Don't Be A Worry Wart!

"Your eyes are windows into your body.  If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.  If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar.  If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

"You can't worship two gods at once.  Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other.  Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other.  You can't worship God and Money both.

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.  There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.  Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more to him than birds.  Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?  All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference?  Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers.  They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best--dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?  What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.  Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Currently Listening O Brother, Where Art Thou? By Various Artists - Soundtrack see related

DANGER IN THE XANGA ZONE

from staff reports

Experts say social blogs are a magnet for predators.

Eight underage girls in Connecticut have been assaulted by men who met them by way of their personal Web pages — commonly known as blogs.  (see article)

The 12-to-16-year-old girls all had pages on a service popular with students called MySpace. All expected to meet boys close to their age, but instead met adults who lied. The girls placed too much personal information on their pages, enough to be tracked down and contacted in real life by predators.

Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's attorney general, said he suspects the cases in his state are just a hint of what's happening nationally.

"I can only guess," he said, "but clearly this Web site is a predator's dream and a parent's worst nightmare."

His message to the companies behind the social blogs is to police themselves or he'll take action.

Experts say parents should have a serious conversation with their children if they have a page on sites such as MySpace, Xanga, FaceBook or Friendster.

Tom Neven, senior editor at Plugged In magazine, explained that something as simple as posting a school name can start the trouble.

"And then they'll post pictures of themselves with their friends," he said. "That's plenty of information for a very smart predator to be able to track you down and figure out who you are."

The craze over social blogs is growing. Staca Urie with Netsmartz is an expert at helping parents and teens navigate the dangers of the Internet. She said social blogs are extremely popular with middle and high school students and the interest keeps growing.

"They're comparing how many buddies and friends and links they have on these types of Web sites and that is only adding fuel to the fire and making them more popular," she said.

Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, said parents have to come to grips with Internet danger.

"Parents need to understand," he said, "that anytime they let their kid go online alone, it's as if they allowed a stranger into their child's bedroom and the stranger closed the door."

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Currently Watching I Know What You Did Last Summer/I Still Know What You Did Last Summer see related

this is a tricky time in your life.  a lot is going on.  i remember how much "noise" there was in my head when i began high school.  and "the world" is constantly knocking, trying to get into your mind and your heart - trying to divert your attention from the good and godly.  and THAT is your COMBAT CHALLENGE.

can you meet such a challenge?!  have you been prepared by church & parents?  are you powered by a good youth group?  are you plugged in to The Manual each day?  do you have your OWN "unit", or group of friends, that can help you withstand the onslaught?  can you hear The General, the Holy Spirit, as He issues orders each day in how to defeat the enemy?

fight the Good Fight, young friend!  you can win the Combat Challenge!

i'm not big on LISTS, but this one includes tips that all of us can use.

10 Ways You Can Overcome Anger

From:  Getting the Best of Your Anger - Dr. Les Carter

1. One of the key steps to overcoming anger is to identify the object of your anger. Many people who struggle with chronic anger aren't even sure what they're angry about. When you identify what you're angry about you can begin the process of dealing with it.

2. One of the goals of an angry person can be to draw attention to themselves. They often feel that negative attention is better than no attention at all. If you don't feel loved or needed, this may be a root cause of your anger.

3. Accept the fact that most things in the world are out of your control. If you try to continually control your family, friends or circumstances you will find the result frustrating.

4. The root of your anger may lie in a lack of forgiveness. If you've never forgiven someone who's hurt you, you're caught in a viscous trap that will ultimately destroy you.

5. Many who struggle with anger hate themselves. Self-hatred can be used as a tool to control your emotions. You may need to learn new skills to control your emotions in a positive way.

6. You may be angry about things your family or friends have done to you in the past, even decades ago. This is called residual anger. It is possible to resolve this anger and move on with your life, but you must be willing to spend time identifying the root of your problem and choosing to forgive those who have hurt you.

7. There are some legitimate physical causes for anger. If you suspect your problem may be related to a chemical imbalance in your body, be evaluated by a qualified psychiatrist.

8. In truth, no one can "make you angry," even though they can provoke you. You can control your response to people and circumstances.

9. There is a place for "righteous anger," when one of God's principles is violated. Scripture does admonish us to "not let the sun go down on our anger" though. In other words, when you feel angry, it is important to deal with it and move past it as soon as possible.

10. If you or a family member is struggling with anger issues, they're not likely to go away by themselves. It is necessary to identify the cause of the anger and take proactive steps to resolve it.

SUMMERTIME TIMES

do you remember smelling the freshly-cut grass and playing in the sprinkler with your shirt off?  you would beg me to let you push the mower.  then, later, i would beg you to use the mower.  ha ha ha

it was early summer when you learned how to ride your shiny new bicycle.  can you hear me running beside you, breathing hard.  i was glad you caught your balance so quickly!  but, you learned to skate without me down at the roller rink.  still later that summer, you would hurry inside with a fresh scrape from that clumsy old skate board.  i really did hate to dress those wounds with alcohol and mercurochrome after Mom had cleaned them up.

i drove by the park the other day and remembered fishing with you there.  the first time we went, the only bite you got was when you tried to pet a cranky old duck.  (the trees are so big now.  some almost reach across the old creek.)  you had so much fun there, playing with your friends when we would have Sunday Meetings with supper-on-the-ground.  even now, i can hear you laughing with some of the friends that you still have.

those wonderful times with you.  a few years ago now.  still, you'll always be my dear child.  those times haven't ended.  they've just changed.

what do you think?  am i your dad?  give me a hug.  tell me you love me.
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Currently Watching The Best of the Wonder Years see related