A Good Book!

I'm reading a book by Neil T. Anderson called "Victory Over Darkness." It is about our identity in Christ. This book has helped me identify a hole (or two) in my own belief system.... this is how I discovered it:

The Faith Appraisal Questionnaire
Rate yourself 1-5, (5 being a strong yes and 1 not strong.)
1. How successful am I? (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
2. How significant am I?
3. How fulfilled am I?
4. How satisfied am I?
5. How happy am I?
6. How much fun am I having?
7. How secure am I?
8. How peaceful am I?

Next you answer questions for each of these 8 areas. The questions go like this:
I would be more successful if _______________________
I would be more significant if _____________________
and so forth.

(If you said 5 in the first section, then you probably won't come up with an answer for that specific question.)

Your answers reveal what you really believe. For example If I were to say "I would be more happy if my children called me every day." (just an example, kids) Then, my belief system is that I believe I can only be happy if my kids need me.

He goes on to say, if we are basing our goal of success, significance, fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, fun, security and peace on things we have no control over (as above), we are setting ourselves up for anger, depression, anxiety. What we can control is ourselves. Therefore, to make relationships better and be happier, my thinking should be "I will try to be the best mother I can be." THAT I can control.

He also says:
Anger signals a blocked Goal. (If it is dependent on others, they can block it any time and will)
Anxiety signals an uncertain goal. (Hoping something will happen but you have no guarantee it will)
Depression signals an impossible goal. (Sense of hopelessness or helplessness)

His answers to these:
Goal of success: Work on God's goals for you. He'll help you meet them.

Goal of Significance: Focus your energies on significant activities..those that remain for eternity.

Goal of Fulfillment: Bloom where you are planted.

Goal of Satisfaction: Live righteously and seek to raise the level of quality in relationships.

Goal of Happiness: Want what you have.

Goal of Fun: Practice uninhibited spontaneity. Who cares what others think.

Goal of Security: Relate to the eternal.

Goal of Peace: Establish internal order which is the peace of God in you.

All for now.... Hope you are blessed.