Nuggets of wisdom we are trying to live by (Part 2)

Mother Teresa wrote, "Slowly I am learning to accept everything just as He gives it." Am I learning to accept all things without complaining and whining , understanding that it is God who allowed it?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote,

Earth's crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries...

Am I seeing God in every common bush, or am I one of those plucking blackberries?

In spite of everything, it is still a beautiful world.

Excellence is in the details. Attention to details is one of the ways I worship God who is worthy of my best.

People come first. Everything else falls in line behind them.

We are blessed to be a blessing (Psalm 67). Am I using my blessings to bless others?

Jesus and others and you: what a wonderful way to spell JOY... When I lose my joy, maybe it is because I am focusing more on myself than Jesus and those others he has placed in my life.

The facts and truths of God's Word are my anchor when the storms of life seek to sink my ship. Feelings and emotions are unreliable means to judge what is happening.

God gives us 24 hours every day to be divided up into balanced eight-hour blocks of work, play, and rest.

Marriage is work.
Time spent improving our marriage counts as work time.
Marriage is play.
Time spent playing together counts as play time.
Marriage is rest.
Time spent resting together counts as rest time.

Family is work.
Time spent strengthening our family counts as work time.
Family is play.
Time spent playing with family counts as play time.
Family is rest.
Time spent resting with family counts as rest time.

Do it anyway. Do things simply because they need to be done. Don't wait for someone else to do the good deed, just do it. Instead of worrying, fretting and procrastination, do it and get it over with. My deepest regrets are usually those things I did NOT do, more than those I did do, that maybe didn't turn out as hoped. [For more on this one, see here.]

Simplify. Get rid of the clutter in my life and in our home. Do what I can to help others simplify their complicated lives. Less is more.