B.U.S.Y. - BEING UNDER SATAN'S YOKE

B.U.S.Y. - Being Under Satan's Yoke...or busy but productive?

I'll tell you friends, I'm doing this blog today totally off the top of my head, from my heart, so forgive my little rant if you can.

I find it harder and harder to keep my center, to keep my eyes on the Lord, to keep my wits about me. The economy is bad, people are losing jobs and I worry about everyone. How will they survive? Can I help? What would I do if I lost my job? What if I can't pay the electric bill? What, what and what??? It is driving me crazy.

I cannot seem to find a minute to call my own, which, of course, is not true. My family is grown, I have several hours a day that are my "own" and despite the fact that my 90-year-old mother demands almost no attention, I get overwhelmed by the amount of hours that are consumed by her paperwork, doctor's appointments, taking her cat to the vet, and other minutia, as well as my own.

So, I was thinking...why am I allowing myself to be so consumed by all the stress around me? Yes, I do have an anxiety disorder, but that is managed with meds. Every day I throw away precious hours that I could be enjoying what I'm doing, whether it's the "must do's" of life, or a hobby which I consider "fun," because I am running under someone else's priorities.

And that "someone else" appears to be Satan. Now, my idea of Satan and yours may be two different things - is Satan a guy in a red suit, with horns and a pitchfork? Or, is Satan the thoughts and actions that rob the joy from your day? Perhaps both.

So, now, when I get overwhelmed and resentful of all I have to do, I stop and ask myself: "Are you B.U.S.Y (being under Satan's Yoke) or are you busy being productive. Are you enjoying what you are doing? Will you feel good when that task is done, no matter what it is?"

Life is fleeting; enjoy each day to its fullest; have joy in your life no matter what!

Have a wonderful day and thanks for letting me vent!

INSTALLING LOVE ON THE HUMAN COMPUTER

INSTALLING LOVE ON THE HUMAN COMPUTER: HOW TO INSTALL


Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to
install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However,you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me
how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been
completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before
you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming.
Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files.Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running.
One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

God/Tech Support: You're welcome, anytime.

- Anon

MAKE GROWING YOUR BUSINESS A HABIT

I was invited to speak about my Bonanzle business on the Monday Night podcast called Brainstorming Bonanzle, co-hosted by Auction Wally and Phaedra and was very honored to do so. This is a weekly podcast sponsored by Auction Wally at Talkshoe from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST. We have so many participating members at Bonanzle, this is a perfect forum to put our heads together, share ideas and work on ways to build or grow our businesses at Bonanzle.

After the show, each podcast is stored, both audibly and in chat room format, and maintained by another Bonanzle member, DeDe of Brightest Blessings. When you visit the Brainstorming Bonanzle site, you will an wonderful Avatar for us, done by the very talented Bonanzle member, Jamiro. I just love the orange ideas popping out of our heads!

So, I thought I'd share a few of my ideas for time management with you, dear reader. As with anything offered up by anyone on the internet or elsewhere, take what you can and make use of it, but only if it works for you! How do you know if it will work for you? Try the idea out for a few days; try it on for size; adjust or discard to your needs. Okay, so here are some of the points I think are important.

MAKE GROWING YOUR BUSINESS A HABIT

First thing everyday I
- check my regular emails for sales or inquiries that need immediate attention;
- check my Bonanzle mail for the same things;
- update my booth message DAILY! Something simple, such as "Good Tuesday morning" is sufficient;
- blog - ideas, post, research, etc.;
- check other sites I may participate in.

MAKE IT FUN

If you're not having fun doing what you're doing, then you need to consider why you are doing it. Fun doesn't necessarily mean you are chuckling all day; what I mean is that you enjoy it (whether it's listing, doing research, gleaning info from forums and other social networking sites) and that it contributes in a positive way to what you want to accomplish in your business. Hard work doesn't have to be a drag.


ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE

I keep ONE steno pad by my keyboard. ALL NOTES of any kind go in this notebook, including new passwords, websites, etc. Even my grocery items I may need to add to the original list. (Later in the day or when I have a moment, I can transfer the info from the steno book into the appropriate place and cross it off the list in the notebook). The idea is to keep me on track, instead of going helter-skelter, chasing links and ideas until I totally forget where I started and where I was going. In other words, STAY ON TASK! Take a break, walk around, have a cup of coffee, but go back to were you left off and keep moving on with that task.

Note the things you would like to participate in. I would like to do more RSS feeds, more SEO optimization, learn more about Twitter and decide if it's for me, use the new promotion tools available at Bonanzle (awesome things like an auto Craig Lister tool and the Google attribute tool).

