Don't be stressed out.

One of the greatest killers of a great life is undue stress. A certain amount of stress can serve as motivation to study for a test or work hard at closing a contract, but we must learn to entrust to God and others events and attitudes which are beyond our control.
The Serenity Prayer is a beautiful prayer which keeps the balance of this perspective:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Two Bible passages that encourage us to entrust our lives to God are Proverbs 3:5-6 and Philippians 4:6-7.

Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. NASB

Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NASB

These verses remind us to leave our concerns and worries before the throne of Almighty God. In His sovereignty and love, we trust that all things will work out for the good, to those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). This does not mean life necessarily will be easy, but we can have peace in the midst of the difficulties we face, and be thankful when we have a modecum of success.

Two other sayings help us keep this balance:

Work as if everything depends on you, pray as if everything depends on God.

Don't sweat the small stuff!

All that we might have a great life filled with peace, not stress!

I thought I'd share a few pictures of our family enjoying the great life this fall as we visited Powell Pumpkin Patch and Louisburg Cider Mill (The apple donuts are fabulous with the hot cider). This has been an annual event for us for 16 years. Building memories like these are part of enjoying a great life.

Get "In the Arena"

If you want to have a great life, get "in the arena." On my bookshelf next to my desk at my office is a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that is a consistent motivation to me to persevere when the going gets tough. This quote reminds me that failing is okay, and though I fall, I must keep getting up - life, people, my family, and God, are worth the effort and risk. Roosevelt shares,

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion; who spend himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

I hope this quote from Theodore Roosevelt encourages and challenges you as it does me.

Don't forget to have fun

If you want to have a great life, plan to have some fun! In trying to save money, be disciplined in your diet, and work hard, sometimes we forget to have some fun. Remember you are saving money for a rainy day, or so you can go to a movie, not just to hoard money. Remember you are working hard, so you can achieve certain goals and accomplish certain objectives, not so you can destroy your family and body. Set aside some time to go for a walk, or watch an old movie, or go to a ball game. I have tried to make sure our family goes on at least one significant vacation each year, and I take one day off each week. Playing games with your family is another way to have a great laugh. Our family enjoys Apples to Apples, Whoonu, the DVD version of Family Feud, and Disney Charades.
When you find yourself in the duldrums, do something that will make you laugh. Maybe something that is totally outside your schedule or expertise. Enjoying these times and hobbies with others (family members, close friends) will build memories and create closer relationships. All of these lead to a great life!

It Takes Hard Work

"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If you want to have a great life, you have to work hard. Accomplishments and victorys in life bring fun and fulfillment. Winning a high school soccer championship with your team, or completing a computer project at work gives a sense of accomplishment. However, accomplishments usually take great discipline and hard work. Tiger Woods wasn't born with a great golf swing. Thomas Edison worked miserably hard as an inventor. My daughter, Abbie, spent years working out several times a week to become a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. When I was working on my first CD, I spent many extra hours redoing melodies and lyrics.

The key, of course, is that we work hard for worthy projects and for the right reasons. Too many people have worked hard to the detriment of their health and their families. We need to learn to work hard, yet keep balance in our lives. Keeping some of the disciplines of life, like a daily devotional time, exercise, Sunday Church attendance, and a day off, can help keep balance in our lives.

But let's be honest, things and accomplishments of value rarely come easy. If you want to be productive, you will have to sacrifice. Therefore, it is critical we choose to give our time and effort to worthy causes. Let us work hard at what will encourage others and help our communities. Let us work hard at what will help our Christian witness at work. Let us be diligent in providing for the financial, emotional, and spirtual needs of our famlies.

The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, do your work heartedly as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will recive the reward of the inhertance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." This kind of motivation will help us pick and choose how we spend our energy and time, and help us have proper attitudes when we are putting in long hours and making sacrifices to accomlish our worthy goals.