Wellness

Need a little humor? Stop by. Wellness involves the whole person: the body, mind, and spirit. We must strive to have a balance in all three areas. We should periodically examine our lives to make sure that we improve and maintain our emotional, as well as physical and spiritual wellness.

Humor Time

A woman goes to the Doctor, worried about her husband’s temper.

The Doctor asks: “What’s the problem?”

The woman says: “Doctor, I don’t know what to do. Every day my husband seems to lose his temper for no reason. It scares me.”

The Doctor says: “I have a cure for that. When it seems that your husband is getting angry, just take a glass of water and start swishing it in your mouth. Just swish and swish but don’t swallow it until he either leaves the room or calms down.”

Two weeks later the woman comes back to the doctor looking fresh and reborn.

The woman says: “Doctor that was a brilliant idea! Every time my husband started losing it, I swished with water. I swished and swished, and he calmed right down! How does a glass of water do that?”

The Doctor says: “The water itself does nothing. It’s keeping your mouth shut that does the trick.”

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10 Things You Never Hear in Church

  1. Hey! It’s my turn to sit in the front pew!

  2. I was so enthralled; I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.

  3. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.

  4. I’ve decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.

  5. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the Junior High Sunday School class.

  6. Forget the denominational minimum salary. Let’s pay our pastor so he can live like we do.

  7. I love it when we sing hymns I’ve never heard before!

  8. Since we’re all here, let’s start the service early.

  9. Pastor, we’d like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas

  10. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!

    Submitted by: NoNo & Co.
    Author/Creator Unknown

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I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3 Kings James Version(KJV)

Hope this video blesses you.

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WELLNESS

Wellness:“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.” – Greg Anderson

Emotional Wellness implies the ability to be aware of and accept our feelings, rather than deny them, have an optimistic approach to life, and enjoy life despite its occasional disappointments and frustrations.

Seven tips to improve and maintain emotional wellness:

  1. Learn to accept changes in your life. Change happens whether we like it or not. It may not always feel good, but it provides an opportunity for growth.

  2. Think about what you’re thinking about. Only you can decide what you think about. So make the decision to think positive.

  3. Learn to laugh, especially at yourself. Research shows that laughter can boost your immune system, ease pain, relax your body, and reduce stress.

  1. Have hope. Having hope helps you to believe that your situation won’t last always. We read in Psalm 42:5, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.(KJV)

  2. Enjoy life. Do at least one thing every day that you enjoy doing (taking a walk, drawing, knitting, etc). Write down things you are thankful for. Practice smiling.

  3. Learn to love and accept yourself just as you are. You can’t change your height. You can’t change your skin color. You can’t change your age. Don’t compare yourself or your life to those around you. The bottom line: it is what it is.

  4. Let bygones be bygones. Holding on to past hurts and failures can be toxic for your emotional wellbeing. It’s important to learn how to forgive and move forward.

One of my quests for 2017 is to encourage people (myself included) to do better (mentally, spiritually, and physically).  I believe the best way to do this is by setting goals that you can live with for the rest of your life.

The Do Better challenge for this post:  Examine your emotional wellbeing.  Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I able to maintain a balance of work, family, friends, and other obligations?

  • Do I have ways to reduce stress in my life?

  • Am I able to make decisions with a minimum of stress and worry?

  • Am I able to set priorities?

If you answered “no” to any of the questions, you’re lacking in this area at this time of your life.  Set some goals to help you adopt healthy habits and attitudes that foster wellness. The better you are able to master your emotions, the better able you are to cope with the stressors of life. You will also be able to move forward in a positive direction.

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Bye for now.  Thanks for visiting.

 

Resources

http://www.sunnyskyz.com/funny-jokes/146/A-Woman-Goes-To-The-Doctor-Worried-About-Her-Husband-s-Temper#l5iRs5DdM0om7zmr.99

https://wellness.ucr.edu/emotional_wellness.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=emotional+well+being&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiR2Oac083TAhVFKWMKHVPkBUgQ_AUIBygC&biw=1390&bih=763&dpr=1#imgrc=f-IYgXuMOkEnrM:

 

 

Half empty or Half full?

A little birthday humor 

  • Q: How can you tell that you’re getting old? A: You go to an antique auction and three people bid on you!

