Rules for Survival

I wrote this list many years ago with someone's specific situation in mind. While there are things I could easily add or take away and it seems somewhat silly at times. I thought this little list might help someone else's load....you never know ;)



1. Nobody (apart from Christ) will care for you any more than you care for yourself. You must treat yourself the way you want others to treat you - respect, common courtesies, etc.
2. You are NOT anyone's savior; you can't fix other people's problems EVER. God is our only true savior - as well as other people's. We need to admit our own inadequacies to do it alone so that God's strength can be made perfect in our lives. We cannot bring others to this point - not even our own kids.
3. God is sovereign & has a plan for OUR good. He will withhold no good thing from us. God & we may have differing ideas about what is "good" just like we & our kids have opposing views oftentimes. God really does love us.
4. You MUST take a Sabbath every week; this includes work, diets, problems, etc. Make this time sacred even if you have to go away to do it.
5. Smart women keep it simple. Pare down your life. Say "no" to things you KNOW are too much to handle. Use paper plates & frozen dinners without guilt when you need to do so. Your time is worth money, so look for ways to save your time.
6. Accomplish one household task everyday to yourself a sense of achievement.
7. When people say negative things to you, ask yourself whether it was for your benefit or theirs. Was it something that made them look bigger, smarter, or more powerful in your eyes? This especially applies to family members.
8. If God is for you, who can stand against you? If you are doing what you believe to be right in the sight of God & you're being hassled, then emotionally "shake the dust from your feet" and move on.
9. Smile even when you don't feel like it & look for ways to help someone else. Behind all those masks, the world is hurting.
10. Do something positive for yourself often, even if it's external. Paint your nails, go for a walk, take 10 minutes a day to read for fun, have a coke with someone - even one of your kids & then savor that time without putting expectations on it.