Standing On A Promise

I started riding my bicycle the year before last. I must admit that this is my favorite way to exercise. I feel like a kid again, racing through the neighborhoods; wind blowing through my hair. The early morning is my favorite time too. It's easier to slip away before the routine is in full swing. It's still cooler and darker outside, and because it's so early, no one is out yet. It is just so peaceful!

In the fall, two years ago. Funny angle.

I'll never forget that first morning though. I was given an old beach cruiser. It had a rusty fender and made a little squeak every time the wheel passed a certain spot or anytime that I hit a bump. Having a sound effect to my pedaling made the intensity of it pick up. I felt a little like the witch from the Wizard of Oz. Except, replace her pretty little hat for my spotlight. haha.

A scene from the Wizard of Oz.

Anyway...

It had been years since I had touched a bike- as in, I am not even sure I rode a one in high school. I can't forget standing up to pick up the pace, and my thighs started quivering as if my legs weren't familiar with supporting me. How quickly the bike seemed to pick up the unstable rhythm... So, I just as quickly sat back down. It was obvious that certain muscles hadn't been used in a long time. If I hadn't been in my own childhood, I might not believe that there was ever a time that you could not get me off of one.

Yet, I practiced standing and riding; cruising and speeding. Then one arm free at a time. As it turns out "hands-free" had been forgotten too. My mind wandered through the air, and I thought of a statement that I've heard by preachers, about how faith is a muscle, and it's up to us to work it. But more so, I thought about how similarly with the bike, when you're going uphill, and things get hard, you need to put a bit more muscle into it and stand up.

...or stand on the promise....

I let that linger a day.... a week.... almost a year...  then two. In fact, I think about it often when I ride. And since that time, I have gotten stronger and more stable too. Sometimes our spiritual life is just as 'shaky' and difficult to work out, isn't it?

I mean, you can practice prayer and even meditation on scripture. While you are growing in these areas, there can still be 'chatter' happening behind the scenes or around the new lines. You know the stories we tell ourselves. Before or after- whether or not we realize it, we're bookending both sides of the verses that are supposed to set us free.

That chatter can be anything; questions, doubts, self-righteousness, self-condemnation, fears, and judgments. There's so much noise happening inside our head, discernment can be a true mind bender when we need instruction, can't it?!

New exercises can always reveal a place of instability. Which voice is the one you're supposed to pay attention to? How often do you apply it? How can you say you ARE one thing when you feel completely opposite. The way we listen to and respond to each is also an exercise. The one you practice is the one you strengthen.

Take heart, I'd like to also give you a few examples. -But brace yourself. This might sting a little.

1. Worry - The minute you start to worry about 'how YOU will do this or say that'- put your eyes on God. Don't get so caught up in 'how you,' that you can't see 'how HE.' I don't mean you shouldn't consider your words, prayerfully plan, or take a step of action. YES, PLEASE DO! But fear, anxiety, and worry will grow rapidly if you let it. Then it can immobilize you. You have to practice using that muscle of what God says and practice looking at who He IS, more than who you think you are and what you are not.

He must become greater. I must become less. John 3:30

2. Weakness - Life happens. Any given circumstance can feel too big. When you want to crumble and feel overwhelmed. I dare you to worship. Scripture tells us that HE is our strength. I will let you do your own research here, but it's been said that our praise will usher the Holy Spirit's presence. If that is true, and if He brings strength, why wouldn't we want to fill ourselves with Him?

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7 

3. Emotions - Emotions can get the best of us, can't they? Things break in our home, and we get frustrated. Someone wrongs us, and we get angry. Someone gets something you want and there's jealousy. What about the 'I don't wannas'? They might be the worst of all! Even unexpected and thrilling 'whims' can get us so excited that we lose our focus. Each situation like this that comes along may not be anything that you care about in 20 years or in the new creation. So why let your emotions get the best of you now?

