Tag Archives: Anxiety

God Is Already There

Foggy forest of oaks in Cantabria. In the lush...

We live in uncertain times. There are plenty of anxious moments to go around. Fear of the unknown runs rampant.

The questions of daily life can loom large, leaving us wondering what tomorrow will hold?

Most of us, unless you are the daredevil, fly by the seat of your pants type, like some security.

We like to know there is some stability in this ever changing world we live in…

When desperation drives us to our knees…

When the hurting parts of life seem to painful to bear…

We want to not fear what tomorrow holds.

And The Word is strong and true…it leaps, alive, off the page.

Fear can be replaced with courage. Anxiousness can be replaced with calm assurance.

Not to worry about the future…

God is already there.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?  Psalm 56:3-4 NIV

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Giving thanks today, for:

* another Monday

* having property in the country

* long drives

* ice cream

* snuggling with my husband while we watch a movie

* goodnight hugs

* teaching

* reading about chickens (we will be getting some)

* 50 degree weather in February

* sparkly earrings

* knowing that my future is in God’s hands

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Causing Me Anxiety

0610 list

Do you ever have days where you just don’t feel good? You’re not sick, per se, but you just feel yucky?

I’m having one of those days. My eyes even hurt. I just got up a couple of hours ago, so my eyes can’t be tired, and I haven’t done any eye straining work…yet, they hurt.  Ugh.

Sigh.

I’ve got a bazillion things to do today. Isn’t that always the way?  On the days when I’d rather just hibernate, I have to get up and get moving.

When I have my to do list in my head, thoughts whirling around of those things which I MUST get done, it causes me anxiety.  When I’m anxious I tend towards resembling a raving lunatic. It’s not pretty. Believe me.

Another sigh.

It’s time to pull out my Bible and read what God has to say about wives and moms that turn into maniacs when stressed out.

Aahhh…..here it is.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4  NIV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5  NIV

I think I’m going to add these verses to my eucharisteo list. God cares about me.

Me.

He cares.

Really, is there anything better than that?

 

 

 

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Growth Can’t Always Be Measured With A Ruler

Stress

Image by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr

I still have a long way to go.

Growing. Stretching. Absorbing. Changing.

Some days I think I’ve got it all together. Whatever “it” is. I’ve got it all figured out. I’m on top of things.

Other days I know I don’t. I wonder if I ever did.

I look at other people. I think maybe their lives are right. And good.

Even if they aren’t.

I measure myself.

I come up short.

I want more.

More of what is good. More of what makes me happy. More of things going my way.

More. More. More.

Ungrateful.

The dark emotion washes over me like the cold waves of a surly ocean. I am overcome.

I breathe deeply. I don’t really like this place.

I snip at my kids, ignore my husband, don’t even want to pet the dog.

Who am I?

I breathe again.

Ann Voskamp reminds me in chapter 8. I know this woman’s words are a gift to me from God Himself. There is no other explanation. God speaks in many ways–and sometimes it is through a Canadian woman, a farmer’s wife, a home schooling mom of six. I am humbled.

On page 143, her words sear through me. Cutting me. Straight to the place that oozes with the ungrateful. The worry. The stress. The parts of myself that I don’t like to show.

“Anxiety has been my natural posture, my default stiffness.  How I angle my jaw, braced, chisel, the brow with the lines of distrust. How I don’t fold my hands in prayer…weld them into tight fists of control…… Do I hold worry close as this ruse of control, this pretense that I’m the one who will determine the course of events as I stir and churn and ruminate? Worry is the facade of taking action when prayer really is. And stressed, this pitched word that punctuates every conversation, is it really my attempt to prove how indispensable I am? Or is it more? Maybe disguising my deep fears as stress seems braver somehow.”

And on page 146, ” Stress isn’t only a joy stealer. The way we respond to it can be sin.” ……”I’ve got to get this thing, what it means to trust, to gut-believe in the good touch of God toward me, because it’s true: I can’t fill with joy until I learn how to trust: ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow.” (Romans 15:13)

I breathe again.

And I work on giving thanks. I need to give thanks. I must give thanks.

In order to see.

#155  Rainy days

#156 Warm light spilling through the kitchen

#157  Green showing through melted snow

# 158  Children laughing

 

 

 

 

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