how to Give Away Your Faith"
When we are dining with non-believers, we do not want to offend them so that there's always an opportunity to share the Gospel with them.
When we are alone in a restaurant, we should have no question about bowing our heads to give thanks. But what about when we're out with a group or at a business lunch? Giving thanks can be awkward at times. Check to see if your way of saying grace implies to another person,"You're pagan; you don't give thanks." To avoid creating this barrier to friendship. it may be best for us to keep our eyes open while we thank God for our food. No verse of Scripture dictates "Thou shalt say grace with thine eyes closed." God looks at our motivation and our hearts. We can always ask."It's my custom to give thanks for my food. Would you like me to say grace for both of us?" In the right situation, this is not usually an affront.
Extracted from the book "how to Give Away Your Faith"
Friday, 6 August 2010
THE EFFECTIVE AMBASSADOR
Here are some help to those who need to develop further interpersonal skills, especially with non-believers so that there is interaction in order to share the Gospel.
1) Establish good eye contact.
Do you look people in the eye or do you tend to stray? The eye conveys the soul's intention. A cold eye distances you from others. A warm eye draws you closer. Ask a good friend to tell you honestly if you have warm eye contact.
2) Develop good listening skills.
Do you focus your attention on what other people are saying? Or are you thinking only of what you are going to say next? And are you genuinely interested in understanding what they are saying? Does it matter to you? If you listen, they will come closer to you.
3) Foster an attitude of encouragement.
Are your responses more likely to be negative than positive to other people's ideas? Do you put people down? Are you always looking for ways to appear smarter or more knowledgeable than others? Or do others feel warm and affirmed when they are with you?
4) Make yourself interesting to others.
A good knowledge of current events can give us a common ground socially. Developing some hobbies and finding ways to share them with others is helpful too.
Extracted from the book 'How to Give Away Your Faith' by Paul E. Little
1) Establish good eye contact.
Do you look people in the eye or do you tend to stray? The eye conveys the soul's intention. A cold eye distances you from others. A warm eye draws you closer. Ask a good friend to tell you honestly if you have warm eye contact.
2) Develop good listening skills.
Do you focus your attention on what other people are saying? Or are you thinking only of what you are going to say next? And are you genuinely interested in understanding what they are saying? Does it matter to you? If you listen, they will come closer to you.
3) Foster an attitude of encouragement.
Are your responses more likely to be negative than positive to other people's ideas? Do you put people down? Are you always looking for ways to appear smarter or more knowledgeable than others? Or do others feel warm and affirmed when they are with you?
4) Make yourself interesting to others.
A good knowledge of current events can give us a common ground socially. Developing some hobbies and finding ways to share them with others is helpful too.
Extracted from the book 'How to Give Away Your Faith' by Paul E. Little
Thursday, 5 August 2010
THE INDECISIVE SQUIRREL
"But Jesus told him,'Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.'" Luke 9:62
As I was driving down the road, a squirrel ran out in front of my car. I was far enough from him that I started braking, trying to miss him. He went one way, then he turned and ran back, then he turned and went back the other way again. I managed to miss him, but he was the most indecisive squirrel I've ever seen!
Indecision is a dangerous thing. As Christians, if we don't know what we believe and why we believe it, people will see through us. If we say we are a Christian but don't act like one at home or at work, people won't respect us. In our faith, we can't be like the squirrel in the middle of the road. We have to make a decision about which way we are going and then follow through.
By Teresa Bell Kindred
As I was driving down the road, a squirrel ran out in front of my car. I was far enough from him that I started braking, trying to miss him. He went one way, then he turned and ran back, then he turned and went back the other way again. I managed to miss him, but he was the most indecisive squirrel I've ever seen!
Indecision is a dangerous thing. As Christians, if we don't know what we believe and why we believe it, people will see through us. If we say we are a Christian but don't act like one at home or at work, people won't respect us. In our faith, we can't be like the squirrel in the middle of the road. We have to make a decision about which way we are going and then follow through.
By Teresa Bell Kindred
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