tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54799972011-12-15T15:35:29.783-05:00Helping you get through hard times. Please share this weblog with those whose lives and circumstances need radical change for the better. I invite your comments on the posts.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-58279470360255773182010-11-16T21:29:00.001-05:002010-11-16T21:30:48.450-05:00

"Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onward you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed." -- Eileen Caddy1917-2006, Spiritual Teacher and Author

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-55982785293475660472009-12-14T14:40:00.007-05:002010-01-02T18:56:54.592-05:00

Be careful what you wish for, as they say.There was a time in my life when I was just sick and tired of all the challenges I had to face, and was on the verge of crying out for a life without problems when an image came into my mind. It was a mental picture of a white room, with padded walls, and a person sitting on a mattress on the floor, staring mindlessly at the wall. I immediately recognized

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-58316303783572281172009-10-19T15:59:00.002-04:002009-10-19T16:14:41.832-04:00

I guess it helps sometimes to remember that whatever you are going through now is only temporary. It may be something that has lasted a long time already, and it may be that you see no way out any time soon. Maybe it's something you thought you had dealt with, but it's come back to haunt you. But I can tell you with confidence, with the surety born of my personal knowledge, that this too shall

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-49317652065670499322009-08-12T11:05:00.003-04:002009-08-12T11:07:56.771-04:00

“Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat.”—Anais Nin, Author, 1903-1977

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1170405157427375762007-02-02T03:31:00.000-05:002007-02-02T03:33:52.176-05:00

"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." - Mary Pickford (1892 - 1979) Canadian, Actress, Co-founder of United Artists

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1150726823087992462006-06-19T10:19:00.000-04:002006-06-19T10:22:00.233-04:00

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings youas by the attitude you bring to life;not so much by what happens to youas by the way your mind looks at what happens."-- Lewis L. Dunnington, Author

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1150325097615588622006-06-15T18:44:00.000-04:002006-06-14T19:38:26.420-04:00

"We make a living by what we get,we make a life by what we give."-- Winston Churchill

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1150326867106239522006-06-14T18:44:00.000-04:002008-02-06T10:49:18.726-05:00

This is an old adage in the holy books: "As you think so shall you be." It means that what we think about expands, and we become what we think about. Dr. Wayne Dyer tells us that we get more of what we think about all day long. Other philosophers, both ancient and modern, have echoed these sentiments. And in the book of Proverbs is written "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."Shakespeare's

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1137606633681928582006-04-18T12:49:00.000-04:002006-06-14T19:38:45.693-04:00

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerousand the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangerssufficient reason for remaining ashore."Vincent Van Gogh1853-1890, Painter

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1136665234144487702006-01-09T15:20:00.000-05:002006-01-10T20:58:39.936-05:00

"Start by doing what's necessary,then do what's possible, andsuddenly you are doing the impossible."--Saint Francis of Assisi

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1136615505374552642006-01-07T01:08:00.000-05:002006-06-19T10:30:22.750-04:00

A dear friend just experienced a break-up with a companion of many years. This relationship seemed strong, caring, mutually supportive, and as solid as any you could imagine. But something happened to weaken those strong bonds, and finally the relationship ended.My friend's heart is broken.What do we mean by that term, "broken heart"? We mean that we wonder how we can even function when we have

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1134710131217254972005-12-10T00:14:00.000-05:002005-12-16T00:16:21.316-05:00

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. "-- Walt Disney

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1130343456707547462005-10-26T12:17:00.000-04:002005-10-26T12:17:36.713-04:00

"When we can begin to take our failures seriously,it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them.It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves."Katherine Mansfield1888-1923, Author

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1123083935172676532005-08-03T11:44:00.000-04:002006-06-19T10:31:18.530-04:00

When we are stressed, or feel as though we have run out of resources, including energy, we are often tempted to take the path of least resistance. We feel it takes too much of what we don't have, to go against the current, so we just go with the flow. This can be the right choice in some circumstances, but it can also draw you deeper into trouble.Go with the FlowWhen your personal resources are

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118282413014004972005-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:002005-08-18T10:36:11.530-04:00

The last thing you want to hear when you're having a hard time is "Be grateful for what you've got." A feeling of anger may rise up in you at being reminded to be grateful, when all you seem to have is trouble. Why would we want to be grateful for trouble? Maybe we've lived with lack so long, that being grateful for the very little we have only points out the insufficiency.There are three reasons

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118426401698841352005-06-11T13:47:00.000-04:002005-08-03T10:49:29.976-04:00

Adversity comes to everyone, but sometimes it seems to be a continual state of existence for some of us. When the hard times persist, and we cannot seem to do much to change the situation, we begin to question everything we once knew to be true. We question our faith, our God, our decisions, ourselves. We doubt. We descend into depression, feeling that nothing we do makes a difference. We scream,

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118339142834247112005-06-10T13:44:00.000-04:002005-08-24T09:22:29.440-04:00

"The problem with the refiner's fire, is not the heat, it's the humility."Beth AgnewLeader, Educator, and Consultant

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118339259419625302005-06-09T13:46:00.000-04:002005-06-09T14:59:59.316-04:00

When we are experiencing adversity, it is often referred to as being "in the refiner's fire". This expression comes from the process of superheating precious metals in order to burn out the dross, or impurities, in the metal. The result is a pure metal, stronger for having been purged of its weaknesses, yet more malleable and able to be worked. Gold, silver and other precious metals were purified

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1108164182344688592005-06-08T17:55:00.000-04:002005-06-08T21:59:35.160-04:00

