"A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." Proverbs 17:22, Message Been a long week? Tired? Been challenged? Sick? Down in the dumps? Not feeling your best? Laugh! That's right…laugh! Don't submit to the blues today. Don't succumb to the "too bad, so sad" motto. Stand up and just start laughing. Rejoice. Shout. Liven up your disposition....
There’s just something about an early morning routine (or lack of routine!) that gives you a good idea of how your family operates. I’ll ever forget when all four of our kids were in school at the same time. I’d wake up to Tamara’s voice on the other side of the house, “Is your uniform ready? How about your jersey?...
“Don’t make excuses for me,” one of my dearest friends said a short time ago to me. It was such a revelation! My heart leaped inside me as I said, “That’s it! That’s what I’ve been doing.” Recently, I had massive bipolar episode. It was so destructive and painful. Thankfully, my family rallied around me! They gave me support and acceptance. My church family loved and prayed for me. I am blessed! But, during this episode I wanted to reach out to my friends. A couple of friends would call to take me to lunch. They wanted to come to the house to help me. But it took every bit of energy for me to walk from the couch to shower, let alone get dressed to see people. But, I needed people! I felt alone. Every time I’d think about reaching out to my friends and family, I’d make excuses for them. “They are so busy.” “They have to work.” “They are tired in the evening.” “They have to deal with the kids and grand-kids.” By my choice, I made excuses for others. I trapped myself in loneliness and abandonment. So, people didn’t want to “bother me”. They became silent. The church as a whole doesn’t talk about mental illness. It carries the stigma that people don’t have the faith to be healed. “It’s just in their head.” They are right, it is in my head! My body chemicals and the function of my brain were diseased. I have crawled up out of that black hole. I’m functioning again. I’m still shouting that I am healed! I am delivered! I TRUST you, my Father! I realized I had to stop making excuses for my Heavenly Father. He is my Father and of course He wants to bless me. I needed to accept what has already been given. He is with us the darkest places of our lives. It’s all about TRUST and NO EXCUSES! Blessings upon you and your family, Terry Brady The Family Church McAllen, Tx Terrytfc@gmail.com ...
One of my favorite things I own, is a piece of paper I found wedged between sheets of music, in an old piano bench that was given to me by my mother in-law. On one side of the paper is a list of praise and worship songs she had used to lead worship. On the other side, in the very...
I love my life. I really do! But once in a while, just for a second, I’ll see somebody else doing something that just seems more glamorous. One day I was in just that type of mood. I was exhausted and was being stretched way beyond my comfort zone. I started grumbling about how ‘glamorous’ everyone else’s life seemed to...
While I was in college at ORU, I met one of my dearest lifelong BFF’s, Katie Luce. Katie is adorable. She’s this tiny little firecracker of a woman, who’s impacted many lives in ministry, and gratefully, she’s one of those friends who just ‘gets me.’ With over 30 years of friendship under our belts, we have been through so much...