Tape your mailbox shut..
Or better yet, not open the bills you see laying on the table...
Shut down your facebook...
Avoid a party... Avoid Life..
Simply because you wanted to avoid stress?
You want to avoid thinking about whatever it is in life that might
cause you anxiety.
As if shutting yourself off from it all will make it go away
This could be a particular person you have to face,
a particular status you have to read,
a bill you have no money to pay,
a reminder phone call or text of something you have to get done.
Yes, we have all been there.
Not to mention, you throw a blog into the mix
and that feeling like you "have to" post something or else...
(or else what exactly?)
Something as simple as a $130 bill can throw your brain into a tizzy.
Tizzy, that's my new word.
Then a kid gets sick,
or the principle calls and wants to meet
with me and my husband you about your kids in school suspension,
then we you lose your child's information sheet about their timeline
and book report due this week..
and book report due this week..
not only that, but I am you are making a video for your church youth ministry
and there is no sound so you spend 6 hours trying to
mess with it, and finally get it to the youth service 10 minutes before it begins...
and meanwhile you literally have 3 kids and a dog surrounding you
while you are trying to get this all done.
(and of course, throwing a ladies breakfast, birthday party,
and kid spring program in just for fun)
This is the definition of stress, my friends.
We have all been there, alot of us might be there today
(ok ok, this was all me...)
but you KNOW what I'm saying...
Because I KNOW that my life is not any more busy than any other persons out there!
We have all been there, alot of us might be there today
(ok ok, this was all me...)
but you KNOW what I'm saying...
Sunday night I handed in "said" video, sat down for 5 minutes
before worship began and as soon as it started, I just cried.
Not because I was tormented or depressed.
Just because, for that 10 minutes, I could breathe...
I was alone, in the back of the room, sitting in God's presence,
and I needed to breathe. I needed peace.
Even though I knew it would start again the next morning.
Life would start again.
I've been finding myself lately NEEDING God's grace, his peace...
just to do life.
Not because life is ALWAYS this hard,
but because with his ever present grace, its just THAT much easier.
The funny thing about all our constant stresses and anxieties is,
is that many of them are based on things we don't really have to do.
No one is putting a gun to our head telling us we MUST blog today,
we MUST remodel our bathroom this month,
we MUST work out today,
we MUST have cable,
We MUST enroll our children in ballet,
We MUST volunteer at the humane society,
We MUST, We Must, We Must, We MUST, WE MUST...
Sooooo not true.
There are many things we just simply choose to do,
then stress out as if someone is making us do these things.
However, let me throw this at ya,
whether its a visit to the ER we have to make,
an appointment with the principal we have to go to,
or an art project we WANT to finish for our own enjoyment,
God still knows.
God still cares.
God still gives us the grace to do what goes down in our lives.
He never said "Cast all your cares on me, but only if its really really important."
or "my grace is sufficient for you, but ONLY..and I mean ONLY if it's an absolute MUST."
(and in parentheses "And i really mean it guys. it better be somethings serious.
If not, you're on your own, buddy")
No.
You know why?
Because he loves us,
and what's important to us, is important to him
Do you realize when his word says,
Delight yourself in Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart..
Not only will he grant those desires,
but because your focus is on him, he actually placed those desires there...
and its because he knows YOU better than anyone else,
he knows what will make YOU happy, YOU smile...
he knows it will bless you.
So he placed it smack dab in the middle of YOUR hearts desires...
That tells me, whether its a personal desire of mine,
or if it's something I really MUST do,
he is with me in everything.
There is no worry or care I can have that will benefit me in any way
All I am really doing is telling God,
"Hey God, I got this one. You're not big enough to handle this"
Which is silly, since I am the one's stressing about it...
Matthew 6 makes it so obvious.
He is pretty much saying "duhhhhh.!"
is that many of them are based on things we don't really have to do.
No one is putting a gun to our head telling us we MUST blog today,
we MUST remodel our bathroom this month,
we MUST work out today,
we MUST have cable,
We MUST enroll our children in ballet,
We MUST volunteer at the humane society,
We MUST, We Must, We Must, We MUST, WE MUST...
Sooooo not true.
There are many things we just simply choose to do,
then stress out as if someone is making us do these things.
However, let me throw this at ya,
whether its a visit to the ER we have to make,
an appointment with the principal we have to go to,
or an art project we WANT to finish for our own enjoyment,
God still knows.
God still cares.
God still gives us the grace to do what goes down in our lives.
He never said "Cast all your cares on me, but only if its really really important."
or "my grace is sufficient for you, but ONLY..and I mean ONLY if it's an absolute MUST."
(and in parentheses "And i really mean it guys. it better be somethings serious.
If not, you're on your own, buddy")
No.
You know why?
Because he loves us,
and what's important to us, is important to him
Do you realize when his word says,
Delight yourself in Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart..
Not only will he grant those desires,
but because your focus is on him, he actually placed those desires there...
and its because he knows YOU better than anyone else,
he knows what will make YOU happy, YOU smile...
he knows it will bless you.
So he placed it smack dab in the middle of YOUR hearts desires...
That tells me, whether its a personal desire of mine,
or if it's something I really MUST do,
he is with me in everything.
There is no worry or care I can have that will benefit me in any way
All I am really doing is telling God,
"Hey God, I got this one. You're not big enough to handle this"
Which is silly, since I am the one's stressing about it...
Matthew 6 makes it so obvious.
He is pretty much saying "duhhhhh.!"
