Re: Hello!

[Guest guest]

Hello Angie!!

Welcome to (Positive) Affirmations to De-Stress!! Yes, yes, yes! I can

give a resounding " yes " to what you are saying.

I am what you would call eclectic -- perhaps, that is the word for it.

I belong to an organized Christian religion (church), although one that some

people don't think is Christian, but it has the word Christ in the name of the

church, ...so how can that be?! Another topic there. I was raised in different

Christian churches as a child, in two different denominations. And, as a

teenager & young adult I tried just about every church " out there " and

variations of the same!! Finally I found my path shortly after I got married and

so then joined a new church of which I'm a member of now. However, I'm not what

you would call " the typical churchgoer " and I don't always fit in as I might

could if I did things differently. I very much believe in being " Christian " and

in living the golden rule 7 days a week, not just on Sundays. I try very hard

not to get preachy as I don't care for that either! I believe in living by

example.

Through various difficulties in my life throughout the years (I am 49

now), including a difficult depression in my late 20's, low self-esteem, low

self-confidence, etc from my background; I started experimenting with different

ways of looking at God, different philosophies, etc. I discovered the writings

of Louise Hay, Shakti Gawain, Norman Peale, Eknath Eswaran, Yogandanda,

Melody Beattie, Carlson, Wayne Dyer, 12 step groups, etc. and all of

this opened up a new life for me.

I still choose to embrace my church that I'm a member of; however;

I've also added other beliefs on top of that until I am quite comfortable with

" who I am " , and with my relationship with God (or my Higher Power). To me, it is

in some ways more important to have my spirituality and my closeness with God ( &

Christ), then to just be a churchgoer who goes through the motions. I apologize

if I'm stepping on anyone's toes here, as I don't mean to. I truly believe

there are different paths to God and/or spirituality. For me, I've been

somewhat " broken " so much of my life, that for me to heal and to become whole, I

have had to embrace a different concept of God than what I had as a child. I can

no longer think of God as a harsh, punitive God.

I now have a God or Heavenly Father who I know loves me

unconditionally and completely. HE wants the very best for me, and wants me to

do the right things and to be successful so I can grow and learn in this

lifetime. When I am " in tune " with God, I feel much more at peace, and can

accomplish so much more than when I'm not. And, ...it does take effort to be in

that good place. And, I'm not perfect, and falter regularly. But, I get back up

and try again! And for me, that is " okay " . I am a good person and a

compassionate loving, sincere human being who desires to do the right things and

to serve my fellow man. Basically, that is who I am. Many years I fought with

myself because I got tired of " being a goody goody " or doing the right thing,

....but I've discovered this is in my inherent nature and " just who I am. "

I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror and like what I

see. I have to be able to face my Heavenly Father each and every day knowing

that I'm doing my best that I can for this particular day. That has to be " good

enough " . And, I try to accept that.

Well, I've gone on philosophizing more than maybe I should, and

we do try to keep religion out of discussions in this group (for the most part).

To sum it up, though; I believe that we can pick and choose what is best for us

here and now according to our heart and our background and circumstances, and

that we can embrace more than one way of looking at things, or more than one

philosophy. I try to combine the different things that work for me, and that has

given me peace and comfort. I will say that it has taken me a jillion years to

get to this point, and with lots of soul-searching and praying. This works for

me, ...I can't tell you what will work for you.

And, just as I accept and respect each individual for who they

are and for what they believe, ...I in turn appreciate the same love and

tolerance. I wish you much success on your journey and know that you will find

your way!

Love, Peace, & Hugs, PJ, owner/affirmations to de-stress

Saul wrote:

Hello everyone! I have read many of the recent posts and was

excited to feel the genuine care, sincerity, diversity and honesty

of the people in your group. Thank you for allowing me to join you!

Okay... here's my introduction as requested.

My name is Angie (aka Saul). I live in Columbus, Ohio. I

have been happily married for 12 years to my husband Jerry. We have

one beautiful 9-year daughter named Mackenzie. We also have a

small " zoo " -- 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 hamster and a 75-gallon aquarium

with 7 exotic goldfish and 2 algae eaters (I can't leave out my

cleaning crew). Needless to say, we love animals!

I have struggled with major depression for several years and have

been on anti-depressants. Health problems, business failures and

money issues have contributed greatly to this depression.

I began studying positive thinking and metaphysical concepts about a

year ago in an attempt to pull myself out of depression for good and

get off the pills. I have read (or listened to tapes) by Norman

Peale, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Assarraf and am

currently reading Napoleon Hill.

