"Winning Over Worry"

I so needed this today!!!

December 30, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 2
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Friend to Friend
In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul gives us the promise of peace. However, there are conditions to be met and actions we must take in order to experience that peace and win over worry.

Action one: Choose joy

Action two: Be gentle

Philippians 4:5 gives an unusual directive concerning worry. "Let your gentleness be evident to all." "Gentleness" literally means "humility, softness and tenderness" and seems to indicate that part of dealing with worry is related to the directive that we must be gentle with everyone. The Living Bible translates "gentle" as "unselfish and considerate". Any way you look at it, this truth is in direct opposition to the viewpoint of the world in which we live. Power and assertiveness gain respect while gentleness is often viewed as weakness. In God's eyes, gentleness is harnessed strength, and a controlled power. What does gentleness have to do with eliminating worry? Paul is saying the way we treat people affects our peace. Many of us have lives filled with worry because we have relationships filled with conflict. When we are not gentle, conflict is the inevitable result. Worry and anxiety thrive in the atmosphere of conflict. What does it mean to be gentle in our relationships?

· Gentleness is willing to give up control.

James 3:17a "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others." Gentleness can always find a patch of common ground, giving people room to grow and change.

Gentleness doesn't control but is willing to yield or submit to one another in love.

· Gentleness is love in action.

James 3:17b "Gentleness if full of mercy and good deeds." When gentleness sees a need, it does something about it. It is compelled to take action!

· Gentleness forgives.

Colossians 3:13 "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Gentleness is quick to give and to receive forgiveness, always taking the responsibility to initiate forgiveness.

· Gentleness wages peace.

Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people." "Gentleness" does not retaliate but pursues peace instead. The goal of gentleness is unity. I've read that when thoroughbred horses are under attack, they stand in a circle, face each other, and with their back legs kick out at the enemy! Donkeys do just the opposite. They face the enemy and kick each other.

We are called to wage peace. When we practice gentleness and pursue peace in our relationships, there will be less conflict, more unity and fewer footholds for worry.

Action three: Be aware of His presence.

Philippians 4:5 "The Lord is near." We often pray, asking for God's presence when our prayer should be, "Lord, make me aware of your presence." He is near but many times our lives and hearts are too crowded to see or hear Him. The more we are aware of God's presence the less we will worry. We become aware of His presence through:

· Bible

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword."

The most powerful weapon against worry is scripture. Read it. Memorize it. Immerse your life in it. The word of God grounds us, repelling worry. When worry comes - reject it! Deflect it with the shield of God's word.

· Prayer

1 Peter 5:7 "Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."

Prayer is simply conversation with God and a powerful weapon against worry. I read of a widow who had successfully raised a large family of eighteen children, twelve of whom were adopted. Yet, she never seemed to worry. During an interview, a reporter asked the secret of her peace and confidence. She said, "I'm not alone. I'm in a partnership with God. Years ago, I said "Lord, I'll do the work and you do the worrying! I have had peace ever since!"

· Friends

Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

When you share your fears with others, they grow smaller because someone has gotten under the load with you. A shared load is a lighter load. We tend to hide our fears in darkness where they grow and strengthen, instead of bringing them out into the light where they will die. When we try to be "lone-ranger Christians" and handle our fears on our own, we are susceptible to attacks that will defeat us. When we stand together, our strength is multiplied and we are not easily beaten.

· Experience

James 1:17 "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow."

The more we know Him, the more we will understand that He really is who He says He is and that He is willing and able to work in our lives. We will naturally begin to trust Him and soon discover that He is faithful.

So much worry is buried in the unknown. The "known" victories of yesterday can destroy the fear of today's "unknown" circumstances because He is always the same. What a security comes when we realize that we can truly count on Him. God's presence empowers us to win over worry. When you are tempted to worry, stop and go back over the books, remembering the victories and celebrating them once again. The God who delivered you yesterday will deliver you today and tomorrow! The experiences of life prove Him true and underline His presence within.

Let's Pray
Father, help me to handle the relationships in my life with gentleness. When there is conflict, give me the strength to confront it in Your love. I long for Your presence in my life. Help me to be more aware of Your hand at work.

In Jesus' name, I pray
Amen.

