How to Keep a Smile on Your Face...

I'm sure everyone has had one.  Those days (or weeks) where nothing seems to go right.  I had one just a few weeks ago.  I'd like to say that, despite the circumstances, I smiled all week.  Unfortunately, in reality, I started out with a pity party... and chocolate.  But, once I had finished my pity party I realized how pathetic I was being. Pouting and crying would do nothing to fix the problems.  So what could I do to "turn my frown upside-down"?
I sat down and started thinking about some things that I like to think on, or do, when I'm having "one of those days".

First of all, grab something you love to enjoy on your trek to happiness!

  Whether it's the female's ever favorite chocolate bar... Or a cup of coffee, tea... whatever suits your fancy!  You don't even necessarily have to go and buy something.  Just find something that snacking on, or sipping, will cheer you up! But, be careful because to much of this will lead to more problems, haha :)


Next, make a list of things that you enjoy... for example, I love the color yellow!! Lol, I mean seriously, look at it!  Doesn't it just look happy?!  It reminds me of sunshine and warm days!

Another thing is music... whether it's listening to it, playing it, singing it, or all three!  Music has been proven to reduce stress and cheer one up!  

 I usually have a playlist on my computer or phone that has some of my favorite songs that I put on when I'm in a bad mood.  It always helps!

 Another way to cheer up is your favorite TV Show or movie.  

Finally, the most important and helpful step, pick up your Bible and spend some time in prayer.  My pastor encouraged me with the story in Matthew about the Two Houses.  One was built on the sand, the other built on the rock.  He pointed out that no matter what your foundation is, storms will come.
"Storms will come no matter what you're built on, will you withstand the storm"
  

This reminded me that there will always be bad days, troublesome times, but if you're built on The Solid Rock you can make it through the storm.

... The joy of the Lord is your strength

Nehemiah 8:10

My name is Sarah Covey, I grew up in a christian home, and made a profession of faith when I was a little girl.  When I was 13 years old, I went to Northwoods Baptist Camp with a group from our church.  The guest preacher was Bro. Josh Jones from West Virginia. On Wednesday night Bro. Jones preached a powerful message on Hell. The Holy Spirit was convicting me during the invitation, but I put it off. Thursday night, during the invitation, Bro. Jones touched on the topic of Hell again, and the conviction came back.  God was giving me another opportunity.  That night I accepted Jesus as my Saviour.  Currently, I am tutoring and teaching piano lessons.  God has really shown Himself true in my life, especially this past year, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me in the future.  You can keep up with current "happenings" at my blog: A Daughter of the King. 

Isaiah 53//thoughts on Christmas

Have you ever really truly paused to think of what Christmas is about?

Most of us would respond automatically. Yes. And we would even have the right answer. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Maybe we’ve thought about it, but have we pondered it?

Do we really take to heart what Christmas is really all about?

We run around like chickens with their heads chopped off trying to find the perfect gift for each family member and friend. Then we take a look at our bank accounts and spazz out because Christmas costs a ton. Or we scramble to try to make a meaningful homemade gift for each one.

All the while we are focused on other stuff. Yes- giving gifts is a good thing. Yes, spending time with family and friends is a good thing. But that’s still not what Christmas is about!

Christmas is about Christ. Christmas is the celebration of JESUS’ birth.

Jesus came to earth so that he could die on the cross and give us the gift of eternal life. That’s a big thought.

He didn’t have to. He didn’t have to save us. He didn’t have to DIE for us.

But he did. He died for us. for you. for me. sinners. sinners who deserve nothing less than going to hell. 

But he died anyway.

He came to earth because he loved us.

//years ago my dad had to memorize Isaiah 53 for a Bible class he was taking. Being very much Daddy’s girl, I was the one who got to coach him. I heard him recite this passage so many times that I almost had it all memorized when I had to do it in high school.

Its an amazing passage. and its beautiful! <3 Its talking about Jesus. Its talking about why Jesus came to earth. Its talking about why Jesus was born. This passage brings new meaning to one of my favorite phrases,

beauty from brokenness.

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

 Isaiah 53:1-9

|on being an encouragement|

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, 

when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Proverbs 3:27 

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not,

to him it is sin.

James 4:17  

today I have a hopefully fairly simple thought....

->> How often do we skip a chance to encourage someone?

big bang in such a little tiny question!

I mean, really think about it! How often do we see someone hurting and keep walking by? How often do we notice someones discouragement and look away? How often do we hear a screaming heart and stop our ears?

too often... waaaayyyy too often! =(

This hit my heart hard- REALLY hard! and Im ashamed of the answers that fled through my head! 

a lot of times we use excuses- we're too busy, too stressed, too tired, etc. We dont have an excuse though, because we know what is the right thing to do, yet we dont do it.

