“J” – Blogging A to Z

April 11th, 2015 dsisler

 

As we continue through the month of April, we are nearing the half way point. Which means we are ready to tack the letter “j” today. In the article[i] I’ve been following for this challenge, Ms. Marquez suggests that one way to boost your attitude or your happiness level is to journal.

 

jAccording to this article, research has shown that by writing down what you’re grateful for each day helps to make you more optimistic.

 

It makes sense doesn’t it? When we are more focused on what we are thankful for we are less likely to dwell on the things of life we aren’t so thankful for. It’s no wonder books like One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp are so popular. We want to see the best in life. We want to be thankful for what God has given. We want to dwell on the good.

 

In the book mentioned above, Ms. Voskamp suggests that the word for thanksgiving holds a three-fold meaning. The Greek word eucharisteo means to give thanks. Within this word, the word charis is present and it means grace. Also within the word is chara which means joy. Her conclusion is that this word is a key to abundant living. Thanksgiving. Grace. Joy.

 

So just think of the things you could journal each day that you are thankful for. You can write these notes on anything. 3 x 5 cards. A napkin. A journal. Or even text it to yourself. One of my friends writes the things she’s thankful for on slips of paper and puts them in a jar. On New Year’s Eve she reads through the slips. What a beautiful way to start a New Year…by being thankful for all you’ve been given, seen or experienced over a year’s time.

 

It’s no wonder this exercise will boost your happiness and attitude.

 

I recall Paul’s words from Philippians. He knew that we would be discouraged. He knew that we would need an attitude adjustment. So in his wisdom, Paul offered these words through God’s Holy Spirit.

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 – NIV)

 

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 – NIV)

 

What are you thankful for today? Are you willing to take the challenge of journaling what you’re thankful for? It may seem like a little thing, but if your spirit is downcast, this may be the best medicine for your soul. I pray that you will find grace, thanksgiving and joy through Jesus Christ and that you will find abundant life through Him.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try Today,” Jennifer Rainey Marquez, Good Housekeeping, Vol. 260, No. 4, page 114.

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“I” – Blogging A to Z

April 10th, 2015 dsisler

 

Just to remind you of why I’m singling out specific letters of the alphabet, this is the third year I’ve accepted the challenge of blogging through the alphabet. Each day of the month is assigned a letter and our challenge is to write about that letter.

 

iAs I mentioned on April 1, I found an article in Good Housekeeping with ways to improve your attitude or energize your happiness. And it was in A to Z form. I’ve been using this article as my guide for each day’s writing and what a list we’ve covered so far.

 

Today, we are going to inhale. In this article, the author states, “Breath in through your nose for four counts, hold your breath for one and exhale through your mouth for five to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Aim for three mindful breaths an hour.”[i]

 

I don’t know why this works. Maybe it’s because we breathe like we do everything else in our lives. We are always in a hurry. We rarely slow down to enjoy our lives. So it makes sense that our breathing is the same. And let’s face it, if we are breathing at all, we are alive. So why take the extra time and thought to take a deep breath?

 

Because it feels good to take a deep breath. So it’s no wonder that inhaling made the list for happiness/attitude boosters.

 

Once again, the word inhale is not in Scripture. But the word breath or breathe is. So we’ll work with these words instead.

 

Do you recall the first time this word is used in Scripture? If you guessed the full account of when Adam was created, you were close, but we find this word earlier in Genesis. Take a look at Genesis 1:30 from The Voice. “As for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and every small creeping creature – everything that breathes the breath of life—I have given them every green plant for food.”

 

From the beginning of creation, God created everything to take a breath. The breath of life. But then, we read the detailed creation of man. It is in these words that we find the real meaning behind breathing.

 

“One day the Eternal God scooped dirt out of the ground, sculpted it into the shape we call human, breathed the breath that gives life into the nostrils of the human, and the human became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 – The Voice)

 

As Adam inhaled for the first time that day, he breathed in God’s breath. And in that breath, a living soul was created. I sit here this morning in awe of our great and powerful God who so gently filled Adam’s lungs with His breath. God’s desire for mankind to live and breathe for Him was so great that He was willing to give of Himself. In this small way, we see the generousness of our heavenly Father.

 

I’m using The Voice today for my Scripture references. Not for any other reason except that it kind of stirs things up a bit. The phrases are different than my usual New International Version and in some cases, there is more detail to what the verse has to say.

 

Numbers 27:18a (The Voice) uses a phrase that I love. Take a look. “Single out Joshua (Nun’s son). In him is the breath of My Spirit…” I like this terminology because it helps us to see that life is possible and available because of God’s Spirit.

