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Fighting Depression – 10 Tips
It is dark out at 9 in the morning. The beautiful autumn leaves have fallen. The dark clouds have carpeted the sky. The rain falls like the mood of all those around me. The season is changing. But there is also the season of my heart. The season where my soul feels like it hits the dark side. I will say I’m not there right now. I am blessed. Blessed with experience. Blessed with family. Blessed with very dear friends. Blessed with knowing myself. But that’s not to say that in the future I won’t return, or that I can’t bless a friend with my own thoughts, or share with you the reader…
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Finances and the Heart
We all have demons in our lives. I mean in the real sense, not the scary fictional movie kind. Some of Satan’s army nips at our friendships, mauls at our self-worth, whisper about our inabilities. Some challenge things that we know, claw at our most trusted relationships, sneer at our self-esteem. When it comes to tearing a man down we don’t do it all on our own! This all was running through my mind this morning as we sat in church. The sermon was on money, trust, priorities. Let me tell you about this demon in my life. He scratches at my happiness, bites (with big gruesome teeth) at my marriage, makes…
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Veterans Day – The Battle Hymn of the Republic
I can honestly say I’ve never criedfor the song ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’. Until today. It had been too many weeks since we made it to the pews of our church. Between a special monthly kids service (called Kids Stuff) for the parents too, nursery duty, lice (ya, bleck!), an annual soccer tournament that was on a Sunday (boo hiss), and Frankenstorm Sandy (no heat, no electricity that week) I hadn’t sat in the sanctuary to worship since September. I missed it. I was a little emotional to begin with (Congregational Worship stirs up an emotion I cannot explain. It is my soul, the Spirit, unleashed.) But then to top it all off it was Veterans…
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50 Shades of Selfishness
Have you ever sat through a sermon at church and thought, “Holy Cow is the pastor spying on me? Taking note of where I am lacking? Making sermons that speak to only me?” There was a word running through my head all week: “Selfishness”. It was the first full week of Summer Break and every time I turned around there were kids’ toys… on the counter, on the table, on the floor, on the couch, on the deck, in the grass. You name it. There were toys. I was trying to wrap my head around the mess. No matter how much I reminded the boys to pick up after themselves, no matter how often I…
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Praying for My Children
Praying for our children, it is one of the most important things that I feel a mother can do for their sons and daughters. Sometimes though I’m at a loss of words, a jumble of thought, even a perceived lack of time. However, I ran across this printable 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children that has added new life to my prayer life. Source: keepingitpersonal.com via Leanne on PinterestI printed off this very nicely done list of biblically based virtues which we want our children to grow into and foster. Then I placed it on my frig right above our water dispenser at eye level. 31 Virtues, 31 Days in the month, heaven…
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What is essential …
Three very different churches. Three very different congregations. Three different families. But one common belief, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – Jesus Christ, John 14:6 Worship today was once again a gift. It spurred thoughts and reminded me (this time) that we (my family, my church-home) are getting it right. I am blessed to have been raised in a Christian home and am raising my family in that same tradition, the same knowledge that without Christ we are nothing. Three very different churches. Three very different congregations. Three different families. Our church is big. Hip to hip, four services…
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Relationships
What kind of nouns do you use to describe yourself? If I were talking about myself I would include Mom, Wife, Co-Worker, Aunt, Daughter, Sister, Neighbor, Friend, Child of God. Isn’t it interesting that we define ourselves by our relationship with others?If you are down, mad, offended, afraid, feeling blamed, powerless, alone… take a look at the relationships around you. How can you enrich them, build them up? Reach out, humble yourself, give the gift of love, grace, faithfulness. Aren’t you starting to feel better already? I know I am! – Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com byLeanne KocsisonMonday, January 09, 2012Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:friends,Leanne,Sermon Notes
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Christmas Traditions Decorating at Home and at Church
As the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is down to turkey salad, Christmas decorations are hauled from the closets. Boxes, cartons and plastic bins hold memories, treasures and herald the coming holiday. The last plastic bin was rifled through hoping to reveal perky Christmas towels. There on the bottom, as if an afterthought was a sheet of typed, well copied paper from Keflavik Naval Air Station’s PWOC about Christmas tree history. A paper reminder of good times, great ladies, strong values: military spouses of all services and NATO nations. Christmas Tree HistorySince the earliest days of the bringing of evergreens indoors at Christmastime has been one of the first ways of giving…
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God of Hosts Protect, Support and Endue our Soldiers
My prayer for this morning and every morning: (click on image for larger view) – Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.combyLeanne KocsisonSunday, November 06, 2011Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Leanne,prayer,Sermon Notes
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Sermon Notes: Praying for My Sons
I pray for the sick, those in the need, even for the future of my children (professions, spouses, choices they will make in years to come). But I rarely pray for my children in the present, here and now. Today there was a subtle nudge that I need to be better about that. *E*, received his 3rd grade Bible in front of our church congregation this morning. He stood in front of the same congregation he was baptised in front of eight years ago. This was the same church-family who agreed to raise him in our family of faith. There we stood eight years later praying for him and thirty of his peers. This mother’s…
