Controlling anxieties around the holidays (warning DD pics)

Cow-girl

My thoughts and prayers will be with you ladies tomorrow.  I know how difficult the holidays can be.   

Verse...  "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him."  Romans 8:28

Thought for today...  God's love is not a passing fancy: it is a profound and unshakeable committment. (Billy Graham)

Poem....

If it is true that trouble comes in waves, then I have been buried by a typhoon lately.


Every move I make lands me in another hole.

Every turn I take runs me into another wall.

Every decision I come up with turns out to be wrong.

What a night mare I have been living!

I have turned to others for help and advice, they left me feeling more desperate than before. I looked for answers in books, magazines, on radio and TV. Everywhere I turned led me to a dead end.

Then I Turned To You.

What refreshment You brought me.

Confidence replaced my concern.

Hope appeared in my heart from nowhere.

I don't know why I didn't run to You in the first place. You have always offered help in my troubles. Thank You for carrying me on Your shoulders through the storm, and shielding me from the wind and the rains.

The LORD Answers;

Consider Me a safe place where you can hide, and I will protect you from trouble and surround you with my songs of deliverance. I am your shepherd who will not leave you in need. I will help you lie down in flourishing fields; I will show you quiet waters and refresh your soul.

I have told you these things so that you can find peace in Me. In this world you will have trouble, but here is my promise to you;

I have overcome the world!

I have given My angels charge over you.

In their hands they shall lift you up.

Author Unknown

 

Controlling anxieties around the holidays  Ideally, holidays are family times, times to share warmth, love and togetherness. But if your child died during the past year, Christmas won't feel this way for you. The togetherness of Christmas makes the loss cut even deeper into your heart because your child is not there. Anticipation of the day fills you with dread. You don't know how you'll get through it. You worry that you will spend the day with a tight throat and burning eyes from fighting back the tears, or that others will be uncomfortable because you are withdrawn into yourself with memories of Christmases past. One of the reasons for dreading the day is that you don't know what to expect of yourself. You're afraid that you'll be out of control. To lessen your fear and dread, decide before the holiday arrives whether you will fight back your feelings of loss and sadness or express them outwardly. Then share your decision with those with whom you will celebrate Christmas. If you decide to keep your tears and hurt to yourself you might want to shorten the time you spend with others. This way you won't have to keep up the pretense for as long. You can postpone the tears to when you are alone. Tell that to those with whom you expect to spend the day. Because the day will be hard for you, you might want to spend most of it away from a crowd. On the other hand, you may decide to let the tears flow and the memories surface. If this is your decision, prepare others ahead of time. Tell them that the sadness of your child's death and the memories of past Christmases will probably make you cry. Tell them also that you are likely to talk about your child quite a lot on Christmas day. Tell them that you need to do this and ask for their patience and understanding. Although these suggestions won't take away the pain of your grief, they will give you some sense of control and help you and others to know what to expect.