Some of the biggest roadblocks to happiness and joy are doubt, discouragement, and despair. Doesn’t it makes sense that if we doubt ourselves we won’t take the chances that we sometimes need to take? Thomas Edison was someone who chose not to doubt. He was one who didn’t see the enormous obstacles in his work, but instead remained positive and true to his vision. 

A dear friend of mine went to see Elton John, and told me his message that evening was about the healing power of music. That got me to thinking what else in our everyday lives gives us the power to bring self-worth and joy? Call it whatever you want, but there are things in our everyday lives that just “get us over the bump in the road” and convinces us not to lay down next to the wagon and let the wolves eat us. Ever been there?? 🤪

Here’s a few thoughts that came to me this week.

I know that it's hard when we think our own problems are impossible to solve, or have a wrong that is too hard to forgive, or a loss too large to overcome. But asking yourself, “who needs me today?” can give us a new perspective so we can find peace when our concerns and problems rob us of finding joy.

I’m not really a fan of making New Year’s resolutions as much as believing, "Whatever I want to do that I haven’t done is not beyond my grasp.” For me it’s worth the effort to recalculate!

How reminders from my mother, Brene Brown, and my grandsons have helped me find “the magic is in the mess” this Christmas season. Read my final Sunday Message of 2018 and have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and knowing we will no doubt have a busy year ahead, let’s challenge ourselves to look around and remind ourselves to “minister to others”, to lift their burdens and use the spirit of Christ-mas as a personal influence all year!

The one thing life has shown me is “we are born and we die”, but what matters most is what we do in between.