Romans 12:12
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
This was the verse of the week in my classroom this past week. We read it every single day but it wasn't till Thursday that it really hit me. Some days are bad days, we struggle with fear, or doubt or whatever and life isn't easy. But then there are those days that just feel hopeful. Joy comes easier and the sun shines brightly in your heart and mind. Now because of The One who gave His life for ours, we can have hope every single day(even if we don't particularly feel it) and we need to remember that and rejoice in it. But on those days when hope seems a little more tangible don't forget to soak it in, store it up and rejoice in it.
The next part of the verse says to be patient in tribulation. Patience isn't my strongest point and when I am neck deep in struggling with something I often wish that God would just snap His fingers and make it all better, but He tells me to be patient in it. He will pull me through.
Then, it says to be constant in prayer. This is something that I have started working on a little bit more lately. Talk with The One who gave you the hope and who will get you through the tribulation.
Some days will be good. Hope will shine. Rejoice. Some days will be hard. Troubles will try to drag you under and suffocate you. Be patient in them, remember the hope you so clearly had when you were rejoicing. And, through it all, keep talking to Jesus. He loves you. Happy Saturday.
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Thursday, March 5, 2015
The Brat That Is My Mind
I have been thinking lately about how my brain, is at times, rather like a young child throwing a temper tantrum. Kids have been known to throw down some good kicking, screaming, whining and complaining, tantrums. (Sorry to my dear parents for when I had my moments) Now I am not a parent, but I am a teacher and I have been around my fair share of kids to know that temper tantrums will come and when they do, the big person in charge needs to deal with it. Kids need to be taught that temper tantrums are not the appropriate response to any situation. Through discipline, a firm hand, and redirection, children have to be taught how to behave.
Now, I said that my brain has its moments of being like that bratty kid. What I mean by that is when I allow worry, fear, or anxiety to take hold in my mind it starts to grow and kick, and scream, and whine, complain and generally throw a temper tantrum. Just like you can't let a kid throw a temper tantrum and get his way, you can't let your mind throw a tantrum. You can't let the fear have its way.
People frequently talk about how one has to guard one's mind and keep it pure. However, I think we also need to guard our minds from doubts and fears. Really, each of us has a different bratty kid in our brains that we have to discipline, train and show the right way to go.
I was discussing this whole concept with my love the other day and he mentioned how just like a parent can't give up even when he is worn out and tired of dealing with the tantrum, so we can't give up and quit dealing with the struggles of our minds, even if we are tired and feel like we are getting nowhere.
I have spent way to much of my life giving in to the bratty, fear that throws tantrums in my brain. And because of that, the behavior has gotten worse. So now, I am working on dealing with it. It is tiring. Sometimes it screams so loud and I can't hear anything else. But, I really want to get to that place where the brat that is my mind becomes the well disciplined little brain that I have control of. Happy Thursday!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”~Mahatma Gandhi
Now, I said that my brain has its moments of being like that bratty kid. What I mean by that is when I allow worry, fear, or anxiety to take hold in my mind it starts to grow and kick, and scream, and whine, complain and generally throw a temper tantrum. Just like you can't let a kid throw a temper tantrum and get his way, you can't let your mind throw a tantrum. You can't let the fear have its way.
People frequently talk about how one has to guard one's mind and keep it pure. However, I think we also need to guard our minds from doubts and fears. Really, each of us has a different bratty kid in our brains that we have to discipline, train and show the right way to go.
I was discussing this whole concept with my love the other day and he mentioned how just like a parent can't give up even when he is worn out and tired of dealing with the tantrum, so we can't give up and quit dealing with the struggles of our minds, even if we are tired and feel like we are getting nowhere.