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

4. Insecurity - When you feel like you can’t do something or when someone criticizes you or when you’re reminded of your past, don't shrink back, CLING to your future. What about when you're given an opportunity to try something that you've never done or to reinvent yourself? Your initial thought might be, "I can't..." or "I've never..."

BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE will live by faith. I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. - Hebrews 10:38

That's a tough one, isn't it?!

5. Words - Can we just talk about what we talk about for a minute? We might tell God what we hope for, but we tell all of our friends what we're afraid of. Or we don't even try to see what God might be doing in the situation that seems too big for us. So, we just keep repeating the same old, worn out story. I mean really- the things that we don't want can get more attention in our conversations and in our captions, than the God that we say that we believe in. I could quote verses like Proverbs 18:21 that tell you that there is the power of life and death in our tongue. But something else has recently struck me in my study time.

In the beginning, when God created everything, we see that He spoke it into existence. If you go back to read those verses, a few lines later you will also see, "and it was so" or you will see a summary of what was created. I am still trying to absorb why we see that. But because it made it to scripture, I know that there's a significance there. He first calls it out. Then he restates it. So, I'm asking you to challenge your own words. If you know that there is a Godly solution. Maybe you even know what that solution is. Call it out and/or restate about your life or situation. Give your words to that solution only and act accordingly. Thus bringing glory to our Father.

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You know, we could go on naming things like this. As I scan back down that list, each area that I have named is an issue of trust. And most of these issues start in our mind! You know Proverbs 23:7 says as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.

That's probably why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to take EVERY thought captive and make it obedient to Christ!

Hebrews 2:5 also tells us that we are only a little lower than angels; crowned with glory and honor and EVERYTHING has been put under our feet. (Like a pedal. haha)

And it doesn't say only the men or the women. It doesn't say only the left-handed people instead of the right-handed people (no matter what they might tell you.) **wink-wink** The verse says mankind.

and

Jesus died on a cross so that WHOEVER was willing to believe in Him, could be saved. John 3:16

AND (This might feel like a tangent but hang in there.) You don't have to die first to see the benefit of having Jesus in your life now.

Have you ever noticed in the Lord's prayer that it says 'On earth as it is in Heaven." And at the end of that same chapter in verse 33, it says 'Seek first HIS kingdom, and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."  That part appears in the section titled 'Do not worry, ' and it's about basic living needs.

And again, it doesn't say only for black or for white. East coasters or West coasters.

If YOU are willing to believe in Him. By making Him Lord of your life, that means you put his commands, and even his whispers, his righteousness, his power, before your ___________.

When YOU lift the Son of Man, you will find the boldness of our heavenly Father- not just in your life but also the peace and comfort and certainty that he promises, IN YOU. -On this earth. In the life you're living now.

[end tangent]
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Much like getting on a bike again or for the first time, you have to push through the tremble.

My thighs were shaking when I pushed on those pedals and going uphill made it so much more obvious that I didn't have the strength that I thought I did or hoped to have. Practicing faith has so much felt the same way. These examples that I give to you are some of my most private lessons.

It will feel wobbly and even uncomfortable. You might feel like a fraud, or like your boasting (and sometimes you might even do that by accident). There will even be times that you might wonder if you've moved over to la-la land because this is not what you're used to practicing.

But as you PUSH through, that muscle of faith will grow. You will find strength and perseverance in Him. -And alas, freedom!

Friend, my testimony is this. YOU CAN trust what the Word says. - That in itself is a promise.

You can practice anything you like. Whether you choose to sit down or stand up and ride, is up to you.

Change of Pace and Acceptance

It's awfully hard to try and squeeze in all of the things that need to be done in a day, isn't it? We can wear ourselves out trying to keep that neat and tidy order when the events of life don't necessarily fall the same way. I've been trying to be more flexible with my routine these days and yet still get done the things that I need to do. More importantly, I've been trying to take better care of myself too.

Click image to listen to audio version

For the last few years I've gotten up between 4:30-5:30 each morning so that I can read, write, study or occasionally catch up tasks before the rest of the house is stirring. That time started as just five or ten minutes earlier and eventually grew along with me.

