It's the most wonderful time of the year until we get to difficult family gatherings. My challenge this year is to be Better and not Bitter when it comes to family relationships.
I have experienced difficult holidays in the past so this year I am voting ahead of time to be Better. I have taken my boxing gloves off. I am building bridges and I am choosing to forgive continually. When things get challenging I choose to believe that God is watching over me and making me more mature. The Bible says that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. Instead of being Bitter I am choosing the Better way. Some practical things I am doing this year are:
• Cultivating Inner Peace - there are many ways to do that. I am praying, confessing and meditating about Peace and I am asking a few friends to pray for my inner peace during the holidays. When I have inner peace I make better choices: whether words or food, it is easier to navigate difficult family gatherings when I am at peace.
• Planning Ahead - I am planning on getting 3 workouts per week, eating a healthy Thanksgiving dinner and I am also planning on drinking plenty water. I heard that if you don't plan to succeed you automatically fail. When I feel better, I can face challenging situations with more ease. Stuffing my face with pecan pie does not help me solve relationship problems. Trust me, I tried it in the past and it only made things worse.
• Geting good Advice on Boundaries - I have heard some awesome teachings on Boundaries in the past and I am getting a refresher course these past few days. Thanks to the wonder of YouTube, there are amazing teachings by Chip Judd on Boundaries. Here are the links if you are interested:
Boundaries by Chip Judd: Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4 (he actually starts the teaching on Boundaries here), Session 5, Session 6, Session 7.
I pray that you have a great holiday season. I pray that you will reach out to the Holy Spirit of God when no friend can be found around you. God is near and He wants you to be Better and not Bitter this holiday season. Read the Bible and be assured of God's amazing love for you and His acceptance of you. Be blessed with Peace!
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Mother-in-law Relationships Series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
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