  Spiritual
This week: Edited by: larryp
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'Living' people don't make excuses for their emotions.
They accept that feelings come as part of the human package;
they embrace and walk with them on their journey.
~~Sherrilene
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Yesterday evening, I was completely exhausted of mind and body. When I am this weary, it is easy to slide into depression. I have learned to recognize the igniters of my depressions and to avoid the free fall into depression's darkness. A counselor once told me that because of the way I was raised, I will always experience times of insecurity. She added that the important thing is to recognize when I'm feeling insecure and to do things to counteract the insecurity. It is important to identify feelings, especially if a person is prone to down times in the dreariness of depression.
For me, weariness is a ‘top gun’ igniter for depression. When I am weary, everything seems to be overwhelming and I easily begin thoughts of self-depreciation. All the failures of my life line up at the door for their turn to whack me over the head. I am slowly learning to close the door and to keep certain thoughts from creeping in and gripping my heart and mind.
In the weariness of yesterday evening, brought on by lack of sleep and long days, I began dwelling on all the things I needed to do: I was behind on judging a contest on Writing.com – I had chores around the house that I have been putting off forever – I had time-sensitive projects at work that were weighing on me – and the list goes on. All at once, the guests lined up at the door with accusations – you’re a terrible father, a terrible son - you’re lazy – you’re terrible at making friends – you have to get on the ball, people are depending on you – you always let people down. I’m sure many of you have heard similar thoughts that make you want to replace the "Welcome" mat with one that reads "Go Away."
I volunteer for a group called Family Promise that helps homeless families with children. The families stay in various churches in our city, overnight, for one week in each church and the churches rotate the schedule. It was my night to spend the night at church with the families. With all the reading I was behind on and all the things I needed to do on the computer (like finish this newsletter), I thought of taking a book and my laptop with me. After reconsidering, I decided to leave them at home – out of sight, out of mind. Instead, I went to the church and retired early, shutting the door to all the thoughts and pressures – I did nothing but sleep. This morning, I woke up refreshed and ready to face life.
Adequate rest is quite important for me. Sometimes, to keep my sanity and to avoid the pitfalls that readily lead to depression, I simply shut the world out. I have learned that most things required of us are not nearly as urgent as we tend to make them when we are weary. With rest, what seemed overwhelming can be put into proper focus.
Recognition of our feelings and knowing the igniters that trigger depression are important to our spiritual well-being. Denial of our true feelings will often keep us from living life freely. I have to admit that I am a person prone to feelings of insecurity, but I don’t have to let these feelings control my life.
A good peep-hole will let one know who is knocking at the door; with practice, we can learn to recognize the knock of certain unwanted visitors.
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In my last newsletter, I shared experiences from my personal life. I sincerely appreciate the feedback I received from you, readers.
werden  wrote:
Great letter. Thank you for sharing your story. I found that the painful memories of my own life contribute to shape me into the man I am today as well.
Thank you Werden; I am glad that you have discovered these things to be true for you life as well. ~~ Larry
diana  wrote:
Your questions about those turbulent years; maybe they are not so important anymore. God does work in mysterious ways.
I agree Diana; the only reason they are still important is that they help me to be more sensitive to those who are going through the same experiences that I encountered. ~~ Larry
Incurable Romantic wrote:
Larry, thank you for sharing your personal thoughts and experiences with us. That often takes courage of its own. You are exactly right - those times ARE testing grounds, and not only is life worth living, but growing through those times will mean even more joy when we go Home. Thank you for a wonderful newsletter.
Thank you Incurable Romantic - I absolutely agree that it is a testing ground for all eternity. ~~ Larry
Lauriemariepea wrote:
hi, larry--
a lovely newsletter!
i identify with the path you've taken through your life. as a youngster, i was never satisfied with the world or myself, and was never at peace. i'm getting older and find that i'm becoming more comfortable in my skin, and more grateful for those early trials and the resulting self-awareness and compassion i developed because of them. for the first time, i'm genuinely happy with my life! the funny thing is, this happiness snuck up on me as i kept on keeping on.
thank you for this reminder about perspective.
What great words you have added Lauriemariepee; I especially like "i'm becoming more comfortable in my skin" - there's a poem hidden within this line.~~Larry
fleckgirl wrote:
Larry, I found your newsletter to be one where you shared your experience of enlightenment, in hopes that others could come to that realization as well.
I turned 40 this year & just wanted to thank you for sharing some of your very personal emotions with us. It can be a very arduous & difficult journey as we travel through difficult stages in our lives, but in the end, how we face those challenges & deal with them, is what makes us who we are.
We should all try to find the silver lining gained in experience & use it to our benefit, or better yet-to benefit others.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Fleck
Great words of encouragement you have provided for all of us Fleck Girl! ~~Larry
weeowl flying free! wrote:
Kansaspoet...Amazing! You are amazing! I agree that as I've gotten older I feel it pleasurable to have No Regrets. I can't go back and change the past. But I can make choices now. I choose life. :) Weeowl
Thanks for your kind words Weeowl - you are pretty amazing yourself! Getting older is not the bad thing that some people think. ~~ Larry
Daizy May wrote:
Larry, what timely comments in the newsletter from 2/26. While it is true that circumstances shape us, we can control (with the help of our Hevenly Father) whether it will be positive or negative shaping.
I especially like the reference to seeing through different eyes. Nancy
Thank you Nancy; most assuredly I agree that it we who control how we let things affect our view of life and much guidance comes from above. ~~ Larry
embe wrote:
Your words touched me to write this poem.
"Ode To A Friend"
1533063
Ode to a friend I know.
Larry the Kansaspoet
to remind me in a note.
A spiritual newsletter
of his life as a child
beaten and frightened,
like me, a copy of him
by our drunken fathers
all those years ago.
Today with his help;
I am saved by faith
to thank my friend,
and wish him well
for 60 years old;
the saint I know.
A friend in deed
to all who need
his words of wisdom.
If it were not for him
this poem would die;
like me so long ago
before he found me.
embe, in appreciation
Embe, Embe, Embe - your words are always so encouraging and poetic. Thank you! ~~Larry
GYPSYROSE- Grateful 2 WDC wrote:
Larry,
Thank you for sharing your life story...to those
who struggle with tests that life gives us, you
have proven that tests we face will make us stronger, and as we forgive, we become more complete human beings. We are better able to show empathy and understanding when we see others in pain. This was truly inspirational. Thank you for sharing it with us.
God bless you always with compassion and the love of many whose lives you will touch.
I always enjoy your newsletters...and hope to read those you have listed here. GYPSYROSE
GypsyRose - I really appreciate you kind words. It is my belief that we should always use our experiences as a foundation for understanding others with empathy. As I wrote in the newsletter, I am thankful that I did not live a life that left me indifferent to the plight of others. Your words are filled with encouragement and hope. ~~Larry
THANKFUL SONALI Now What?  wrote:
Larry - thanks so much for sharing this.
It brought to mind a quote from Khalil Gibran: "The deeper sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain." (Khalil Gibran, The Prophet).
- Sonali
Sonali, I really like this quote from Khalil Gibran. Thanks for sharing it with us and for relating my newsletter to the quote. ~~Larry
The Spiritual Newsletter editors appreciate the time that each of you take to read the newsletter. Your feedback is always welcomed.
Thanks to each of you who receive and read the Spirtual Newsletter.
The editing team:
Sophy 
kittiara
larryp
and our guest editors.
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Spiritual: March 18, 2009 Issue [#2951]
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