Thought #7: Helping others is key to leading a happy life

7 January, 2013 by 2 Comments

Well, here it is 11:17 pm on Jan 6th. My goal for the first 10 days of the year was to post once daily about how certain thoughts can actually change our world. And I believe 100% in these ten “thoughts” I’m writing about. My goal of posting daily for the first ten days of the year, however, might have been a bit ambitious. Because now it’s 11:23 pm, and I’m ending up worrying about myself after all because I don’t think I can stay awake to write this post! So…in an attempt to still elaborate on the thought for the day and give you information other than my dreams, I’ve pulled from the archives (I’m not sure, but I think that makes me sound old!)

Today’s particular thought on helping others was one of the posts in my series, “Tips to a happier  you in 2012,” so I’m reposting and getting to cheat a little. And get to sleep before midnight. Smile Enjoy!

Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”
 (Romans 15:1-2 Msg)
The definition of altruism in the New American Oxford Dictionary reads as follows:
altruism |ˈaltroōˌizəm|
noun
the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others
One of the foundational truths repeated time and time again throughout the Bible is that we should practice altruism:
You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.
(Mark 12:31 ESV)
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law of the Prophets.
(Matthew 7:12 ESV)
We are to care for and have compassion for our fellow man.
Much scientific research has been done on the effects of altruism, and it has been proven time and time again it benefits both the giver and the receiver. Acts of kindness and altruism have shown to actually increase serotonin production in both parties involved.
When we are depressed, we tend to maintain the “poor, pitiful me” status. You can only remain miserable by continuing to look inward. When we begin to help someone else, we take our focus off ourselves and begin looking outward.
In doing some research on altruism, I did find a few studies that support findings that altruism can contribute to depression. The giver can get wrapped up in the problems of the receiver and become depressed. I do understand that way of thinking, and that’s where our faith must come into play. There will always be sad situations that are ultimately out of our control. But that’s where God comes in. We are only commanded to help others, not to solve all of their problems. God has a plan and as Christians, we must trust him to carry out that plan. We are only to carry out the part of that plan as he presents it to us.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28 ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
(Ephesians 1:11 ESV)
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
(Matthew 19:26 ESV)
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
(Proverbs 19:21 ESV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)
Serving others is always an adventure. To begin an act of service is to open yourself up to blessings you never know existed.
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’(Matthew 25:40 ESV)
Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to collect treasures here on earth, but to lay up our treasures in Heaven. Have you ever wondered what that really means? Every single person on the earth has eternal significance—they all have souls worth saving—and will be our treasures in Heaven. 
I challenge you this week to look outward into the world around you and see what you can do for someone else.
SIGNATUREFORBLOG
Filed Under: How to be Happy, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life Tagged With: , , , ,

The Perfect Gift for the One Who Has Everything…and the One Who Has Nothing

14 December, 2012 by 3 Comments
A water buffalo. A water buffalo? Yep. I just purchased my first water buffalo.
 

Contrary to what Larry Boy says, everyone does not have a water buffalo. And of course everyone does not need a water buffalo. But for the group of people considered the “delete,” not worthy anything even among their own people, a water buffalo could mean everything. {Care to tweet that?}

Every year when Christmas rolls around, we struggle to figure out what to get people. Before Christmas every year, I work to clean out closets to make room for the new stuff…new stuff we don’t even need. So why not go out of the box this year? Wrap up a copy of the Silly Songs Veggie Tales DVD and give a water buffalo in honor of that person who has everything! My kids will be excited to know that’s what they are getting for Christmas this year!  Okay, maybe they’ll get a little something else if they’re good.

It’s easy to forget about people in other countries because we can’t see them. We don’t have to face their poverty every day. They don’t seem real to us. But they are very real. And they have hearts just like we do. They have children to take care of —to clothe, to feed, to protect. As one person it may seem like an impossible task. But all you have to do is help one. If everyone just helped one, poverty would be non-existent. And you don’t even have to pick up the water buffalo and ship it to them! Gospel for Asia takes care of that.

Gospel for Asia is a non-profit organization who is providing life giving animals to these “delete” families so they can survive and even thrive.

Won’t you click on over to their site and make a difference? A water buffalo is $460. That may seem a little steep here at Christmas, but will you really miss it? Is there something you can do without this year? Knowing I am giving a family a means of living is the best gift I could ever receive.


