Mental Stuggles

There comes a time in nearly everyone's life when they must wrestle with their emotions. Sometimes those internal struggles spill over into the external world and morph into squabbles with others. In some cases, it can seem as though you're having an out of body type experience and as you watch your interactions with others play out before you, you are left to wonder, "Who IS that person who's being so cranky?" In all honesty (which may be a bit too much honesty for some readers), I am having a lovely hormonal imbalance for the first time since my hysterectomy this past fall. This has been growing steadily for the past month, and now it is to the point that I MUST do something about it. I am desperately hoping for an appointment with my doctor tomorrow (my family is also eager for me to see the doctor lol), but in the meantime, how am I handling this difficult time?

• Prayer, prayer, and more prayer
• Talking back to my inner self and reminding myself that this is just hormones and things aren't really as bad as they seem
• A certain amount of isolation---sometimes it's better to just be alone & quiet
• Peaceful atmosphere....clean room, books, hot tea, beautiful music....things that relax
• Recalling to mind Scriptures memorized

All these things help my moods tremendously and bring calm back into my life. Of course, the headaches, the tiredness, and mental fog (which can become dangerous) scream that I need a hormone adjustment as well; and those things on top of the mood swings are quiet bothersome....

Hopefully, soon the crazy lady will leave me, and I will be able to return to my self again. :)

Singing hymns half-heartedly without paying attention to the words or out of a sense of duty can be considered a form of taking the Lord's name in vain....

Get Up From There

There comes a point in everyone's life when they feel sad and start to dwell upon what on their losses and longings. One may readily advise that such individuals need to take their woes to God and leave them there. Unfortunately, many of us keep looking back, much like Lot's wife. My advice? No matter how hard it is, pick yourself up off the floor and do something kind for someone else. I have a widowed mother, mother-in-law, and aunt all within one mile or our home and nothing brightens their day more than an unexpected visit. Today, our daughter was having a serious case of the blues so I sent her to my mother-in-law's with some homemade blackberry cobbler. So often, we are so obsessed with our own belly buttons that we have no idea how much other people suffer or are just plain lonely. So, get up from the computer and invest in the life of someone who needs you, starting first with family or neighbors. Start where you are and work your way out. You'll be glad you did.

Are You Drifting?

We have been teaching our daughter to drive, and yesterday she learned a very important lesson that all drivers eventually learn: if you take your eyes off the road, you will drift out of your lane. This lesson was greatly impressed on her as she drifted into the lane of an oncoming minivan and upon realizing her error, she overcorrected and jerked us about.

As I went to sleep last night, I started wondering about this incident from a spiritual perspective. If we don't keep our eyes on Jesus and the goal of godliness, we start to drift. Sure, spiritual guard rails (rules) may keep us from going completely off the road, but we may never reach true godliness if we do not keep our eyes on Jesus and His Word.

As we travel the road of life, there is much to distract us, good and bad. Sometimes, we are so distracted that we stop and get out the car, falling into sin. Sometimes, we follow the other extreme and try to do so much for Jesus that we don't take time to refuel in His Word or through prayer and we exhaust ourselves.

So, keep your eyes on Jesus, and make sure you start each day's trip with a full tank of gas. :)

Are We Driven By Fear?

So much of what I think, read, and post about is really motivated by fear. I find this to be very energy and time draining.

I'm concerned about bird flu, so I get daily google updates about it and read 1,000 page books about the 1918 flu epidemic and start stocking up on medications and food...

I read books about what's in processed foods, and I buy foods that are organic, but allow my mind to be poisoned by worry, which in turn negatively affects my health more than the processed foods or not exercising...

While it is good to make preparations for the future, take care of our bodies, and protect our children; it is not good to let these activities or thoughts consume us. To spend so much of our energies on these things is to be weighed down by the things of the world. In light of this, I will be removing my google alerts. I would be better prepared mentally for any impending pandemic if my mind were bathed in Scripture and prayer rather than fear.