I have spent way to much of my life giving in to the bratty, fear that throws tantrums in my brain. And because of that, the behavior has gotten worse. So now, I am working on dealing with it. It is tiring. Sometimes it screams so loud and I can't hear anything else. But, I really want to get to that place where the brat that is my mind becomes the well disciplined little brain that I have control of. Happy Thursday!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”~Mahatma Gandhi
Friday, January 2, 2015
Be Still
I struggle with worry. It can be annoying and it also can be overwhelming. Sometimes I worry about things and it just makes life more difficult. And other times I allow worry to invade and it feels like all hope has left me. My husband patiently stands by me and tries to help me understand that God doesn't speak in fear, and he reminds me not to listen to it if it is fear. But my argument usually sounds like this, "How can I not listen to it? The fear is screaming so loudly in my head that I can't hear anything else. Why doesn't God speak louder?" But then I was reminded of this story.
1 Kings 19: 11-13
"And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”"
Fear can seem like a harsh wind, and an earthquake, and a fire. But God is a whisper, a calm, a peace.
It says in Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
And so sometimes I pray and plead with God to help me with the fear to make me feel better. I try to sit and read the Bible, but the fear just invades. But it occurred to me this morning that that verse says to "Be still" but it doesn't necessarily have to be a physical stillness. My mind needs to be still. I can sit perfectly still and be quiet but my mind is on overdrive. It is struggling to find a way out of what I'm worried about, it is arguing with myself and God, non of which allows for any stillness.
Sometimes I find that my mind is still right when I'm waking up. I can fall asleep worried but right when I wake up, I feel at peace. It's like my brain hasn't fully woken up and the part that likes to over analyze and worry hasn't quite caught up with the more child like part of my brain. The part that knows that peace and rest are found in the stillness. That God is there.
Yesterday was the first day of this new year and I decided that I wanted to have a verse for my year. I think Deuteronomy 30:19b might be a good one.
"Therefore choose life..."
God is peace. God is joy. God is life.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
The Garden
I was thinking the other about how our lives are like gardens. A garden in which we have the opportunity to plant and cultivate just about anything we want. I love it when I get joy, peace, wonder and excitement growing in my garden. When these start to grow the colors and smells are amazing, and life feels good. But, I do believe that I need to work at my gardening skills because all to often I fail to take care of the weeds. The weeds can be different from garden to garden. Some may have weeds of discontentment and others may have weeds of bitterness or anger or sadness etc. I however struggle with the weed or worry.
This weed is something that has sprouted in my garden since I was a little girl and more often than not I have cultivated it rather than rooting it out. The thing about weeds is that they can be sneaky. When they first begin to push through the soil it is often hard to tell if what you are seeing is a weed or one of the seeds you planted. And so, you sometimes just leave it alone instead of pulling it up right away. That's the first mistake. Weeds are going to happen, it's a part of being human, but we as gardeners need to vigilantly tend our gardens. When weeds start sprouting we need to pull them right away, or they just might get out of hand.
I know in my own garden if I catch the weed of worry when it's still just a sprout I can pull it and stay on top of keeping my garden flourishing. However, I really need to work on identifying those nasty little sprouts right away. Because, more often than not I look at the weed and go, "Oh this must surely be a good plant. I have to water it and tend it and take care of it because it is right." And so I do and then I get this giant nasty weed that starts to suffocate my joy sprouts and it takes over the peace plants and all of a sudden my garden is a jungle of worry and I feel overpowered.
And you know what, it is a lot harder to keep my garden nice once I've let it get out of control like that. Weeds that have been cultivated grow big and their roots grow deep and it will be harder to pull them out than if you had done it when they were just sprouts, but they can be pulled out.
The best part is, I know the Master Gardener. He knows just what the joy plants look like and what the weeds of worry look like. When I consult Him He will come to my garden and give me a hand. He Shows me what to look out for and how to take care of the plants. He waters my joy and peace plants and He gives me a hand at pulling out the weeds. He knows exactly what to look for and helps me to notice the difference between a good plant and a weed.
So remember, the Master Gardener, the One who loves your heart is there for you. Have a lovely day and happy gardening.
“When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles.”
