Thankful Thursday: Sister Marietta

 

I have been using THANKFUL THURSDAYS to talk about some of the wonderful women who have had an impact on my life and my faith.

Photo by Pixy

When I was 4,  my parents enrolled in St.  Bernards School for Exceptional Children.  This school not only launched my educational journey, but also my spiritual journey.

St. Marietta was the principal of the Exceptional school.   She stood up with Mama when we joined St. Pius church and got baptized.  I can't remember her as my principal, but I use to see her walking around the St. Bernards campus.  I always loved running into her.

In 5th and 6th grade, at Christmas, we got to"adopt" a Sister.  We had a special luncheon with them.  I was so upset because I didn't get to be with St. Marietta. (The 6th graders got to choose the sister they wanted to "adopt" a sister they wanted to escort to the Christmas luncheon.)  I did get to "adopt" her the next Christmas.  (The was also the year I sang "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Clause-so she was probably regretting  not teaching me how to sing!!!)

There isn't just one thing I loved about St. Marietta.  I just know when I was around her I felt like I was in the presence of GOD

Wednesday's Word: Compassion

 

Photo by Pixy

Everyone needs COMPASSION!

The definition of compassion is:

"sympathetic consciousness of other's distress together with a desire to alleviate it"   Merriam-Webster

Covid has taught us many, many things.  We have been reminded of how heroic people can be; not just in America, but all over the world. I don't think anyone has been praised (and rightly so) more than the people in the medical field; especially those on the front lines: like emergency rooms and ICUs.However,  the other side of the coin is that not many people want to work in health care right now.Since I live in a nursing facility, I am seeing this firsthand. We don't have enough nurses or CNAs (certified nurse assistants).  They are always short.  Some of the CNAs work through agencies (because they pay more) and many of them really don't care how they deal with the residents because they'll be at a different facility the next day.  The CNAs who do care are stretched to their limits and many don't have time to give the residents the care that they need and deserve.But, what I want to talk about now is the compassion that we owe the people who take care of us.Our society has such a "the customer is always right" morality, that many of us don't show others the common courtesy that everyone deserves.I can remember when were kids, if we didn't say "yes ma'am, no ma'am; yes sir, no sir; please and thank you", we better hope our daddy didn't find out!!!Most people work really hard; it doesn't matter if you're the top neurosurgeon in the world or a garbage collector; EVERYONE deserves respect.Sometimes, all it takes is a simple "thank you" and a smile to lift someone's weary soul.


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Mental Health Monday ~ Listening To My Voices

 

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I HEAR VOICES!

Now, before you jump to conclusions (Mama), they aren't telling me that I'm an alien who seeks world domination. (those are, of course, confidential!!!)

I do, however, hear the voices of doubt...regret... self-loathing...pride...insecurities...blame...and...and...the list goes on and on and on...

Yes, these voices are audible.  Sometimes the voices are ones I recognize and sometimes they aren't.

They are constantly telling me that I'm a failure. That nothing I ever do is good enough.  The voices say that if you had acted or said something in another way; the "correct" way, you'll be liked and accepted. 

Musician John Spence said that "We often talk to ourselves in ways that we would never let a stranger or even a close friend talk to us."

We put ourselves down.  We don't feel like we're worthy enough to feel good about ourselves.  Sometimes, others put us down and other times our surroundings and the things around us dictate our self-worth.   

 I almost feel, no I do feel like I have acceded the number of blessings that a person should get in their lifetime.

I feel bad because I was blessed in ways that other people in my situation were not.

Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful for everything I have!!!

But, it makes me wonder, WHY?  What did I do to deserve to be this blessed?

Truth is, I've only achieved what I have through the grace of GOD

Olin Miler, senior finance manager at Amazon, said: "You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do."

Even with friends and family, most of them are too busy and /or self-absorbed to think too much about what we think or feel, and many times, even what we do and say.

John Spence also said; "Some people don't notice the things others do for them until they stop doing them."

My parents taught me to be strong and confident.  I thought I could

conquer the world.  It turns out that conquering that world didn't look like I thought it would.  (I've go to remember, that like Psalm 23

that the LORD is our SHEPARDand that HE leads us in the way we should go.).  HE wants me to conaquer the world for HIM and in HIS timing; not mine

As I got older, as many people do,  I started to listen and believe the lies of the DEVIL.

Sometimes, my Bipolar and its voices make it hard to distinguish right from wrong; fact from fiction.  It's like walking a tightrope over a lion's den; one misstep and you're going to be supper.

Like I said before, I can't blame my Bipolar for my sin.  I have done it millions of times.  God knows the difference between my sins and my mental issues.

The more in tune with GOD  I am, the quieter the voices become.

 

Learning To Be Gracious

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It is better to give than receive.

This is drilled into many of us since birth and while I believe there is a lot of truth in this,  we can feel guilty when someone does something for us or especially if they give us something.

Do you need to learn how to be GRACIOUS???

It's hard because we don't want to feel like we "owe" someone  If someone does something for us, we automatically look for something we can do for them.  If  someone gives us a gift, we start looking for something to give them back; usually something bigger or more expensive.

$1,000,000 is spent by Americans every December to buy gifts for people; a lot of them we don't even know that well.  Gifts that, by mid-January, most people can't even tell you what they got.

Now, I like gifts as much as anyone. (Hint, hint Barrett. {I'm not talking about gifts from my husband here. LOL!!!})

We need to learn how to say "thank you".  Many times these simple words are greater than anything we can ever give them.  Because it's now about the gift they gave us or the time they spent with us.

It's about...us.  It's about how much they love and care for us.  It's about them sharing part of themself with us.  It's about them being able to bless us.

When we aren't able to or unwilling to be gracious, we may be keeping others from doing the will of GOD and subsequentially keeping them from being blessed.

I DO NOT want to stand in the way of anyone being blessed by GOD.

The greatest gift can never be repaid...all we have to do is accept it.

When Jesus came to save us from our sin...from ourselves.  Only HIS blood was sufficient to pay the debt  that we so rightly deserve to die for and be banished to the darkness of hell and away from HIM

The only thing GOD asks of us is to accept HIS love and to share HIM with others.

Can we be gracious enough to do that?