Name above All Names

This was wall stated from a church's Advent devotional guide. Click on the title of this post and it will take you to the OUR DAILY BREAD devotion where is came from.

"Let us at all costs avoid the temptation to make our Christmas worship a withdrawal from the stress and sorrow of life into a realm of unreal beauty. It was into the real world that Christ came, into the city where there was no room for Him, and into a country where Herod, the murderer of innocents, was king. He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace - His peace - in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."

You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21

Christmas Scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

An Early Christmas Laugh

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

"Word Verification"

Okay, so I find it absolutely hilarious the different...words...if that's what you call them, that blogger uses as 'WORD VERIFICATION.' So, I'd like to conduct a little....survey...poll, I'm not sure what it'd be called, but basically I'd like you to "post a comment," but all you really have to say is what the "word" is that you need to verify before you can post the comment. I just want to see how many ridiculous "words" come up...and then enjoy the laughs!!!

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"

Dear Lord, Thank You for the promise of a future full of peace and contentment and free of pain and suffering. That You would sacrifice Your only Son for me takes my breath away. It is my desire to live my life allowing Your light to shine through me so that all may be drawn to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

What to give?

A question that always comes up during this season is "What do I get for so-and-so?" It would be especially hard if you thought the person has everything already. But, do they have everything?

The gift of eternal life has been given to all, but some have left it under the tree or have completely ignored it. Probably, because it's not wrapped perfectly, with shiny paper and a pretty red bow. But what most don't realize is that what's in the package is far more beautiful and greater than what they could imagine.

Jesus Christ giving his perfect life for our sin-soaked excuse of a life is nothing, NOTHING, short of gracious. We have been given a gift that we don't deserve. A Gift that is overwhelmingly given with love and joy, and we let it sit under the tree! And for some of us who have already opened it, we stick it back under the tree, and pull it out when it's convenient for us. Or, we just look at it when we walk by the tree. I am soooo guilty of that! Just walking on by, whether it's purposefully ignoring it or being distracted with other things that I don't even see it - HIM, the Christ!

As a full-time Mom, I have an ongoing list of things to do. More often than not, spending time with my Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, doesn't get put on the list. What I've also come to notice is that I can also be a little selfish with my Gift. I don't share it when I should...it's too much of an inconvenience, "What if they laugh at me?" "What if they won't like me?" Honest and common excuses. I forget, LORD, Father God please forgive me, I forget what you went through for my sake - betrayal, scoffing, mockery, persecution - verbal and physical, whipping, nailing, DEATH. And I don't want to share you because I'm afraid that someone may laugh at me!?

LORD, I give my whole self to you as "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable" (Romans 12:1) in your eyes, because I am "washed by the water through your Word"! (Ephesians 5:26) Father, I want to share your Gift of love and grace. Please help me to overcome my fears. For You "...did NOT give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) I want to give myself to you, just as a wife gives of herself to her husband.

"...and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband (Ephesians 5:33 - Amplified Bible)[^[f]that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and ^[g]that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. [I Pet. 3:2.] (Now, this scripture passage speaks of the wife repecting and reverencing her earthly husband. But the only way that we will be able to do that for them is if we are that way towards our Heavenly Husband. It may not make complete sense, but it doesn't have to. We need to just "trust and obey." And when we do, the 'fruit' of it is oh so sweet!!!)

Sorry, for the runon thought. It's a good thing that I'm not being graded on this and how well I stick to the main point. See the thing with me, if you don't know me that well, is that when I have a thought...there's a lot of other thoughts connected to it, and most of the time I don't make/speak the connection very clearly, but there is one, trust me. So, each, shall we call them "nuggets", should be taken with a grain of salt. Follow? ;o). (I pray that my groanings to the LORD would be heard...that they would fall on open ears and hearts. That a seed would take root. God, you are so Mighty!! I pray that through this, You would show off and that Your Name would be glorified! Praise Your Wonderful Name!!!)



"As we approach Christmas, it’s good to remember why Jesus was born. The Son of God did not come to establish a nostalgic, family-oriented, commercially successful holiday. The angel told Joseph: “[Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Christmas began with a present from God to His sin-damaged world: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)." - David McCasland

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my Savior and Redeemer. I pray I would know and trust You the way Mary did. Would You give me a heart of obedience and help me to say "yes" in the small, every day decisions? In the busyness of this season, please remind me to humble myself before You and hear Your voice. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and make Your Presence known in real and powerful ways. Help me to be faithful in the ordinary, and in that, prepare me for the extraordinary. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Don't worry....."