In the last year, I've also been able to add exercise to my morning routine as well. It was another addition that started with just "ten-minute workouts" because I didn't have the kind of time that allowed for more than that. In the same way, that time allotment grew again as I did. I am proud to say that I run about three miles, in addition to some other exercises, three to five days a week now.

But sometimes rising earlier to squeeze things in, comes at the expense of my energy or my mood. I've occasionally been too tired by the end of the day to still feel like embracing it. So, I've been trying to sleep in on the weekends and even a little later throughout the week. I can't describe how hard this challenge has been for me. In so many ways I feel like [by resting more] I am selling myself short or lowering some standard, but I don't know where that thought comes from.

To do this means rearranging things, and having to be creative about how some things get worked in. For example, the Sunday before last, because I slept in, our whole morning routine was practically void. Sunday has recently become the sports day for both of our older kids. We also go to church. The whole day is full and the only things that got done that morning were a few chores before we left.

But later while Sophie was at volleyball practice, Jackson and I went out to the playgrounds behind the school. He played, and I ran circles around each section of the field that he was on, in order to squeeze in a run but frequently stopping to help or answer questions. It was at a much slower pace than I wanted but it allowed all of our needs to get met and still leave time to watch Sophie play.

[This next part will sound a little off topic but hang in there.]

As we approached the third playground, I was appalled and saddened to see that it looked like an entire team or two played a game of basketball, then left the empty bottles of two flats of water and a flat of Gatorade after they drank it. Trash was everywhere! I understand accidentally dropping a bottle or forgetting trash. -But seriously the water bottles and Gatorade were all the same kind, and there was an empty trash can twenty feet away. It was obvious that an entire group just walked away. Other piles of trash we're also left, almost as an "acceptable response" to the main message. How could that many people think that it was okay to just leave their garbage?

So, I stopped running and enlisted Jackson to help me pick it up.

Jackson was eager to do so, and we made many trips back and forth from the court to the trashcan. He was trying so hard to squeeze it all in- in one load. He kept dropping bottles. At one point I look up, and he had a water bottle hanging out of his mouth because he'd grown tired of picking the same one up when it wouldn't cooperate. [Zoom in] Of course, I yelled for him to spit it out. haha. But he was so cute and glad to take part. I had to take his picture first.

To his excitement, he found a dollar, a race car, a baseball, a sweatshirt, and a pair of gloves. While you and I know that there aren't always so many instant rewards of our good deeds, it easily became an opportunity to talk about just that. That sometimes when we are obedient and/or 'do the right thing', we too might be surprised with what we find. Not to mention the good we feel when we take care of something, even when we didn't have to. -or that 'the good' can still be for our own benefit, like a clean place for us to play, even when it's someone else's garbage.

I've been thinking a lot about that day, and I share it not to gloat about what we did or because I think that I do so many awesome things. There is a real tendency in me to be legalistic, and I need the reminder that's coming next. Perhaps you do too. -Which brings me back to my point.

You and I can exhaust ourselves, getting up earlier, trying to do too many things, going too many places, being on too many boards or counting only what other people approve of as a 'qualified' offering of our time. -Sometimes even neglecting the best ministry that we have [our families]. Or like Jackson, growing frustrated because we're trying to carry too much. We can even allow ourselves to feel guilty when our first, second, and even twelfth contribution is all that we have to give.

Sadly, sometimes we never even start something like getting up early to read our Bibles or begin an exercise routine because in our mind we're already comparing ourselves to what we think our ideal version is. We know the dedication that those folks put into it and 'we ain't got time for that' so we tell ourselves that our tiny offering won't make a difference.

But take a look with me at Mark 12:41-44 for a moment. It's a section about the widow's offering and it reads:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on."

You can also read on to see sections where Jesus talks about doing for the least and being trusted with a little, and having the faith of a mustard seed (which is another small thing). You might even recall his miracle about the fish and loaves. It is often the littlest examples that God does the biggest things with- in the Bible and in our lives.

