Be Tactful

"Tact is the ability to close your mouth before someone else wants to." -- Unknown

*Goals Better than Resolutions*

Consider setting goals instead of making New Year´s resolutions. Unlike resolutions, goals are an ongoing thing, so if you fail January 1 or 2 to reach your goal, you still have 363 days to keep working toward -- and to reach -- your objective.

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.." Philip. 3:13

Be Determined

Every day you have a choice. You can decide to view life negatively or you can embrace life with all its variants. We shouldn´t expect every day to be a "smooth sailing" one. Some days are tougher than others, but we always have a choice on how we will face it. We also need to give ourselves "an attitude adjustment" every now and then.

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Let Others Know!

If this is a tough time for you either physically or emotionally, let others know ahead that you will be doing less for awhile. People are usually a lot more understanding than we give them credit for, and they will appreciate your being up-front about your situation. It will also help them admit their own need when stressful times come into their lives.

Ask Forgiveness

Every time you lose emotional control, go tell the one you have offended, "I´m sorry. Will you forgive me? I want to do better than this." It won´t take many times of humbling yourself this way until you will be controlling your anger before it explodes all over those you love. They deserve that, and so do you.

Ephes. 4:32, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ´s sake hath forgiven you."

*Guidelines 9 and 10*

When in doubt about doing something, answer these questions:

* Can you thank God for it? "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thess. 4:18.

* Would you want Jesus to see you doing this? "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings." Job 34:21.

Seek God´s Wisdom

Perhaps you need to make new spiritual goals or renew old ones. Asking God´s help was the first part of my own plan. Memorizing scripture was another key. When tempted to give in to despair, a verse would come to my aid. I suffered much of my depression not knowing what was wrong. I´m glad I did get both medical and psychological help. However, other things were going on in my life and God´s word at times was all that kept me going. (See tips under "Memorizing Scripture.")

Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Daily Quiet Time

Whatever you call it -- Quiet Time, Devotions, Alone-with-God-Time -- it is as necessary spiritually for Christian living as food is for physical life. You will face frustrations today that will overwhelm you without the sense of companionship with God in your heart. Make time spent with God the first priority of the day, every day. Don´t start the day without Him!


Job 23:12, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. "

Emotional Support

At any given time, someone you know is going through a struggle. We all need friends to help us up when we´re down. Who could use your encouragement right now? A call from you may be all they need to keep going. Call them -- remember, tomorrow you may need that call!

"Two are better than one...For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." Eccles. 4:9-10

The Nutshell Gospel-John 3:16

The Gospel In a Nutshell: John 3:16

G-God so loved the world, that he gave his
O-Only begotten
S-Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
P-Perish, but have
E-Everlasting
L-Life.

Keeping Track of Time

"Where has the day gone?" We´ve all asked ourselves that question. You can keep track of how fast time is passing by using a timer throughout the day -- especially helpful when working on a computer when hours seem to go by in only minutes!

John--A Good Place to Start

A good place for a new Christian to start reading the Bible is the book of St. John in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the book of Proverbs is an excellent choice. It has 31 chapters, one for each day of the month. You will gain wisdom way above your peers by reading a chapter a day in Proverbs for at least a year!

"...they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11

Balance

Balance and control are necessary for good emotional health. When our emotions are out of sync, we can´t do and be our best. Our lives need a balance in all areas, including the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. If one is out of balance, all the others are affected also.

3 John 1:2, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Admitting Our Weaknesses

Until we learn our emotional weaknesses, we won´t be able to strengthen those areas and will remain vulnerable to letting our emotions control us. Most of us mistakenly think we know ourselves -- until we unexpectedly encounter an emotion we didn´t think we were capable of displaying so avidly. We are shocked to find just how much hate or livid anger is lurking deep within us.

Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Friends are Burden Bearers

If you don´t have at least one friend you can share your deepest sorrow with, you need to cultivate a new friend immediately. Sharing your burdens will make them lighter. The Native American Indians called a friend "one-who-carries-my-sorrows-on-his-back." (By the way, is there someone who needs to share a sorrow with you? Be a friend and call them today!)

"Bear ye one another´s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

Tickle Your Funny Bone

Have you ever been so tired you could drop, then someone said or did something so funny you had a good belly laugh? You probably needed the emotional release as much or more than you needed physical rest. So take a tip and PLAN to laugh every day. Subscribe to a clean-jokes web site, ask friends to share their favorite chuckles, collect puns or written jokes -- whatever tickles your funny bone. Remember, a merry heart is like good medicine (Pro. 17:22) and pleasant words "health to the bones." (Pro. 16:24) That means laughter even helps arthritis!

Timely Anger

Anger can be a timely, useful tool. For example, if a poisonous snake is about to strike a small child, his father would be motivated by anger to quickly kill the snake and protect his child´s life. God gives us the "fight or flight" instinct to produce the adrenaline we need in crisis situations.

