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Harvest House Publishers, Inc. - Cindi McMenamin

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107 pages

English

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"All the World's a Stage"What Part Will You Play? You know what drama is...in your circle of friends, your workplace, your extended family, and in the unexpected circumstances of life. But has it gotten to be too much? Truth is, we've all been both actor and audience when it comes to life's dramas. But here's another truth: You don't have to let it sweep you away. Discover a biblical script for a more peaceful life as you learn how to...dial down the drama in your own liferespond appropriately to situations that would otherwise escalateincorporate "scene changes" to eliminate inevitable dramaview high-maintenance individuals through the eyes of Christbecome an anchor in the storms that swirl around you The world may be a stagebut you can find freedom from the drama.

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
Date de parution	25 avril 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736969888
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0646€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible New International Version, 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.
Verses marked MSG are taken from T HE M ESSAGE . Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Italicized text in Scripture quotations indicates author s emphasis.
Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, MN
Cover Image DigitalGenetics / Fotolia
All stories in this book are used by permission. In some cases, the names have been changed to ensure anonymity.
DRAMA FREE
Copyright 2017 Cindi McMenamin
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
ISBN 978-0-7369-6987-1 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6988-8 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: McMenamin, Cindi, 1965- author.
Title: Drama free / Cindi McMenamin.
Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016043271 (print) | LCCN 2017000973 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736969871 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780736969888 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Emotions-Religious aspects-Christianity. | Peace-Religious aspects-Christianity. | Christian women-Religious life.
Classification: LCC BV4597.3 .M435 2017 (print) | LCC BV4597.3 (ebook) | DDC 248.4-dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016043271
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
To the Only One worth making much ado about
The Shining Star of the Greatest Story Ever Told-the Lord Jesus Christ
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks to
My friend, Connie Boyd, for praying me through the writing of this book, and for sending your insights along the way. You are an encouragement to my heart.
Donna Brown, Cyndie Lester, Allison Martin, Alena Prysch, Rhonda Stoppe, and Barbara Willett, for being real and sharing your personal struggles in this book so others can learn from you how to be drama free. I feel privileged to call each of you my friend.
Chris Castillero, for meeting all the categories in The Five Friends Every Woman Needs. Your presence in my life is truly a gift.
My daughter, Dana. You were born for the stage, and your dramatics (which you inherited from your mom and grammy, no doubt) only serve to make you more lovable.
My husband, Hugh, for putting up with me, in spite of the drama.
My Lord, Jesus Christ-the love and inspiration behind my words, my thoughts, and my days. I truly want much more of You and much less of me.
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Can We Really Be Drama Free?
ACT I: SETTING THE SCENE
1. All the World s a Stage-Recognizing We Already Have an Audience
2. Accepting Your Script-Surrendering to God s Greater Story
3. Redefining Your Role-Becoming the Woman God Designed You to Be
4. Casting the Players-Surrounding Yourself with Strong Women
ACT II: CHANGING THE SCENE
5. Scene Change-No Longer Overreacting: Developing Strategies for the Unexpected
6. Scene Change-No Longer Overwhelmed: Finding Your Center
7. Scene Change-No Longer Overextended: Allowing Yourself an Intermission
8. Scene Change-No Longer Self-Absorbed: Becoming Sensitive to the Plight of Others
ACT III: IMPROVING THE SCENE
9. Closing the Curtain-Putting an End to Drama
10. A New Opening Act-Maintaining a Drama-Free Life
CAST BIOS-Drama Queens in the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them
BACKSTAGE PASS-Exclusive Resources for the Drama-Free Woman
Daily Checklist to Being Drama Free
10 Statements to Verbally Diffuse Drama in the Moment
15 Ways to Dial Down the Drama in Your Life
Study Questions for Individuals or Small Groups
An Invitation to Write
Notes
When Women Walk Alone
Other Books by Cindi McMenamin
About the Publisher
The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.
O SWALD C HAMBERS
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
J OHN 3:30 NLT
Can We Really Be Drama Free?
I m no stranger to drama.
I wish that weren t so.
I wish I could tell you that there has never been a dramatic day in my life and that I have never, personally, played into drama, contributed to drama, or let drama control my circumstances or responses.
But then I d be lying to you. And that would be more drama.
The truth is, like you, I know drama. I have lived and breathed it-and even abhorred it-because I live in a world where drama happens. And because I see it in the thousands of women I work among and minister to every year.
It probably doesn t help that I m a child of a recovering alcoholic, that I m a recovering enabler myself (who just recently figured out what the term enabler really means), and that I have been called-on more than one occasion in my life- dramatic when all I really want to be is a woman with a gentle, quiet spirit who is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
I d much rather be called discerning than dramatic. I d much rather be considered wise than a woman who occasionally wigs out. And my goal, spiritually, as well as practically, is to become more mature, not more of a mess, the older I get.
Daily I receive e-mails from women who have read my books, or stumbled across my website or an article of mine, asking my advice on how they can manage their lives and be more Spirit led. And as I answer those e-mails, I get the inkling that I just might be in that place where I ve finally become a woman whose head governs her heart, who is able to instruct others on how to be more practical than emotional. But at night, as I lie in bed talking to the God who knows me inside and out, I face the sobering reality that I am just as emotionally volatile as you, and I daily need His peace when emotions threaten to overwhelm me.
Oh, how I long to be drama free.
Can you relate to that desire? Maybe your statement is more definitive: I don t do drama.
I ve heard many women say that lately. I ve even said it myself. But what does it mean? Are we really saying, I m tired of the drama ? I don t put up with drama ? From now on, I m going to avoid drama ? How about: I m going to no longer be around a woman who brings me drama ?
As much as you and I would like to shut the chaos, confusion, and cattiness out of our lives and convince ourselves that we don t do drama, it has a way of creeping into our lives anyway.
Drama happens because life happens. And it happens because emotions are real. Drama happens when unexpected circumstances hit and we are unprepared to handle them. And drama happens when we come up against family members or people with different personalities who carry with them their own sets of emotional baggage, learned behaviors, expectations, values and beliefs, and an ability to misunderstand, misinterpret, exaggerate, gossip, disappoint, and act selfishly and inconsiderately. Just being around other people can elicit drama.
Admit it. You ve said (or at least thought), I m done with the drama
when your mother calls with complaints that you can t help her with. Sorry!
when your teenager is having a meltdown for no apparent reason. Whaattt?
when your coworker blames you for an incident that was clearly not your fault. Again?!
when you get a call from a family member or friend who isn t attending the gathering because she is planning to be there. Whatever.
when you discover the talk in the break room, Bible study, or neighborhood has been about you. Over it!
when the woman you confided in betrayed your trust and repeated your story to someone else. How could she?
Or maybe-just maybe-someone else has thought I m done with the drama when thinking of you .
As I said earlier, I d like to think I m never the cause of drama. But in reality, you and I can be catalysts for drama without even realizing it. Yes, you have been the cause of drama if you ve ever
told your friend about another breakup-worthy situation with your boyfriend, yet you can t bear to part with him.
verbally vented at the customer service rep for how you were treated in the store.
given another mom a piece of your mind after hearing how her child treated yours.
said anything about anyone that you wouldn t have said if they were present.
refused to attend or be involved with something because of another person you didn t want to be around.
refused to forgive someone because of something they d