So I tell you to stop worrying about
what you will eat, drink, or wear.
Isn’t life more than food and the
body more than clothes? Look
at the birds.
They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns.
Yet, God feeds them.
Aren’t you worth more than they are?!!!
(and this next verse is my favorite)
“Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?
And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field.
They never work or spin yarn for clothes.
But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers.
That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field.
(that's how he do)
Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator.
So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
Don’t ever worry and say,'
‘What are we going to eat?’
What are we going to drink?’
What are we going to wear?’
Everyone is concerned about these things,
and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.
That verse: Can any of you add a single hour to your life about worrying?
is powerful...
There are things in our lives, that yes,
we can adjust to avoid unwanted stress...
then there are things that we simply cant avoid because it just happened,
it's life happening to us...
Whether you are dealing with cancer or a school field trip,
or everything in between...
worry and anxiety will never NEVER ever benefit you.
Relying on God's grace IS the ABSOLUTE MUST,
God strength not only will bring you peace,
not only will he be with you during it...
but relying on him will bring you victory in the end
of your own 'personal storm."
Two things you can pray right now.
1)ask God for wisdom on what details in your life can be streamlined,
self induced "things" that are causing anxiety...
and then cut them or slow down
2) tell God you are allowing him to take care of those things
that you normally want to take "care" of...
"be anxious for nothing, but with prayer, let your requests
be made known to God."
Phillipians 4:6
kick up your feet for 2 minutes,
let him be God. you be his child.
They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns.
Yet, God feeds them.
Aren’t you worth more than they are?!!!
(and this next verse is my favorite)
“Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?
And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field.
They never work or spin yarn for clothes.
But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers.
That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field.
(that's how he do)
Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator.
So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
Don’t ever worry and say,'
‘What are we going to eat?’
What are we going to drink?’
What are we going to wear?’
Everyone is concerned about these things,
and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.
That verse: Can any of you add a single hour to your life about worrying?
is powerful...
There are things in our lives, that yes,
we can adjust to avoid unwanted stress...
then there are things that we simply cant avoid because it just happened,
it's life happening to us...
Whether you are dealing with cancer or a school field trip,
or everything in between...
worry and anxiety will never NEVER ever benefit you.
Relying on God's grace IS the ABSOLUTE MUST,
God strength not only will bring you peace,
not only will he be with you during it...
but relying on him will bring you victory in the end
of your own 'personal storm."
Two things you can pray right now.
1)ask God for wisdom on what details in your life can be streamlined,
self induced "things" that are causing anxiety...
and then cut them or slow down
2) tell God you are allowing him to take care of those things
that you normally want to take "care" of...
"be anxious for nothing, but with prayer, let your requests
be made known to God."
Phillipians 4:6
kick up your feet for 2 minutes,
let him be God. you be his child.
12 comments:
Um. Thank you? So relevant for me today. How crazy it is when we let those anxieties run and ruin our lives? (I love 1 Peter 5:7) Today, personally, I went and got a massage. I haven't done this for my self ever. I almost cried. My eyes teared up as I breathed through every rub on my back that was pushing out stress from my muscles. I couldn't believe how much I allowed my body to carry all the stress of my days. Just going going going going. I thought about my blog and my project and my family and my church and all the one million and two things that I "carry" on my back. And all along...I hadn't allowed for God to carry me through this all. I'm totally rambling and there is so much more I was thinking of and thankful for. But just, thanks. :)
Awesome teaching Julie.
I have to remember that God cares about all the little things that get me worked up
I needed to hear this today! Thank you! It's so hard not to worry but you're right that there's just no use in it!
Julie Marie, God KNEW I needed you in my life! He KNEW IT! Isn't it so AWESOME how he KNOWS all these things before WE realize them or even KNOW about them ourselves! I needed to read this today. I put the pressure ON MYSELF and feel it piling up to "do, do do" when what I've been neglecting is just to "be, be be" with Him. I've been NEEDING THAT PART OF LIFE DESPERATELY and I've been putting it LAST the last couple of weeks and I can FEEL it!! Isn't it CRAZY how you can just FEEL it????? THANK YOU!!!!! GOD is speaking through you lady!!!!! Love ya bunches!
Smoke alarms have just brought me to tears. Clearly I am carrying more stress than I knew. Thank you for this.
Your amazing and thank you for sharing this with us! I was just thinking about this type of thing today. thank you!
sam*
Thank you so much for this Julie! I really needed to hear this today :)
As always gorgeous post. We all need 10 minutes to be stress free. I get anxiety over silly things, and sometimes I jump in the shower just to calm down and relax. We all need it :)
I needed this today! It's so easy to get caught up in the day to commitments of this world...when God yearns to spend time with us even if it's 2 minutes. Great reminder of His desire for intimacy with us-).
-Allison
sweatpantshighheels.blogspot.com
wow, julie. i NEEDED this today. THANK YOU! sometimes i fool myself into thinking that my life is crazier than everybody else's and that's simply not true. i read a great book called "the praying life" recently and there was an awesome quote about loving people and being busy and it's like: "if we love people and have the power to help, we'll always be busy. a praying life doesn't offer us a less busy life, but a less busy heart. with a less busy heart, we can serve others better."
hey ps congrats on the framed lady giveaway! woooot :)
xo
Its kind of like when life gives you lemons you make the lemonade. I realized I wasn't superwoman a long time ago and than gosh I did. I am so relieved that I can't do it all. And guess what it usually can wait.
Yes. Amen. Love this, Julie.
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