Reflection:
I like to stop very often and just tell God how thankful and grateful I am for all that he has done for me and mine. I keep thanking him because nothing has to be. When I go through something, I always say to myself "It could have been worse." So therefore I am able to better deal with what I am going through. I came to the conclusion that people will always have trials and tribulations and that these trials and tribulations will always come to an end. I believe we are judged on how we handled the situation as we go through. You can fall down but remember to get up. I just say "Thank You Lord for everything!"
#MamaDay
#MrsArleneDay
www.mrsarleneday.com

Remodeling, redecorating and downsizing all at the same time. I started by getting rid of a dresser that had 21 drawers. Getting rid of that dresser caused me a lot of pain to let go because i had had had it for over 30 years and it was made of solid wood. the drawers had to be taken out two at a time. i am glad that i found a good home for the dresser to go to. i am replacing the 21 dresser drawer with a 9 dresser drawer piece. Downsizing is not easy. i bagged all the clothes and will go through them later. With the dresser
gone i had the room painted. i say all this to say that change is not easy. it is hard and takes a lot of work. that’s for sure. but, if you persevere, to the end, it will be worth it. i am living proof that hard work pays off, even at 72!!!!
#MamaDay
#MrsArleneDay
www.mrsarleneday.com

Happy International Women's Day.
In celebration of International Women's Day, I wrote the following poem.
Let me know what you think.
#MamaDay
#MrsArleneDay
www.mrsarleneday.com

WHO AM I?
by Mrs. Arlene Day aka Mama Day

Who am I?
I am WOMAN.
I am wonderfully, beautifully made.
I am regal, intelligent, sincere.
I am a nurturer.
I am a lover of beautiful things.
I am a over achiever.
Confident.
I am a leader not a follower.
I give respect and respect comes back to me.
I give all praise and honor to my Father God who has made me.
I am a woman.