I know that my time is limited and I can't possibly do everything, but I try to spend some time each day or week looking into things that might work for me.

KNOW YOUR STRONG POINTS AND WEAK POINTS

And work with them, instead of fighting them. My strengths are organization, keeping master lists of everything, and being disciplined about the time I have. My weaknesses are many, the greatest among them is HATING TO FILE PAPER! Isn't that silly? Organized but doesn't want to file? Yep, but it's a biggy for me.


DON'T COMPARE YOUR EFFORTS WITH ANYONE ELSE'S

In the beginning days at Bonanzle, this was a real problem for me. I would read about all these great people who had six booths, two or three blogs, listed in Craig's List every day, belonged to every group available to them on the net and thought if I didn't do all those things, I wouldn't be a success! To this I say, NONSENSE! It took me awhile, but I finally realized that I needed to be realistic about what I COULD do, would be interested in doing and what would help MY business. As a result, I am a happier business person.


BE REAL ABOUT WHAT TIME YOU DO HAVE EACH DAY

I try very hard not to overload myself with expectations of what I can do for the business on days when I have to take my mother to the doctor, or I have appointments, or I'm not feeling well. Which leads to my final point:


READJUST YOUR TIME SCHEDULE IF IT'S NOT WORKING

And that means on the fly if necessary! There are just some days when the neighbor decides to visit for an hour, the water main breaks, the Internet connection goes down - we could go on and on. Life happens. Feel free to reevaluate and reprioritize as needed. Don't feel guilty; don't despair. There is a reason for everything!

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Make your business a fun habit, something you look forward to; organize and prioritize, know your strengths and weakness and let them work for you, not against you; temper your expectations with reality; and most important of all -

MAKE EVERY DAY JUST THE BEST IT CAN BE - IN EVERY ARENA OF YOUR LIFE!

CALL ME MELLOW YELLOW!

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the strain of all that is going on about us in the world today -- new government administration, lost jobs, stock market causing havoc with everyone’s retirement -- and just life in general.

I am normally a very upbeat person – confident, happy, looking to make someone smile, if only for a minute; and I am getting darn tired of letting myself be negatively impacted by all the “bad” things happening around me.

I found this article and ripped it out of a magazine at the doctor’s office (YES, I did that—it was THAT important to me to share it with more than just a few people). I hope it can help you as it helped me.

HAPPY HABITS

LAUGH. This simple act releases endorphins and makes you feel good. Laughing also invites laughter from other people – a social connection that will boost your mood, too.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. People who concentrate on what they genuinely have to feel happy about are – surprise! – happier than those who dwell on the negatives. If you’re in a bad funk, you might have to start with “I’m grateful I have legs.” Before too long, you’ll see how much you really have going for you.

SAY THANK YOU. Expressing gratitude ratchets up the happiness quotient even more. In one study, research subjects wrote a thank you letter to someone who had helped them in a significant way. Their happiness levels shot up immediately afterward and, amazingly, remained higher than normal for a month.

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. One measure of happiness is the ability to become absorbed by a task, and we’re most absorbed by new activities that we’re naturally good at. If your strength is social connection, find a hobby that allows you to interact meaningfully with other people. If your strength is self-expression, consider starting a blog or taking an art class.

DO GOOD. In study after study, any form of generosity – simple acts of kindness, donations or volunteer work – raised happiness levels.

Feel happier today, despite what’s going on around you. It’s what is INSIDE you that makes the difference!

THE STIMULUS PACKAGE: PIEPER'S VIEW

"There are no ordinary cats." (Colette)

Sshhh...Mom is in the other room, sewing, I think. But I have to tell you about my Stimulus Package which arrived the other day! (Mom isn't happy when I climb up here and use her desk...I'm not allowed on the desk or her work table you know--hehe--little does she know--she can't be awake 24/7). Anyway, I digress.

Well, the stimulus package arrived at our house. Mom ordered some nice handmade pictures and a couple of books from our friend, Sandypaws, at her recent Bonanza sale at Bonanzle! (Try saying that with a mouth full of whiskers!)

Sandypaws included in the box a cellophane bag of handmade toys just for me. I was (uncharacteristically--LOL, right...) sleeping. Mom put the bag on the table, thinking I would be up before she went to work and she could give me a toy.

Well, off to work she went...I hadn't gotten up yet...but when I got up...well, I just couldn't resist investigating this package! Oh my gosh! It was wonderful! Handmade, snuggly fabric, toys just for me! You should have SEEN mom's face when she came home after work...but then she laughed and saw the new decoration scattered in every direction, in every room, and I knew all was okay. You know, there is just so much power in being just the cutest thing in the family!