So far, the greatest obstacle I am having is not being able to fully

embrace what I'm learning. It's not that the concepts are

unbelievable. In fact, most of it makes a great deal of sense to me.

I think the source of my conflict primarily involves the faith in

which I was raised - Catholicism. Also, my father (who faithfully

follows the Christian Fundamentalist movement) has driven a great

deal of fear into me over the years with his preachings. He

believes that what I am studying are deceptions of the devil.

I feel a great sense of " guilt " for wanting a better life for myself

and my family. This guilt, of course, is resulting in feelings of

anger -- mostly directed at God. I want so desperately to believe

God isn't a big " bully " -- if that makes sense. I don't want to

be " frightened " into loving God.

I'm reluctant to read my bible because I'm afraid it will anger me

further. The verses that are read in Mass sometimes lean towards

positive thinking... and then other times go in the opposite

direction. So many contradictions. In one Mass service, a psalm

was sang about " it's good to fear the Lord. " Not 20 minutes later,

they sang the song, " Be Not Afraid. " So what am I supposed to be -

afraid or not? HAHA!

I have always been uncertain of organized religion; however, I

believe firmly in respecting all faiths. I really envy those who

have found the peace that comes with having firm beliefs. Those

peaceful souls can be found in EVERY religion. I don't know what

other religions teach, but Christianity seems to say that

it's " their way " or the Hell-way!

So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still be

a Christian? This question keeps me greatly stressed and seems to

have " paralyzed " me from moving forward in my life.

Has anyone else here dealt with these types of feelings? If so, did

you ever find resolution and peace?

I've rattled on long enough, so I'll close here. I look forward to

hearing your thoughts. Thank you for listening!

~ Angie

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress

A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, discussing ways to

cope with the stresses of daily life. Come aboard! PJ and Gang

[Guest guest]

<So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still be a

Christian?>

I belong to the Disciples of Christ Church which is more lenient. The basic

beliefs are to follow Christ and to help others. I don't see this as

conflicting with positive thinking. I write the church bulletin and often put in

quotes

that could be thought of as positive thinking.

Niki

[Guest guest]

God wants you to be postive and think postive. Does it not say in the bible

that God sends his heavenly angels to earth to spread the word. of course it

does. So to my thinking the postive word is being deleivered to those in need by

his earth bound Angels. You will notice the difference in not only yourself but

how you view the world and those aorund you. it is a beatiful experience and one

I recommend. I love comming on here and seeing what the next postive force is.

And it is these postive thoughts that are helping me quit 35 years of smoking

and with help from God and his Angels. Enjoy honey. Its worth it. Love and

light Lyn

Re: Hello!

<So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still be a

Christian?>

I belong to the Disciples of Christ Church which is more lenient. The basic

beliefs are to follow Christ and to help others. I don't see this as

conflicting with positive thinking. I write the church bulletin and often put

in quotes

that could be thought of as positive thinking.

Niki

[Guest guest]

Dear PJ,

Thank you SO MUCH for your precious reply! I was completely

overwhelmed by all of the beautiful and thoughtful responses I

received to my question. I had a heck of a time keeping my

composure as I read! What a truly wonderful group you all are!

With the exception of belonging to one church all of my life, I can

completely relate to the feelings you described.

I had been using Wayne Dyer's Meditation for Manifestation CD

recently. I was faithfully doing the AM and PM meditations. I

loved that I was starting and ending each day with God. Once I got

past my " fits of hysteria " over the " aahhh " and " oooo " sounds I was

making (which took me more than a few tries!), I felt like I was

slowly building a connection to God. I'll give it another shot.

I have enjoyed the quotes you've posted by Louise Hay. For whatever

reason, I have never heard of her before. I will go to &

Noble and try to find one of her books. I'll also look for the

other authors you mentioned. (I'm always looking for a reason to go

to B & N anyway! Tee-hee!)

It brought me much hope and comfort to read that you eventually

found beliefs that give you peace and the relationship with God that

you were seeking. I truly appreciate you sharing your story with

me. It has helped me much more than you'll ever know.

Thanks so much and God bless!

Angie

> Hello everyone! I have read many of the recent posts and was

> excited to feel the genuine care, sincerity, diversity and honesty

> of the people in your group. Thank you for allowing me to join

you!

>

> Okay... here's my introduction as requested.