~Horace Walpole
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Blanket
When I was a kid, I remember being in bed and being concerned for the safety of my feet. You see, my mind had decided that there was a floating, green, hand that really wanted to sneak up and grab them. And the one thing that would keep me safe was to have my blanket on. For some reason exposed feet were sure to be attacked, but covered feet were safe. And so, I made sure that my blanket covered my feet. It's silly really, because if there had truly been some foot snatching menace, I'm pretty sure that my blanket wouldn't have done the trick, and yet, there was security in being covered up.
Today, I still struggle with fears. The green hand is no longer a threat but fear still finds a way to plague my mind. But guess what, there was a simply solution to dealing with the foot snatcher and there is a simple solution in dealing with the fears, doubts and worries that so often try to snatch my mind today(Though I still need to be constantly reminded of this). The One who breathed life into my very soul covers me with His protection every day. Fear and doubt try to entangle my mind and make life miserable, but the answer is simple, allow The One to be there for me, to cover me with His protection, love and grace. So whatever is trying to drag you down today, don't worry, The One who is there for me is there for you too. Your feet are safe. Have a great day!
“I like to hear a storm at night. It is so cozy to snuggle down among the blankets and feel that it can't get at you.” ~L.M Montgomery
Isaiah 41:10
"fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Today, I still struggle with fears. The green hand is no longer a threat but fear still finds a way to plague my mind. But guess what, there was a simply solution to dealing with the foot snatcher and there is a simple solution in dealing with the fears, doubts and worries that so often try to snatch my mind today(Though I still need to be constantly reminded of this). The One who breathed life into my very soul covers me with His protection every day. Fear and doubt try to entangle my mind and make life miserable, but the answer is simple, allow The One to be there for me, to cover me with His protection, love and grace. So whatever is trying to drag you down today, don't worry, The One who is there for me is there for you too. Your feet are safe. Have a great day!
Isaiah 41:10
"fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Bad Dream
Early this morning, I had a terrible dream. The pain felt real, I was in distress and I called out in my sleep. Then, the love of my life put his arms around me and told me to wake up, that it was only a dream. I could still feel the twinges of fear, but in that moment when he woke me up, I knew that it was nothing more than a bad dream.
As I lay there thinking about this, something occurred to me. So often in life, fear and doubt creep in. They tell you things that fill your heart with dread and make you want to crawl under the blankets and hide. Then, just when you feel like you can not take it another minute, something extraordinary happens. The One who breaths life into our very souls, wraps His arms around you and tells you to open your eyes.
He holds you close and whispers, rest in my love, the fear is just a bad dream. But like so many bad dreams the fear and doubt seem so very real and suffocating. You wonder how you will possibly make it through. And yet, when you give the fear and doubt over to the One who holds your heart, you suddenly realize that you are alright and that there are so many beautiful dreams just waiting for you.
So, wherever you are in life right now. Rest in His arms, let His love saturate your soul and allow the beautiful dreams a place in your heart. Happy Friday.
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
As I lay there thinking about this, something occurred to me. So often in life, fear and doubt creep in. They tell you things that fill your heart with dread and make you want to crawl under the blankets and hide. Then, just when you feel like you can not take it another minute, something extraordinary happens. The One who breaths life into our very souls, wraps His arms around you and tells you to open your eyes.
He holds you close and whispers, rest in my love, the fear is just a bad dream. But like so many bad dreams the fear and doubt seem so very real and suffocating. You wonder how you will possibly make it through. And yet, when you give the fear and doubt over to the One who holds your heart, you suddenly realize that you are alright and that there are so many beautiful dreams just waiting for you.
So, wherever you are in life right now. Rest in His arms, let His love saturate your soul and allow the beautiful dreams a place in your heart. Happy Friday.
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Run
As a kid did you ever play on one of those giant bouncy things with the bungee cord? The one where you got strapped to a bungee cord harness and than ran as far as you could before getting snapped back and bounced? Well, this morning, I was thinking and I realized that in many ways we walk through life strapped into a mental version of one of these things.