Take 5 minutes and write a note, make a phone call, stop to say Hi, type an email, make a little package of sunshine! 

Just take 5 minutes!!! If the Lord prompts you, do it- if you dont, you will be held accountable!!

hypocrites #1

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:

these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

-Matthew 23:23 

|| The Pharisee’s + scribes were the “high and mighty” “religious” men of the day. They spent their time “studying” and copying the law so that they might better “preach and teach” it.

Like so many of our religious leaders of today <Pastors, Pastors wives, Pastors children, Sunday School teachers, deacons, deacons wives, deacons children, etc.> these men had a lot of the wrong motives. They liked to stress the non-important issues while completely ignoring the things that were most important.

>>>Sound like anyone you know?<<<

=these religious people were good at giving tithes and offerings> and hefty showy ones at that. They weren’t concerned about giving money to help the missionary that needed to buy supplies to feed his family for the next month. They weren’t giving money so that the church could have nice chairs instead of the rickety old uncomfortable pews they already had.

They were concerned about it being known that THEY were the one who bought the missionaries food and fed them for a whole entire month. They wanted everyone to know that THEY were the ones who bought the chairs for the church so that they could say they went to a church with nice seating.

*They wanted to make a show out of church instead of taking care of the issues that were important like judgment, mercy, and faith.

>JUDGMENT- they forgot to judge themselves and their OWN motives. Instead they judged the outward appearance and actions of everyone else. While yes, we are told to judge sin, we are also COMMANDED to judge ourselves FIRST. If our lives aren’t right> if we are prideful, haughty, judgemental, etc> then we have absolutely no place pointing our finger at anyone but ourself!

>MERCY- The hypocrite conveniently forgets that God was so so so merciful to us. God sent His own Son to this world to save us from our sins. We consistently forget that. In Luke 6:36 God reminds us, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” We are to be as merciful to those around us as God was to us!

>FAITH- having faith isnt always easy. Most of the time it isnt just there. Faith is something that we all have to work at- its something that we NEED people to encourage us to have!

These are the things that need to be emphasized first> matters of the heart< before the outward issues.

10 thoughts to ponder...

The LORD is nigh unto them 

that are of a broken heart...

He healeth the broken in heart...

Psalms 41:9, 34:18, 147:3

1. Who I am is NOT dependent upon anyone else.

2. My relationship with God is independent of any other relationship.

3. My dedication to the Lord is independent of any other relationship.

4.  My sense of value is relative to my relationship with God.

5. God is all-powerful in all situations.

6. Whatever circumstances exist, my inner peace comes from God alone, and not from any other relationship.

7. God is a jealous God; He requires total dedication to Him independent of any other relationship.

8. God alone can bring real peace and happiness.

9. God alone can bring good spiritual health.

10. God alone can bring good mental health.

My worth is immeasureable to God for He created me; He knows me thoroughly; He loves me eternally.

{excerpt: From My Heart to Yours by Glorianne Gibbs}

|lovely links| v.

Check out this encouraging post about Doing the Next Thing over at Kindred Grace!

Michaela shared a definition of REAL WOMEN.

Read about 5 Reasons We are Crippled by INDECISIVENESS...

Ponder THIS thought for a little while!

refinement.

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; 

I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Isaiah 48:10 

This verse >almost literally< jumped off the page as I was flipping to a passage in church yesterday... I had to reread it a couple times. WOW!?

Times have been hard. But God has shown me more and more lately that every single trial is for a reason. 

*We grow the most when we are going through hard times.

There is a reason for every lesson learned. 

Have you ever thought about how much more we can help people if we've gone through the same thing ourselves!? 

LIGHTBULB!?

It seems funny to say sometimes, but Im thankful, so very thankful that God not only brought me through the trials, but that he brought me to them too, because I can have a greater impact because of them!!

Grow through your trials!

||lovely links||

>Read about A WOMANS WORTH over at A Full Time Girl.

*Check out how its NEVER TOO MUCH over at Set Apart Girl.

-This post on HE WILL MAKE A WAY was beautiful!

[On LEAVING ROOM FOR THE UNEXPECTED and intentionally saying NO.

||Some thoughts on how God loves us so much and ITS TOO BIG!

Be a Light.

     So many people are hurting in this world today. So many Christians are too busy with work, school, church, and entertainment, to take a moment and offer a little bit of encouragement to someone. Stop and listen for a while. Smile at the cashier. Offer help to the lady at the grocery store. There are so many opportunities to be a blessing to others. You never know what a little sunshine might do for someone's rainy day. 

Be a Light.