If you are an independent person, used to making your own way in the world, it may be difficult for you to accept help from other people when you are having a hard time. There may be a couple of causes for this:Pride -- It's not really that you are "too proud" to accept help, but that you feel ashamed to need the help in the first place. This plagues individuals who have always been the ones to

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118282270166686302005-06-07T11:46:00.000-04:002005-06-08T21:57:50.173-04:00

That seems like a paradox, doesn't it? I used to say that anyone who can be joyful during hard times isn't fully aware of the facts. How can we be joyful when we are in the midst of sorrow?Believe it or not, joy doesn't come from an assessment of our circumstances. Joy is completely and entirely created by our choice to be joyful.That means looking for the cloud's silver lining or the hidden

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118280405400645322005-06-06T21:23:00.000-04:002005-06-08T21:59:51.976-04:00

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, 'Here comes number seventy-one!' ''Richard M. DeVosSuccessful Business Owner

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1108160782329066582005-06-05T17:25:00.000-04:002006-01-10T21:11:52.706-05:00

One of the purposes of our suffering is to help us connect with other people. Suffering is our common bond. No matter where we live on this planet, we will inevitably experience suffering to a greater or lesser degree.Times of collective suffering bring a community or group together as times of joy simply cannot do. A shared experience that is tragic or stressful forces us to reach out to others

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118278584288049822005-06-04T20:39:00.000-04:002006-01-10T21:15:46.550-05:00

When we run into hard times, the first question that comes to mind is usually "Why?". By this we mean "Why me?" or even "Why, God, why?". We want to know why this is happening, and why is it happening to us.The trouble is, the reason why hardly ever comes. It is almost guaranteed not to come while we are experiencing the adversity in our lives. If we immediately knew why, we would not need to

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1118276453248138352005-06-03T20:18:00.000-04:002005-06-08T20:39:06.400-04:00

"Sweet are the uses of adversity, which, like a toad, though ugly andvenomous, wears yet a precious jewel in its head."William ShakespeareGreat English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107984017193183012005-06-02T15:49:00.000-04:002006-06-19T11:28:21.826-04:00

An integral component of our hard times is the concept of forgiveness. Forgiveness can lessen or deepen our burden of pain throughout our trials, depending on how we are able to manage it.There are 5 aspects to forgiveness:Forgiving those who wronged you;Forgiving yourself;Being forgiven by someone else;Forgiving God; andBeing forgiven by God.I used to be rather casual at preaching forgiveness to

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1108054880649465152005-06-01T14:35:00.000-04:002006-01-10T21:24:41.670-05:00

"How can there be a God, if we have to suffer so?""How can God let this happen?""Where is God when it hurts?"Sometimes it's hard to believe in God, and that he loves us, when we see so much suffering. Not just the major events such as wars, earthquakes, floods, and fires, but issues that are personal to us, such as loss of a loved one, loss of a job, having a car accident, or getting sick.There

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107883981121929032005-05-31T13:29:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:57:13.876-04:00

Once there was a young man who had a deep desire to please God and perform diligently his life mission, no matter what that might be. So he asked God what he should do to give his life meaning. God showed him a huge rock in a field, and said "Push the rock."The young man began to push the rock, as God had told him. He got up early in the morning and pushed the rock. He stayed up late at night and

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107818444926952512005-05-30T03:18:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:56:51.376-04:00

"My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out."Ronald Reagan,1911-2004,Fortieth President of the United States

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107818038205777972005-05-29T01:04:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:56:29.696-04:00

When you're in a deep rut, all you can see is dirt on every side. To put things into perspective, sometimes we need to be reminded not just that there's a big wide world out there, but that there's a really big wide universe out there as well.Click this link to go to the Hubble Telescope site and see a photo which represents a sliver of the universe. Remember, what you are looking at are not

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107802639831334212005-05-28T13:55:00.000-04:002007-09-07T10:12:57.257-04:00

"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control."Leo BuscagliaAuthor and Speaker

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107800902083387532005-05-27T08:19:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:55:41.820-04:00

Hard times come about for three reasons:The result of choices we make;The result of choices others make; andThe result of day-to-day circumstances.Let's deal with those in reverse order. Day-to-day life generates events that can be considered the common lot of man (of humankind). Bad weather, geophysical events, traffic jams, tax hikes, product shortages, job shortages, high housing prices, and

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107797838585482892005-05-26T13:31:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:55:17.400-04:00

During wartime and periods of disaster, medical staff perform triage ("tree'-ajjjj) on the multitude of patients they must treat. Triage is derived from the French trier, meaning "to sort." Triage is a method of decision-making that gives critically-injured patients the best chance for survival. In concept, the doctors treat the most severely injured first, and those whose injuries are less

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107797382422950282005-05-25T13:28:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:54:53.813-04:00

"You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it."Albert Schweitzer1875-1965, Medical Missionary, Theologian and Philosopher

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1107544725297540822005-05-24T14:17:00.000-04:002006-01-10T21:34:25.023-05:00

"To be, or not to be -- that is the question," asked Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them?"In those immortal words the character of Hamlet contemplates suicide. This speech is not very different from the internal dialogue that many of us go through when we

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1055876823326840852005-05-23T11:07:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:54:06.260-04:00

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevereand endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."Christopher ReeveActor who became an Inspirational Speaker after being paralyzed

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479997.post-1055637366788344512005-05-22T20:36:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:53:38.326-04:00

It happens to all of us. No matter how successful we may be, at times things happen to bring us down, make us doubt ourselves and our sanity, or add to our stress. When adversity hits, the only way out is through. This weblog is designed to help get you through the hard times.I'm an expert at surviving tough times and overcoming obstacles, because I've had more than my share. Maybe the

Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291763765575685565noreply@blogger.com10