 

Is the breath of God’s Spirit upon you today? Are you inhaling God’s Spirit deeply and intentionally?

 

If you are in need of an attitude booster, you need to inhale. Inhale the breath of God’s Spirit and in Him you will find transformation. Your countenance will be lifted. Your outlook on life will be changed. You will find inexpressible joy as you breathe deeply of the Holy Spirit.

 

Now. Inhale.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try Today,” Jennifer Rainey Marquez, Good Housekeeping, Vol. 260, No. 4, page 114.

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“H” – Blogging A to Z

April 9th, 2015 dsisler

 

We’ve come to the letter “h” on our journey through the alphabet in April. According to Ms. Marquez[i], a good way to boost your happiness and attitude is to hike.

 

hJust 20 minutes outdoors makes you feel less tired and more alive. Whether it is walking your neighborhood, a nature trail or Long’s Peak, at the end of a hike, you’re bound to be feeling better.

 

Hiking has been part of life from the beginning of time. Apparently, God, Adam and Eve had regular walks through the Garden (Genesis 3:8). Adam and Eve gained a double portion of happiness and attitude lifting. Walking and being with God on that walk. Together they walked in joy and fellowship.

 

Years later, God asked Abram to take a hike. “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1 – NIV) Abram’s prompt obedience is such a beautiful example to us. Not knowing the outcome of this journey, Abram left with his possessions, his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.

 

During this journey, God appeared to Abram and encouraged him. God guided his footsteps throughout his lifetime. I’m sure there were times when Abram was not happy and his spirit was down. But because God keeps His promise, Abram was given a son in his old age. What a happiness booster! And all this came about because Abram obediently took a hike.

 

The Hebrew nation hiked a lot. They left the Promised Land and went to Egypt to escape a famine, but wound up being enslaved for over 400 years. When Moses arrived on the scene, God put him in charge of getting His people out of Egypt. With an entire nation in tow, Moses led this group on the hike of their lives.

 

Now I must say, this hike didn’t bring the happiness that it should have brought. There was grumbling, complaining and rebellion. This group of people continued to believe their lives would have been better as slaves in Egypt. And since many of this group didn’t trust God’s plan, they never entered into the happiness of the Promised Land.

 

But after 40 years of even more hiking in the wilderness, the remaining Hebrew nation entered into the land that flowed with milk and honey. They enjoyed God’s goodness, found happiness and their spirits were lifted. It was a long hike, but well worth the walk.

 

One last hike I’d like to share today is the final hike Jesus took as He walked to Golgotha. While it was not a hike you or I would have willingly taken, our Lord and Savior took each step without hesitation. Without this walk, we would never know the deep love and grace God has lavished upon us. Without this walk, we would continue to be living in the darkness of this world and not know what joy the Light brings.

 

I don’t know all that Jesus felt on that walk, but what I do know is that I can live with great joy because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. My attitude can change in an instant because of God’s Spirit within me. My happiness is increased immeasurably because of what Jesus did at the end of that hike 2000 years ago.

 

Do you know this joy? Do you know Jesus? If you are still wandering around the spiritual wilderness, I pray that you will stop the hiking and look to the One who is able to lead to a place of rest. Not only will you find rest, but you will find salvation through Jesus Christ.

 

Thanks for joining me on this hike. I pray that your attitude and happiness have been boosted, not because you spent time with me. But because you spent time with Jesus!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try Today” by Jennifer Rainey Marquez in Good Housekeeping.

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“G” – Blogging A to Z

April 8th, 2015 dsisler

 

As we continue our journey through the alphabet, we land on the letter “g.” One sure way to improve your attitude or boost your happiness is to grin. In the article written by Jennifer Rainey Marquez titled “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try” in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine, she says that grinning stimulates muscles and signals your brain that you are happy.

 

gI have become more aware of what my face looks like over the past year. It has been my goal to grin or smile more. I catch myself at work with a scowl on my face as I’m intent on a computer task focusing on something I need to get done. When I do, I’m quick to remedy that fact. I immediately put a smile on my face and not only do I feel better, but I look better too!

 

I must tell you, the word “grin” is not in the Bible. I searched multiple versions. Nothing. So in order to make this A to Z challenge work, I must change the word. Either change it to a completely different word, or use the idea and chat a bit about smiling. I’ve chose to talk about smiling today.

 

This first passage of Scripture is well-known, but not as it reads in The Message. See if you don’t recognize it.