I believe that Jehovah Jireh will take care of us during this "recession", but that doesn't mean that we can just sit back and let Him do all the work. I pray that we, my husband and I, will be wise and good stewards of what we have now. I pray that we calmly and wisely pursue taking care of our responsibilities. Which will include working wherever we can to bring in some more income. I pray that we will have a healthy balance of trust and reality. I am guilty of sticking my head in the sand, partly because, well, when it comes to finances we haven't had the money to be able to pay that bill and/or this one...so I don't even address it. I know that doesn't make it go away, but I don't even communicate with the business/company that we owe the money to. I also recognize that when I bring our finances "down off the shelf" to take a look at so as to "deal" with it, I can easily and quickly get overwhelmed, and I don't want to do that either. So, I pray. I pray for wisdom to know how to take care of the situation - somewhere between ignoring it and getting overwhelmed by it. Because in either case, I end up not doing anything about it and that definitely isn't taking care of it.

Well, I'll stop rambling now, but your prayers for wisdom and clarity would be greatly appreciated!

Matthew 6:27-29 (New International Version)

27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Washing Judas' Feet

I had to share this...it spoke volumes to my heart.

She Stooped to Conquer
LaTan Roland Murphy

We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends. From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our "Friday Friends." So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend", LaTan Roland Murphy, author of Becoming a Woman of Interior Elegance and proofreader for Girlfriends in God devotionals.

Today's Truth
Ephesians 5:21 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Friend to Friend
"Mom, they were whispering to one another about the birthday party. They didn't want me to hear because I am not invited," my daughter said with trembling voice as tears filled her big beautiful eyes.

My heart was breaking in half as I listened to how hurt she was. "They are my best friends at school, Mom. Why would they not invite me?"

I reached out to hug her, our arms wrapping around each other tightly as she turned her soft tear stained face toward my neck. It was a familiar crying spot as she had buried her face there time and time again in the same position since she was a baby. We helped each other without speaking a word for a while. Sometimes there are just no words to make things better, so I cried with her. One week later, while driving our daughter to school, she asked her dad in a quiet voice if he would please stop at the grocery store.

"Why DaNae'? Do you need something for school?"

"Well, sort of."

"What do you need, honey, because we are already going to be late."

"I need to buy a balloon for someone who is having a birthday party tonight."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Do you remember the girl who was whispering about her birthday party in front of me? Well, I want to take a balloon to school for her." I looked over at my husband and he looked at me, each of our hearts melting both with a sense of pride and of sadness. We knew we had to stop even if it meant we would be late. It was worth it!

Da-Nae' walked happily into the grocery store and in a few moments came running out with a huge grin spread across her seventh grade face. Her balloon was flying high in the air with a pack of chewing gum hanging from the bottom, acting as a weight. She was the happiest girl in the world!

My husband and I were so blessed by our daughter's actions that morning. She stooped to conquer feelings that could have been filled with anger and hurt. Some people might ask why she would make a fool of herself after being treated the way she was or how she could lower herself after what her friend had done to her. When Christ is the center of our lives, He empowers us to do things we could never do in our own human nature. Our daughter chose not to be a martyr. She chose to stoop a little so she could rise up on a much higher level. She chose to reject her sadness about not being invited to the party. She reaped the blessings of stooping to conquer her emotions and blessed her friend in spite of how she had been treated. When was the last time you stooped to conquer?

Let's Pray
"Lord Jesus, please give me courage to stoop to conquer emotions that are not in perfect alignment with Your plan for me. Help me to be a woman of character--- submitting to Your leading in my life each day. Show me how to respond in a Godly way when I am hurt. Lord Jesus, thank You for stooping to conquer both death and the grave for my salvation. I pray my life will reflect the gratitude You deserve." In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Hurt will come to each of us. We can't change that fact. What we can change is the way we respond to hurtful situations in our lives. Will we become bitter or better?

Think of a hurt you have carried for a long time. Think about how it has affected your life. How did you first respond to the hurt? What is your response today?

Ask the Lord to bind up your wounded heart and heal you completely. Ask Him to give you such Godly character that every response is in alignment to His perfect will.

