abiding in Christ, adapting to change, Biblical Principals, change, changes, choices, God, God's omnipresence, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, Identity In Christ, Love, managing change, Peace, perseverance, Prayer, Relationship With God, Surrender, Trials and tribulation, trusting God, Truth

The best stress relievers. Guaranteed.

The experts define stress as our body’s way of responding to any kind of external demand or threat. In other words: your life feels out of control.

Stress doesn’t just bother us. It overwhelms us. Stress can trigger other troubling emotions such as fear, anger, irritability, anxiety, depression, isolation, panic attacks loneliness and more.

Our stress response1 is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

When stress grips our body, what do we want right then more than anything else: rest and peace. Right?

Stress impacts folks differently, depending on the life event causing the stress. A pair of psychologists studied stress and assigned numeric values to a variety of life events causing stress.  They call them Life Change Units, or LCU’s. Here are a few and their numeric values:2

  • Death of a spouse–100
  • Divorce–73
  • Marriage–50 [Shouldn’t this number be higher?]    :>)
  • Pregnancy–40
  • Trouble with in-laws–29
  • Change in sleeping habits–16

1To review all the LCU’s or evaluate your stress level by the numbers now, click here.

However, all the LCU’s and psychologists and doctors and stress management books and tapes and websites can’t begin to relieve our stress as thoroughly and as quickly as these proven stress relievers.

Try these infallible stress relievers:

You want rest? 

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and humble in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 61:1-2

You want peace?

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [Talk to God about your stress] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Here’s another:  In the middle of your struggle and trials with stress, just keep repeating the name, Jesus.  “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

A note to ye of little faith in these stress relievers:
You may think just saying scripture is bogus. “No way quoting scripture is going to relieve my stress.”

I would ask you, have you tried it? If not, why? What’s do you have to lose except stress?

If you’ve tried it and it doesn’t seem to work for you: Keep quoting. Keep meditating. Keep memorizing and keep remembering:

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

This paragraph taken from HelpGuide.org

2 To see statistics for stress indicators, click here.

A Personal Relationship With God, Almighty God, Biblical Principals, choices, God, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, In the presence of God, knowing God, Life, Love, Loving God, Peace, Personal, Relationship, Relationship With God, Righteousness, showing love, trusting God, Truth

Time

The most important use of your time is to spend your time on what is most important.

You can’t save time, borrow time, make the most of time, keep time, find the right time, mark time, lose time, take time, or spend time.

You don’t have any time tomorrow, it’s not here yet. and yesterday is history.

The only time you have to do anything is now.

So, the question each of us has to ask and answer for ourselves is:

What’s the most important thing in our life?

I will claim for myself “seek ye FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (food, drink, clothes) will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Do I consistently seek my God first? No. My wife and my family edge out God more than I care to admit. But my heart always longs to make God first. How about you?

If God and His Kingdom is not the one thing that is most important in your life, maybe it’s time to make Him the most important thing. Right now.

A Personal Relationship With God, acceptance, Almighty God, application, attitude, behavior, belief system, Blood of Christ, bridge, change, changes, choices, Christian community, conversation, denial, discussion, enough is enough, false gods, Forgiveness, Friendship, God, God alone, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, helping, hope, How God Loves Us, humility, Identity In Christ, If You Are In Christ . . ., Jesus, kindness, law enforcement, Love, Loving God, loving others, Obedience, Peace, peace of God, perseverance, Prayer, protection, Relationship With God, Service, Serving others, sharing, showing love, Surrender, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Great Commission, trusting God, Truth, truth, undaunted

Unity please.

We inaugurated a new president, Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, on January 20.

We’ve just completed the most significant benchmark in our entire democracy–the transfer of power from one presidential administration to another–pageantry we perform and celebrate every four years.

Vice President Kamila Harris
President Joe Biden

The quote that impacted me most in Mr. Biden’s inaugural address, and one I can imagine myself quoting in future blog posts, is what he said about unity. Mr. Biden said, “With unity we can do great things. Without unity, there is no peace.”

