Lush Meadows and Drink from Quiet Pools

Surrounded by so much chaos . . . stress and frustrations on the left and on the right . . . in front and rear too . . . take the time to sit . . . and rest . . . focusing your eyes on the one who securely holds your hand . . . perhaps meditate on the words penned by a famous shepherd . . . they may tickle sweet emotions long forgotten . . . speak soothing life to your parched spirit . . . If these words of the 23rd Psalm sound a little different, they are . . . smile! Take a fresh look . . .

From THE MESSAGE -- Psalm 23

GOD, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows; you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of GOD for the rest of my life.

I pray you will find your lush meadow and quiet pools today.

Photo courtesy of BigFoto.

Keep Your Life Simple

Cleaning out some of my vast collection of emails, I came across these words this morning. As we head into the incredibly jam packed weeks ahead, I believe these speak volumes to how we each determine the most important priorities for ourselves and our families. Very well written, and I only wish I could give credit to the one who penned them -- alas, that person remains anonymous to me at this time. Should I learn of the source I will certainly share with you. Perhaps there lies more precious wisdom from this same individual.

Insulate yourself from the killing pace of change. Granted, we have to keep up when it comes to business, but do we really need to strive to have the latest and greatest in all aspects of our lives? My answer is no. We don’t have to be trendy in every aspect of our lives to keep up. On the contrary, you’ll find it easier to run at the front of the pack if you keep your life simple, and if you keep in touch with who you are and where you’ve come, rather than what you own.

Train yourself to look at time as a precious resource rather than a merciless taskmaster. I am a firm believer in time management — managing to enjoy my life while conducting business, rather than filling in every gap with a meeting or project that will get me further ahead.

Hang out with people with whom you have fun. Seek out and make friends with people who accept and affirm your worth as a person.

Accept your human nature. You’ll never have the perfect answer to every question. Don’t lead yourself or others to believe you do. Make a habit of searching for challenging new concepts and opinions contrary to your own to help you develop a better understanding of your world and how to live well in it.

Develop your own list of things that make you feel good. Keep that list handy and apply at least one item to your life on a daily basis in order to keep the negative effects of stress at bay

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