I was thinking and praying this morning about how I want to be able to grow in my relationship with the Creator. And I realized, that I often get discourage in this because so often, when I attempt to pour out my heart to the One who knows the deepest part of me, I feel as though worries and fears put a vice grip around my heart and tell me that I can't move forward. Time and again I have felt this way. I begin to let my spirit soften and my heart desires to seek His face, and then that fear snaps me back. Just like that bungee run, my mind has become harnessed to fears and doubts that prevent me from running forward. They have worked to cripple my faith, squelch my joy and stunt my growth. And sadly, I'm the one who has allowed myself to stay here, to be strapped to these fears that won't let me go. But you know what, The One who put that desire in your heart, The One who fills your heart with joy and makes you want to sing, He wants you to be free.
So today, I challenge myself and you. Unhook the harness, let go of the fear, doubt or whatever it is that is holding you back, and run with the freedom of knowing that He is running right beside you.
Galatians 5:1
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."
“Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.” ~Votaire
I was thinking and praying this morning about how I want to be able to grow in my relationship with the Creator. And I realized, that I often get discourage in this because so often, when I attempt to pour out my heart to the One who knows the deepest part of me, I feel as though worries and fears put a vice grip around my heart and tell me that I can't move forward. Time and again I have felt this way. I begin to let my spirit soften and my heart desires to seek His face, and then that fear snaps me back. Just like that bungee run, my mind has become harnessed to fears and doubts that prevent me from running forward. They have worked to cripple my faith, squelch my joy and stunt my growth. And sadly, I'm the one who has allowed myself to stay here, to be strapped to these fears that won't let me go. But you know what, The One who put that desire in your heart, The One who fills your heart with joy and makes you want to sing, He wants you to be free.
So today, I challenge myself and you. Unhook the harness, let go of the fear, doubt or whatever it is that is holding you back, and run with the freedom of knowing that He is running right beside you.
Galatians 5:1
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."
“Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.” ~Votaire
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Choice
I have found that the early moments in the morning, right when I'm first waking up, are the ones that fears often like to invade. So often, I open my eyes and am suddenly hit with a deluge of worry, fear or anxiety. I have come to realize that this happens because if the fears can get me down at the very beginning of the day, I'm pretty much down for the whole day. This can be very annoying and frustrating.
Then, the other day, I woke up and the words of Joshua 24: 15 floated through my head. They say, "Choose this day whom you will serve..." And it occurred to me. Every single morning I need to wake up and make a choice, I can either choose to serve the God who loves me by trusting in Him regardless of how I feel, or I can choose to allow fear to have a grip in my life and drag me down with every passing day.
And so, I have been trying this over the past couple of days. Fear has still tried to find a footing, but I am trying harder to consistently make the choice. And you know what, as I have been making a more conscious effort, I have been able to step back a little and see things from a different angle. Also, I have found that when I make the choice I feel more peace and closer to Jesus. Because, when I stop trying to make things right by myself, I allow God to step in and do what He does best.
So, my challenge to you is that you would wake up every morning and consciously make the choice. Choose to trust in the One who loves you more than you will ever know. Choose to rest in His grace. Choose to not allow fear and worry to be a part of your life. Choose to live.
Joshua 24:15
"Choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
“A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.”
~Alexander Sozenitsyn
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” ~
Then, the other day, I woke up and the words of Joshua 24: 15 floated through my head. They say, "Choose this day whom you will serve..." And it occurred to me. Every single morning I need to wake up and make a choice, I can either choose to serve the God who loves me by trusting in Him regardless of how I feel, or I can choose to allow fear to have a grip in my life and drag me down with every passing day.
And so, I have been trying this over the past couple of days. Fear has still tried to find a footing, but I am trying harder to consistently make the choice. And you know what, as I have been making a more conscious effort, I have been able to step back a little and see things from a different angle. Also, I have found that when I make the choice I feel more peace and closer to Jesus. Because, when I stop trying to make things right by myself, I allow God to step in and do what He does best.
So, my challenge to you is that you would wake up every morning and consciously make the choice. Choose to trust in the One who loves you more than you will ever know. Choose to rest in His grace. Choose to not allow fear and worry to be a part of your life. Choose to live.
