Change… it should be spelled with four letters because most of us consider it a "four letter word" if you get my drift!  Change is stressful.  Change is challenging and unsettling and yet it’s the only consistent thing about life!  The only absolutely predictable thing we have in life is that it will change.

Do you handle change well?  Do you dread it or look forward to it with excitement and anticipation?  I remember watching a special on one of the three networks some years ago, where a study had been done and in-depth interviews had been conducted with a fairly large sampling of people who were over 100 years of age.  They were looking for a clue to help others live longer in the common emotional or personality characteristics that would be found in this group.

The #1 characteristic was adaptability to change and its counterpart, being able to deal effectively with loss.  When interviewed, each related that they had to be flexible and decide to keep on enjoying life after they experienced losses.  They stressed that if you live to be 100 you will have lost virtually everyone you have known and loved and will be left with a younger generation that you might not know very well.  Forming new relationships was key.  It was intriguing to think about.

How can you deal more effectively with change?  Here’s some of my coping mechanisms and I’d like to encourage readers to contribute your own in the comments section.  To post a comment, click on the "comments" link below and it will lead you through the process.

1. Expect change.  Sounds simple, but we are constantly surprised that change occurs!   Expecting that things can change at any time can help you establish an emotional equilibrium that is stable even when your world is shaking a bit.
2. Be Thankful.  Live in a constant state of gratefulness for whatever it is that you enjoy in your life, whether it’s a wonderful home, a good marriage, great kids, a job you love.  Enjoy it every single day so that if any one of those blessings are lost or must change, you have never taken them for granted.
3. Be flexible.  I’ve noticed that rigid people are often shattered by change.  Those who are too set in their ways or unable to adapt often never recover or take a very long time to do so.  Flexible people are those who are able to bend and move to fit the situation.  They can adjust their expectations more quickly and find a "new normal" an begin the process of becoming comfortable with the results of change.
4. Think positively.  Often our minds immediately decide that the proposed change will have negative impact on our lives.  Instead of going immediately to what you may have lost because of the change, think about what might be gained.  For example:  You have a home you love with neighbors that you are close to and your husband has just been relocated by his company.  If you dwell on what you are "losing" you won’t be open to the potential blessings that you may just be "gaining."  The move is inevitable, but only you can choose whether you will be happy making it or not.  Even the worst events in life can ultimately become a blessing in the long run because of God’s unbelievable ability to bring good out of evil. 
5. God is in control.  When our world changes we feel out of control.  If we realize that God isn’t surprised by the changes even if we are, it helps us to quiet our hearts and rest in the knowledge that He is in control and more importantly loves us passionately and desires the best for our lives.

When I came home from a relaxing weekend camping, I never expected that our dear Miss Stacey would be leaving THE DAISIE COMPANY because of health reasons.  I didn’t want her to go (as many of you have also indicated!) but I know it’s the right decision for her and her family.  I also know that when anyone who is as key to a company as Stacey is leaves, change is inevitable!  Preparing ourselves to be flexible and patient while those changes occur will help us to not only survive the changes, but come out on the other side of them with an excitement of what can be rather than a hopeless longing for what once was. 

UPDATE, THIS KIT IS NOW AVAILABLE JUST CLICK ON EITHER PICTURE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE STORE.  On a lighter note, here’s a couple more previews of the kits coming out on Friday:

This Summer Fun kit has 56 pcs.  and is complete with lots of complimentary papers,  frames, borders, charms and art pieces.  Perfect for summer crafts, scrapbooking, and even for tweener type projects.  I hope you’ll enjoy playing with it!

The final preview for Summer Fun shows the flip flops with and without a decorative ornament (so they can be used for boy or girl layouts).  Each flip flop is entirely separate so you can control their placement.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you create with this kit!  Please be sure to post in the general message board if you post a project to the DAISIE COMPANY gallery as I simply don’t have time to peruse the galleries very often and I don’t want to miss your creative "masterpiece!"

THE PROVERB FOR THE DAY:  Proverbs 27:1-2 "Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow.  Don’t call attention to yourself; let others do that for you."  The Message.

Audrey Jeanne Roberts