In fact, Jackson probably learned more from me in the fifteen minutes of picking up trash than he would have in a year's worth of me doing something else that he might not get to be a part of. -And I might be too busy or too tired in other scenarios to remember to go back and teach him 'the why' later.

I am a hot mess in so many areas but the most successful changes that I have made in my own habits, have been because of my smallest changes that gradually added up, later on.

Friend, it's okay that you don't have enough time to do what all of your friends do. It's okay that you don't have money to buy as much or the means to provide the same contributions.

Matthew 6 reminds us not to look too far ahead. Do what you need to for today, which might look very different than your preferred routine. Offer your very best in whatever situation you're in. -And do what you need to do to keep YOUR lamp burning.

By being able to renegotiate time to fit in what matters, we're able to change the pace and sometimes see not only more of the details but also find more of the rewards ourselves.

Un-coincidentally, it's the same in our relationship with Jesus and time spent in scripture. It's usually the one nugget we glean that makes the biggest difference, instead of hours spent cramming the lesson.

So my question to you is, if God can accept and make good use of our smallest efforts, why can't we?

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I hope this message speaks to you on some level about an area of your own life. Maybe you need to dial something back in order to embrace more or perhaps jump in, even if it's only a quick dip. I challenge you to go for it and in whichever direction you go,  I pray that it becomes a fruitful effort. <3

Steward of Your Vessel

One morning, before everyone else got up, I hopped on my bike and rode three miles down to a nearby landing. Then I sat for thirty minutes on a pier, noticing thoughts and giving thanks to God, praying and admiring nature.

When my time was up, I hated to leave the silence and the cool air (even though I was growing chilly). I hopped back on my back and rode the three miles back home.

What you don't realize is that the person that walked back through my door was not the same person that walked out of it. I woke up particularly angry and frustrated that morning. Even when I sat alone quietly reading scripture and praying; I could feel this buzz, like a current, reverberating through my thoughts, making it hard to focus.

There could have been any number of things to define as the cause; circumstances, hormones, thinking patterns, even going a few days without exercising. etc. Who knows?! -But trying to pinpoint it didn't seem like a fruitful effort. So many times, that action has led to blame, condemnation or further aggravation.

I knew that I didn't want to spend my day that way. Not only would it be hard for anyone that I came in contact with but it would be harder for me to get through as well. So, after I finished reading my Bible, I quickly got dressed so that I could squeeze in a ride before everyone else got up.

I couldn't help but notice that the "energy" that felt like anger pulsing before had left my bones as it was released in pedals down and up the hill again. Now instead, there was a quiet emptiness. Not the sad kind, but more like a place of rest, safely tucked inside my heart. One that was free and had room to accept more the world around me.

The word steward came to mind, and it struck me.

As 'good people' and/or 'Christians' we often think of stewardship over things and resources that are given for us to share. The definition even says that a steward is "a person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft, or train; and one who manages drinks or meals." 

When we consider that all things that are given for God's purposes, then we too, are considered His vessels (Romans 9:21-23, 2 Corinthians 4:7). Many times, by sharing ourselves, we can be the most useful or effective resource in the life of those we are alongside.

Yet, in this crazy-busy world, we often don't make time for ourselves to exercise, meditate, read scripture, or tend to other self-preserving habits. Especially if they involve "extra work" or something unfamiliar. -Other, more demanding, things frequently get our attention instead; wearing us down.

If we are to serve, love and be a light... why would we not want to lead with the cleanest vessel possible? It is easier to love when we're not frustrated. It's easier to be patient when we're rested. It's easier to pray and share a Word when we know the words we need to share.

This may sound exhausting, unrealistic or even legalistic. Yet we do not give a second thought to changing the oil in our car or handling routine maintenance for other vessels and tools we 'can't live without.'

You and I are the only stewards of the vessels that He has given us to navigate this life. May we find the time and encouragement to honor Him by caring for ourselves; giving our truly best to others. :)

Oh Anxiety...

