May 2023 Newsletter

Dear Friends, Families and Supporters,

The calendar says Spring, but the weather doesn’t seem to be cooperating. Sometimes life can throw curveballs—even with snow. Many people are finding themselves struggling to keep up

with the many things life is throwing at them, and tensions are at

an all-time high. As a supporter, you are right there in the middle of

the stress, helping others navigate their lives. We hope you know

how valuable you are to all you are helping. Spring is usually the

time we find ourselves in need of encouragement and rest. Our

motive in sending this newsletter is to help encourage and lift your

spirits. As always, we are here for you.

Keep up your great work,

Teens Finding Hope

You are an Overcomer!

At the end of the day is your list of things to do longer than it was at the beginning of the day? Perhaps your child, parent, friends or significant other would like to plan a day and do nothing yet you see that there is so much to do. We have to find a balance in our lives and what we feel compelled to accomplish, don’t we? We have a suspicion that our newsletter readers are overcomers. You get things done and possess a great strength. Overcoming shows strength and the ability to move forward in spite of challenges.

Being an overcomer means you have things in your life you need to overcome. None of us like these things, yet, this is how life is. If you find yourself in the midst of a battle, there is a song by the musical artist Mandisa which we find encouraging. Click here to see the video and hear the song.

We’ve included the lyrics to sing along!

Everybody's been down

Hit the bottom, hit the ground

Ooh, you're not alone

Just take a breath, don't forget

Hang on to His promises

He wants you to know

[Chorus]

You're an overcomer

Stay in the fight 'til the final round

You're not goin' under (You're not goin' under)

'Cause God is holding you right now

You might be down for a moment

Feelin' like it's hopeless

That's when He reminds you

That you're an overcomer

We are grateful to you, your positive attitude, strength and your courage. We are overcomers and we all have an impact on the world. Let’s overcome together!

Clean Your Windshield

Why is it that we feel good after cleaning our car? While driving, are you looking down at the floor boards? Not likely. Aren't you looking straight ahead through a clean and clear windshield? Doesn't it feel better not having bug splatter and dirt in your view?

Grime and gook gather in our view and change our perception. But once we can see clearly, our perception is vibrant and our vision is unobstructed. The bright light already there can be seen.

We do the same thing in our lives. As young children our vision is unobstructed. We see that everything is possible. When we fail for the first time we start to wonder and question what our limits are. As we get older obstructions can begin to cover our perception of what we are capable of. You may be cruising through life and suddenly ‘a giant bug hits your windshield’, representing a setback, loss or a change. Our focus may be on ‘the giant bug’

or that obstruction in life. Our focus can move to that obstruction and the Automatic Negative Thoughts or A.N.T.S. come in and we think: "I don't know if I can do this."

So what does your windshield look like? Is it time for a cleaning?

The world is what you make it. Your life is what you make it. Your potential and the opportunities that you have are not luck, chance, or skill operating alone. They are a combination of all three working together in harmony to accomplish anything on the other side of the windshield.

Sometimes it helps to write down our negative thoughts and take an objective look.

Here is a resource to help with that process.

Wouldn’t it be Great if People Came With Warning Signs or Labels?

As you drive or walk around today, look at the labels and signs around you. Warning signs such as; flammable, turn here, one way, caution or danger. Wouldn't it be great if people came with warning signs? Signs to reflect feelings such as angry, unhappy, moody or sad. What they are struggling with and we’d know it and could be more sensitive to their wants or needs.

We may be exhibiting negative signs such as I’m feeling fat, boring, unhappy or ugly. We may allow others to assign labels to us. They may wrongly label us as mean or unlikable because we are quiet or don’t share input. Find some positive signs for yourself. Think on the positive side.

For fun write down 3 positive things about yourself and post it so you can see it. Look at it every day until you start believing it. As you meet or talk with people, take a breath and listen before you give them a label or sign. You might find your initial thoughts were inaccurate. Be slow to judge and quick to extend mercy.

TALENTED

UNIQUE

WORTHY

One day a car sped around me at a stop light in a hurry. I felt angry at that driver. Five minutes later I saw that same car pull in behind an ambulance at a car accident. This enlightened me, perhaps they were worried about someone that was hurt. My feelings about the situation immediately changed. Our minds may go to the negative without knowing all the facts.

Have a wonderful week looking for the positive signs around us.

Give yourself grace when you make a mistake.

Crank Up the Music

Do you find yourself turning on music when you need a mood boost? Or when you need to calm down? Turns out you have great instincts. A meta-study published in 2017 showed that music helped people’s anxiety and depression.

The people in the study had a 43% reduction in depressive symptoms when they listened to music or even when they played instruments. The type of music they listened to didn’t matter. They listened to jazz, classical, hard rock, pop, and other genres. There were sad tunes and happy tunes. All types of music helped the participants, even when it was not being delivered by a credentialed music therapist.

What an easy way to incorporate a healing process into our daily lives, and it’s one we can enjoy. So let’s turn up the music, not just for ourselves, but for the people who’s lives we are touching. And while we’re at it, we might as well add some moves. There are tons of ideas on TikTok if you need ideas in this department. No, the study didn’t mention any dancing involved, but let’s face it. We all know how important exercise is to our well-being. Enjoy your tunes this week, and if you feel inclined, we’ll see you on TikTok.

Meta-Study:

“Reviewing the Effectiveness of Music Interventions in Treating Depression "