Hug Me!

The energies have declared today 'Hug Holiday Day,' which means it's time to wrap your head around this concept and then wrap your arms around someone else. In fact, 'Hug Holiday Day' encourages us to give hugs to anyone we think might need a few squeezes of love. It's said that on this day, volunteers freely give their hugs at senior citizen centers, hospitals and other public places where hugs would be welcome.

Research from psychiatrists and other medical professionals agrees that a close relationship exists between the health of the body and that of the mind. This research supports the speculation that your thought patterns, moods and even your behavior have a tremendous and direct result on the state of your well-being. Some of this research even cites certain things that any empowered person can do to vastly improve their health, as well as bringing a big boost of happiness into their lives.

Besides cleaning clutter, organizing the household and getting a hobby to take your mind to a different and happier place, the next advice on this happy list is to laugh often and hug freely! Laughing and hugging have been proven to exponentially improve the health of both body and mind, as well as to provide an immediate lifting of spirits! Rounding out this list are healthy eating and doing something charitable to pay it forward for all the blessings you have in your own life.

Starting today, if you do any or all of these things, then you should stand up and give yourself a big hug! I'll be sending a virtual one as well! Big squeeze to you from me!

Then and Now

In the past couple of decades, there has been a significant movement challenging men to become men of God, to love their wives and children, and to express that love through sacrifice and service. What an encouragement it has been to me to see God stirring my husband, Kenji, and turning his heart toward Him and toward his family.

Women need to be careful that we do not lose sight of the primary roles God has given us to fulfill. In today’s world, it is “politically correct” to challenge men to go home and serve their wives. However, it is not “PC” to talk to women about their responsibility to serve their husbands.

God did not make the man to be a “helper” to the woman. He made the woman to be a “helper” to the man. Of course, this does not mean that men are not to serve their wives and children. If men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, there must be willingness to lay down their lives and become servants, even as Christ did for His bride.

If women focus on what we “deserve,” on our “rights,” or on what men “ought” to do for us, we will become vulnerable to hurt and resentment when our expectations are not fulfilled. Blessing and joy are the fruit of seeking to be a giver rather than a taker and of looking for ways to bless, serve, and minister to the needs of our families.

Simply Trust God

Don’t complicate your life by trying to understand what is wrong with your friends and family members who don’t agree with you about everything. After 5 years of marriage, I still don’t have Kenji figured out. But I found joy when I simply quit trying to understand why he likes to watch sports and be a couch potato. I have learned to be a sports fan and watch TV series on a marathon, so now I’m a couch potato myself. LOL! How’s that for a change?

In other words, you can’t really love people until you quit trying to rework them and find joy in who they are. My life got real simple when I finally realized I couldn’t change people.

God can change someone if He wants to, and if He doesn’t, it’s because He doesn’t want to. So I might as well trust God. Trust is simple. Casting your cares on Him is simple.

The Bible message is simple: Love God and love others.

The gospel is simple: Jesus loves us, this we know. Why? Because the Bible tells us so!

Even the plan of salvation is simple: Jesus died for us. He paid the price for our sin. How much simpler can it be?

It is amazing how a straightforward, uncomplicated message change your life and bring joy.

Jesus came to simplify your life. Satan wants to complicate your life, but God is not the author of confusion.

There are so many people in the church who are not really serving God with their whole hearts or their whole lives. Their lives are a big, complicated mess because they have one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world.