Unity please. We so desperately need unity in this country in this day and time, especially since Trump, in his last weeks in office tried to split our country apart even more.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King said, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:31 to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

We can’t even begin to change our attitudes about being united with our fellow man until we undergo a transforming change of our collective hearts.

And God is the only one who can do that.

Are you prepared for Him to do that in your heart?

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, attitude, change, changes, choices, finding your way, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, How God Loves Us, knowing God, Truth

The Cone of Uncertainty

cone of uncertainty 2They can’t tell you where the storm will strike, when the storn will strike, or how bad the storm will be. Weather savvy meteoroligists at the TV station draw this wide cone on the screen hedging their bets with their best scientific guesses. It’s called the cone of uncertainty. It’s used to describe where weather experts believe the eye of the storm could possibly travel.

Despite all the sophisticated high-tech weather stuff, their “best” guesses are still uncertain. Continue reading

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, attitude, behvior, Bible Study, Biblical Principals, choices, finding your way, God, God's omnipresence, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Lessons learned, Love, Loving God, Obedience, patience, showing love, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

I’m going to write a post on procrastination . . .tomorrow

A Personal Relationship With God, Biblical Principals, choices, danger, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipresence, Grace, Grace / Mercy, humility, Lessons learned, Loving God, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

Do you suffer from selfie pride?

A Personal Relationship With God, attitude, choices, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Loving God, Obedience, Truth

Happy DEpendence Day

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, attitude, behavior, Biblical Principals, choices, freedom, God, God's love, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, hope, kindness, knowing God, Obedience, Peace, Righteousness, Surrender, The Holy Spirit, trusting God

I couldn’t survive without my G.P.S.

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, behavior, Biblical Principals, Christian community, conversation, Forgiveness, freedom, Friendship, God, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, kindness, knowing God, Loving God, Relationship With God, Righteousness, Salvation Plan, sanctification, Serving others, showing love, Truth

5 + 2

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, Bible, Biblical Principals, choices, Christianity, Friendship, God's omnicience, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, knowing God, Love, Peace, Practicing Religion Or Living In Faith?, Righteousness, Serving others, showing love, Surrender, The Church, trusting God, Truth, Worship

How to pick the right religion

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, adoption, Almighty God, Biblical Principals, Blood of Christ, choices, Creation, freedom, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, Heaven, hope, How God Loves Us, If You Are In Christ . . ., knowing God, Lessons learned, Love, Obedience, Personal, Praise and Worship, reaching out, Relationship With God, Resurrection, Righteousness, Salvation Plan, sanctification, Service, Serving others, sharing, showing love, Surrender, Truth

The majestic, simple Gospel

A Personal Relationship With God, Almighty God, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, Grace, How God Loves Us, Jesus, knowing God, Love, Loving God, loving others, Personal, Praise and Worship, reaching out, Relationship With God, Resurrection, Salvation Plan, sanctification, Service, Serving others, sharing, showing love, teachers, Truth, wisdom of children, Worship

3 things Vacation Bible School taught me

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, Biblical Principals, change, choices, Creation, finding your way, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, Guest Blogger, managing change, peace of God, perseverance, Serving others, trusting God, Truth, Worship

What’s your TQ–your Trust Quotient?

A Personal Relationship With God, behavior, Biblical Principals, change, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace / Mercy, Truth

Faith in the classroom

A Personal Relationship With God, Almighty God, Christian community, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, kindness, knowing God, Love, Loving God, loving others, Peace, peace of God, showing love, Surrender, Truth

When we see The Father for the first time

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, angels, attitude, Bible Study, Biblical Principals, change, changes, choices, Christian community, Christianity, finding your way, freedom, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, Heaven, hope, kindness, knowing God, Love, Peace, Surrender, Truth

Where will you go when you die?

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, Almighty God, Biblical Principals, Blood of Christ, change, choices, Christianity, Exchanged Life, finding your way, God, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, Jesus, kindness, knowing God, Love, Loving God, loving others, Peace, Personal, Practicing Religion Or Living In Faith?, Relationship, Relationship With God, Righteousness, sanctification, Service, Serving others, showing love, Surrender, the cross of Christ, The Gospel, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting God, Truth

How do we get right with God?