Phillipians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

For the remainder of this week, I will be taking a break from reading blogs and posting in order to spiritually regroup and cloister. I found being without the interference of TV very soothing to my soul, and I now feel the need to contemplate how much time I spend with blogs and whether or not that time is beneficial to the Kingdom. I may take this time to weed out a few posts. During this time, I will still be able to read any comments you might have, but I will not be responding until May 8th. See you then. 

Reducing Stress

Lately, my body has been showing signs of stress whick I assume are related to the death of my father. This is beginning to wear on my health and my nerves, so I thought that now would be a good time to revisit Lady Lydia's helpful article on relieving stress. Click on the link above for stress management. Once again, Mrs. Sherman saves the day. :)

Angels of Light

  

I used to think that the world would become so "bad" that it would be easier to tell the wheat from the chaff; not so. Now it seems as though some factions of the world look more "Christian" than professing Christians. There are times when I feel so alone in my convictions that I pray that God would open my eyes to see His angels in this spiritual battle. Hopefully, tomorrow my thoughts will be more lucid, and I will be able to better explain my thinking; right now my thoughts are swirling and comfuddled.

Maunday-Thursday

  

Today I find myself reflecting on Peter's denial of Christ, and I wonder how many ways we deny Christ in our day-to-day living. It is easy to say that we would never deny Christ, but we may dis-affirm our belief in Him in not so obvious ways. If we are not truly loving our neighbor as ourselves or loving God completely, we are denying Him before the watching world. We must remember that we are in a constant battle, warring with our own flesh and the powers of darkness. We must constantly be on prayerful guard, as Jesus would have had his own disciple do in the garden. Are we asleep and unaware of wars going on within us and around us? Or, are we denying Christ because of fear of the enemy or a lack of concern for our fellow man? I say these things because all to often I am spiritually sleepwalking through life, and perhaps maybe you are too. Take time this weekend to ask God to open your eyes to the spiritual realities in your life.

When Admiration Becomes a Problem

I think sometimes women get confused. Not being a man, I cannot speak for that gender. I do know that admiration of others can develop into something greater and sometimes something sinful. In some instances, admiration of another leads to idolization or emulation. Let me give you an example.

I know of a woman whom I had always admired. She has 7 children, homeschools them all, lives on a very large farm that will some day be self-supporting. Even before I became well acquainted with this woman, I idolized her. I had always wanted a large family. I was homeschooled myself, so I have a natural bent towards homeschooling. I have always been attracted to the self-sufficient type of lifestyle. But this woman's lifestyle is not what God has for me. I am not a high energy person - never have been. I could not keep up with all that land, farm animals, or children. God knows best.

Growing up, I always admired the discipline and sacrifice of Olympic athletes. I would have loved to have been a gymnast or an ice skater. No matter what I do, one of my legs will always be shorter than the other, and my spine will always be curved. I have always had and will always have a weak constitution. God knows best.

When I was 11, I saw Itzhak Perlmann on TV and admired his passion for music. I wanted to play the violin and make it sing like he did, but I am one of those people who cannot even pat their head while rubbing their stomach. God knows best.

My husband loves basketball, but no matter what he does, he will always be short and stocky - not your basketball type build. God knows best.

My point is this; as you peruse the blogosphere and read about people that you admire or wish you could be like, be careful. While someone else's life is good or they have admirable qualities, that doesn't mean that everyone is supposed to have those same gifts or talents. In and of themselves, those things (like have 7 children or being musically gifted) do not make you more godly. Maybe your life is not as pretty as a china tea cup; maybe God wants you to be an everyday mug that is used more often. ;) Don't look at other peoples' lives to as an example - look to Christ. God knows best.

Christian! It is not the ship in the water,
but the water in the ship, which sinks it.
So it is not the Christian in the world,
but the world in the Christian,
which constitutes the danger.

Anything which dims my vision of Christ,
or takes away my taste for Bible study, or
cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian
work difficult, is wrong for me, and I must,
as a Christian, turn away from it!