 Here’s a little information from their

 website: Click here to jump over there

 and change a family’s life with just a few

 clicks of a button!

 

From the Stable

Animals still play a crucial role in many people’s lives in South Asia. These animals provide sustenance and         produce    income when their milk or offspring are sold. When you make a gift of livestock, you are offering a very tangible expression of Christ’s love. Here are some animals you can pick out for such families. Why not invite your Bible study group to join you in extending these blessings to people in need? Or if you have children, they may enjoy     selecting these items for parents and children in Asia.

Chickens

For the family of a Bridge of Hope child, a rooster and hen are not pets. They are the source of up to 40 dozen eggs a year! When the pair produces chicks, a flock develops that will provide nourishment and income for years.

Goats

When a Dalit family receives your present of a goat or a pair of goats it will be a special day! Goats are hardy and can live in almost any climate. And a pair of goats produces at least two kids each year. Their manure is also good fertilizer. Your gift of goats will be a good way to bring a little joy to a poor family’s world.

 

Water Buffalo

A gift of a water buffalo to a poor South Asian family is good news indeed! Transportation, plough animal, cart hauler, milk giver and more-all in one sturdy creature that is often considered a “member of the family.”

 

Rabbits

You can give a pair of rabbits and help ensure a nutritious diet for growing families as they produce up to 40 bunnies a year! After a pair is given back to the church for distribution, additional offspring can also provide income for the family as well as nourishing meals.

 

Pigs

A pig may not sound like a typical gift, but if you were a poor South Asian family, it would be wonderful! A pair of pigs provides a litter of piglets every year, and bacon and pork can soon follow. Income from the sale of the piglets also aids the family, and as with all animals GFA provides, offspring given back to the church will help other families get a “leg up” economically and socially.

 

 Camels

Camels feel right at home in Rajasthan, one of the hottest and driest places in India. They can work long hours in the heat with no problem and are used for plowing, transportation and hauling goods. Trucks quickly sink into sand. However, camels can carry up to 330 pounds across a desert with no problem. Camel milk is also part of many diets in Rajasthan, and camel wool can even be woven into cloth.

 

Lambs

Lambs are an eternal symbol of God’s love for us in the gift of His Son. What better way to share His love with a poor family than through a lamb that can grow to provide wool for income and milk to drink. A pair of sheep can produce lambs that can be sold at market, and they are also a source of meat.

 

Cows

Cows seem to be everywhere in India but many poor families don’t have one. Cows provide a lot of good milk to drink … and to make yogurt, cheese and butter! They also produce calves that can be sold for income or used to produce even more dairy products for additional income. A dairy cow is one of the most valuable gifts you can give.

 

It literally takes less than 5 minutes and you could give hope to a family on this earth in desperate need, and plant a seed for Christ in their heart that could save them forever. Click HERE to make the difference. Don’t forget to leave me a comment and share the joy and compassion!

Still Dreaming

Filed Under: Compassion Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Acts of Kindness & Altruism

4 February, 2012 by 2 Comments


Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”
 (Romans 15:1-2 Msg)

The definition of altruism in the New American Oxford Dictionary reads as follows: 

altruism |ˈaltroōˌizəm|
noun
the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others 


One of the foundational truths repeated time and time again throughout the Bible is that we should practice altruism:
You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.
(Mark 12:31 ESV)

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law of the Prophets.
(Matthew 7:12 ESV)

We are to care for and have compassion for our fellow man.

Much scientific research has been done on the effects of altruism, and it has been proven time and time again it benefits both the giver and the receiver. Acts of kindness and altruism have shown to actually increase serotonin production in both parties involved.

When we are depressed, we tend to maintain the “poor, pitiful me” status. You can only remain miserable by continuing to look inward. When we begin to help someone else, we take our focus off ourselves and begin looking outward.

In doing some research on altruism, I did find a few studies that support findings that altruism can contribute to depression. The giver can get wrapped up in the problems of the receiver and become depressed. I do understand that way of thinking, and that’s where our faith must come into play. There will always be sad situations that are ultimately out of our control. But that’s where God comes in. We are only commanded to help others, not to solve all of their problems. God has a plan and as Christians, we must trust him to carry out that plan. We are only to carry out the part of that plan as he presents it to us.


