Patsy Clairmont's Blog, page 2

Find Out How Books Changed my Life

Use the code REST10 for $10 off “The Joy Of Reading” Patsy box (Expires 9/3/19) Go to ThePastyBox.com

The post Find Out How Books Changed my Life appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Take a Firm Grasp on Your Gifts

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” -Anonymous

Dip your pen into the ink of your purpose for it can be an indelible map to help guide your feet. People are moved and motivated by those who have a firm grasp on their gifts and therefore feel confident in their life’s direction. I believe owning our gifts helps us step into our purpose…our reason for being here on this tilt-a-whirl planet.

Christ is the Giver of our Gifts

There is such a security in understanding we are “In Christ” when we say yes to His Lordship and therefore His leadership, He is the Author and Finisher of our faith and therefore we can be confident that the gifts we have been given are the right ones for us and that they are to be operative in whatever we do.

Gifts Don’t Come Easy

Don’t misunderstand, a gift doesn’t mean easy, or that it won’t require our full-heart effort. For several years I had the good fortune to travel with Sandy Patty. Her voice, a phenomenal gift, required much attention. gargles, lozenges, warm-up sessions before every performance, rest…even from talking, hours of vocal exercises, and add to that surgical repairs. God has used her voice all over the world. In fact, she is the most awarded Christian singer e-v-e-r.

Gifts are Wrapped in Responsibility

Gifts come wrapped in responsibilities. And besides teaching us much-needed disciplines, our gifts protect us from soul-splaying envy. Because when we function in our gifts we don’t feel jealous toward other peoples gifts…in fact, we are free to celebrate the way God designed others and gifted them for their part in the family. Gifts are spotlights that illuminate our purpose, bring us deep personal satisfaction, and safeguard our hearts.

Think Out Your Purpose

So remember as we ink and think out our purpose it will help us stay in the lane created for us, as well as inspire others to find their path.

Write On,
Patsy    

Take the next step…

The post Take a Firm Grasp on Your Gifts appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Envy

Some people wake up happy. No reason, just happy. For y-e-a-r-s those saccharin souls annoyed me. Or at least when I was young and unaccustomed and uneducated in accurately naming my emotions, but I would learn differently as an adult. Turns out that the more accurate word for my annoyance was and is envy.

Eek…

I thought my response was all about the Sappy Saints who were planning Pansy Parades and Daffodil Dances by dawn. But oh, no, it’s about Moody Mama-SadSack me who would drag her wagon through the morning like it was a punishment, instead of a privilege. May I say, this kind of envy-exposure doesn’t highlight the cute parts of me, like my wiggle when I waddle, but the small-minded part of me. Boo! It was about my underdeveloped gratitude and therefore my tiny pinched heart.

Ouch.

My husband wakes up singing. Truly, he does. And it’s not normal songs like Moon River, oh, no, it’s boisterous tunes like, “When the moon hits your eye like a big piece of pie that’s amore.” And he feels led to belt it out with all the zeal he can muster. Honestly, I’m not ready to be serenaded at sunrise, zeal or no zeal. Even noon would have been a stretch for me.

However…I changed.

Now, get this, I actually look forward to making my way through our dimly lit home to the screened porch to watch the sun come up and greet the new day. Hallelujah! I love to watch the light sweep darkness into the shadows as it takes precedence. It reminds me of how God works in my own life to reveal through His light bearing Word, His brilliant Holy Spirit, and His illuminating people, my inconsistencies, my darkness, like envy.

The sin of envy stunts growth, breeds ill-will, and feeds a critical spirit. Trust me, I know. The good thing about sin, yes, I said good, is we can be both forgiven and delivered from it. Forgiveness, only Christ can give us. And confession (ownership of our behavior) is our first step toward deliverance, which is to leave old habits and begin a new way, a growing up process. Sometimes deliverance is immediate, but I have found in my life it usually involves time and sweaty effort.

