Staying Positive In The Face Of Adversity
Ahh wow! I certainly feel like I am in a time of testing at the moment! With a combination of the dark winter days, the exhaustion of my fibromyalgia, the COVID lockdown, and the children doing their school from home, my limits have been stretched to the max!
I am waiting on some test results for the heart problems I’ve been having and that has me a bit concerned too. Yesterday was a really hard day. Both me and Lydia really struggled to get going, to get motivated, and to be joyful. It seemed like everything was so dull, like the weather. We had a chat about telling ourselves to be joyful, and practiced an exercise in looking for the things to be thankful for (you can always find them when you look hard enough!). But today, I feel so different, and there is no explanation for the difference. What have I done differently? Nothing! No two days are alike are they? One day we can feel low for no apparent reason, and other days we feel much stronger.
The joy of the Lord certainly is my strength, and is what gets me through all my challenges in life, but some days you really have to work at focusing on it. It is important to acknowledge, particularly in the troubled times we are living in at the moment, that most people are struggling, and we all find life tough at some point. I try to surround myself with others whom I can support and encourage, and I am blessed to have people who support and encourage me. If you feel alone, and don’t have anyone who can help you when things are tough, please do get in touch with me.
So, as well as spending time with God to re-charge my spiritual batteries, what else do I do to find joy in life? I have always loved art and craft - anything creative, I’m there! I started with pressing flowers and making cards when I was about 6; then a very dear family friend, Di Dunnett, gave me a quilling set when I was 8. I took to it straight away and it occupied me for hours on end. I later discovered calligraphy, Fimo and jewellery making, and in my teen years re-discovered my passion for card making. Ten years ago, when my son was born, I taught myself cake decorating, and later went on to study it at college. I had a lovely opportunity to make cakes professionally for 3 years as a business, but my health deteriorated to a point where I was forced to give that up.
For a good number of years I have enjoyed dabbling with designing things on the computer, mainly using Publisher; but have been aware for a long time that so much more is possible if only I knew how. So, last Summer, I bit the bullet and bought some design software and enrolled on a graphic design course. I am really loving designing all sorts of bits and pieces in my spare time, and although I am still near the beginning of my creative journey in that area, I am pleased with what I have achieved so far. I love designing pictures and greetings cards to give as gifts to bless people; and have been engaging with an online digital scrapbooking community, Pixel Scrapper, where I upload my designs and share them with others. I am currently working on making a digital scrapbook of 2020.
What do you do to keep your mind active and spirit positive? Leave a comment below.
Anyway, I am going to sign off now before I start waffling! Stay safe and stay positive!
Every blessing, Beckey xx