Oh, and the best part? Well, for a cat anyway, was trying to crawl inside the cellophane bag to get out every last morsel of catnip! Zowie! AND, I was able to attempt to make a home out of the flat rate box the goodies came in...I just felt a tug of comradeship with all those critters (8) who live in the house and attempt to help sew and ship the goodies (but they don't have much more luck than I do)!

And speaking of cutest things, Sandypaws runs Beach Cat Rescue in New Jersey. If you would like more information about what they do, please visit their site. They are currently pending New Jersey Non-Profit status. The program is run by the family from their family finances - what a wonderful, giving way of life. The following is just a portion of what their mission is at Beach Cat Rescue:

Beach Cat Rescue is a NJ Non Profit Corporation with 501c3 pending! Our rescue was created to address the needs of abandoned stray and feral cats in our community. We are a small home based rescue that focuses on the rehabilitation and adoption of abandoned, homeless and stray cats and kittens.

Beach Cat Rescue has a very specific mission which makes us unique in our approach and our needs. You can read much information online about the humane treatment of feral cats. We at BCR agree that feral cats have very specific needs and their treatment should be much different. TNR is a wonderful triage tool for that population as well as providing shelters and daily feedings.

However, BCR would also like to address the population that lives in that grey area somewhere between housecat and feral cat! There are so many stray and abandoned cats without socialization who are not feral. We would like to help educate people as to ways they can help with this specific population! There is a very big difference between a true feral and the stray you may be seeing in your neighborhood. Please see our article entitled "The Myth and Confusion of Feral Cats" to learn more.

Thanks to Renee and her family for what they give back to our lovely cat communities!

Many of the profits (if not all) from the sales at sandypaws booth at Bonanzle, as well as Willow Blue booth at Bonanzle, go to help care for, feed, spay and neuter feral cats, as well as socialize those animals that are able to interact with humans.

IN GOD’S ARMS: Douglas Wheatlake - April 3, 1952 - February 4, 2009

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

On February 4, 2009, after a seven year battle with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer), hundreds of arduous treatments, including bone marrow transplants and stem cell treatments, Jesus came and lifted Doug upon His wings and carried him home to be with Him forever.

Doug “fought the good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith. Now there is in store for him the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to him…” 2 Timothy 4:7

Doug was preceded in death by his Mother, Estelle, and it’s been rumored that they are now riding a bright red motorcycle together through Heaven!

He is survived by his wife, Vickie, and two children, Patrick and Burton, his father, Burton, stepmother, Phyllis, two sisters, Linda and Chris, a brother, Don, and many nieces and nephews.

And, as God would have it, He is replacing Doug’s light on earth with a new baby, Paul, due in August, to Doug's niece, Kim, and her husband, Jake.

Doug was a special educator, a special brother, son, husband and father. He lived his life with grace and strength, just as he carried on throughout his illness, an inspiration of hope through Jesus Christ to all who crossed his path.

You will be very missed Douggie…but we know that you lived your purpose fully…that Patrick and Burton were able to grow into young men in the past seven years, and that your lessons in courage and love of the Lord will be a blessing to them in years to come.

God bless you! We will see you in the sweet bye-and-bye.

SANDBOX LOVE

“All kittens, from the very first, set out to teach their humans to adapt to the needs of a cat. As a reward, they grant them the position of honorary cat.” (Pam Brown)

The above is a true enough statement; Pieper thinks that I am a cat and that I don’t mind sharing my “sandbox” with her. I try to sneak into the bathroom and get the door securely shut before she figures out where I’ve gone. I guess she thinks there is a secret exit from the bathroom that only I know about…and that if she isn’t in there with me, I will just disappear!

The few times I do get the door shut and leave her in the hallway, she meows, tries to turn the door handle, and runs her paws under the doorway, hoping somehow to pull or push it open. It’s quite comical, really.

What is NOT exactly comical, however, is when she does manage to get into the bathroom before me and insists on “helping Mommy” go potty. (Before my son, Steve, moved back home, we never had this problem…I simply left the bathroom door open unless I had company.) Now, however, it has become an issue between Pieper and me.

Pieper just loves to crawl up in my lap from the edge of the bathtub…and then she insists that I hold her in my arms. I have no idea why she thinks this is a safe place to be, except that she can be fairly certain I won’t be jumping up in a hurry! So, I patiently hold her, pet her, nuzzle her little head as she pushes against my chin…she drools on my hand and looks up at me with the most adoring look…how can I not be so happy?

Then, when she has absorbed just about as much “sandbox love” as she can stand, she primly jumps down from my lap and strolls over to HER sandbox, turns her back on me and does her thing. She expects privacy! Of course!