Allow Christ to fill all the empty places in your heart

Understand that by stooping to conquer these emotions, you will defeat the enemy's ploy to destroy and ultimately win over sin!

Accept the truth that we are all made in the image of God and by submitting to one another as the scripture reference reminds us today, we will be reverencing God in the most beautiful way.

Chasing the Wind

December 4tih Our Daily Bread

The epic film based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind opens with these lines:

“There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. . . . Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind.”

Not only does a way of life disappear but also the dreams that drive the main characters. Throughout the Civil War, Scarlett O’Hara is preoccupied with her love for Ashley Wilkes. But by story’s end, she is disillusioned.

Solomon saw the futility of seeking satisfaction in people and things. Despite amassing wealth and knowledge, completing great projects, and marrying many wives, he said, “All is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl. 1:14).

Why does chasing transitory things leave us unfulfilled? The biblical answer is that we were created to find our ultimate fulfillment in God. Jesus promised, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

People and things come and go. But the spiritual satisfaction Christ offers sustains us in this world and will endure into eternity. — Dennis Fisher

What comes from man will never last,
It’s here today, tomorrow past;
What comes from God will always be
The same for all eternity! —Spencer

Invest your life in what pays eternal dividends.

Ecclesiastes 1:2-9, 14

Everything Is Meaningless

2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Turkey Stuffing Burgers

Well, I felt creative last night. I grounded up some leftover turkey (about 2 cups was what it came out tobe after I grounded it up) in our magic bullet, and mixed it in with the leftover stuffing (about a cup and a 1/2) and then added 3 eggs to it and some salt and pepper. I molded the mixture into patties and then baked them at 350 for 25 minutes. They were actually pretty good! I put swiss cheese on top of mine. The kids aren't too fond of stuffing, but they ate most of the burger. Just another 'leftover' idea.

Thanksgiving Fun!

It was just us on Thanksgiving Day, and you know, for someone who enjoys being around people (especially for Holidays) I was excited that it was just the six of us. We had a most wonderful meal consisting of ham - major kudos to my Honey!!, loaded mashed potatoes - kudos to CountryCrock!, corn, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. For desert we made turkeys out of cookies and candies - the idea was from one of Cora's teachers Ms. Madison - thanks! The kids had a blast, though not many turkeys got fully assembled ;o). Even though Kennedy didn't get make a cookie, she was scouring the floor for any crumbs that may have fallen. She is too stinkin smart for our good! (I think that's what I meant to say....well, you know what I mean, I hope)

Okay, so how do I get the pictures to post after what I've typed, and then to be able to add a caption to each picture!?

To Play or NOT to play, that is the question

This was today's "You Make Me Laugh" email from crosswalk. I found it thoroughly amusing.

A Primer For Accordion Beginners*

Get an accordion. The cheaper the better because they all sound the same.

Do not tell anyone what you have done. It will only cause them to worry.

They will find out soon enough.

Take the accordion out of the case and strap it on. It is better if the accordion rests on your chest instead of your back but, for the first few weeks, it doesn't really make that much difference.

For sounds to be produced, three things must happen. The third is the most important:

1. The bellows must be moving in or out.
2. One or more of the keys or buttons must be pressed.
3. All potential weapons within a one mile radius must be collected and secured.

The buttons on the left side are chord buttons. The "C" button has a dimple or nipple so you can find it without looking. This is a safety feature. Before it was invented, thousands of accordion players suffered painful and sometimes disabling injuries, much to the delight of the general public.

Never use more than three buttons. "Professional" accordionists appear to be using lots of buttons but they are actually just desperately trying to find the stupid "C".

By the way, "Professional" means they have learned to smile while they do it.

Play the black and white keys. The high notes are at the bottom and the low notes are at the top. That arrangement isn't supposed to make any sense. Accept it.

Note: If you find the high notes at the top and the low notes at the bottom, you have either put the accordion on upside down or you have tried to repair it yourself. If the former, turn the accordion over. If the latter, pack your accordion up with hundreds of dollars and mail it far away for a long, long time.

Continue playing until someone begs you to stop or threatens your life, whichever comes first.

Put the accordion back in its case, order an accordion t-shirt and wear it to your state's Accordion Fest.