Isaiah 7:15b, "…know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."

Wherever-You-Are Exercise

Exercise your neck, arms, shoulders, even legs by tensing and stretching/flexing when they BEGIN to feel tired or achy. You can do this almost anywhere, whether sitting or standing, even while talking on the telephone or working at your computer!

Making Tea

"He makes me so mad!" Does he? Pouring hot water over a tea bag doesn´t make tea. The tea is already there. The hot water just brings out its strong flavor. Hot-water situations can´t bring anger out of you unless it´s already there. While you can´t control another´s actions, you do have a choice in your emotional reactions. Be better prepared by imagining generic situations involving anger and decide beforehand how you will react to them.

Luke 6:45, "...of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Anger Can Be Good

Anger -- is it always wrong? No. Some anger is good. Good anger is motivated by unselfishness and is directed against the abuse of what is right -- justice, compassion, love. Anger which motivates a person to strive toward good, like getting laws changed to stop child abuse, is good anger. A wise person will be able to discern the difference.

Romans 12:9b, "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

*The Christian Myth*

Christians never have emotional problems, right? Wrong! Throughout the Bible are examples of emotional extremes by people who followed God, from Elijah, who became severely depressed after his great victory at Mt. Caramel, to the disciple Peter, who lost his temper and cut off a soldier´s ear. But the story doesn´t end with their failures. These and many other Bible characters became emotionally stronger after they learned their weaknesses, and so can you!

Psalm 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word."

Participate in Church Activities

After you have found a good, Bible-believing church, you should join it and participate in its activities. A good church will have classes for different age groups. You will be strengthened by worshipping and fellowshipping with other believers. Special services will help strengthen you even more. So get in church, get involved, and enjoy some great new friendships!

Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day (of the return of Christ) approaching."

Beware the Angry Person

Don´t make close friendships with angry people. An angry person is capable of destroying your family, your reputation, and may even take your life, intentionally or unintentionally. If you are in a relationship with an angry person, back away -- but use CAUTION. (If YOU are the angry person, you need to get some immediate help and learn to control it. You owe that to yourself and to those you love.)

Proverbs 22:24-25, "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."

Quickie 10-Minute Rest

When you take a 10-minute break during the day, lie down instead of sitting. Read a chapter of your favorite book. You will feel like you rested an hour compared to a sitting break. (Set a timer if you think you might doze off.)

What Is Christianity?

While there are several groups that call themselves "Christian," those who follow the true Christian faith have certain core beliefs that have never changed. The Resurrection of Christ is one of them. His Deity is another. Without that, our God would be as dead as those of other religions. To read the basics of Christianity, go to: http://www.carm.org/doctrine.htm

Prayer--Our Connector to God

Prayer gets us "connected" with God. You wouldn´t be reading this if you had tried to access this site without first connecting to the Internet via your booted-up computer. Prayer connects us to the right "site," the Throne of God. God mainly speaks to us through his Word, and we talk to him through prayer, either aloud or in our heart. Having a quiet time alone with God, reading the Bible, and prayer, all work together to keep us in tune spiritually.

Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Turning Points

Many times the trials I faced in the past turned out to be a turning point in my life. Because of the trials, we are made better for the future. "The Lord sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us." -- Unknown

Isaiah 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Step 1--Set Realistic Goals

When memorizing scripture, one or two verses a week is a good goal for most people. If you try too much, you may get overwhelmed. Memorize through the week and use weekends for review. Spend extra review time whenever you feel you haven´t learned a verse well enough to go on.

Proverbs 16:3, "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established."

Pray Regularly

Just as we hear from God through his Word, he hears from and communes with us through prayer. We need to pray regularly and have planned times of prayer. What we don´t plan, we generally neglect. When you awake, when you read God´s word, at mealtimes, and at bedtime are all good times to pray. (You can find more helpful hints on prayer under the category "Learning to Pray.")

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:17

Love and Behavior

I learned a great lesson when my son was a teenager -- the difference between unconditional love and unconditional approval of behavior. Our children need to know our disapproval of certain behavior and our love for them are two different things, and that we love them unconditionally, no matter what! "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephes. 6:4

Twice-Blessed Christmas Cards

What are you going to do with all those Christmas cards you received? No, you can`t just read and then toss them out! Here are some alternatives: 1.)Open one with the family at mealtime and pray for the senders; 2.)After Christmas, put them in a box and pull one or two a week and pray for the senders; 3.)Take turns writing the senders a note to let them know you are thinking of them (especially those who are invalids, widowed, or live alone); 4.)Give them to a children`s leader who can use them for a group project; 5.)Cut apart those that have blank inside fronts and recycle as post cards.