Subject: 99 Balloons

If you have experienced a meltdown, be encouraged!  Midlife meltdowns have a positive side made up of two very strong beliefs.  First, you must have faith that God has a plan and purpose for  your life.  Second, you must have faith that God will work your midlife trials out for your ultimate good, regardless of how your situation may look.

You still need to take care of your physical body, devote quality time to relationships, and focus on all of the other aspects of midlife that need attention, however.  This simply means that you can rest in the fact that even though midlife is a challenge to us, testing our armor and sometimes leaving us grappling with the very meaning of existence, we need not view it from a defeated prospective.  Midlife trials can grow us, forming us into stronger, wiser, better people.  It is all in how you perceive it.

Why do some people sail through midlife virtually unscathed, while others are weighed down with financial worries, relationship trouble, illness, and more?  The answer could be that we may be harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, and resentment buried deep within that needs to be purged.  This in turn leads to self-examination.

Many times our wake-up call comes at midlife in the form of a meltdown.  Like a pitcher of ice water poured on our midlife morning face, God can use a meltdown to get our undivided attention.  It is at midlife that we are brought to a place where we need to  change our behavior or beliefs.  At midlife we are forced to get back to the real person God meant us to be.  Midlife trials have a way of stripping us completely of pride, ego, materialism, and anything that is driving us away from our full potential.

By the time we reach midlife, over half of our time on earth is over.  Midlife is the time for us to rekindle or strengthen our relationship with God.  Sometimes it takes a "midlife crucifixion" for us to run back to our Father.  Midlife transformations can leave you fully transformed, fully filled with God's love and presence, and fully ready to live eternally.

It is important to remember that while we are here on earth we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  Midlife can reaffirm this fact because it can compel us to embrace our spirituality.  This is supernatural restoration by the grace of God.  It is not a religion;  it is a regeneration.  When this occurs, especially during midlife and all of its trials, you will enjoy and take comfort in the fact that you will have fellowship with God.  Fellowship with God equals true happiness!!!!!

Midlife meltdown does happen, but forewarned is forearmed.  Use your midlife experiences as catalysts for midlife transformation.  Let your motto for midlife be: "Not my will, but YOUR will be done.
                                            By: Janet Maccaro

I found this very interesting and felt the need to share it!  God Bless each of You.


                                                                                         

A young childs faith is so sincere.  He hasn't become so full of pride that he believes he can do everything on his own.  He places his hope in God and realizes that its God who meets his needs.

We can learn a lot about life and faith from the precious babes with whom we've been blessed.

I would have probably prayed, "Lord, I'd really like to go swimming today.  If its Your will, please give us that opportunity."  There's nothing wrong with that prayer, but it speaks only of possibility.  It doesn't show a hope based on a complete trust that God is going to answer my prayer.

We also might be tempted to argue that God really isn't interested in simple things such as whether we go swimming.  Why teach or encourage our children to pray about such things?