Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed with life?

"We should just accept it for what it is...and move forward giving glory to God.

Easy to say tough to follow

May Gods Will be Done[/quote]

Yes.. just sometimes, being the wuss I am, I let everything build up until I start to break.. and then it all comes down on me (in my head) at once and I lose it.. and then I go to God and move forward, like you said. And I wonder if He's giving me all this to evoke those overwhelmed feelings in me to bring me to Him and around and around we go

 

have you consecrated yourself to Mary? It might help with your concern for your children. You can offer up your day for the salvation of your children. Your prayers are multiplied and augmented by Mary and presented to her son. She will bring you closer to Jesus, who will help you carry this cross. And she will take a special interest in your salvation and the salvation of your children.

 

A long time ago. I should renew it. I offer everything up for my kids, and for their souls to be returned to God. Thanks.

 

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and suggestions. I needed to hear this today. Thank you too, Sparrow, for sharing your burdens with us. It is comforting for me to know that others have many of the crosses I have seen in my life. I lift all of you up in prayer and may God bless you.

 

I'm glad to find others that are going through hard times.. it's nice to share and find kindred souls. Thanks! Prayers returned!

 

https://charliej373.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/the-saving-fountain-of-joy/
Last night I read this guest post by Pelianito on Charlie's blog. I'll paste in the bit that struck me most but the whole post is worth a read.

By Pelianito

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)

Global tensions are on a seemingly exponential uptick—the Storm is upon us. In spite of this, the critical importance of joy has been coming to me again and again. The above Scripture passage can be read in two ways, a passive way and an active way. The passive way implies that joy is what we are filled with after we are saved. Very true. But the active reading of this passage tells us that joy can also be the “bucket” we can use to draw water from the wells of salvation. Joy therefore becomes an instrument of salvation in the hand of the Christian.

 

That was a wonderful post by Pelianito on joy that I really needed to read. I kept it and I think I should read it every morning!

 

Yes. Overwhelmed with life. Could not face going into work today and I have not had a day off sick for almost 3 years. I don't what is up. I am peddling faster and faster and it feels like I am going slower and slower. Colleagues at work un coperative and downright confrontational over the tiniest, unimportant things. I sense Satan in it, alright. I have been lying in my bed just surrendering it all and asking for a clear sign: DO you want me to stop, stand still and give the job up ? Or, is this just a temporary retreat from battle. I'll do whatever He wants but it's the silence and desolation that is the worst part.

I'm thinking - well if things unravel very quickly in 2015, which I believe they will, what use will a job be anyway ? community and prayer and everyone pulling together will be what's needed..... perhaps God is waiting for me to make that blind leap of faith and then He will show Himself, just like Padraig was sharing about his camping trip - every time a crisis loomed, he had to depend on God totally. I just don't know what to do, except offer my feelings of uselessness up to Him. He knows best.

 

Prayers going up.

I remember one time the Abbot in the Monastery telling me he felt most sorry in the whole world for the British Royal Family. He said because they were born into great wealth fame and human respect, always with the best of all resources available to them..

I asked him, laughing, why that should be a problem ? He said that because most everyone else was working through their lives hoping to attain such things, hoping to achieve happiness. Whereas they were born to such things and new that they did not bring happiness of peace. TO where then should they seek for such things?

A wise thought from a wise monk. I would say the one sure sign of holiness is the Cross. The great the Cross in grace borne, the great the holiness. The Cross is a must have.

Sigh.

I never really got on with the Abbot, though he was a deeply good and holy person. We were just like chalk and cheese.

Anyway I'll be praying for you in the woods Bella. I recall one time , in the middle of the Dark Night of the Soul standing at the sea at night time and looking into its dark depths. Then the thought occurred to me that my soul was just as dark and as black as the sea and tears ran like streams down my face. But as the psalmist said, those who sow in tears will sing when they reap.

For there is always tomorrow for the wheat of joy to rearise.

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Thankyou Padraig. I appreciate that.

