Worry Wart Remover

I have several resolutions for the new year...one of which is to try to blog more regularly! Let's see how that goes ;)
Looking back on this year I see one that was busier than ever- as well as one that threw some major obstacles my way. So instead of just trying to keep up, I found myself almost drowning in an overwhelming sea of stress and worry. Why was I now struggling with things that had never before been an issue? A young- okayyy- relatively young woman, healthy and in the prime of her life now struggling with high blood pressure, anxiety, and taking meds to slow her heart rate. And all 3 discovered at the same time, for no apparent reason. Yep- These are just a few of the things life dealt me in the year 2013.
I've always been a worrier. Just ask my husband :) He says I like to lie in the bed at night and worry over what to worry about. Sadly, it's true. I don't know why...I just worry. For instance: I wake up at 2am worried that the trash can didn't get put on the curb and by morning, I will forget to remind the boys to make sure it's done. I worry about whether Matt has paid the homeowners insurance, or if I fed the cat that day. And for some strange reason, I always worry about stupid stuff at night. Things that during the day would NEVER cross my mind- (what if someone breaks in-will I hear them? Will Matt hear them and be superman, or will I have to don my cape and exterminate them myself? Why did Andy run that random fever the other day? What if there's an underlying reason for that fever and my blood pressure and Gracie's headaches....) big
 sigh right here>  These are some examples of the normal "everyday worries" I go through. Now let's talk about work related things. My husband is a Pastor- as if my readers didn't know this already. With his job comes many many many many (ok-I'll stop-sorry!) stresses and worries. I never knew how much the wife of a pastor had to deal with. I'm not the pastor's wife that dives in headfirst planning ladies luncheons and retreats and plays and makes sure that all the committees are running smoothly and if they aren't, jumps in and does it herself. I'm not her. I'm me. All may not agree with my stance, but it's mine. I can't imagine doing all that, yet I know pastor's wives that do!! All I can think is, "How on earth can they handle all that with everything they already have to WORRY about?!?!" If you are or ever have been in the ministry, you know what worries I'm talking about. If you haven't, you can't even imagine! I've often wondered, "Lord, YOU of ALL people know how ill-equipped I am to handle this job!!" But with the problems and set-backs I have recently had, the answer has become more obvious. 1 Thes. 5:24 "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." Ok, if He called me to do this, then I MUST be capable, or He wouldn't have called me. As for my worry? 
Psalms 121: 1-2 

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Psalms 31:24
"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

And then finally- all of my worrying simply takes away from my faith in my God to sustain and take care of me. He knows the number of my days and I rest in the promise that when my days are over, I will spend eternity with Him. When I worry, I am telling The Lord that He isn't enough, that somehow I believe in my finite mind that I can change my circumstances, or that my circumstances are out of His control. 

I can honestly say that what I once considered bad, I now consider good. The Lord put things in my life that He knew I needed in order to reign in my worrying. I can't say that I'm totally worry-free now, but I can tell you that everytime I start to worry, I tell myself 

Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.

6 Ways to Deal with Drama

This is not mine, but borrowed from another blog. I found it very insightful, and I hope that it helps someone else who may be dealing with this issue right now.




6w Ways to Deal with Drama

Trials

I have heard a lot about trials lately and wanted to share my thoughts on the subject. Some people say "If the Lord didn't think I could handle it, He wouldn't put it on me." Others say "The Lord just wants me to depend on Him." While both of these may be true, I believe that there's a deeper reason for trials. Or maybe not so much a deeper reason, as a tri-fold reason. Charles Spurgeon says it like this: "Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too." Our FAITH grows and prospers through trials. A strong faith is a precious and priceless gem in a decaying and declining world. A little faith is all it takes to secure your spot in eternity. But a strong faith gets us through this life victoriously and helps us to shine with the light of Jesus in a dark place. I'm thankful for trials. I'm thankful for the dependency on my Savior and I'm thankful for the testing of my faith that encourages me to dig deeper and stand firmly in the hope that I have in knowing my Lord will never leave me nor forsake me. His promises are sure and His love and mercy is everlasting. So rejoice in your trials- Be victorious in your trials-Let your faith be strengthened through your trials.

Facebook

A few of you may have noticed my recent absence from Facebook.
There are a couple of reasons for this.

 The main reason I use Facebook is to stay in touch with friends and family and occasionally to be a blessing to others. Since we are in the ministry, Facebook comes in super handy for advertising events and in general, for keeping others "plugged in" to what's going on. However, lately there has been an "issue" and it seems to be getting worse and worse. Instead of using it for positive or informative purposes, people seem to be using it as a means of saying things that #1. are none of ANYONES business, #2.bashing others, or #3. using Facebook as a way to hurt or attack others. I have seen people "innocently" posting things that I'm pretty sure were meant to hurt and I have seen so-called Christians posting pictures or statuses that would make a grown man blush either out of embarrassment or shame . I find it quite comical to picture Jesus having a problem with someone so instead of acting how He always did, suppose He got out a scroll and began to blab it to the whole world and list the persons faults for all to see. Comical only because that is so far from how our Saviour would act. As a matter of fact, He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..."

Anything created for good, satan will try to use for bad. Sadly, I think he has gotten all over Facebook. The great thing about this, is we have the ability to either allow that, or not. I personally will not allow it. I have been hurt, stressed and worried about things that should never have been an issue because of facebook and users' lack of self control. But because this is the age of social media, I have realized that  it is such a great tool to have and use, and I don't have to  delete it altogether to eliminate stress and heartache. So, I have decided that I will make full use of the "hide" function, and when I feel that someone is being offensive or acting in a way that I deem inappropriate, I will hide them from my newsfeed. If you are my friend on Facebook, then please understand if you put anything on there that would be offensive if Jesus Himself read it, then I will hide you (or delete if necessary). I know that none of us are perfect, we all have the freedom of speech, but come on! A little common sense and maturity is all it takes and if we all used it, Facebook would be an AWESOME thing!!
So with this being said: I have taken a small break from it and prayed about deleting it altogether. The conclusion that I have come to through scripture and prayer is that if I can be an uplifting, positive and godly example, it is better than keeping silent. Gal. 5:22-23a "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." I have found that this verse is synonymous with the old question to live by, WWJD? If our public profile displays any of the qualities mentioned in Gal. 5:22, then we are on our way to pleasing a holy and just God. I plan to ask myself before each and every post, "Is this in any way an attribute of any of the fruits of the Spirit?" If it goes against any of those things, I won't post it.
Again, I'm not telling you how to behave on Facebook. I am simply letting you know where I stand and how I personally will govern my Facebook.
Especially for my Christian friends and family: I love you ALL and want to remind you that we are connected to one another for ETERNITY. We should love eachother and help one another. Pray for eachother!!   If we have any ill will or hard feelings towards a brother or sister in Christ, regardless of what they have done, we need to ask God to remove those feelings from OUR hearts, or else the fault lies within us. I'm just glad that Jesus has been tolerant with me. I'm glad He doesn't  air my dirty laundry publically.