Every time we step away from detrimental behavior, it opens up space inside our minds and hearts. It’s important that we fill those spaces with God’s counsel and character. An empty head or heart invites unwanted guests if we are not expedient and specific who is welcome. For instance, we don’t want to kick envy to the curb only to have gluttony replace him. So make a guest list, be specific, and pray God’s counsel. Invite new shipments of joy, integrity, hope’s strength, etc.

And then let’s ask the Lord to lead and guide us in our recovery. Christ allows us to be involved in our change of behavior. We can’t change our heart, that’s God’s specialty, but we can by acts of our will (that God gave us) make different choices.

I began my search for morning’s beauty first through artists work who had captured its stand-alone, stunning appearance on our landscape. Both photographers and painters know the best light is early light (dawn) and last light (sunset) for memorable captures. Then I practiced saying words out loud, kind words, helpful words, in warm tones to those around me. Because I had bought into the belief that I couldn’t talk early, and I certainly wasn’t able to do niceties until after 10:00 a.m. So imagine my surprise and my families when I gradually worked my way into authentic early day cheer.

We can talk ourselves into staying stuck.

“Oh, this trait runs in my family.”

“It’s just the way I am.”

“I tried once and it didn’t work.”

To that I say…let’s start a new legacy, let’s change ( we know people who have), let’s try again, and again, and again.

Last thoughts…

Gratitude is a deterrent to envy. Make lists of how blessed you are. Incorporate thankfulness in conversations to help break habitual negativity.

Applaud daily God’s design of how he made you. It protects mind and heart.

Don’t dissolve in your commitment to change just because its hard work, its suppose to be, sweat equity builds strong character. Rejoice. And again I say rejoice!

All this to say, I love morning! I adore “..when the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses…”

See I even found a morning song, no pie in the eye, but a deep, happy sigh.

What is the first line of your morning song?

Is it time to add a new song to your sunrise repertoire?

What or who is on your current gratitude list?

Who is on your mental guest list?

Who is your favorite landscape artist?

The post Envy appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Write On…

“You want to be a writer, don’t know how or when? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen.” ― Paul Simon

Nothing soothes or troubles the human heart like dipping our pen into the ink of our past. We will either stir up trouble that hides inside the forest of forgotten memories…or we will stir a song and a memory that sets our foot a-tappin’ and our heart a-dancin’.

If we stir up, in the bushes of regret, a nest of wasps with drawn swords, writing about them is the finest way I know to neutralize their venom and to rid yourself of their incessant buzzing. And when the pain of their threat eases, the ink that is left holds compassion in its flow, the perfect liquid for writing hope for recovery; ours and others.

Fear not the quiet for it has a language all its own. Under our initial jitters is bedrock, truth, and promise. Be still and know…because He remains God With Us.

Need a place to start? Watch the first session of my Shaking Your Tree Masterclass for free here

The post Write On… appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

I had No Idea…In Hindsight, I Should Have

I had no idea.

In hindsight, I should have.

My trips up the hill to the mailbox left me huffing and puffing like The Little Train that Could. I excused the strain on my body on my lack of aerobics and my age. So instead of reporting it to my doctor, I filed the information in my personal card catalog under “Get a Life,” and I just kept pushing. Not only did I not mention it, I increased my trips up and down the hill sometimes to ten times in a row in an attempt to build my stamina.

Morning of surgery, waiting for check-in

So when I was on the road doing the last three speaking events of the year (2018) and a sharp pain went from my arm, up my neck, into my jaw, and spread across my face, suddenly, my body had my full attention.

The Symptoms

The set of symptoms catapulted me back to years earlier when my husband, Les, had the identical trauma when he had his second heart attack while seated in our living room. I walked in the room and glanced in his direction and saw he was a ghostly grey covered in beads of sweat. When I had Les describe what he was feeling, it was exactly what was happening to me 32 years later.

A one-sized fits all gown.

(Les would go on to have a triple bypass, followed by another heart attack (3), and then be medically retired to help extend his life, which obviously and gratefully, it has.)

I, after a failed attempt to put stints in, would also have a triple bypass on January 22, 2019. No one was more surprised than me.

