How do you do it?

It's not what you do, it's how you do it.

Every time I see a new doctor, I always need to fill out a questionnaire. And on that questionnaire it always asks: "What is your occupation?"

Nowadays, there is a more attractive term for "stay-at-home wife" and that is "homemaker." You only need to hear certain people's stories, to know that being a "homemaker" is not an easy job. I look at my brother-in-law's wife and I am astounded by how she manages to still be standing at the end of the day. She has four young girls…6, 4, 2, and a new born. Apart from cleaning and cooking, she also takes care of animals on her farm. And somehow, she manages to find time to paint her walls and other home projects.  While she may not be at the forefront of changing the world, her desire to build a lovely home for her family makes a significant difference in the lives of five other people (her four kids and husband)..

For a lot of people with an illness, they are either forced into early retirement or have to file for disabilities because they can no longer work. My rheumatologist has actually encouraged me to seek a new job or go to graduate school, so that I can find something to do that is meaningful, because  for a lot of people with an illness who cannot find meaning in what they do , they tend to fade away.

Whatever you are doing…whether you work part-time at Starbucks, you're a homemaker, you're retired, or you have a job that you really hate…find a way to put meaning into what you do.

If you work part-time at Starbucks…seek to always have a smile on your face, and ask your customers how their day is going no matter how grumpy they may look when they are getting their morning coffee.

If you're a homemaker or you're retired…there is so much things that you can do in your spare time that can bring meaning into the life of others! There is a group on Facebook called "Squares and Prayers." Their meaning is to create "a place for info, encouragement, and banter for those interested in working on collaborative projects for the purpose of blessing others." Right now they are working on a crochet blanket for a 3-year old boy who has had 3 open-heart surgeries.

This week, I have started a project called Cards4Cures. My purpose is to create cards with small messages of hope in them to be given to patients with illnesses at  hospitals. While everyone with an illness is still waiting for a cure, a small card of hope can help cure a little sadness or a lonely day.

If you would like to know more about Cards4Cures or would like to join in the project…message me and let me know!

It's not what you see, it's how you look at it.

Perspective is truly everything. Have you ever tried to solve a Rubix Cube? Sometimes you just don't know what the next step is, but when you turn the rubix cube around at all angles, you can find the right twists and turns to solve your puzzle.

Whatever difficulties you may be facing, how you look at it can change your attitude towards it. And when you have a hopeful positive attitude, it makes enduring these difficulties a little bit easier.  If you knew already how your difficulties would resolve, would you walk to your destination on a path of flowers, or on a path of thorns?

It's not how your life is, it's how you live it.

Circumstances don't define who we are…it's how we deal and use our circumstances that help define our character.

I am not defined by my illness…I am defined by my attitude of perseverance and my desire to overcome it. Therefore you are not defined by your troubles, but by how you choose to accept it or change it.

We are not defined by our past…but by how we choose to live our present based on what we have learned from the past.

And if you need help thinking about how to live, Micah has the answer:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).