  • After much convincing from my husband, I finally agreed to call an old family friend to sing her happy birthday.  It was only after I finished singing, that the voice at the other end of the line informed me, that it was the wrong number. “Oh I’m so sorry” I said, embarrassed.  “It’s okay” the voice said, “you can use all of the practice you can get!”

  • You know you’re getting old when you walk up the stairs and call it exercise. Happy Birthday!

  • Have a great time on your birthday, and don’t worry about getting old.  That happened years ago.

Three Old Sisters

There were 3 sisters living together 92, 94 and 95 yrs. old. The oldest went upstairs one evening to take a bath. As she was getting in the tub with one foot in and one foot out, she called down to her sisters, “Am I getting in the tub or am I getting out of the tub?”

The 94 yr. old decided to go upstairs to see if she could help figure out the situation. She got to the 3rd step and stopped – then called out, “Was I going up the stairs or was I coming down the stairs?”

The 92 yr. old, sitting at the kitchen table, thought she better knock on wood and as she knocked on the kitchen table she said, “I hope I never get as bad as my sisters. Now was that the front door or the back door?”

Birthday humor time is dedicated to my oldest sister, Pastor Charlotte “Happy” Bryant, who celebrated her 70th birthday yesterday.

water 2

Do you view your birthday as half full or half empty?

If you have read my previous posts, you know that I have not always been the most positive person.  My history includes low self-esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts.  God has helped me over the years and my positive days now outweigh my negative days.  I try to be more grateful and thankful each day.  I also laugh more.  My prayer was: “Lord, for the rest of my life, help me to see the glass half full each day and not half empty.”

I have never known anyone like Pastor Bryant.  I marvel at the wisdom God gives her.  One day while talking on the phone with her, I shared my desire to always see the glass half full.  I have been kind of down because I still have not found a full time job.  I’m still working 6 – 12 hours a week in retail, making minimum wage. That’s enough to make anyone depressed (if you’re viewing the glass as half empty).

It seems like this season in my life has been going on a long, long, long, time and is never going to end.  Ecclesiastes tells us that seasons must come to an end, but God left out the “how long” part.

Ecclesiastes 3   To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

When I look at the glass as half full: No utilities have been turned off; I’m still driving my 2014 car with insurance; I haven’t lost any weight due to lack of food; I’m not getting phone calls from bill collectors; I haven’t filed for bankruptcy.  Those are all miracles. God has been faithful.

In response to my statement about wanting to see the glass as half full, Pastor Bryant said, “Well I choose to see the glass as full.”  Now why did she have to say that?  She had just burst my balloon and raised the bar.  I thought I was doing a great job seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty but she had to throw in the “full” picture glass vision.  That is one of the many, many examples of how God gives her wisdom to share with others and to help us grow.  I must admit that my faith is not yet at the level of seeing a half full glass of water as a full glass of water, water 3 but I’m working on it.  Thanks to God and my big Sis, I believe I’ll accomplish that faith goal.

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.        Hebrews 11:6

Food for thought: According to Romans 4:17  “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”  

 If God called things into existence, why can’t I call a half full glass of water  – full?

The words to the hymn “It is will with my soul” were written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1828.  He had a successful legal practice in Chicago.  He invested heavily in real estate and his holdings were wiped out, as a result of the Chicago Fire of 1871.  Just before this, he had experienced the death of his son.  He wanted to get away for a rest, so he planned a trip for his family.

Spafford had an unexpected last minute business development right before they were to leave, so he stayed in Chicago but sent his wife and four daughters on ahead on the ship.  He was going to follow a few days later.  The ship that his wife and daughters were on, sank.  His four daughters drowned, but his wife survived.  In his grief, he wrote the words to this hymn and was still able to say, “It is well with my soul.”  He had many reasons to see the glass as half empty but I believe he chose to see it as half full.

To view this video, click on the link beside my picture.  I hope it blesses you.

Sing like God is the only one listening.  It’s okay if you get off key, don’t do any “runs” or forget the words.  You’ll get no negative comments from Him.  Just sing from your heart. -Annette M. Harris

What do you do when life hands you a bag of lemons?  You make  lemon waterlemon water.