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, attitude, behavior, Biblical Principals, Exchanged Life, freedom, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, If You Are In Christ . . ., In the presence of God, Jesus, kindness, knowing God, Lessons learned, Love, Peace, Relationship With God, Righteousness, Service, showing love, Surrender, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting God, Truth

Are you doing enough for God?

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, Almighty God, attitude, behavior, choices, God, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, kindness, Love, Loving God, loving others, patience, peace of God, Personal, protection, Righteousness, Serving others, showing love, The Holy Spirit, trusting God, Truth

God’s free gift of grace, to me, is. . .

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, acceptance, Biblical Principals, choices, freedom, God alone, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, kindness, knowing God, Loving God, Personal, Relationship With God, sanctification, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

Why can’t we understand “free”?

acceptance, adapting to change, attitude, changes, choices, God, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's Sovereignty, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, helping, hope, humility, Jesus, kindness, loneliness, Love, Peace, Personal, protection, reaching out, Relationship With God, showing love, Trials and tribulation

My inevitable but necessary 31-day sabbatical has ended. I am home. I will publish my next “For His Glory” post on Wednesday, May 17.

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, attitude, Biblical Principals, changes, choices, Forgiveness, freedom, Friendship, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, In the presence of God, Loving God, Obedience, peace of God, Righteousness, Salvation Plan, Trials and tribulation, trusting God, Truth, What I Believe

Living under the other shoe

shoe dropFor years I toiled under the weight of a “works” oriented salvation. I believed that to please God I had to work to earn His favor and His grace. When  I did good things I believed my deeds were pleasing to God and, for the moment, I had gained His favor. But, when I sinned (and I did.  A lot) I believed, even when I repented, God would make me pay with some consequence or retribution.  I considered it, “Waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

It was a miserable way to live. I went about my day trying to figure out what the
shoe would be. Would it hurt? Would it drop when I least expected it? Would it drop when I was enjoying pleasant times? Would it drop on my friends? When it dropped would my friends abandon me? Would it grieve me or cause me emotional pain? Would I suffer?

Then in August, 2000, I learned my true identity in Christ. God showed me His grace and taught me I didn’t have to pay for any or all the sins I committed. He told me, “They’re all already paid for. Stop waiting for that shoe and let me show you how much I love you.”

I’ve never worried about that shoe again.

 

abiding in Christ, armor of God, Biblical Principals, Forgiveness, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace / Mercy, How God Loves Us, Obedience, Peace, showing love, Surrender, trusting God, Truth

The Shoes of Peace Aren’t Flip-Flops

A Personal Relationship With God, abiding in Christ, Almighty God, change, Christian community, Christianity, God, God's love, God's omnicience, God's omnipotence, God's omnipresence, God's Power, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Grace / Mercy, Guest Blogger, How God Loves Us, humility, Jesus, Lessons learned, Life, loving others, managing change, Obedience, Praise, Relationship With God, The Church, The Gospel, trusting God

The Struggle In Today’s Church

Editor’s Note: I ran across this post on Writinggomer’s  blog and wanted to share it with my readers. Greg has some of the same issues I have expressed on this blog before about the state of the church today.  Is the church more like a harlot or the Bride of Christ?

By Writinggomer
Published on his website: Believing God Today

How would you like your eggs today, over-easy, scrambled, fried, sunny-side up, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, poached, or shirred?? How about your steak; rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done?? Choice of potatoes? This sounds like questions for a meal in a restaurant right?

Can you relate the above questions to today’s Church? Depending on the meal you choose when eating in a restaurant, you, the patron, sometimes have Continue reading

abiding in Christ, acceptance, Biblical Principals, Christianity, conversation, Friendship, God's love, God's omnipresence, God's purpose, God's Sovereignty, God's Word, Grace, Grace / Mercy, growth, How God Loves Us, Identity In Christ, If You Are In Christ . . ., knowing God, Love, loving others, Obedience, Peace, Praise, Salvation Plan, sanctification, The Church, the cross of Christ, The Gospel, The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Baskin Robins Christianity