>

> My name is Angie (aka Saul). I live in Columbus, Ohio. I

> have been happily married for 12 years to my husband Jerry. We

have

> one beautiful 9-year daughter named Mackenzie. We also have a

> small " zoo " -- 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 hamster and a 75-gallon aquarium

> with 7 exotic goldfish and 2 algae eaters (I can't leave out my

> cleaning crew). Needless to say, we love animals!

>

> I have struggled with major depression for several years and have

> been on anti-depressants. Health problems, business failures and

> money issues have contributed greatly to this depression.

>

> I began studying positive thinking and metaphysical concepts about

a

> year ago in an attempt to pull myself out of depression for good

and

> get off the pills. I have read (or listened to tapes) by Norman

> Peale, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Assarraf and am

> currently reading Napoleon Hill.

>

> So far, the greatest obstacle I am having is not being able to

fully

> embrace what I'm learning. It's not that the concepts are

> unbelievable. In fact, most of it makes a great deal of sense to

me.

>

> I think the source of my conflict primarily involves the faith in

> which I was raised - Catholicism. Also, my father (who faithfully

> follows the Christian Fundamentalist movement) has driven a great

> deal of fear into me over the years with his preachings. He

> believes that what I am studying are deceptions of the devil.

>

> I feel a great sense of " guilt " for wanting a better life for

myself

> and my family. This guilt, of course, is resulting in feelings of

> anger -- mostly directed at God. I want so desperately to believe

> God isn't a big " bully " -- if that makes sense. I don't want to

> be " frightened " into loving God.

>

> I'm reluctant to read my bible because I'm afraid it will anger me

> further. The verses that are read in Mass sometimes lean towards

> positive thinking... and then other times go in the opposite

> direction. So many contradictions. In one Mass service, a psalm

> was sang about " it's good to fear the Lord. " Not 20 minutes

later,

> they sang the song, " Be Not Afraid. " So what am I supposed to be -

> afraid or not? HAHA!

>

> I have always been uncertain of organized religion; however, I

> believe firmly in respecting all faiths. I really envy those who

> have found the peace that comes with having firm beliefs. Those

> peaceful souls can be found in EVERY religion. I don't know what

> other religions teach, but Christianity seems to say that

> it's " their way " or the Hell-way!

>

> So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still

be

> a Christian? This question keeps me greatly stressed and seems to

> have " paralyzed " me from moving forward in my life.

>

> Has anyone else here dealt with these types of feelings? If so,

did

> you ever find resolution and peace?

>

> I've rattled on long enough, so I'll close here. I look forward

to

> hearing your thoughts. Thank you for listening!

>

> ~ Angie

>

>

>

>

>

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress

>

> A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group,

discussing ways to cope with the stresses of daily life. Come

aboard! PJ and Gang

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply, Niki. You're most certainly right -- you

should be able to be positive and still be Christian. In my search,

I

have run into several pieces of information that suggested the

opposite.

I am not familiar with Disciples of the Christ Church. I'll have to

check it out. Thanks again!

God bless,

Angie

> <So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still

be

a

> Christian?>

>

> I belong to the Disciples of Christ Church which is more lenient.

The basic

> beliefs are to follow Christ and to help others. I don't see this

as

> conflicting with positive thinking. I write the church bulletin and

often put in quotes

> that could be thought of as positive thinking.

>

> Niki

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Niki,

Thanks for sharing your comments! I appreciate you taking the time to

write in --

Hugs, PJ

tylrn@... wrote:

<So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still be a

Christian?>

I belong to the Disciples of Christ Church which is more lenient. The basic

beliefs are to follow Christ and to help others. I don't see this as

conflicting with positive thinking. I write the church bulletin and often put in

quotes

that could be thought of as positive thinking.

Niki

[Guest guest]

Dear Angie,

I appreciate your response and your comments. All I can say is try

something, ...and then if it doesn't work, or doesn't " feel right to you " , then

try something else! You will definitely find your path and your peace. Have

hope & KNOW that you will be blessed. Hugs, PJ

Saul wrote:

Dear PJ,

Thank you SO MUCH for your precious reply! I was completely

overwhelmed by all of the beautiful and thoughtful responses I

received to my question. I had a heck of a time keeping my

composure as I read! What a truly wonderful group you all are!

With the exception of belonging to one church all of my life, I can

completely relate to the feelings you described.