Lemons contain many nutrients, including vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

Lemon water may:

  • Give your immune system a boost.

  • Aid digestion.

  • Cleanse your system.

  • Alkalize your body.

  • Help fight viral infections.

  • Reduce inflammation.

  • Keep your skin blemish free.

  • Give you an energy boost.

  • Help you lose weight.

  • Freshen your breath.

One doctor recommends starting the day with the juice of ¼ to ½ of a lemon, and filling the rest of the glass with warm water.  You can dilute the lemon juice more, depending on your personal taste.  During the rest of the day, you can sip lemon water at a cooler temperature, if you prefer it. This will keep you hydrated, and it may also help quench your thirst for unhealthy drinks that contain too much sugar and too many calories.

Remember: we are not making lemonade, we’re making lemon water.

I like to drink a warm glass of lemon water with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ginger.  It gives me a morning boost.  I like to think of it as a detoxification drink.

I believe that we have the power to contribute to the healing of our bodies by adapting what we consume every day.  Drinking lemon water is one of the little things that we can do on a regular basis that can have long term benefits.

We’re so used to instant gratification in almost everything we do, so when it comes to healthy diets and exercise, we can easily get discouraged if we don’t see results in a few days.  As with any new addition to your diet, give it a minimum of two weeks to see what positive benefits you can get.

I highly recommend that you do your own research on drinking lemon water. Then choose at least one benefit that will motivate you to start incorporating it into your daily life.

Commit to 14 days of drinking lemon water. Write down how you feel on day 1, then on day 14.  Share your experience in the comment section of this post or with someone else.

Bye for now.  Thanks for visiting!  laughing face

 

 

 

Sources

 

http://www.funny-jokes-quotes-sayings.com/funny-birthday-wishes.html

http://jokes.christiansunite.com/Old_Folks/Three_Old_Sisters.shtml

Ecclesiastes 3King James Version (KJV)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3&version=KJV

Holman Christian Standard Bible                 http://biblehub.com/hebrews/11-6.htm

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Romans-4-17/        King James Version (KJV)

Osbeck, K. W. (1982). 101 Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids, MT: Kregel Publications

http://news.health.com/2015/02/24/why-you-should-start-your-day-with-lemon-water/

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/12/the-2-week-lemon-water-challenge/

http://www.jokes4us.com/holidayjokes/birthdayjokes.

htmlhttp://www.greatcleanjokes.com/jokes/life-jokes/birthday-jokes/

http://www.wishesquotes.com/birthday/100-funny-birthday-wishes-for-friends#ixzz40lWHCQP9

 

 

 

Let it go and be happy.

Letting Go

A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day, when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall.  He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet.

He couldn’t hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something.

HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? “HELP!”

He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?”

“Yes, yes! I can hear you. I’m down here!”

“I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?”

Yes, but who are you, and where are you?

“I am the Lord, Jack. I’m everywhere.”

“The Lord? You mean, GOD?”

“That’s Me.”

“God, please help me! I promise if, you’ll get me down from here, I’ll stop sinning. I’ll be a really good person. I’ll serve You for the rest of my life.”

“Easy on the promises, Jack.  Let’s get you off from there; then we can talk.”

“Now, here’s what I want you to do. Listen carefully.”

“I’ll do anything, God. Just tell me what to do.”

“Okay. Let go of the branch.””What?” “I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go.”

There was a long silence.

Flaughing faceinally Jack yelled, “HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?”

 

 

 

    http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/9iz/xAe/9izxAeL4T.jpeg                                                                                                  http://www.aish.com/j/j/122650799.html

        We all have or will experience “letting it go.”  We have to make a choice to do it, just like we have to make a choice to be happy, grateful and laugh.  Letting go of situations, people, bad habits, hurts, relationships, unhealthy food, etc., etc., can be very painful.  It’s not always easy to do.