Kindness and Support

I have to say I have never been more aware of the kindness and support of people as I was throughout and following my surgery. The prayer and love was palpable. It comforted and strengthened me beyond what I could have imagined and I remain deeply grateful. My family and friends were champions and ran this race with me. Their presence, prodding, and prayers kept me moving forward. The Lord knew the voices I would listen to and the people I would trust.

At first I didn’t want anyone except my immediate family at the hospital and I wanted them to go home when the surgery was over and not come back until I was released.

What was I thinking?

Friends Matter

When friends called and wanted to fly in to be with me I was adamant that I would see them a few months after I was released from the hospital and not before. However, I have a couple of friends who had other definite plans and they weren’t budging. Jan Silvious and Anita Renfroe teamed up and came to my house for a come to Jesus meeting a couple weeks before my surgery. It was a long, lively, sometimes loud discussion that they ended up winning with huge doses of reasoning and love.

Dig the groovy yellow socks!

The hospital time was divided up between my daughter-in-law Danya, Jan, and Anita. I was never alone my entire stay. It was an unbelievable experience that deepened friendship and family ties. And reminded me of the importance of camaraderie and community.

Thanks again for your continued prayers.

The post I had No Idea…In Hindsight, I Should Have appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

More…There’s Potential in Everyone

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is – infinite.”

-William Blake

Did you know you are more than you realize? Inside of you are untapped veins of
surprising potential.

It’s true.

Not only that, but your friends, husband, boss, children, they are more as well. They
have unexplored talent, hidden even from themselves. It’s not the fact they have
potential that surprises us, but it’s the unexpected ways it comes out.

And then there’s God’s limitlessness. Talk about “more.” We think at times we have the
Lord figured out so we can fully explain him to others, when kaboom! He explodes our
theories. God is not bound by time or even our theology. He can’t be conveniently
contained or even tidied up to fit our beliefs. He is so much more.

This is great news.

For one thing when we understand our potential to be more than we know, it allows us
to break free from other people’s opinions. In fact, my sister-in-law Candy, when she
was a child, would cry if you said the word “opinion.” We think it was the word “pin” that
made it sound threatening to her. And actually it can be painful to have people’s narrow
judgments pin us down. Especially if we buy into their assessment and allow it to restrict
our development.

I watched a child grow up who was continually told she was clumsy and it became a
self-fulfilling prophecy. To this day she trips over gnats and is bound by the duck tape of
people’s criticism. But in the same way I’ve also seen youngsters grow into more than I
thought possible, because they had people around them with open-handed
grace. Somehow grace adds space for people’s uncharted hearts to be safely explored.

I have to remind myself that people can only restrict us with our permission. As children
we are vulnerable, but once we grow into our adult years we are instructed to “put away
childish things.” It seems to me that one of those childish things is the judgments of
others that comes forth from their brokenness and ignorance. Unfortunately I have been
on both sides of that human ailment. I have been the one being critical and the one who
had it heaped on them. Giving up my childish right to hold a grudge toward the “heap-
ers” in my life, has accelerated my healing and deepened my realization and
compassion for my own inconsistencies.

We are fragile people…yet full of surprises.

Excerpt from Twirl…A Fresh Spin on Life

The post More…There’s Potential in Everyone appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

JoyFULL Jumpstarts

Hello Jumpers,

Would you like to add some joy to the upcoming festive season? And perhaps several dashes of fun? We are all for that I’m sure. Then good golly why is it hard for many of us to maintain our jolly throughout the holidays as we head toward a New Year?

Hmm, wait, perhaps…

…it’s our daily schedule that is already crammed and we have a sense of dread of one more thing being added to our must-do list? Or the thought of certain people making their way into our home with their bundle of negativity (did I just say that out loud)? Or the competition that arises regarding gifts, menus, seating arrangements, household readiness and decor? Or the pressure gift buying can add to our taunt budgets? Or the unexplainable sadness that visits with its knapsack of wearisome troubles? 

I truly believe we can help ourselves through the ho-ho-ho with self-care, boundaries, a healthy mindset, and realistic expectations. And I believe to preplan is key. I say this because the holidays for me for years felt like a trap, as I entered on a high of excitement and exited on an emotional low. It often took me until spring to rally.