 

I think as moments in time get harder there is two things that we need to do. Prayer for sure and you cannot do enough of that. The other is not to give into temptations. Do not drag our head down, do not cave in, do not despair, do not lose hope and as St. Paul said, "I have fought the good fight". I think allowing ourselves to become negative is letting evil win us over. We need to pray as never before to the Holy Spirit to give us this moment our Confirmational gifts, especially of courage and fortitude so that we can pick up our cross and be His disciple when it counts the most. Pray for the grace of the spirit of joy so we can carry out our duties, even in this world, to give God honor and our best. This I pray for all on MOG forum.

 

"I think allowing ourselves to become negative is letting evil win us over."
Yes. My hubby reminds me this when I am negative. So true. It's a temptation to overcome. Regarding wealthy families/people, my hubby pointed out to me the other day, a study where they found that the richer a person was, the less empathy they had for others... like a camel through the eye of a needle... they need our prayers.

 

Bella,

That feeling of hopelessness, meaninglessness, discouragement- it's so tough to deal with and it drains the energy right away. St. Ignatius says that it is best to stay the course and not make changes when we are downcast. Do you have someone in your life you can confide in? From my own experience, there can be a great temptation when I'm in such a state, to feel sorry for myself and shut others out. But, that is the exact opposite of what I should do. I try to take a walk, talk to a friend, or do something that takes my mind off the downward treadmill of negative thoughts. And most importantly, pray and stay close to the Two Hearts. In addition, try to do a good deed for someone so as to focus on another.

I'm praying for you!

Safe in the Father's Arms!

 

The following video is a real eye opener!

http://www.littlethings.com/homeless-man-falls-experiment/

 

Bella, great advice!

 

I also loved this post and it lead me on to meditate on other lines in scripture from a different perspective and that has really expanded my understanding. For example, 'taste and see that the Lord is good'. I thought about God giving us the ability to taste and to see in order for us to know that he is good, in order to feed us with finest wheat, His Body, and in order to see His Glory. In other words, it is not because we can taste and see that he feeds us and reveals himself to us, but because he wants us to taste Him and see Him he created us creatures capable of seeing and tasting. In every detail He made us so that He could give himself to us in the most intimate way, so that we can know Him and be united to Him. All glory to you Heavenly Father!

 

Thinking now about the quote "with joy you will draw water from the well of salvation" - the image that came to my mind is that our joy brings the water of salvation to others.
Give me joy in my heart keep me praising!

 

Tasting and seeing - so intimate... such an intimate, personal God we have.
We hear so much, we touch so much, we smell so much, but to allow our gaze to linger, to taste... oooh goosebumps!

 

Amen Potato Sack....Amen.
The key for me Sparrow, has been a morning rosary. I have the scriptural rosary on my I Phone. I pray along with the meditations with my coffee every am before work. This is a MUST for me. I work in a public high school and it is necessary to plug through the day. I wear my scapular. I read this board, Mark Mallet, Pellianito, and Charlie Johnson to see there are many like minded souls world wide like me! If I can squeeze in a Divine Mercy I do....I need to get back to daily mass twice a week but my mother in law has been ill so I run to the hospital to care for her after work.

I fall asleep reading something spiritual (Story of a Soul, Flame of Love, Ralph Martin) and am at peace. I often awaken mid of night and in order to fall asleep again I calm myself with the rosary. My Mother helps me feel peaceful sleep again

Don't forget important vitamins in these times. Vitamin B, D, E, Zinc and Fish Oil, Magnesium, and Probiotics can all help to counter low seratonin levels. Our food supply is stripped of vital nutrients and depression and anxiety abounds in our society.

Stay away from processed foods....they cause depression. Eat whole foods, organic if you can. Eat loads of fruits and vegetables. I use light therapy every morning with my rosary as it helps with winter sadness. Just 20 minutes of this indirect light gives me incredible energy.

Lastly, do some exercise. Even a walk can clear the mind and get those endorphins going....It's an amazing thing and you can talk to God on your walk and it makes it even that much better! I bring my dog and watch his ability to stay in the "present" and think....this is what God wants from me. Yesterday and tomorrow are not important. This moment is.