Here are my thoughts and my words extended to you on how to lead a happy life.
1. Look at your surroundings. Look at your job, home, friends and mate. If all is well, good, if not, proceed to change it. Your home, sometimes we are where we are and we can't afford to move, but we can afford to make our home ours. If nothing else, give your home a fresh coat of paint, and take time to move your furniture. Regarding your friends, look at your friends and ask yourself are your friends inspiring you and lifting you up? If no, it is time to make a change with who you are calling your friend. Your job, change your job if you can or ask for a transfer. If you can't change your job, pray on your job to take the strife and all the office politics away. Your mate, take a moment to make a list of how your mate is treating you by making a list of pros and cons, if the cons outweigh the pros, make a change.
2. Don't put off tomorrow what you can do today. Tomorrow may never come. Don't keep putting off things, and then if something was to happen and you never do it, then you are stuck with I should have done it. When I was working at the airlines, I kept saying I would take a trip with the kids. I was laid off. When I was rehired, I made it my business to take me and my kids on trips as often as possible. Don't put off to tomorrow, things you can do today.
3. Put yourself first. Take care of yourself. You can not take care of your children or anyone else if you haven't first taken care of yourself. Suppose both you and your child are on an airplane and the captain tells you to put on a mask. You should put the mask on yourself first and then your child. It sounds cruel when you say it, but when you look at it this way, it is what you have to do.
4. Education. There's no excuse for not being educated. Today there are so many ways to educate yourself. You can get your GED, bachelors and masters on-line. There is no reason not to be educated unless you choose not to be educated. You can educate yourself through the internet, library, newspapers, magazines, television and word of mouth. Education should be on-going throughout your entire life.
5. Liking and loving yourself. That is a very hard thing to do. I think you love yourself because you get up in the morning, get washed up and dressed. But liking yourself, this is another ball game. A lot of people don't like themselves. It means looking in the mirror and changing the things that you can change and the things you can't change, coming to peace with it. Once you begin to like yourself, you'll treat yourself better. I look at people and I see the look on their faces and how they are dressed and I can tell that they don't like themselves because your inner beauty shows on the outside. It took me a long time to like and love me; I just learned it in my 60s. I learned to forgive myself and to change the things that I don't like. I learned to look in the mirror and like the things I see. I recommend you do the same.
6. Be at peace with yourself. Peace. That word is a big, gigantic word. When you have peace within yourself, you are content with yourself and happy. There is a lot of room when all of the darkness,unforgiveness and grudges are moved from your vessel; you are able to fill it up with love, peace and happiness.
7. Learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Ask the people you have done wrong to forgive you and ask God to forgive you and take time to forgive yourself. When you forgive yourself you will have peace within yourself and this will help you to like and love yourself more.
8. Worry is not of God. Learn not to worry. There is no where in the Bible where it says to worry. It says do not worry about tomorrow, how you will eat, how you will sleep, if God can feed the birds and the blade of grass, he can surely take care of you. Put your trust and faith in God. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can tell your mountains to be moved and it will happen.
9. Learn how to laugh and be happy. When somebody is walking around with their mouth turned down, that is how your face becomes permanently. Watch people in the street. When their faces are permanently turned down they are not happy. You can say hello to them and they are not use to that. When you learn how to laugh, your face lights up. Happiness doesn’t happen automatically. Happiness has to be learned, one has to learn how to be happy. The Bible says you can't get into heaven unless you become like a child, most children are happy. I can't say all children are happy because I have seen some miserable children. Most of it is because of their surroundings, they don't have place to sleep, they don't have a home or food, and you can’t expect them to be happy. When you see a happy child, they are worry free and they have their own imagination. For adults to be happy they must learn to be happy. How do you learn to be happy? By thanking and praising God for what you have because nothing should be taken for granted. When you have lost everything and you realize materials things don't mean anything, it is priceless to have your health. When you get good health and materials things on top of that, it is something to thank God for. Don't worry about tomorrow. Be happy with your circumstances, and learn to do more with less.
10. Stay true to yourself. Be who you say you are. You are above and not beneath. You are a child of the king who doesn't have to answer to anyone but God. Be at peace with yourself and know exactly who you are and the fact that you can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you. Learn to like who you are. Get to know yourself. Don't worry about what other people think of you; get to know you for you. Don't let anyone disturb your peace of mind. You hold the keys.
11. Take a negative response and turn it into a positive. Don't take in negative responses and give up. Keep on doing positive things that uplift and inspire you. By being a success and doing the things people say you can't, in of itself is success.
12. Know who you are. Don't let anyone else define you. Know who you are and do not let anyone take that from you. You don't need anyone else to say that you are something you are not.
13. Stand up for yourself.
14. Don't hold grudges. If you hold on to a grudge for ten years from now, you have to water it, nurture it and make it a grow. You also have to remember why you are mad. This doesn't make any sense because the person who you are mad with doesn't know you are mad and second they could care less. Holding on to grudges doesn't allow space for peace, love and happiness.
15. Peace comes from within. Get rid of the grudges, the hatred and have some peace.
16. Anger. Jesus got angry. You are a spirit living in a human body. As humans, you have a lot of emotions including anger. You are allowed to get angry. The question is how long are you going to stay angry? Do what you have to and get over it. Don't let your anger consume you. Don't let it go beyond a day because it could affect your peace.
17. Look at the people around you. Make up your mind if you want to emulate them or not. Some people show you exactly what you don't want to become and the things you don't want to do. And other people are role models. Take some pointers from them. In the end, make up your own mind about who you want to evolve into.
18. We fall down but we get up. Yes you will fall down; it is a part of life. The thing is, when are you going to get up, if you get up at all? It is just like a child, sometimes they fall, you let them fall and help them get back up. As adults, you can go down, but you have to get up and get going soon. People like pity parties. I recommend that you don't make time for pity parties and don't be around people who engage in pity parties. If you don't succeed at first, try and try again because failure is just a success waiting to happen.
19. Change comes, it is a fact of life. Be able and willing to change with the changing of the times. But change comes first with looking in the mirror. Look at yourself in the mirror and make that change.
20. Strive to become the Proverbs 31 woman or man of God. Validate yourself. God first, you second and everyone else falls in behind you. Don't lose your identity and follow your dreams.
"Remember you are blessed and highly favored!"
#MamaDay
#MrsArleneDay
​www.mrsarleneday.com