Do you struggle with anxiety? If so, my heart goes out to you. But you are not alone! Did you know that…

• General anxiety affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population. 
• Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. 
• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health). 
• According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
• Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.

[Source: Anxiety & Depression Association of America]

In addition to those statistics, I have also struggled with it. It can be debilitating. I know. Even when it’s not to that extreme, it can still be frustrating and exhausting. But I have learned some things that have really helped me to keep it in check. I’d like to share them with you. (As well as make myself a good list to check in with, if I have a flare up.)

First let me tell you about two of the most significant periods that I’ve experienced it. The first was in high school. It was a season that I was also suicidal and diagnosed as borderline bipolar. Paxil, Trazodone, Depakote were several of the pills that were prescribed for depression and insomnia. I struggled with full out panic attacks. I could be walking down the hallway with a bunch of friends, laughing and having a great time, then BAM. I would suddenly start to hyperventilate and the tears would come uncontrollably out of nowhere.

The second was actually in the last year as I sorted out some personal changes. Other than that, I occasionally struggle with more of a general or social anxiety. These two scenarios are just the most severe and the notes below are what I’ve learned through those experiences. Clearly you may have different triggers but hopefully at least one of the things below will speak to you.

1. Boundaries

In the first scenario, when anxiety was at it’s height, I was paralyzed. Honestly, I didn’t know why at the time. –Because I thought I was ‘fine’ and dealing with everything okay. But there were some situations in my life that brought me a great deal of stress. Being a minor limited how I was able to deal with it. Counseling helped but removing myself from the situation, even only temporarily, brought me the most immediate relief.

In the second scenario, there were some things that were out of balance. –And with the best of intentions and a good heart, I allowed them to get that way. –And it wasn’t until I felt like I no longer recognized myself that I realized that I had let it go too far.  Only then was I able to see how, by not having good boundaries, I was carried away. By this time, even the smaller flares of anxiety were more frequent.

In both cases I was just too close to the situation to be objective or to recognize where things were fuzzy. If you’re experiencing a burden, is it possible that you can step away [from it] to take a better look? If you’re flying solo most of the time, you might also actually need the perspectives of some good, strong, positive, God fearing peers.

When it comes to boundaries, the best verse that I can give you here, is what I consider to be my life verse. “Above all else, guard your heart for all you do flows from it.” - Proverbs 4:23 God made each of us with a special purpose and individual dream(s), gifts, responsibilities, etc. As stewards of the measure that He has given to each of us; not having appropriate boundaries can result in misuse, disobedience or sin on our end.

And if you’re feel too muddled up to know where to put a boundary, start by considering what your values are. What relationships you want to have in your life and what you want them to look like. Then identify what you know that you don’t want. Even if it’s in accomplishing tasks, setting big rocks vs little rocks, I have found it particularly useful to identify where I am willing to “fail” in addition to where I want success. Because let's face it, we really aren't able to do it all! This way, you can come up with the best plan and when it doesn’t go quite right, you already have an idea of what needs to get bagged. –In the heat of the moment that’s a lot harder to discern.

Whether you are starting with values and God’s will for you life or if you’re ready to focus on the boundaries. Here are some resources below that can help you get started.

• [Podcast] “Guardrails”, Andy Stanley | If you download the “Your Move” Ap the segments are free.
• [Book] “Discovering God’s Will”, Andy Stanley – This is particularly useful, if you lost touch with your values. It helps you paint the initial picture, then you can start establishing the guard rails.
• [Books] “Boundaries”, Henry Cloud | Test

2. Rest

Hebrews 4:1-13 is a great passage to read about the Sabbath Rest for the People of God. I encourage you to read it for yourself but let me share with you some points that stick out from it. The first is that verse 2 of “the message” translation states “We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with faith.”  My commentary on this area says that “When we trust our own efforts instead of Christ’s power, we too are in danger of turning back. Our own efforts are never adequate; only Christ can see us through.” 