So I’m offering this download as a reminder for myself and a cheerleading list for you. Let’s end this year on the elevated note of, “Joy To The World the Lord Has Come.”

The post JoyFULL Jumpstarts appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Boundaries: A New Thanksgiving Tradition

Last year I put up our 12-foot Christmas tree on the 1st of November and then awaited the oohs and ahs from my family. To my chagrin, my teenage grandsons, who I thought would be full of confetti praise, were not happy. And since we live in the same house, when it’s possible, we try to do what works for all. The boys thought the early appearance of Christmas was pushing Thanksgiving to the curb, like those annoying holiday commercials that pop up in August. However, I thought because it’s tons of effort to get the tree up and decorated we could revel in its beauty for an extra month.

My surprise for our household fizzled. Sure I could still enjoy it, and I did, but quite honestly half my joy in decorating is in their delight.

This year with only a few days until Thanksgiving there’s not a decoration to be seen on our premise. Honey, Nana learns fast. And today my son and his family left on a week-long cruise, which means, I can decorate to my heart’s content, while they are a-float on the boat.

I’m grateful my boys see Thanksgiving as worthy of its own day and that Christmas needs to be protected from a sense of commercialism. (Of course, the only thing I was promoting was an integration of two joyous holidays. Sigh. But it is my tendency to overdo. I own that.)

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

Quite honestly boundaries was a concept that alluded me for years, until I was an adult, and even then I struggled to put them into my life and to recognize and respect them in the lives of others.

My earlier statement about I learn fast, didn’t apply to boundaries. But today I’m so good at calling personal fouls I could work for the NFL with a whistle and a flag, announcing offsides, face masks, and unnecessary roughing. But beware, we don’t want our boundaries to become control for control’s sake, so don’t carry a big stick. If you need one you should change your guest list or your heart (Jesus will help, he did me).

I say all that to suggest boundaries are the most valuable decor

you can add to make holiday time a holy time. They are about sanity, respect, guidelines, and thoughtfulness. If Aunt Betty doesn’t want a helping of your famous mashed potato pie, don’t take it personally, and don’t make her refusal the table discussion. If someone waves off dessert, don’t insist. If guests historically stay too long, but you enjoy their company and want them included, set a timeframe on your gathering ahead of time. Then they can decide if they want to join you.

If you are always left depleted of your joy from taking on too much, You Are in Charge of You.

Do things differently. Simplify and ask for help. Different can be a lovely new tradition. Besides those around us may need an example of how boundaries can be lovingly and surely set in place.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for our many blessings. May we be generous toward others as we realize how bounteous you have been toward us. Teach us true hospitality and may we be certain, but not harsh, and merciful, but not indulgent. May we give out of love and not with return expectations. And protect those of us, from ourselves, who want everything perfect at the cost of conviviality and meaningful conversations. Also, those of us who have control issues, help us to grow in humility and trust in you.

We realize life is a journey of learning experiences. May you find us to be attentive, studious and joyous students eager to receive from your divine hand of love.

Amen

The post Boundaries: A New Thanksgiving Tradition appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Kin

From my earliest years, Aunt Pearl was my favorite kinfolk. Her Southern-country upbringing spiced her conversation with unexpected surprises that delighted the heart and often startled you into laughter.

Her wit was quick, but so was her temper. Even though she was my favorite, I knew better than to sass her. When I stayed at her house, which was every chance I could, you can bet your shoofly pie I obeyed her.

She was short and round and twirled her long brown hair into a tight little circle on the top of her head, capped by a hairnet. She moved fast, worked hard and relaxed fully. Aunt Pearl deeply loved the Lord, her family and a good meal, especially if it was served with laughter.

On one of her visits to Michigan, I remember her sitting at my kitchen table sharing life lessons with me.

She looked up and said, “Child, there ain’t nothin’ worse than a whuppin’ from the Lord.”

“A whuppin’ from the Lord?” I puzzled.

“Yes, child, ain’t you never had no whuppin’?” she questioned.

