Do you ever have one of those day where you just get to feeling sorry for yourself?  You know – several things have not gone your way and several other things seem to be working against you?  You start thinking:  “Life Just Isn’t Fair!”  And you know – you are right:  “Life Isn’t Fair!”  If life were fair, we would be in a bigger mess than we often find ourselves.  We don’t deserve anything, but God in His grace has offered us everything and then some!

You are going through something and you just don’t know how you are going to make it.  Have you ever stopped to think – there are millions of people on this earth that are going through something just as bad and many going through something a whole lot worse?  Our problem is we often get stuck in complaining about our circumstances and do little to nothing to change them.  Stop complaining and do what you can!  Circumstances happen to everyone!  Stop complaining and start doing something about it!

If life is going to change, then you are going to have to change.  You can’t keep thinking and doing what you have always done and expect different results.  Determination and belief are powerful allies in helping you to overcome the personal behavior that often sabotages even your best efforts.  Stop being negative and start looking for, pulling into and hanging around positive people.  Life on this earth is too short to keep playing around and being miserable.

The more of your time and energy you spend dwelling on the things you don’t like and can’t do, the less time you will have to enjoy the things you do like and you can do!  Life presents you with choices and it’s what you do with these choices that determine the quality of the life you will live!

God created you to be happy and fulfilled, so don’t let the enemy steal what your Creator has given you!  John 10:10 says “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!”  Life is hard and life is tough, but you were created to face it, overcome it and become stronger and better for the effort.  I know it’s tough, some days I have to pray extra hard for the faith just to make it through, and then as God provides that faith, I do make it through and I discover that I am much better for it!

Hang in there and remember you are not alone!  You have a Creator, who is walking with you every step of the way.  And you have a friend, who is right here praying for you and willing to help you in any way that I can.  I hope this helps, encourages and gives you victory today!  God Bless And Give God Glory!

I think one of the hardest things for me to face and deal with is self-discipline!  In some areas of my life, I have very little problem with this, but in others, I find it more than difficult.  For example:  It is easy for me to practice spiritual self-discipline, which motivates me to read scripture and spend time in prayer daily, but it is a continual challenge to practice physical discipline, which motivates me to eat right and exercise on a regular basis.  I know the value and benefits of both, but for me, one is easy and the other is tough!  I have a friend who says that it is reversed for her!  She finds the physical easy and the spiritual hard!

We often know what we need to do, but find it difficult to grow the motivation and resolve to do it!  Why is it that we find self-discipline easy in some situations and difficult in others?  I guess if we ever figure out the answer to that question, then we will really have something!

Self Discipline is getting yourself to do the things you need to do, when you need to do them, whether you feel like it or not!  It’s pushing yourself to do what needs to be done, because it needs to be done!  There are many days in my life when I find something I know I need to do, but I don’t really want to do.  The thing that helps me to face the tough stuff and get the difficult things done is an exercise I like to call “Weighing The Pain!”

Someone once said:  “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.  The difference is discipline weighs ounces, while regret weighs tons.”  When I actually take the time to “Weigh The Pain”, I usually find that one little spark of motivation that will carry me forward and help me to do what I don’t really want to do!

Do you know how to get really good at something?  Practice!  Here are a few ideas to help you begin to practice the art of self-discipline:

1.) Figure out the result that you are looking for!  What is your goal?  Goals have amazing power to pull you forward toward results that really make a difference!  Figure out what you are shooting for and you are halfway there!

2.) Weigh the difference between the pain of regret and the pain of discipline!  The discipline may hurt a little now, but it is much better than a lot of hurt from the pain of regret later!  Be honest with yourself and this will move you, when nothing else can!

3.) Divide And Conquer!  Figure out what you need to do and break it down into manageable tasks.  Create a check list (1,2,3) of what you need to do and start checking things off of the list as soon as possible.  When you come up on one of the difficult things, grin, put your head down and plow forward!

The Bible puts it this way:  “24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

You can do this and when you take the time to actually put it into practice, you will be amazed at the results and you will be glad you did!

I was reading a friends post on Facebook the other day and was very impressed at their gratitude!  They were simply expressing thankfulness to God for some of the simple and often taken for granted things in our lives.  I thought it might be a good idea for all of us to make ourselves take a little bit of time to think about what we are thankful for.

Every now and then when my girls start to get a little selfish or when they get a little to full of themselves, then I will encourage them to sit down with a pen and piece of paper and make a “Thankfulness List”, in which they list every single thing they can think of that they have to be thankful for.  I really make them think about everything, especially the small things.

When we actually take the time to stop and be thankful, it changes everything!  Take a little time today to think about what you have to be thankful for and then in some way share your thankfulness with the rest of the world! You will be glad you did!