I don’t know how it is for you but as for me I find that I always have one more thing to do. Whether it’s a committee that I can be on or a class that I can take. Even when I try to leave from work for the day or when I am home on Saturday in my sweat pants. There is always one.more.thing. that can be done.  It competes with the time that I spend with my husband and our kids. It competes with my time outdoors enjoying nature. It competes with sitting still and doing nothing!

But isn’t my answer to the call of the ‘To do list’ because I trust that I can get it all done. Even when I am worn down, growing irritable and out of my love walk [the second greatest commandment], I am still trying to complete the list.  But for what? In the end, I don't want to be known as the "master list checker-offer." Yet is it pride that would allow me to look at that list and say “I’ve made this happen.” or “I’ve completed that list...” Trusting in self…? uh-oh…

Start small and find a way to work into your schedule small increments of “sit and do nothing” time. Whether it’s a few minutes a day, a whole day of the week or some other format. If we’re too busy to focus on our love walk and even resting [in our Father’s love], then we’re flat out too busy. I heard a great quote at church last Saturday night that I believe applies here. “You will never have dominion over any appetite of your body until you make fasting a regular part of your diet.” - Fred Michaux, Pastor of City Life. Consider your “to do” an appetite. Then fast from feeding it, even if it’s only in the smallest of ways.

Lastly, if we skip down in our same chapter, verse 7 reads “Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today” skip another line “…TODAY, please listen, don’t turn a deaf ear…”

3. Take Thoughts Captive

This item and the one after might seem like contradictions and so I will do the best that I can to separate them. THINK about what you’re thinking about! I read a book over the summer called “Change Your Questions, Change Your Life” by Marilee Adams.  It was interesting to see how she identified that our responses to situations lead back to thoughts that start from one of 2 places.

The first is, by judging situations. In her example, the main character often wound up angry or frustrated because of judgments made in his own thought process early on. The second is by taking a learner approach where again, the main characters were more accepting and willing to move forward with something all by changing a few words in the initial questions that they asked while assessing situations.

I found the same to be true with my own thoughts. I am more critical of my children and others, when I judge what they’re doing instead of trying to understand what they are trying to accomplish or where they are coming from. I am more self deprecating when I judge my actions, instead of embracing the learning curve of figuring things out. Situations frustrate me more when I judge them instead of looking for way that I can change them or their impact.

I have also noticed a similar “pattern” with all of my feelings too. -Particularly around fear, anxiety or depression. Many times those responses also seem to lead back to the order of my thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to take EVERY thought captive. Just because a thought comes into our minds, it does not mean that we have to think it. If it doesn’t line up with the mind of Christ, STOP thinking it. Would Christ be anxious? Would Christ worry? Would Christ be stressing over x, y, or z? Would Christ stew in regret? No. In fact, even if it was the last option, He’d right the circumstance and have peace, or He would say “My Father rights me” and well… He’d have peace!  I firmly believe that you and I are to take the same approach.

I used to think that we should combat those those ‘bad thoughts’ by trying to rehearse scripture back to the devil about who we are in Christ. But to tell you the truth, I felt a little nutty doing that and it seemed to wind me up all the more. I now believe that we shouldn’t even give the devil the time of day. When that misaligned thought comes up, switch the subject! -Sing a song, phone a friend, or do something/anything other than think it!  -Heck bust out in some praise to God. After all, worship is a weapon! Maybe also keep a journal and when you are anxious, FIRST ask yourself what you are thinking about. Did your location, a person or event trigger a change in your thoughts? Jot your answers down.

–THEN switch the subject and do one of those other things!

4. Listen To Your Body

This is where I said it can get a little tricky. If you’re wigged out from all the thoughts you’ve had, it could be really easy to just ride the wave of how we’re feeling or if those feelings are only a reaction to trash that you’ve been thinking, well… that’s a problem. You don’t want to go that way. That’s why I put the thought thing first.

