Make Up Your Bed!

As children life was so simple. All we had to do was eat our vegetables and have fun. As we grew older things got a tiny bit more complex; we had responsibilities other than just having fun. We had to keep up with our hygiene, clean our rooms and put away our toys... but fun was still in the mix so hemming and hawing was but for a moment and the new responsibilites became habits. It was for our good and social acceptance was much easier as we learned what the need for those habits were.

Who knew that those simple things like brushing teeth, taking a bath, putting our toys away and making up our beds would carry us into a world that made bigger responsibilites much easier to do? Think about it, those that we work with that don't seem like they can get the easiest tasks done, what do you think their home life is like? You know that there home training had to be taught in a cave or under a rock! When I start a new job, without thought, I have to get the desk organized so I can do my job proficiently. I was talking to a co-worker while I was separating the paperclips from the rubber bands. The co-worker was mesmerized by what I was doing and didn't understand why it was necessary for me to do. I didn't know how to answer that other than it seemed to be out of place. Compulsive or just neat and orderly - a judgement call.

When does life become so overwhelming that a grown child goes back home? When that child didn't learn the basics as habits. This is why some parents enable their grown children to come back home because they believe they didn't give their children the skills they needed.

Parents, get over the guilt. Your children have learned survival skills in order to manipulate you to believe that you still have to house them! It is easy to blame the economy, the recession, no one is hiring, no one is willing to rent to a mother with so many children, and the like... but I would like to challenge any of you in that situation, what skills do you have to get yourself out of that bind? What do you recall from your childhood whether it be at home or in school; what is it that you learned that can take you from a social cripple at home with Mom (again) to a viable, productive, successful adult?

I was there; back at home as an adult. I didn't vent with a bunch of excuses but I had them ready if I needed them. Even writitng this, I have to keep myself from typing at least one to make myself feel better for returning home and staying longer than I ever should have. What I forgot was that I had other skills to use. My mother taught me how to crochet. You would think that you can't do anything with that but show visitors of your home that you have a whole lot of time on your hands. However,  there are craft shows, consignment shops, gift stores, and online boutiques that would welcome hand made crafts. I also know how to draw and paint. You would think that there isn't a big market for artists either but there are large companies with lobbies that change their art from time to time and other businesses coming up everyday not to mention online galleries for exposure (see my gallery below). Also along with me having a degree, I can write and help people do what they need to do. This might not be a huge paycheck by themselves but working all three can make a living until the next thing comes along. This is being innovative which cannot come about when your life is in clutter and constant turmoil. Who knew that such a simple thing as putting away your toys could take you from destitute to productivity?
(Ephesians 6:4 NIV), (Proverbs 24:27 AMP), (Proverbs 6:9-11 AMP)

A Hopin' and a Prayin'

In these times where the economy seems to have a life of its own, we tend to speak things that we would rather not do. For instance, an old saying that I haven't heard in awhile is "desperate times calls for desperate measures." This is like a warning to all that hears that something not so profitable for someone else is about to happen or it is a justification for doing something one knows is wrong. If weighing matters to the point of contemplating thievery, I would say go seek counsel. Actually for any matter where you think it would be best to do something insane, no matter if the economy improves or not - go seek counseling.

Counseling, in its own vein can be an outstanding resource if the homework of research is done before hand. Counselors have to get paid too so those desperate times thing can be still in the corners of their minds as well. If an employer does what he does to ge the best employee he can  by way of reviewing an application, calling references, administering a drug test, and these days even using the resources of obtaining a criminal background check, how much more so are we to go and do our research to employ a person who will receive the personal information we wouldn't tell our own parents?

People, as my son has told me numerous times, are people. The very same ones that we avoid because of their distasteful personality traits are the same we pass by, are our coworkers, supervisors, neighbors, brothers, and parents. We have no choice but to deal with what is set before us; however, with whom we choose to be our clergy, doctor, lawyer, dentist, counselor, various agents, and friends is completely our own doing. When that bad advice comes our way and we have nothing else to go on, whatever the outcome is our fault. We have no one else to blame but ourselves.

In this day and age we have so many resources available to check anything out that has been told to us. We have libraries, bookstores, the internet, the bible, and other professionals with the same degree. Why get one opinion and bank what we have on that. How can we listen to one diagnosis  that will change the course of our life and believe it is the right thing to do? I wonder of these celebrities that are no longer with us and they thought they were getting the best treatment that money can buy, yet they were not saved by what they received. If something isn't working why still use it?

The saying that my son uses people will be people comes from him understanding that we all have lives to live. We all have obstacles to face. What makes us think that just because we hire professional people that they are actually going to be professional? They have their own issues too. What if a well known medical surgeon was just about to perform some radical emergency procedure and just when he was about to leave for work he had an argument with his wife to the point of her saying that she would like a divorce. How professional will he be in the operating room? Will he need to reschedule? How would you know that he is having issues and is too prideful to say so? How do you know right at the time he is near a major artery did he not go over the  intense verbal battle he had moments before he came to work. There he is with the scaple and gritting his teeth at what was spewed to him from his wife. Would he cut too deep or at the wrong place? Has it happened before? How would you know?

What about receiving wise counsel from someone who doesn't like men and the counseling is for the purpose of marriage? Would the counselor be objective? How would you know? Would you take the advice for what it is or for the gold the counselor believes it is?

I questioned a surgeon once and he became indignant stating that I need to find myself another doctor. I couldn't have agreed with him more. If you can't answer my questions, you have no business being a medical professional.

Is this a post on how we should believe in a higher power that watches and sees all so we should pray to Him. No, for me, that is a given. This is a post to solidify even after prayer you still have work to do in order to be assured that who you have working for you is there to do the best job your money can buy. First you pray then do the research. Whether you believe it or not I just proved to you a scripture in the bible which states: faith without works is dead (James 2:26 KJV).