Stressed Out: Unplanned Situations

Your child comes to you to reveal they are going to be a parent (regardless of gender). You get up and go to work to find out it was your last day. You go out to start your car and it doesn’t start. You have a busy day and get a call from a close friend who just lost a spouse and needs to talk.

Just a few examples of unplanned situations. All of which will probably bring about some sort of stress in your life. How do you deal with these situations? Do you stress and try to initially get through it yourself? Do you turn to God initially, eventually, or at all?

Sunday, as we examined our second part of our Stressed Out series, we looked at being stressed in unplanned situations, especially when they can be beyond our control.  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week…

• Reactions are Natural ~ As the concept is to turn to God, it is not out of the question to have an initial reaction before turning to God. Disappointment, frustration, anxiousness, and anger are possible initial reactions we are going to have. However, hopefully, those are short-lived before turning things over to God.
• Stress is Heavy ~ If you saw a 50 lb bag of something sitting in your house, you wouldn’t probably be drawn to pick it up to carry it around for the rest of the day. However, “invisible” weight, like stress, can be just as wearing but we generally elect to carry it around. Why is that? Giving your stresses to God (which may take more than once per stressor) allows Him to carry the load for you. Also, asking for help from fellow Christians.
• Give Regularly ~ Depending on your nature you may have a tendency to give God your situation initially, but then fade out in your giving as the situation unfolds. May we remember to give it to Him more than once. Maybe your situation causes you to confront someone, give that stress to Him as you enter into it, too.

Stresses come all the time. May we learn to lift up the situations to Him!

No Victory in Mud Slinging

Complaints are a dime-a-dozen. It doesn't matter if it is a child complaining about what's for dinner, a fan/player complaining about an official's call or lack there of, a customer's dissatisfaction with their food, an actors work in a play/film, the weather, the government, or how a church operates. We find it easy to complain. We want to be satisfied, so when we're not, we don't give second chances, we expect to be pleased, so we let people know about it.

Have you been receiving complaints? I've had my fair share. I once thought I wanted to be a "famous" preacher. However, after knowing all that they go through from skeptics, I thought about it again and do not think I need to be "well-known".

If you have been experiencing some complaints lately, this week's quote is for you. I hope you gain encouragement from it...

If criticism is mistaken or mean-spirited, rise above it.
Maintain the high ground when you're under fire.
No victory is worth winning at the expense of picking up the mud that has been slung at you and throwing it back. ~ Rubel Shelly

It is easy to throw mud back. There are people out there that will always complain about something I have done. They have slung mud as they were upset. It took a lot to imitate Christ and not sling it back. Though it may make me feel good to throw the mud back, there is no victory found in mud slinging.

If you are thinking about slinging some mud...don't. If you've been slung at...don't sling back. There is no victory in that. Rise above being under fire! You can gain victory in rising above rather than lowering yourself to their level.

Ever trying to maintain the higher ground...with His help...

Working Hard by Doing Hard Work

We have a common phrase we say when it seems we are not able to complete a task..."I can't". You've said it, I've said it, and those yet to be born will say it. I remember saying it in school when trying to find an answer to a question. However, there are times it feels that way with God. That feeling where you just can't go on another minute/day with the situation the way it is right now.

Schools have started; practices have started; life has always started. All these things require us to work hard. This brings us to this week's quote...

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~ Newt Gingrich

Usually, when we say "I can't" we haven't even arrived at the point of perseverance. However, when you get to the point of thinking you can't do it any more after putting in the hard work, you have to continue working hard to complete your goal.

I encourage you to keep on working hard in your marriage, Christian walk, at your job, at school, a giving up bad "habits", at starting good "habits", in your friendships, in your sports practices, in coaching and in other areas of life.

Work hard at working hard!

Persevering...

Monday Mentionings: "Empty" - Future - Amos 4:6-8

When you started the day/week, where was your focus at for the week? Maybe it was on one thing or many, we're all different. Try this one on, was what you were focused on something you looked forward to or dreaded? The power of positive thinking affects us greatly. So, if you looked at the week with dread, you are in for a much rougher road. Looking at the week with dread is like seeing the week without something - fun, enjoyment, fulfillment, etc., which means it is empty of those things. This series called "Empty" focuses on different things which we may experience a form of that word. Yesterday, we looked at how a future can seem empty. Try these applications on for size and see if they can help you as you go through your week...

1. Self-esteem is so important to how a person looks to the future. When you have a low self-esteem you may feel like life, or some aspect of it, is without hope. You may have feelings of wanting to get away, but this can have a negative effect as you are just surrounded by negative thoughts. May the words of Paul encourage you, "[You] are God's workmanship"! The idea of workmanship is like a work of art. You are unique and God can do amazing things through you - what will this week bring?