 

“God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the face and make you prosper.” (Numbers 6:24-26 – The Message) As I read through these verses, I smile myself when I think of God smiling at me. How blessed we are to worship a God who adores us. And not only does He adore us, He shows us that He does. The blessings we receive from God on a daily basis are indeed attitude boosters. How wonderful!

 

Here’s another passage that speaks about God smiling upon us.

 

“God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!” (Psalm 67:1 – The Message) I’m smiling…are you? The New International Version translates this word as “make his face shine upon us.” Isn’t that what smiling is? When my face lights up because of a good thought or word from someone? That’s a smile! And God smiles upon those who call Him Lord God Almighty! Another attitude booster!

 

And finally, Psalm 80 talks about God’s face shining upon us several times. The Message says it this way. “Smile your blessing smile.” (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19) Each time this phrase is spoken in Psalm 80, the result of receiving this blessing smile is salvation. I love this phrase, especially when I know that I am only saved through Jesus Christ. So definitely, smile Your blessing smile!

 

Regardless of how you say it, we need God’s smile upon our lives. We need to know that His face is shining upon us. Dear friend, if we bring a smile to God’s face, how could we possibly not be smiling ourselves? And if we’ve known God’s smile, who is it that we need to share His smile with? A friend? A loved one? A neighbor? The joy of smiling is in the sharing.

 

So today, let’s smile a little more. Let’s share that smile a little more. Let’s allow God’s Spirit to lift our spirits and fill us with the joy of the Lord. Get that sour look off your face. God is smiling upon you today!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“F” – Blogging A to Z

April 7th, 2015 dsisler

 

Good Tuesday morning! I pray that your day will be filled with God’s goodness and that you will give praise to the One who blessed you with all that goodness. Let’s continue today with this April challenge, Blogging A to Z.

 

fIn the article “More Bliss, Less Stress: A to Z Happiness Boosters to Try Today” by Jennifer Rainey Marquez in Good Housekeeping, her attitude changing idea for the letter “f” is to flip through photos. I get this one. I could spend hours going through old pictures.

 

I’m sure Creative Memories and Shutterfly are thankful for our desire to boost our attitude by retelling our life story through pictures. Even on Facebook, there’s “throw back Thursday” for people to share a little tale with a picture included.

 

Yes, we love looking at photos and thinking back to the time when an event took place. Pictures help to refresh our memory when the details can be a little distorted. Pictures also remind us of people who are no longer with us. My grandparents. My grandson. When I see a picture of each of them I smile. Oh they are missed, but the memories are priceless (as they were) and they remind me of the good times spent with them.

 

So what did we do before photos? There were paintings and drawings and books of course, but another way to remember an event or a person was through a story teller. With details stored in their minds, a story teller could share these details with precision and with a flare to keep an audience connected.

 

There are accounts of such people in Scripture. Joshua recounted the history of Israel as said goodbye to the people he loved (Joshua 23-24). King David shared a beautiful story in 2 Samuel 22. David recalled all that God had done for him through his lifetime.

 

Job shares his thoughts on God through the entire book of Job but concludes in Job 19:25 (NIV), “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” Of course the Book of Psalm is one story after another. One visual after another. What a beautiful picture of God we have through this book.

 

Jesus was a masterful story teller. The pictures drawn by His words are deliberate and meaningful. There are beautiful parables sprinkled through the Gospels and each parable leads us to a better understanding of the Kingdom of God.

 

The Book of Acts also has some great story telling within its pages. Peter begins on the Day of Pentecost retelling the details of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection (Acts 2:14-36). Peter was joined by John in Acts 4 as they retold the story Jesus to the Sanhedrin. Stephen spoke to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 and reminded them of the Israel’s history and ended with the account of Jesus’ life.

 

In a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, Paul shared more of Israel’s history and went on to recall the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 13). Paul shared his personal encounter with Jesus to a crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 22:1-22).

 

And if all of these story tellers aren’t enough, let’s look at one more section of Scripture that tells a beautiful story of faith. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, recounts story after story of those who were faithful to God in their walk. From Abel to the prophets, their encounters with God are mentioned. They are beautiful stories, but Hebrews 11 ends with this fact about each of them. “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40 – NIV)

 

Jesus is that something better. Our Old Testament biblical heroes found favor in God’s eyes were born before the perfect Lamb was sacrificed. How blessed we are for being born this side of the cross!

 

We’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. But I might venture to say, the Good Story is worth a thousand pictures.

 

I pray that you have accepted these stories from the Bible as truth. I pray that you have accepted The Story of Jesus as the Truth. Because of Jesus we have more stories to tell of our own lives. We can share how we’ve been transformed and made new through Jesus. What a great way to boost our attitudes!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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