I Stole This From Patsy

Here is a copy of an email I received from "Women of Faith." The article was written by Patsy Clairmont and it is under copyright, so please don't sue me. It was just so good I wanted to share. Since they give permission to forward the email to others I thought good old, Patsy wouldn't haul my keester into court for posting it here...especially since this is not a money making venture, but rather a spirit growing one. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
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Outside my window is a bush of Rose of Sharon whose blooms are usually quite sanguine, but not today. A summer shower came through and now the blooms hang like teardrops. I know that later the blossoms will smile again, but for now they weep purple puddles.
And isn’t that how it is with us?
Things are looking good when an unexpected shower rains on our parade. And sometimes it’s hard to rebound and lift our heads back toward the sun, so we sink into our sad.
For years I dragged my sorry self around like a bag of old potatoes, weighed down by an inexplicable sadness. Then I slowly began to realize I was a big influence on myself and I could make some changes that would help lift my own spirit. Some of these things sound too simple to matter, but give it a try and see if it doesn’t promote goodwill in your own heart and home.
Sing: No, it doesn’t matter if you sound like fingernails on chalkboards, just sing. And choose happy songs that once made your toe tap and your heart skip. Put on a WoF praise CD and worship the Lord.
Warning: At first you won’t feel like doing this if you are in the doldrums, but with all the love in the world, may I suggest you do it anyway. (Don’t make me come over there.)
Laugh: Call up a funny friend and stir up some health-producing endorphins. Deliberately lighten up. Yes, pretend if you have to, because many a time I started out phony-ly happy and ended up genuinely joyful.
Serve: Do something for someone else. It gets our mind off us. Bake a cake, send a card, plan a party for someone you love or don’t, pick a bouquet for a neighbor, take a group to a Women of Faith event, etc.
Study: Pick a Bible passage to study, then memorize one of the verses that cheers you. God’s Word changes our mind and strengthens our fragile character.
Create: There’s something about working with one's mind and heart in a creative manner that releases bad vibes and restores the soul. You don’t have to be an artist to create, I promise. I did watercolors for a couple of years before I painted something identifiable. It startled me when I recognized my effort. I showed a friend and we immediately framed and hung it before it disappeared.
Maybe you’d rather cook, bake, garden, dance, sew, scrapbook...okay, do it.
Avoid: Pity parties. Newscasts. Negative people. Racy books. Overeating. Sad movies. Excuses.
So dab away those tears and roll up the sleeves of your determination. While it's not easy to move out of sad I hope these few reminders help to improve the quality of your inner atmosphere. Oh, wait―there’s more: pray, exercise, clean house, journal, volunteer, rest... (Somebody stop me!)
It’s a grand new day!