I had been using Wayne Dyer's Meditation for Manifestation CD

recently. I was faithfully doing the AM and PM meditations. I

loved that I was starting and ending each day with God. Once I got

past my " fits of hysteria " over the " aahhh " and " oooo " sounds I was

making (which took me more than a few tries!), I felt like I was

slowly building a connection to God. I'll give it another shot.

I have enjoyed the quotes you've posted by Louise Hay. For whatever

reason, I have never heard of her before. I will go to &

Noble and try to find one of her books. I'll also look for the

other authors you mentioned. (I'm always looking for a reason to go

to B & N anyway! Tee-hee!)

It brought me much hope and comfort to read that you eventually

found beliefs that give you peace and the relationship with God that

you were seeking. I truly appreciate you sharing your story with

me. It has helped me much more than you'll ever know.

Thanks so much and God bless!

Angie

> Hello everyone! I have read many of the recent posts and was

> excited to feel the genuine care, sincerity, diversity and honesty

> of the people in your group. Thank you for allowing me to join

you!

>

> Okay... here's my introduction as requested.

>

> My name is Angie (aka Saul). I live in Columbus, Ohio. I

> have been happily married for 12 years to my husband Jerry. We

have

> one beautiful 9-year daughter named Mackenzie. We also have a

> small " zoo " -- 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 hamster and a 75-gallon aquarium

> with 7 exotic goldfish and 2 algae eaters (I can't leave out my

> cleaning crew). Needless to say, we love animals!

>

> I have struggled with major depression for several years and have

> been on anti-depressants. Health problems, business failures and

> money issues have contributed greatly to this depression.

>

> I began studying positive thinking and metaphysical concepts about

a

> year ago in an attempt to pull myself out of depression for good

and

> get off the pills. I have read (or listened to tapes) by Norman

> Peale, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Assarraf and am

> currently reading Napoleon Hill.

>

> So far, the greatest obstacle I am having is not being able to

fully

> embrace what I'm learning. It's not that the concepts are

> unbelievable. In fact, most of it makes a great deal of sense to

me.

>

> I think the source of my conflict primarily involves the faith in

> which I was raised - Catholicism. Also, my father (who faithfully

> follows the Christian Fundamentalist movement) has driven a great

> deal of fear into me over the years with his preachings. He

> believes that what I am studying are deceptions of the devil.

>

> I feel a great sense of " guilt " for wanting a better life for

myself

> and my family. This guilt, of course, is resulting in feelings of

> anger -- mostly directed at God. I want so desperately to believe

> God isn't a big " bully " -- if that makes sense. I don't want to

> be " frightened " into loving God.

>

> I'm reluctant to read my bible because I'm afraid it will anger me

> further. The verses that are read in Mass sometimes lean towards

> positive thinking... and then other times go in the opposite

> direction. So many contradictions. In one Mass service, a psalm

> was sang about " it's good to fear the Lord. " Not 20 minutes

later,

> they sang the song, " Be Not Afraid. " So what am I supposed to be -

> afraid or not? HAHA!

>

> I have always been uncertain of organized religion; however, I

> believe firmly in respecting all faiths. I really envy those who

> have found the peace that comes with having firm beliefs. Those

> peaceful souls can be found in EVERY religion. I don't know what

> other religions teach, but Christianity seems to say that

> it's " their way " or the Hell-way!

>

> So, in a nutshell... how can I adopt positive thinking and still

be

> a Christian? This question keeps me greatly stressed and seems to

> have " paralyzed " me from moving forward in my life.

>

> Has anyone else here dealt with these types of feelings? If so,

did

> you ever find resolution and peace?

>

> I've rattled on long enough, so I'll close here. I look forward

to

> hearing your thoughts. Thank you for listening!

>

> ~ Angie

>

>

>

>

>

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress

>

> A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group,

discussing ways to cope with the stresses of daily life. Come

aboard! PJ and Gang

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome back!

> I was a member of this group awhile ago and I am ready to be back. I have been

listening to the podcast for about 6 months. I find some much wisdom and insight

and I am amazed at all of my beliefs that I am able to change. I had no idea

that I even had the capabilities to change my beliefs before this podcast. I

haven't moved really on the scale-but the reality is that I have changed in ways

I never thought possible and I know that the scale will move as I strip away all

of my old connections with food. I can't wait to share in this with all of you

and I wish you the best.

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Copyright 2005-2007. A. s. All worldwide rights reserved.Yahoo!

Groups Links

>

>

>

>

--

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on

the same night.