Be Blessed, Not Depressed

Good morning,

I saw the cutest Instagram yesterday from Andrew Wommack Ministries! It was a picture of a little girl about five or six years old, holding a huge rainbow umbrella, wearing big yellow rain boots, and splashing in a puddle while out in the rain. Her eyes were closed tight and she has a smile on her face. The caption simply said, “Be blessed, not depressed.” It is pretty hard to look at that picture and not smile!

I was watching the Olympics and saw Red Gerard, the adorable little kid from Colorado win gold in one of the snowboard events. He was the first person to win gold for our country. It is pretty hard to see him and watch how excited and humble along with his parents and six siblings, just celebrating the amazement and thrill of the moment. It just makes you smile!

I have been going over to my parents’ house every morning for three weeks now because we have changed what he eats. He is 86-years-old and on insulin shots for type 2 diabetes and in three weeks we have dropped his insulin intake to almost zero, just by giving him different food. He is thrilled! He loves meat and vegetables and eggs-with-sausage-and-cheese kind of things and each morning when I walk in he is so positive you can hardly believe him. He makes me smile! My mom who does all the work of managing him still laughs at something he does or says every morning! He chooses to be blessed, not depressed, every minute of his life!

We went to church on Sunday at Westwood Community Church and Pastor Joel was so excited about the new series he started titled “KABOOM.” He told us how in 100 A.D., 25,000 people declared Jesus as their Lord. By 300 A.D., 20 million had declared Jesus as their Lord! Pretty amazing when they didn’t have cell phones, cars, planes, TV, Radio… They only had word of mouth and seeing with their own eyes that this person is different and I want what they have! He was all smiles and enthusiasm and funny and just so happy to be teaching every person who was in the room or online that Jesus is amazing! It made me smile!

I was listening to Shawn White being interviewed and he didn’t get one metal in the 2014 Olympics and it actually helped him! Finding humility and good in trials and failures can be things we are so thankful for! Stop crabbing about everything that is hard and start saying, “This will bless me one day!” Find things this week that make you smile and remember them. Let’s count and think about things that make us be blessed, not depressed!!

Think about and remember some of God’s promises this week.

I will comfort you… (Isaiah 66:13)
I will strengthen you… (Isaiah 41:10)
I will give you peace… (Leviticus 26:6)
…I will carry you… (Isaiah 46:4)
…I will listen to you… (Jeremiah 29:12)
I will protect you… (Acts 26:17)
…I will give you rest… (Matthew 11:28)
…I will be with you… (Genesis 31:3)
Take courage, I AM! Stop being afraid. (Matthew 14:27)

Love you, Teri