Showing posts with label Serve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serve. Show all posts

Serving Others Is A Form Of Love

I really enjoyed getting caught up with so many of you, I am still working at getting back into the hang of blogging, I have been trying not to overwhelm myself too much. I need to find some middle ground... which isn't the easiest thing for me as I have always been an all or nothing kind of girl, which means if I can't keep up I give up and do something else. I have been contemplating how to change that aspect of myself... there is nothing wrong with wanting to attain the highest level but giving up because I feel like it's a failure on my part isn't what I want for myself anymore. 

I will never give up writing, it has been the one constant part of my life that has helped me to grow, I have been able to see another way to handle a test or trial. Even when I wasn't physically writing the past few months, I spent a lot of time writing in my mind, thinking of what it would take for me to finally get back to actually writing on the computer. Blogging wasn't my first thought as I feel that blogging is meant to be interactive, I couldn't just write and walk away... so I wrote a couple of times in my private blog just to write, it helped being able to get it out and see it in words. 
My church believes in journals or keeping diary for ourselves that ultimately our family would be able to read our thoughts and ideas sometime in the future... I know my mom wrote a few letters to my sister Kimmy and when she passed on I got a copy of the notebook, it was such beautiful memories that I could read at anytime and pass down to my own children in time. I can see the importance of keeping my private ideas and thoughts for my family in the future. What I learned from this over the years is that I see how alike we are... yes we all have differences but ultimately we go through many of the same trials. Which is why I think writing about how we deal with something might help someone else... I know that I have learned from others writings and I have found a way to make it through a test I was unsure I would be able to get through. 

I have been feeling cut off with my health issues and I have felt like I failed... I had gained my life life back by becoming healthy and now I feel like I am back where I was and actually further from my goals. A friend who went through something similar sent me a website with some ideas of how to strengthen my back so that my sciatica won't be so painful and a very good friend dropped over and told me not to give up, she would be ready to walk with me when the time came that I wasn't in such a great deal of pain. I honestly had given up on my health and thought to myself that this was the way my life was going to be.... but I can't give up because it's hard, it's not going to be simple, it's going to be painful and it's going to take a great deal of work but I want my life back... it's time for me start doing something, even if it's small and not to get discouraged when it takes longer than I think it should. 
I haven't been attending my church because I felt it was too painful... I have people that are willing to pick me up and take me home part way... at least I can get out weekly and see other people so that I am not feeling as though I am so trapped in my home. I need that connection with other people, even if it is only for a short time each week... It will be good for me to hear other thoughts and ideas so that I am not sitting at home, convincing myself there is no way out. I want to help others, so that I will think of myself less... 

I feel like service is the way for me to better myself in the long run... I might not be able to do anything to physical at the moment but I can talk to people and I can take the time to write my story for my children. There is a lot of my life on this blog but I don't write about everything as there are personal things I don't want everyone to know but I do want my children to know it all one day... as I am sure they will have to deal with many of the same trials in their lives and I want them to know that there is always a way through, no matter how difficult the test is... I have been served with love by many people over the years, it's time for me to serve others the same way... 


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It's Not About Me





Wow, I have read my first chapter of 'The Purpose Driven Life', it is only five pages long, however; there is a 45 minute video that you watch after you read.  This 40 days that I have committed to is not a quick thing I will be doing.  I have decided that I will choose to watch the video and read the chapter in the morning and then I will think about it through the day and I will blog in the evening...

The first thought or point to ponder is "It's not about me"...  I truly believe this, I know I have tried to make it about me several times in my life by thinking what should I do with my life?  What are my goals?  What are my dreams?  Although I believe having goals and dreams are good things to have in my life... otherwise I founder with no purpose.  Instead of thinking what should I do with my life?  I need to think "What does God want me to do with my life?



I am a Christian, I believe in God... I respect everyone's opinions, I don't force my opinions on anyone else.  I have always been one of those people who does not feel comfortable talking about God with just anyone since I didn't want people thinking I was being pushy or that I know more than they do.  I am not embarrassed to believe in my faith, I have not always been open about it.... especially when I was living the complete opposite of what I believed in, I never wanted the church to be judged on my actions.

Whenever it is brought up, I am honest, I tell people I am a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints (LDS).  I usually ask them not to judge the church by me, I realize that because my life has not gone the way that I wanted it to go that I turned away and basically said 'okay, if I can't have what I want, I will live however I feel like living'.  This makes me wonder how committed I am?  I made this about me and it's not...

This chapter and video reminded me that I was not born to have life my way, I was born to give love, compassion and kindness.  My Heavenly Father wants me to be happy, he wants all of us to find joy and honestly the only way for me to have happiness and joy is serve and love other people.  If I serve, I will be able to stop centering on myself and what I feel I lack... and what do I feel that I lack?  Love... That's pretty self centered of me as I know there are many people who love me... I wanted things my way and in my time and I didn't care about what God might have wanted for me.

I sometimes even thought why does so and so have what I want and they don't appreciate it?  I thought just give me what I want, I will be grateful, I will appreciate it.  Would I though?  or would I be ungrateful and looking for the next thing I want... Besides, who am I to judge anyone on whether they are grateful enough for what they have?  I can only judge myself and not others, it's not about me.

After reading and pondering this chapter, I realize I have been centered on what I want for me ... which I recognize is a bit selfish. I do want to preface this to say that I think it is okay to have goals and dreams for ourselves, I just don't think that I should be so locked into them that I don't see the opportunities that I have to serve and love others.  To have a purpose driven life is to know that it's not about me...


I cherish my past, I accept my present and I dream for my future