How to Deal With Birthday Blues

My little brother’s birthday is in a few days, even though he’s just turning four, he was sad to find out that he wouldn’t be able to go to Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday like we had been talking to him about for months.

I have friends who have birthdays next month and as of now, celebrations for them might not even happen at all now due to COVID-19.

Birthdays can be a time of sadness for many reasons.

Some people had a traumatic thing happen on one of their birthdays that now steals the joy from future ones.

Some people are away from friends and family on their’s and feel alone.

Others simply don’t like acknowledging the passing of time, which is understandable, it can be a scary and sobering thing.

I have a hard time around my birthday since it’s right after Christmas, a time where everyone is talking about visiting their relatives when my outer family is dysfunctional and the familial love everyone speaks of is not there for me or my immediate family. By the time my birthday comes, I typically feel very isolated.

What can you do when you’re feeling down about this?

 

    1. Think about how much you’ve been blessed with time

There’s so much in our lives to be thankful for, including our lives.

Jesus died for you and you can have hope and a future in Him.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”-Jeremiah 29:11

You have so many great opportunities in this life to do so much good.

If you haven’t been the Christian you need to be, or if you’ve never obeyed the Bible, I believe that everyone gets a chance to do just that and the fact that you’re still alive means that you still have that chance. Read: Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-10, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:1-18

 

      2. Be honest with yourself and others

It’s okay to feel sad and it’s okay to be open to others about how you are feeling. Your friends and family want to be there for you in the hard times, but you need to let them know when you are going through those times.

The phrase “Happy Birthday” doesn’t mean you’re obliged to be happy on yours, it simply means that we are happy to know you, we are happy you exist, and we are happy that even though life can be hard and painful at times that you haven’t given up and are still here with us.

“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”-Psalm 30:5

Happiness fades, but in God, we can have peace and joy.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”-Romans 15:13

      3. Make a list of all you have to be thankful for

My mom use to make me do this all the time when I was down and taking my life for granted, it is a great reminder of how much we have and how much beauty there is in life.

 

    4. Focus on what you can improve this year of your life

Who says that New Years is the only time to make goals?

Taking the time on your birthday to look at yourself in the mirror and thinking about your priorities can be a productive way to make your birthday about more than just loneliness or any other negative emotion.

If you’re reading this and your birthday is coming up, happy birthday! I’m sorry if you are feeling down about it, I know how hard it can be to focus on the positive instead of the negative, but you are so much stronger than you even know.

As someone who also struggles around and on their birthday, we both need to focus on being thankful in this time, it will be hard, but we are both capable of it. You are not alone.

^“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”-1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am thankful for your life and I know so many others are as well. ❤

Do you also have a hard time on your birthday?

How do you deal with “birthday blues”?

 

Random Thoughts + Two Things To Keep in Mind

Hey all.

I’m not sure what to write for today, I guess this post is just me reaching out in the only way I really can right now: virtually.

How have y’all been holding up? 

Social distancing has made me doubt myself as an introvert because I am straight up not having a good time and I miss being around people without everyone being super cautious and withdrawn. When I said I needed alone time, I meant that I needed one day out of the week with no plans, not the other way around.

feat. me trying to stay calm and not panic although everyone is now panicking

Also, so many things are being canceled, but God’s love for us won’t be canceled, and we have no more excuses now to not spend time in His word, so that’s a positive.

My mom and I were talking about the outcome of social isolation in terms of technology.

Either, people are going to become even more dependant + addicted to social media, or they’re going to realize the need for real human interaction and relationships.

I truly hope it’s the later for the world, but if you’re reading this, remember to build relationships in real life.

The two things that I have been trying to keep in mind during these uncertain times that have helped me are: 

 

• How blessed we are to have a Creator who sent His Son to die for us and to want a relationship with us 

 ^“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.”-1 Chronicles 16:34

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” -1 John 3:1

• That we need to look outside ourselves 

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” –Ephesians 4:2

It’s so easy to be selfish in times like this and not take a second to see the full picture.
We need to stop focusing on ourselves and our needs and start focusing on others and their needs, especially in uncertain moments in life like these.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”-John 15:12

Be a listener, send a message or letter of encouragement to someone, be there for others despite the fear going around at the moment.  

Let’s take these next few slowed down weeks as a time to work on becoming better.

Let’s work on stopping our lives from being about ourselves and start focusing on God, His Word, and others.

What are you learning/working on?

 

How I Make Lists In My Bible

I don’t know about you, but I have the memory span of a goldfish.

After having bible studies with a few people, I’ve realized how it is so important to be prepared to answer the questions that are thrown at you.

I thought I was able to easily explain the Godhead but when I was studying with a lady, my off of the top of my head knowledge about that topic was tested when we read through a verse about the Godhead and she asked how it worked and “Is He really three in one?”

In situations like that, I started to appreciate the method of a lady who goes to our congregation, and since then it has helped me immensely.

my messy notes + list on the left side

I typically write little notes in my bible about greek words, correct contexts, and cross-references, but I have added lists of topics that are most important / brought up a lot in studies.

I’d recommend these micron 005 pens for your note-taking + lists in your bible, they’re small and don’t bleed through the thin bible paper.

Anyways, onto how to create lists!

1. Find a topic

The Blue Letter Bible can be a great app when you’re looking for verses with specific keywords! Just make sure you know the context of the verses before you add them to your list.

I have topics listed such as baptism, repentance, obedience, confession, the call, modesty, etc.

     2. List the topic in the back of your bible and find a starting verse to put under the title

Like this:

Baptism

Colossians 2:12

  3. Go to the verse you wrote under your topic

Highlight or underline the keyword and start making your lists of other verses in the column beside it.

         4. Go to the other verses you listed

Underline or highlight the keyword and make sure to write where the full list is beside the keyword.

And there you go! An easy way to sharpen your sword and be better prepared for the questions of others. 

How do you write notes and prepare for bible studies?