And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28 ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
(Ephesians 1:11 ESV)
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
(Matthew 19:26 ESV)
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
(Proverbs 19:21 ESV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

Serving others is always an adventure. To begin an act of service is to open yourself up to blessings you never know existed.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’(Matthew 25:40 ESV)



Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to collect treasures here on earth, but to lay up our treasures in Heaven. Have you ever wondered what that really means? Every single person on the earth has eternal significance—they all have souls worth saving—and will be our treasures in Heaven. 

I challenge you this week to look outward into the world around you and see what you can do for someone else.

From my heart,

Celeste


Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, How to be Happy, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What I learned from Rudy Giuliani…

6 September, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago, David and I went to a big motivation seminar held in downtown Greenville. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Rudy Giuliani spoke about something that’s
fascinating and frustrating to me these days…the “almighty” internet. 
With the invention of the internet, we have “knowledge” at our fingertips and it travels faster than we are capable of dealing with. Computer knowledge is necessary to live in this century. It’s here, and it’s here to stay. The problem is, however, that we have stopped thinking for ourselves. We are becoming a manipulated society. 
One of the problems I have with this computer generation is how we are becoming so accustomed to immediate gratification. With health issues, it is frustrating because as patients, we punch in our symptoms on the keyboard and the computer generates a list of possibilities. Within an hour or so, we have diagnosed ourselves! Let me give you an example of a pharmacist “friend” of mine…
She was seven months pregnant, had an eight-year-old and four-year-old also, and a husband who happened to be out of town. After work, she went to retrieve her children, and her mom commented about a “bump” on her forehead. She had thought it was just a weird zit! In a panic, her mom said, “You call the dermatologist in the morning and you tell him you have to be seen immediately! That looks exactly like what Nita’s daughter had and it was melanoma!” 
Well, since she was a pharmacist, she knew to just look it up on the computer and she would see it was nothing. SO…after getting the kids to bed, she finally sat down at the computer around midnight. By 1:00 a.m. she was convinced that she was dying of melanoma and would be leaving her husband with three kids to raise alone. That made for one long, sleepless night. 
Anybody had a similar experience? I’m sure you’ve realized that that “friend” was me. As a pharmacist, I should have known better! The sad thing is I have gone to the computer more than once for my need for immediate gratification, and more than once I’ve come to the wrong conclusion.
To keep us thinking for ourselves and not relying on Sir Google, Mr. Giuliani suggested five things we must do to keep our minds active and maintain our ability to think independently:
1) Read books–have a basis to make your own decisions. Don’t just read other people’s opinions about what they’ve read. 
2) Listen–to other people. Seek advice from people you look up to and believe in. You can become a leader by learning from other successful people. 
3) Take notes–never stop writing. Write your thoughts, goals, lists…keep the parts of your mind active that make you an individual.
4) Take five minutes every day to just STOP–relax, pray, stop your world for a few minutes.
5) Most importantly, we must care and love other people. The computer tends to isolate and disconnect us from people. Sure we have Facebook and email, and they are great ways to communicate. But they don’t allow us to see the heart of people or minister to their needs. 
Coming from the person in charge of NYC when the twin towers were hit on 9/11/2001, I wanted to listen.  The Rudy Giuliani I watched handle that chaos and tragedy obviously had standards and values in place that helped him. While he relied on computers and statistics to help New York recover from that tragedy, it was his willingness to listen to people one on one and his compassion for them that made the difference in those months after September 2001. He prayed and asked God’s guidance in knowing the right steps to take. He relied on his heavenly father for wisdom and instruction. While it was one of the toughest times our country has endured, I consider Rudy Giuliani a man of great character and principal, and someone to learn from. 
I thought his “five things” were very interesting. I find myself doing all of those things these days, though I would have never put them together in a list on thinking independently. I realized, though, that during my seven years of depression, I didn’t want to do any of those things. I didn’t want to read books to because I just wanted to mindlessly watch television so I didn’t have to think about my world. I got to a point where I didn’t want to seek advice of others because I was convinced it was hopeless. I never thought writing things down would help me, although I’d been told to try it more than once. I prayed, but it was selfish prayer. I was too busy being self-absorbed in my own pity party to worry about anyone else long enough to actually do something that required effort. 
I wonder now how much sooner I could have overcome the depression if I had made the items on this list a priority? Hmmm…
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Living in Faith, Making Changes, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,