Saturday, December 31, 2011
Top Ten Things I'm Looking to in 2012
Top Ten Things I’m Looking Forward to in 2012
10. I won’t make the same mistakes as last year. I’ll be creative and make some new mistakes.
9. I will surround myself with only positive people. So if you’re a negative, critical grump, don’t bother to come around. Life’s too short to waste being negative.
8. I will spend less and enjoy my purchases more, especially knowing that I saved money.
7. I will be content with who I am. I don’t need a special someone in my life to feel complete. I may live alone, but I don’t need to feel lonely.
6. When I’m feeling down, I’ll find someone who needs help and do something for them.
5. I’ll keep the house “picked up” so it won’t take an entire weekend to clean. Plus, it’ll be presentable for unexpected company. So come on over!
4. Just because I can’t do everything doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do what I can. I’d love to write a best-seller, but I’ll market the book(s) I have.
3. I’ll smile at strangers as least once a day. Of course, I’ll have to get out of my house to do that, so I won’t become a hermit.
2. I’ll find “me” time, when I do something just for fun.
1. I will look for the best in everyone, including myself. We all have good qualities, so that’s what I’ll focus on.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Why?
Why do bad things happen? It just doesn’t seem fair. We do everything right, and still we get “dumped on.” Why? Where is God?
Why not? What makes us so special? The night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed that he not have to go through it. He knew it would be hard, painful, something he would have preferred to avoid. But he knew that’s what God wanted, what had to be done. He said, “Father, not my will but yours be done.”
Maybe that’s what we need to say. We don’t know why things happen. And if we did, it probably wouldn’t make a difference anyway.
Imagine if God had gone to my husband Bryan years ago and said, “Hey, Bryan, I have a fantastic lady (me!) with two sons who need your influence. You and Debbie will improve each other’s lives more than you can imagine. But I’ll need to take your current wife, Beth. She’s going to die of cancer.”
Would Bryan have responded, “Oh, okay. Sounds good”? Of course not! He couldn’t see what the future would bring, and would have preferred not to go through losing a wife.
Just knowing WHY something happens doesn’t make it any easier to handle. We may never know the why. But we can trust that God has a bigger plan in mind.
Bless you today. Know that God loves you.
Debbie
Why not? What makes us so special? The night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed that he not have to go through it. He knew it would be hard, painful, something he would have preferred to avoid. But he knew that’s what God wanted, what had to be done. He said, “Father, not my will but yours be done.”
Maybe that’s what we need to say. We don’t know why things happen. And if we did, it probably wouldn’t make a difference anyway.
Imagine if God had gone to my husband Bryan years ago and said, “Hey, Bryan, I have a fantastic lady (me!) with two sons who need your influence. You and Debbie will improve each other’s lives more than you can imagine. But I’ll need to take your current wife, Beth. She’s going to die of cancer.”
Would Bryan have responded, “Oh, okay. Sounds good”? Of course not! He couldn’t see what the future would bring, and would have preferred not to go through losing a wife.
Just knowing WHY something happens doesn’t make it any easier to handle. We may never know the why. But we can trust that God has a bigger plan in mind.
Bless you today. Know that God loves you.
Debbie
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Enough is enough!
Okay, God, I'm tired of being Mrs. Job. Enough is enough!
I already had some major expenses last week. My friends Hope and Becky along with their daughters, all pianists, are visiting next week. I HAD to have my piano tuned so it would be close in pitch to the harp, guitar, and keyboard for a jam session. Then, since I couldn't expect them to shower in the hard water I've been using since my water softener died, I bought a new water softener.
Those were planned expenses and inconveniences. This week it's a different story. Monday, my clothes washer decided to quit spinning. Yesterday, my refrigerator's motor began to sound like a jackhammer. Last night on the way to choir practice, I blew a tire. And today, I discovered that I had forgotten to scrub a toilet after squirting it with cleaning gel. So, instead of a white toilet bowl, I have a blue-striped one!
Okay, I'm done. No more bad things happening. I know these are all "opportunities in work clothes." Yeah, right. To you they are, but to me, they were close to the last straw. Where's my Valium???
Then I remembered Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV) I like the Message even better: "This is the very day God acted-let's celebrate and be festive!"
So tonight I'm "celebrating" my fridge that didn't make the noise when the repairman was here to fix it; the ice maker that began working perfectly just because he turned it on instead of me; the clothes washer that would cost more to repair than to replace; and the exploded tire in the trunk. I think I'll go to Cold Stone Creamery for supper on my way home from the tire store and the appliance store. What a celebration!
We don't know why things happen; we just (hopefully) learn to cope with circumstances that present themselves. But who says we can't celebrate once in a while?
Make it a festive day!
Love-
Debbie Hardy
http://SteppingThroughCancer.com/
http://SteppingThroughCancer.blogspot.com/
http://SteppingThruLife.blogspot.com/
I already had some major expenses last week. My friends Hope and Becky along with their daughters, all pianists, are visiting next week. I HAD to have my piano tuned so it would be close in pitch to the harp, guitar, and keyboard for a jam session. Then, since I couldn't expect them to shower in the hard water I've been using since my water softener died, I bought a new water softener.
