Reflect upon your present blessings
of which every man has many;
not upon your past misfortunes,
of which all have some.
~Charles Dickens.
What pockets of happiness will you encounter as you go through your day? Look for them and stop to relish the moment and then be thankful to the Heavenly Father 🙂

Here are detailed intro lessons taught by Todd Ehle
Lesson 1

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Taken from Joy And Strength devotion @ Back To The Bible
SELF-PREOCCUPATION,
self-broodings,
self-interest,
self-love,
–these are the reasons why you go jarring against your fellows.
Turn your eyes off yourself; look up, and out!
There are men, your brothers, and women, your sisters;
they have needs that you can aid.
Listen for their confidences;
keep your heart wide open to their calls,
and your hands alert for their service.
Learn to give, and not to take;
to drown your own hungry wants in the happiness of lending yourself to fulfil the interests of those nearest or dearest.
Look up and out, from this narrow, cabined self of yours, and you will jar no longer;
you will fret no more, you will provoke no more;
but you will, to your own glad surprise, find the secret of “the meekness and the gentleness of Jesus”;
and the fruits of the Spirit will all bud and blossom from out of your life.
HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND

Psalm 143:8
“Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in Thee do I trust:
cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
for I lift up my soul unto Thee.”
~Written by David, the Israelite, inspired by the Spirit of God

“Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much.”
— Erich Fromm

Dr. Rick Rigsby, Texas A&M Chaplain, wrote a book entitled Lessons From a Third Grade Dropout. It is about his dad and the loving advice he taught him. Here are two days (30 minutes each) of interviews from the radio broadcast on Family Life Today.
The Lord Gives and the Lord Takes Away
Kind Deeds Are Never Lost

Need help with taxes or investing? Check out the Dave Ramsey website. This man also has a radio program and is a trusted source. 🙂 Check out his famous Financial Peace University

As of June 3, I have three teenage boys. Until the beginning of August, my son’s ages are 13, 14 and 15! But this doesn’t strike fear into my heart. I have prayed since they were toddlers for these present years.
I’m okay with the challenges they bring. My children are developing their identities. They seek out the coolest personality traits. As their parents they learn from us but for the most part they want to be different. Also, they do not want us as their parents constantly giving them advice on how to do everything. All that’s okay. My children don’t have the typical peer pressure that most do. My husband and I still have much influence on their decisions. I’m glad for that.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD,
OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Jim Daly is the CEO of the Christian non-profit organization, Focus on the Family. Daly recently wrote a book called Finding Home that tells of his difficult childhood. He also was interviewed on Family Life Today. Here are three interesting thirty minute programs.
Day 1 Early Setbacks
Day 2 Rising Above Victimhood
Day 3 Finding A New Life In Christ