2. I've heard many times about people who wonder why their life wasn't any better after they became a Christian. They're looking for the blessings that come from being a Christian. Blessings are subjective - you may not get health and wealth blessings, but you may get a lot of other tangible blessings that you aren't noticing. Regardless, our most valuable blessing is to have Christ as a Savior. When all the "sugar" runs out of our life and it seems very bitter, God is still around. The next time you're feeling you are emptied of blessings, think about how you can see, hear, type, walk, run, breathe, or any other good thing you take for granted. We also have the opportunity to go to heaven...what a BLESSING!

3. What do you desire to happen when you come together with the family of God? I desire to be surprised by how God shows up. I am hungry each and every day for that. Do you have a desire to connect with Him some way? Have you ever lost that desire or any desire related to this? We've all probably had "valley days" - I have. That is natural, but what God hopes will not happen is that you stay in "Camp Self", that you lose all desire to go to Him. Even if the only source of hunger is where He's at, you are so content to be in "Camp Self" that you'd rather forage in the valley, than go to Him. May you never find yourself at "Camp Self" - or at least staying there! Seek Him!

May God bless you with a great week!

Spring is knocking! I love the transitional seasons!

Blessed by the Blood ~

E-mail Encouragement: Be Brave!

One might be able to somewhat know what it is like to go through a situation you've never been through, but you never genuinely know until you have experienced it for yourself. How would you describe having a filling put in your tooth if you've never had it done? Sure, it is usually painful, but it is hard to describe what the actual feeling is like. Speaking of something that is painful, that brings us to today's quote...

"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." ~ Author Unknown

Even as I wrote about the dentist experience, I experience sensations in my mouth of "drilling anxiety". I've had it enough to know it is not a pleasant experience - especially if there is more than one filling that is needed. However, since I have experienced it before, I have a sense of courage for anytime in the future. Whether it is pain from a dentist or pain from another experience, this quote holds very true.

Heartaches, feelings hurt, skin lacerations, failed test, lost job, etc. All are things that allow you to be prepared if there is a next time. The same works in evangelism. I might describe bravery as "anxiousness going forward". You might be scared to go through a house with no lights on, but you still go forward to find the switch. You might be scared to go into the dentist office, but bravery keeps you from not quitting. You might be scared to share Jesus with someone, but bravery makes sure you do. You will experience pain in life. If you didn't you would be one of the biggest idealists because you'd always expect things to turn out a certain way. Our personal challenge is to be brave and go forward in, specifically, our sharing of Jesus. If it results in pain, that just "nourishes courage", which will result in an easier next time. So, be brave and share Jesus!

May God bless you with a great end of the week, and one that ends with no pain! However, if you did have a pain during the week, be brave and keep moving forward!

Sharing Jesus ~

Monday Mentionings: Too Good to Be True - Genesis 37:3-8

Our "family reunion" was really great on Sunday! It was great to see everyone there! Aubrey and I were very much surprised with your appreciation gift! THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!

Have you ever experienced a "too good to be true" moment? We all would like to experience those moments more than we actually do. However, in our normal lives, too many moments like that would seem like the norm, and take away from some of the surprise factor.

As Christians, we have a whole life of "too good to be true" moments. If you think about salvation, that is when it tends to lose its "Christmas morning, gifts under the tree" surprise factor because it is a state we are in at all times. However, when you think about it a bit more, God can surprise us at any time with a situation you never thought would happen. As we looked at Joseph's life, here are some other applications...

1. Have you been through some rough patches in life? Do they keep popping up from time to time? Are they so bad that you said to yourself, "God, why am I still here?" A person recently said that they were "ready" to go on to heaven. They didn't know that God was going to use them in an absolutely huge way, just right around the corner. Joseph went through some rough patches, but God wasn't through with him yet. You might wonder why, but God may just be going to use that painful life experience to benefit someone else or lead you to someone else. He's not through with you yet, either!
2. God can make lemonade out of life's lemony moments. Losing a job can be very bitter. If you've ever been laid off or fired, or resigned or retired, say a quick prayer for those in that place, especially those who you really didn't get along with. Pray for yourself and for them.
3. New clothes are fun to put on. There is the fact that they are new, which is fun. Also, there is the fact that you want to see how you look, how it fits, etc. I just heard about my 5 year-old niece who received a package from her grandparents with a new outfit. She had her dad stop the car just so she could change to put it on! She was excited! As Christians, Christ has put on our old clothes of sin and gives us new clothes of salvation, that we can put on. (II Corinthians 5:21, I Peter 2:24, Galatians 3:26-27) Praise God that you have the opportunity to no longer have those clothes! Praise Jesus for wearing them...so you don't have to!!!

Remember, we can all "do big things for God!"

Have a great week!

Blessings ~