--J. Wilbur Chapman

(From Slice of Laodicea)

Dealing With Loss at Christmas

Right now, I am tired of being an adult, especially as my father is in his final days of cancer. My dad was always a formidable man, someone to stand in fear and awe of. This is no longer true, and it scares even him. We had fun for five years saying that he was just "too stubborn to die" or that he was like a cockroach because you just couldn't kill him. Reality has now come quickly, and it has chosen a Christmas visit. My father was always good at catching me off my guard and finding that my room was not clean or my chores were not done, and now he has caught me off my guard again. I was not ready. I wonder, when Jesus comes, will I be truly ready for Him? Will I be one of the wise virgins with oil in my lamp, or will the cares of this temporal world consume my time and life? Are you ready? 

Help for the Overwhelmed

Does your life seem like a never ending "to do" list? Do you feel like you're exceptionally busy, but you're still not getting anywhere? Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate what you are doing. As this week begins, I find myself asking whether or not what I have planned for the week has any Kingdom relevance. Yes, yes, taking care of the family and home does have Kingdom relevance, but I find that when I am overwhelmed and harried, the things that I do become worldly relevant rather than Kingdom relevant. I lose my focus & sight of the main goal. Am I doing what God requires? Am I walking humbly with God? (Micah 6:8) I find that often I am running circles around God in a panic to get things done. Suddenly, the sacrificial life that I seek to lead before God turns into my sacrifice of God and family for the sake of a "to do" list. So, as I begin this week and this day, I ask myself, "Why am I doing this, how can I glorify God through this, or is this what God wants me to do right now?" Slow down. Pray & think.

Reducing Stress with Peaceful Living

 


By Mrs. Stanley Sherman
May 23, 2005, 20:33


In these times, most people have more stress than they can handle. While we cannot always control the demands or stresses put upon us by others, there are ways to reduce the stress we put on ourselves. Here are a few things that might help:

Develop Orderliness: Feelings of anxiety and loss of control occur when the disorder reigns in your domain. Your house, front porch, and yard may need some sprucing up, and the only way to get it done is to work at it. If you lack motivation,...

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_2003.shtml

Spiritual Starvation

No matter how busy you are, no man is too busy to eat; neither is any man too busy to feed his soul. And if we starve our souls, we will deprive our lives, busy though they may be, of their fruitfulness. -- George P. Vanier

What struck me about this quote is how much "junk food" we feed to our minds. TV shows are either bad or benign - OK, there may a few "good" ones, but they are a rarity. Most of what we watch falls into the benign category on the evil scale, and we feel pretty good about that. I believe we are thus deceiving ourselves. These benign shows are mental junk foods that are slowly starving our souls.

Statistics state that if we watch TV at our current rate until we die, we will have spent a full 10 years of our life watching TV! At the end of my life, I don't want to say, "Oh, if only I had watched Constantine get booted off American Idol during TV Turn-Off week, my life would be complete." Exaggerated? Yes, but this is how we act when faced with actually having to miss a show that we like. Imagine if we spent that 10 years reading, memorizing scripture, spending time with family, volunteering, or actually getting to know our neighbors. Sure, it's been a tough 4 days without TV, but during that time I've read 1 1/2 books, finished 2 sewing projects and started another, discussed ideas with my family, and played games - all of which feed your mind.

This is not an age where spiritual malnutrition and flabbiness can stand against the evil one. So, put down the remote. Feed your soul.

Don't Be Afraid

Yesterday my daughter and I went to help out an inner city reading center. It was a nervous time for my daughter as we have never done this before. When we arrived, the building was locked, so we decided to wait on the front porch. A school bus soon left several children 1/2 block away. Upon spotting us, several children ran home, only to be seen running back towards us, eager for stories. We all waited for 45 minutes for someone to unlock the building, but no one ever came. Was this time wasted? Certainly not! After a few minutes of waiting, the children (my daughter included) began playing an old fashioned game of Hide & Seek, complete with girlish giggles and squeals. It was a wonderful ice breaker, and now my daughter is eager to return to read to the children. Please don't let fear keep you from ministering to others. Who knows, maybe God has some fun in store for you as part of His wonderful blessings!