Did you lose this!?!

Are you having a blue Christmas?

Have you lost your happiness and hope?

"you can't change your problems but you can change your attitudes about them!"

Maybe your Christmas is feeling not as great as everyone thinks or as happy as you wish:

• maybe your heart is hurting
• you're in an abusive relationship
• you are having money struggles
• no work
• family problems
• sadness
• depression
• dealing with mean people at school or work

I get thousands of emails from hearts that are hurting..and I care so much about each hurting person...I know what it feels like...and I hope this encourages you!

My life is filled with things that make me feel like I want to cry some days...we never know how what hurts are going on inside people's hearts and lives.
You never know how one extra smile, or a cheery "Have a Merry Christmas!!!" could add a little brightness to someone's day.

No matter what your hurt is, or how hopeless you feel...you can change how you feel about it...

Joy isn't just something on Christmas cards, it can be in your heart!
How to brighten the spirit of your heart:
EXPECT great things...stop saying things like:

• oh, nothing ever great happens to me
• nothing is going to work out
• my life is miserable...

STOP THAT..you will feel what you think
Are you thinking good things? Bad things? Sad things? Anything hopeful at all?
Faith is what you need for things your hoping for. If you never expect anything good, you're never going to receive anything good.
Live everyday with anticipation of it being a great day. Don't let that sad, stinking thinking rule your thoughts...say no matter what is going on around me, who is saying what to me, or trying to hurt me...I won't let them win the battle over the happiness in my heart!

Here's an example from something I just had to change my thinking about:

I was getting very sad and depressed, because I have been so busy with Glaminars that I haven't been looking for a new house to rent and my time was running out to find one...
after spending days driving up and down every street, finding out places had been rented just minutes our hours before I called, I just felt like crying. I had found one house I really liked, that was so cute..I called and they had just rented it! I felt hopeless and told my mom, "what am I going to do, I'm not gonna find a place to live!"...
My mom said, "You need to give all your cares to God, you need to put your hope in him that he is going to find you a place, and have faith that he is going to take care of you. Stop worrying and give it to God, and ask for him to find you a place."
You know what?!?

That night I prayed, and I asked God to find me a place, and that I would stop worrying and rest in the peace that He has and always will guide my life and take care of me...

This was such an answer to my prayer...

THE VERY NEXT DAY...

I found a house that was soooooo much better than the one I was so sad about being rented!


This is how life is..we try so hard on our own, we get frustrated and sad, we lose hope, and soon we are saying things like:

• I'll never have a nice house
• I'll never lose weight
• I'll never have the life I want
• I'll never become...this or that
• no one even knows what's going on in my heart or mind
• no one cares...I'm all alone
• nothing is going right for me
• my life is so far from perfect
• I should just end my life.....

NO! You should just end the way you've been thinking about things!
Decide today, that no matter what or who feels like it's making your life and heart sad...that you will not be ruined, hurt or destroyed by whatever it is!
You will start with your thoughts...expect change- even if you see none!
Expect hope - even if you have no signs pointing in any direction!
Expect happiness no matter what- even if all your problems seem to big!

Today I am dealing with things that scare me, things that are frustrating, things that are causing my heart to feel so hurt, things that could make me break down and want to cry and not get out of bed...
But I am deciding..these problems WILL NOT BREAK my spirit...I will be happy, I will smile at everyone I see, I will live with the hope for miracles being on their way!

I WILL NOT SAY I'm STRESSED or OVERHWHELMED, DEPRESSED or SAD....but I WILL SAY:
I won't give up, give in, or lose hope...I I REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED!

Don't worry you don't have to be religious to hear this...it's just something that encouraged me so much...and I hope it encourages you too!

"Those who wait for the Lord, who expect, look for, and hope in Him, will renew their strength"

(if you want to read more, that was from Isaiah 40:31)

Lift your hearts and hopes up to heaven...and may blessings and peace fall like snow from heaven down on you today..making everything beautiful and sparkling!

huge love and happiness...from your friend who's choosing hope and happiness no matter what else goes super wrong in my day!...kandee