I get the pleasure of working with a lady named Donna Highfill. Before she came to the bank she was a personal coach and public speaker. She once said something to the affect of your brain can’t tell the difference in real fear or fake fear. If you are in a situation where you are afraid for your life, afraid of spiders, afraid of small spaces, etc. or if you’re just thinking about the thing that you’re afraid of, your brain is already responding. It’s releasing chemicals and your muscles are contracting, your heart rate or breath is responding in accordance to your brain activity. Your brain doesn’t know that you don’t need to be afraid. 

I bet that’s probably why Philippians 4:8-9 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” To remind us of the importance of keeping those -thoughts- in check.

BUT

What about those other feelings that you have when your body is trying to tell you something else? Like, the gut feeling that you have when you know that it’s time to go or that you shouldn’t be somewhere and yet you stay. Or the resistance you feel when you are spent but you are still trying to push it or yourself to the limit. Or when you’re so stressed that you have wake up in the middle of the night to run off the tension. -But you don’t consider waking up in the middle of the night to run, a problem. Even the little ways, like feeling full but continuing to eat, needing to cry but holding it in are ways that our body speaks to us that we ignore. Heck, are you covered in hives, struggling with ulcers or migraines? Nearly every physical ailment can be linked back to stress or diet. It’s not always the root but are we even listening to our body?

What about dreams? I am not really a dreamer. Once in a blue moon, I have one. Unless I am in a situation that needs attention. When that happens, there are many dreams that reoccur or really stand out. For example, in high school [same season] I had dreams about being in car wrecks, which I believe was because “the path that I was on, was out of [my] control” Later, I had dreams about my teeth falling out, which I believe is because there was something happening that I “couldn’t sink my teeth into”. I know that sounds ridiculous or a little too cliché, except that those calculations really were accurate for the time period and I only had those dreams then. They didn't make sense to me at first but the dreams queued me in and when I resolved the issues, the dreams stopped.

There are definitely times when our lives demand attention and a response from us and our bodies can give a variety of responses to help you tune in. And sometimes a Pastor, a good Christian friend or Counselor can help you navigate the right questions to ask yourself in determining if it’s your thoughts or something else.

But YOUR POWER lies in your ability to decide. Is ‘x’ okay or right for you? What are you going to do about it? YOU can do something about it!

Unfortunately, sometimes we do have to face and persevere through situations that cause those responses. Experiencing loss, lay offs, sickness and significant life changes certainly happen to us with or without our permission. Exercise can help you combat the physical responses that may occur while you’re going through it. Yes, even if it's running in the middle of the night. Also, referring to the items on this list can help you navigate this season.

And Finally, 

I don’t believe that feelings are bad. In fact, many of those feelings can be great indicators that we’ve got a situation that needs to be put in the proper place. It’s how we respond that makes the difference.

I know you’ll also expect me to tell you that prayer and time in the Bible will help. I’m glad to oblige but more so, I want you to know that reading my bible, spending time in prayer, attending church and developing my own faith and personal walk with the Lord has helped me overcome more than any other thing that I could do on my own. So, I am not just telling you to do that. I mean it with my whole heart. Having his spirit within me, is like an internal compass that helps me know when and where it is best for me to navigate. -But then we have to follow that direction.

Don’t be like those guys in the wilderness. Receive his promise and do it today. After all, he gave you TODAY again!

Additional Resources

• Your Pastor
• Genesis Counseling Center is a Christian facility in our area. 
• Freddy Vines (Another Christian Counselor)
• Focus on the Family could also recommend some that might be closer if that’s too far. 1-800-A-FAMILY

Photo Credits: 

Anxiety: http://amysmartgirls.com/heres-what-anxiety-feels-like-when-you-have-no-idea-what-anxiety-is/

Fence: http://favim.com/image/76891/

Stress: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davewillis/quotes-worth-sharing/

Change: http://www.bodyrock.tv/posts/exercise-cured-depression/

Exercise: https://thepositivepear.wordpress.com

Listening: http://mansplained.tumblr.com