Where you can share your struggles, learn about mental health issues and study the Bible
Wisconsin has been having less than a thousand new cases per day. Our hospital numbers are way down too.
So, my employer is allowing fully vaccinated people to not wear a mask. I enjoy being able to see my co-workers ‘ faces. Breathing is easier without a mask. I am hoping that a new variant doesn’t come or stays away for a long time.
I am hoping to go out to eat with a friend on a weekend soon. I haven’t eaten out since last summer.
What do you plan to do while the Covid-19 numbers are low?
War! Maybe it will be world war three. Pandemic! The news is full of scary stuff. Here is some ideas on how to cope.
Limit news viewing The first time that I had to find a way to cope with scary news was 9/11/2001. I was glued to the news. I finally had to go for a walk just to disconnect from the constant news watching. While I wanted to know what was happening, I discovered that I needed to take breaks.
Look for the helpers or heros ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,”Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”‘ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) I have found that focusing on the helpers and heros helps me to feel hopeful. Yesterday, I wrote an article about some of the heros in the Russia Ukraine war. I have also found some stories about people helping. The Rachel Maddow show shared the story of a German offering rides at the border. Uber is offering free rides at the Poland border. People are renting Airbnbs in Ukraine as a way to send money to people dealing with the war.
Find a way to help if possible The previous paragraph mentioned some ways that people have found to help. There are plenty of other ways. Here is a list of charities helping Ukraine. I haven’t found a way for me at this time. I am saving money in prep for my upcoming lay off in May. So, I am limiting my giving to my church. Yet, I think finding a way to help can help with the feelings of helplessness.
Help others to cope This is what I am hoping to do through this post. This can be as simple as allowing someone to talk about their feelings about all of the scary stuff in the news. My dad and I talked for a while about this. It could be encouraging someone at work.
Sense of humor It may seem like laughing at scary news is mean. But, listening to coronavirus parody songs helped me to get through ten days of self isolating due to having Covid-19. I started playing a game of dancing to the songs and seeing how long I could last before I had to stop to cough. It was a fun way to see that the cough was weakening. It also can remind you and me that we are all experiencing similar feelings.
We are all in this together. We may only be watching but we are still feeling strong emotions in response to it.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday. I thought they’d fall quickly. Yet, Russia has not reached Kyiv.
President Zelensky is still in Kyiv fighting for his country. A beer company is handing out empty bottles for people to make Molotov cocktails. A road company is removing street signs to confuse the Russians. Regular citizens are learning to shoot guns. All of these people are heros.
Many Russians are protesting in 50 different cities. The police are arresting people as quick as they can when they spot protesting. 5,800 people have been arrested.
My prayer for today. God, my heart aches for the people of Ukraine. Many are fighting for their homeland while others are attempting to flee. Please be with them. I can’t imagine what they are going through. Yet, I know that You know their fears, hopes and plans. Hear their prayers.
Many of the Russian people don’t want this war. I suspect some of their soldiers don’t want to wage this war but must obey orders.
Please guide our world leaders. Amen.
We all make mistakes but the hard part is forgiving ourselves.
Jesus loves you
Jesus forgives you.
Keep hope alive.
Hang in there.
Don’t give up
This too shall pass.
I painted some hearts with these messages. I made some for Christian co-workers and some who prefer none religious messages.
I took them to work and left them in our break room. I am sorry that I didn’t have more wood hearts to paint but I am limited on my spending. I am hoping that someone smiled at the messages.
Very few of my coworkers took some of them. So, I took the remaining six to the laundromat. Hopefully someone there will want them.
I have been searching for something to be thankful for this week. Then, I thought of hope. I am thankful that I have hope.
I find a small amount of hope helps me to get the energy to do my housework. Yet, no hope leaves me watching YouTube videos or starring at walls hardly blinking.
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. Anne LaMotta
God, I need hope for each day. You tell us to “pray for our daily bread.” Hope is as important to me as my daily bread. Without hope, I can do almost nothing. Without hope, I sleep too much and do nothing productive. Please supply me with the reassurance of your presence and a continual flow of hope. Amen
Thank You for the hope that You have given me throughout my life. Amen.
People would be better if I were dead. This thought ran through my head numerous times during high school. Since I couldn’t get along with my step-father, I made my mom and sister miserable.
If I kill myself, it will hurt my parents. This is another one of my high school thoughts. While I see now that they cancel each other out, I didn’t see it then.
This tombstone says, “There is no feet too small that it can not leave an imprint on this world.”
This saying is what reminded me of my past two thoughts. I found myself praying that I have left a positive impact on this world.
If you are having thoughts of suicide like I did in high school, please asked a friend, teacher, parent, couch, co-worker or a hotline volunteer for help. We all need to get help at times.
If you need help, please call 800-273-8255 (national suicide hotline) or visit your local hospital especially when you don’t trust yourself not to act on the thoughts.
Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. – Garrison Keillor
I can’t think of something to share for Thanksgiving Thursday. So, this quote fits today.
If you are keeping a gratitude journal but you can’t think of anything just skip that day. Forgive yourself and try again the next entry date.
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” Sally Koch
I have always wanted to make a difference by helping others. I dreamed of being a missionary doctor or joining the Peace Corps. I wanted to be like a super hero and save the world. Maybe, I’d fly below a crashing plane and guide it in for a safe landing.
But, I am very ordinary. So, I am only able to make a difference in small ways.
On Sunday, I gave a neighbor a ride home from the laundromat. Tomorrow, I will working the polls for our primary elections.
What have you done to help someone in your family? Work place?
I love to do creative things. So, I have made two vision boards in my past.
The first one was made before 2008. My church had a visioning retreat for creating my Church’s mission statement. So, I created a mission statement and cut images from magazines to portray that statement.
I will seek a closer relationship with God through prayer, Bible Study and service to my fellowman.
There is a drawing of my church from one of our church flyers near the center top. Near the bottom is a drawing that a child drew me while I was volunteering at my local homeless shelter. I still have strong memories from that place even though I spent most of my time straightening the toy closet, donations in the basement or pots and pans in the kitchen cabinets.
I will seek to improve my relationships with others by listening to and spending time with my family, friends and others.
I am not going to share a picture of this part because I want to keep my family and friends private.
I will improve myself by continually seeking opportunities to learn from others and life situations.
The WCTC and my therapist on this part is how I know that this was before 2008. I graduated from WCTC in 2008.
I have kept the mission statement but selected more focused goals as the years went by. Here is another vision board focusing on yearly goals from before 2019.
That year, I wanted to learn Spanish, eat healthy, be able to climb a tree, write for money, God and fun, study the Bible, go on more mission trips with my new church and take lots of walks.
In 2020, I wrote some work goals but Covid-19 destroyed them. I didn’t even write any work goals for 2021.
What is your mission statement? My church at the time did a formula. The beginning of the statement starts with who we are. I dropped this part when I created my mission statement. The next part was the goal followed by how we will achieve the goal.
Have you created a vision board? If so, please share a picture or any thoughts about the experience.
I will do a review of how I am doing on these goals and share a more current vision board.