Those were planned expenses and inconveniences. This week it's a different story. Monday, my clothes washer decided to quit spinning. Yesterday, my refrigerator's motor began to sound like a jackhammer. Last night on the way to choir practice, I blew a tire. And today, I discovered that I had forgotten to scrub a toilet after squirting it with cleaning gel. So, instead of a white toilet bowl, I have a blue-striped one!
Okay, I'm done. No more bad things happening. I know these are all "opportunities in work clothes." Yeah, right. To you they are, but to me, they were close to the last straw. Where's my Valium???
Then I remembered Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV) I like the Message even better: "This is the very day God acted-let's celebrate and be festive!"
So tonight I'm "celebrating" my fridge that didn't make the noise when the repairman was here to fix it; the ice maker that began working perfectly just because he turned it on instead of me; the clothes washer that would cost more to repair than to replace; and the exploded tire in the trunk. I think I'll go to Cold Stone Creamery for supper on my way home from the tire store and the appliance store. What a celebration!
We don't know why things happen; we just (hopefully) learn to cope with circumstances that present themselves. But who says we can't celebrate once in a while?
Make it a festive day!
Love-
Debbie Hardy
http://SteppingThroughCancer.com/
http://SteppingThroughCancer.blogspot.com/
http://SteppingThruLife.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I want more! (devotion)
Well, I am officially published on the web on other than my own blogs. YAY! Go to http://christiandevotions.us/tag/debbiehardy/ to see my devotion for today.
My book, "Stepping Through Cancer: A Guide for the Journey", is at the printer now and should be available within three (3!) weeks. I never dreamed it could happen, but it's coming together now.
Debbie Hardy
My book, "Stepping Through Cancer: A Guide for the Journey", is at the printer now and should be available within three (3!) weeks. I never dreamed it could happen, but it's coming together now.
Debbie Hardy
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's letter, 2010
Happy 2011!
It’s the start of a new year, new resolutions, and new beginnings. I learned long ago that we choose how we live each day, what attitude we have, and how we react to things that life throws at us. After all, life’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It is the way it is. How we react to it makes the difference.
For me, 2010 was a year of ups and downs.
Among my “UPs” are:
• Completed my first book, Stepping Through Cancer: A Guide for the Journey, slated for release February 11.
• Designed an accompanying handbook for cancer caregivers to keep track of all the paperwork.
• Signed contracts with HigherLife to publish both.
• Drove cross-country from Denver to the Greater Philly Christian Writers’ Conference in August. Since I’ll be travelling to talk about and sell my book, I needed to convince myself (and others) that I can do it.
These “DOWNs” had silver linings, so they weren’t so terrible:
• Hail damage to both the Stratus and the Magnum, not to mention the house and roof. But it allowed me to replace the Stratus with the car I really wanted, a PT Cruiser!
• Close encounter between the Magnum and a pole in Walgreen’s parking lot. Caused almost at much damage as the hail. But SVE, the body shop, did an excellent job and gave me a bottle of touch-up paint. Cool!
• Both my laptop and desktop computers are reaching the end of their lives at the same time, but they’ve lived eight years. That’s the main reason I haven’t sent an update lately. The modem died, too. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear all my electronics are conspiring to drive me crazy!
Came across a quote that I’d like to share—my hope for you in the coming year:
From the late Dr. Lew Smedes of Fuller Theological Seminary, I wish for you “joys deeper than any sadness, gratitude happier than any regrets, hopes brighter than the shadows of any discouragement, and the vitality to make of every day what God on Christmas Day made for all days.”
Have a very Happy New Year!
I’ll let you know when my books are out.
Love to all-
Debbie
It’s the start of a new year, new resolutions, and new beginnings. I learned long ago that we choose how we live each day, what attitude we have, and how we react to things that life throws at us. After all, life’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It is the way it is. How we react to it makes the difference.
For me, 2010 was a year of ups and downs.
Among my “UPs” are:
• Completed my first book, Stepping Through Cancer: A Guide for the Journey, slated for release February 11.
• Designed an accompanying handbook for cancer caregivers to keep track of all the paperwork.
• Signed contracts with HigherLife to publish both.
• Drove cross-country from Denver to the Greater Philly Christian Writers’ Conference in August. Since I’ll be travelling to talk about and sell my book, I needed to convince myself (and others) that I can do it.
These “DOWNs” had silver linings, so they weren’t so terrible:
• Hail damage to both the Stratus and the Magnum, not to mention the house and roof. But it allowed me to replace the Stratus with the car I really wanted, a PT Cruiser!
• Close encounter between the Magnum and a pole in Walgreen’s parking lot. Caused almost at much damage as the hail. But SVE, the body shop, did an excellent job and gave me a bottle of touch-up paint. Cool!
• Both my laptop and desktop computers are reaching the end of their lives at the same time, but they’ve lived eight years. That’s the main reason I haven’t sent an update lately. The modem died, too. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear all my electronics are conspiring to drive me crazy!
Came across a quote that I’d like to share—my hope for you in the coming year:
From the late Dr. Lew Smedes of Fuller Theological Seminary, I wish for you “joys deeper than any sadness, gratitude happier than any regrets, hopes brighter than the shadows of any discouragement, and the vitality to make of every day what God on Christmas Day made for all days.”
Have a very Happy New Year!
I’ll let you know when my books are out.
Love to all-
Debbie
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