Joshua 24:15
"Choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
“A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.”
~Alexander Sozenitsyn
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” ~
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Journey
Have you ever read those verses in James that talk about being joyful in hard times because in the end they will make you stronger and build character. Well I have, and I always thought that if that was the case then I didn't really want any more character. But something has been stirring in my heart the past couple of weeks and I'm learning something.
All of my life, I have been a worrier. From the little things to the life changing moments, I have allowed worry and fear to play a role in every aspect of my life. And sadly, I allowed fear to cloud my perception of God and how He sees me. The past months I have been going through some very hard times. Call it fear, call it depression, call it a lack of trust. Whatever you call it, it has been taking me apart and invading my life. And through it, there have been times when I have felt like God has deserted me. I've begged God to take it away and time and again He's asked me to trust Him. And I start to cry and say,"God I'll trust You, if You make me feel better. I'll trust You, if you make Yourself more clear to me. I'll trust You, if you come stand in front of me and talk to me in person." But I've been learning that that is not trust. Trusting means believing even if the lies and fear feel so very real. Trusting means knowing that God is right there beside me, even if it feels like He is miles away. Trusting means not always knowing it or feeling it, but believing regardless.
God has asked me to trust Him on a couple of things and when I haven't, I've begun to spiral down into fear. Through these months, I've asked why this is happening to me. And finally, something has been occurring to me. I could have gone on the way I always have been. Allowing little fears and worries to have control. I could have gone on knowing God and loving Him but always having a slight fear that He was mad or that I just didn't measure up, and I would have survived. But you know what, God didn't create us--you and me--to just merely survive. He created us to thrive in Him. To know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He loves us and delights in us.
And I truly believe, that If I can learn the lesson of trust and deeply root it in my heart, that I will get through this time and that things will be forever different. Maybe, just maybe God is using this time in my life to shake me up and teach me something beyond my wildest dreams. I'm tired of settling and I'm tired of fear. And as I've been going through these hard times the words of James are slowly becoming more clear to me. God is for me, and God is going to bring me through stronger than ever. And you know what, whatever your story is, He's got big plans for you too. Trust in Him.
James 1:2-4
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." ~Richard Bach
All of my life, I have been a worrier. From the little things to the life changing moments, I have allowed worry and fear to play a role in every aspect of my life. And sadly, I allowed fear to cloud my perception of God and how He sees me. The past months I have been going through some very hard times. Call it fear, call it depression, call it a lack of trust. Whatever you call it, it has been taking me apart and invading my life. And through it, there have been times when I have felt like God has deserted me. I've begged God to take it away and time and again He's asked me to trust Him. And I start to cry and say,"God I'll trust You, if You make me feel better. I'll trust You, if you make Yourself more clear to me. I'll trust You, if you come stand in front of me and talk to me in person." But I've been learning that that is not trust. Trusting means believing even if the lies and fear feel so very real. Trusting means knowing that God is right there beside me, even if it feels like He is miles away. Trusting means not always knowing it or feeling it, but believing regardless.
God has asked me to trust Him on a couple of things and when I haven't, I've begun to spiral down into fear. Through these months, I've asked why this is happening to me. And finally, something has been occurring to me. I could have gone on the way I always have been. Allowing little fears and worries to have control. I could have gone on knowing God and loving Him but always having a slight fear that He was mad or that I just didn't measure up, and I would have survived. But you know what, God didn't create us--you and me--to just merely survive. He created us to thrive in Him. To know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He loves us and delights in us.
And I truly believe, that If I can learn the lesson of trust and deeply root it in my heart, that I will get through this time and that things will be forever different. Maybe, just maybe God is using this time in my life to shake me up and teach me something beyond my wildest dreams. I'm tired of settling and I'm tired of fear. And as I've been going through these hard times the words of James are slowly becoming more clear to me. God is for me, and God is going to bring me through stronger than ever. And you know what, whatever your story is, He's got big plans for you too. Trust in Him.
James 1:2-4
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." ~Richard Bach
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