“I guess I have. My mom used to send me out to get a switch off the tree. The worst part of that whuppin’ was picking the weapon to be used on you.”

“That ain’t nothin’ like a whuppin’ from the Lord,” she insisted.

“I was at this here hospital a-waitin’ in the hall to visit my friend,” she continued, “when they come abringin’ a woman down the hall on a gurney. The Spirit of the Lord said to me, Take that woman’s hand.’“

She resisted, “Lord, I can’t be a-takin’ that woman’s hand. I don’t know her.”

Again she heard Him state, “Take that woman’s hand.”

Aunt Pearl said at this point she began to “ar-gee” with the Lord, “afeard” someone “would be a-lockin’ her up if she wusta be takin’ that woman’s hand.”

The woman was rolled passed her, and for one moment their eyes met. Then she was gone down that long hall and through the double doors. Word came out a short time later that the woman had died.

With tears in her eyes, Aunt Pearl said, “Child, there ain’t nothin’ worse than a whuppin’ from the Lord.”

She believed the Lord had given her the opportunity to be the last person on this earth to touch that woman with His love, and she had failed to respond.

Then, with new determination in her voice, she announced, “Now when the Lord tells me to take someone’s hand, I take her hand, her arm, I hug her neck, and I don’t wanna let her go. ‘ Cause I don’t want no more whoopin’s from the Lord.”

“Have you been to the woodshed lately?”

-Excerpt from God Uses Cracked Pots-

The post Kin appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.

Yes!

A huge yes in my life was when my heart opened to having God’s truth as my guiding counsel. For years I was stuck in an emotional whirlpool, and it wasn’t until I was being sucked under by a wave of desperation that my cry for help changed. Instead of expecting God to fix me, I told him I would do whatever he asked of me. From that time forward my life changed as I stopped talking about what I believed and began living it. It was as if yes unlocked a door within me. And I began a purposed study of God’s Word and how to walk in it.

The first thing that I did was get out of bed, get dressed, and start functioning in my home. I began putting others’ needs ahead of my fears, which were multiple, and I created new tapes for my mind. By that I mean my thought life was a tangle of negativity and criticism, so I began to memorize God’s Word to repair misconceptions and maligning attitudes. I was awash in darkened thought cycles, so I chose verses that brought them into the light of truth.

The Psalm 139 Promise

For instance, I had a wretched view of my worth, so I began bathing my mind in Psalm 139. It was hard to believe that God was present when I was being knit together in my mother’s womb, that I pleased him, and that he loved me. I began rehearsing these truths, especially when I was in another tirade at myself and making scathing judgments like, “You are so stupid,” “You are so ugly,”

“You can’t do anything right,” “Nobody likes you.” It takes effort to change destructive habits, so don’t be disheartened when you slip back into an old pattern. Extend grace and mercy to yourself . . . God does. Then begin again choosing life.

Say YES to God and Yourself

My mental health recovery started with a yes to God and to myself. The Lord invites us to be a part of our recovery. So don’t sit and wait for God to fix you; instead, get up and say yes to the Lord, to the new day, and to yourself.

Does that sound too simple? Too Pollyanna? Too rah, rah, shish koom bah? Trust me, I know how hard it is to change a lifestyle, a mindset, and a belief system because I have been in process for almost fifty years. I’ve never worked harder, and I’m still not done. No one is. None of us outgrows our need for assistance. I understand the toil and time involved in the tempering of a heart and the transforming of a mind, and I can say with a resounding yes! that it’s worth the effort. Saying yes to Jesus was the path that led me to personal dignity, integrity, and to believing I had a God-given destiny.

By the way, set attainable goals so you don’t position yourself to fail. Don’t sabotage your own progress. Be sure to congratulate yourself for even small steps in the right direction. Be a cheerleader for yourself and others. This will take practice.

Yes is a radical word, whether it’s a wedding yes or a Jesus yes. So be rad and go yes your world!

-Excerpt from Twirl: A Fresh Spin on Life-

The post Yes! appeared first on Patsy Clairmont.