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”

Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience                                                       http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/letting-go

Ecclesiastes

3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3%3A5&version=KJV

“If you let go a little you will have a little happiness. If you let go a lot you will have a lot of happiness. If you let go completely you will be free.” –Ajahn Chah

http://findinghappinessmovie.com/find-happiness/happiness-quotes/

        I shared in my first blog: I was on my way to work in August of 2013.  I went through the green light.  A driver didn’t stop at her red light and ran into my car. My car was totaled.  I have replayed that incident over and over in my mind.  What if I would have waited a few minutes longer before going through that green light?  What if this, and what if that?  Coulda, shoulda, and woulda haven’t helped anyone that I know of.  The fact is, it happened, it’s over and I must let it go.

        Some bad situations can actually be  blessings in disguise.   We block those blessings because we choose to not let go.  I believe some people enjoy holding onto things. Some people want to let go, but just don’t have the strength, or know how to do it.

Here are 8 things that I do or say to myself to help me let it go and be happy:

1.) What does the Bible say about your situation? Find out, and then meditate on those scriptures.

2.) Instead of focusing on what you have lost, focus on positive things.

3.) Look at your actions and see if you can do things differently the next time.

4.) What’s done is done.  You can’t put spilled milk back into the glass.

5.) Concentrate on today, this hour, this minute.

6.) Be grateful.

7.) Laugh.

8.) God loves you and He caCarry your books pictureres.  He’ll help you “let it go and be happy.”

http://bocsupportnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/admin/1893/09/cast_your_cares_1peter5_7.jpg

 

What will you say or do to help you let it go and be happy today?

 

 

 

 

Bye for now.

 

Laugh & Be Happy

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22     King James Version (KJV) by Public Domain

What are some things that make you happy? Shopping at Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, and Earthfare Market make me happy. Waking up in the morning with Jesus on my mind makes me happy. Being able to get out of bed with nobody’s help but God’s makes me happy. Hanging out with my two sisters makes me happy. Having the assurance that Jesus loves me makes me happy!

   KD  Laughter increases happiness. You can’t laugh and

                                        be sad at the same time. You have to make a choice to do one or the other.

KD2

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”  

E.E. Cummings

Three Hymns
One Sunday a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.

After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in the offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate.

And there sat our Rosie all the way in the back. She shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns.

Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three most handsome men in the building and said, “I’ll take him and him and him!”

                                            laughing people

Learn to laugh more. When you need a break from thinking – just laugh. When you’re having a bad day – just laugh. When you’re feeling stressed out – just laugh. You don’t have to be happy or feel good first. You don’t need a sense of humor either, and you can do it any time. Fake laughter becomes real laughter very quickly. A good belly laugh can be like an internal jog.

After doing a study on the benefits of laughter, I decided that every time I got in my car, I was going to spend a few minutes laughing. Some days I didn’t feel like it, but I “faked it until I made it.” I started off with ha, ha, hee, hee, ho, ho …………………………………….

I thought about the goodness of God and His promises. I thought about the fact that I am a “winner” in life. I thought about the fact that nothing bad could happen to me without God’s permission, and if He permitted it; it was working together for my good.  It wasn’t long before I was laughing for real!

Ha, Ha, Ho, Ho laugh

It is recommended that thirty minutes of exercise three times a week and 15 minutes of hearty laughter each day be a part of a healthy lifestyle. Ten to fifteen minutes of laughter could burn 50 calories.

Possible benefits of laughter include:

  • Improves alertness, creativity, and memory.

  • Helps you sleep better.

  • Relaxes the whole body.

  • Decreases depression and increases life satisfaction.

  • Increases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals that give a buzz during exercise.

  • Relieves stress and tension.

  • Increases the body’s tolerance to pain.

  • Helps you forget about your problems, if only for a few minutes.

A Sure Cure

Three Pastors in the south were having lunch in a diner. One said “Ya know, since summer started I’ve been having trouble with bats in my loft and attic at church. I’ve tried everything–noise, spray, cats–nothing seems to scare them away.

Another said “Yea, me too. I’ve got hundreds living in my belfry and in the narthex attic. I’ve even had the place fumigated, and they won’t go away.”

The third said, “I baptized all mine, and made them members of the church…
Haven’t seen one back since!!!”

“We don’t stop laughing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop laughing”

Michael Pritchard

Bye for now.

laugh out loud

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/10547.E_E_Cummings

http://www.christian-jokes.org/jokes6.html                   Author is Unknown

http://www.christian-jokes.org/jokes2.html                    Author is Unknown