Refusing to let stress be a joy stealer...

My husband and I sat across from each other at our favorite Thai food restaurant. Over my plate of chicken pad thai and his mixed grill plate the topic came up of a person we know facing a possible auto-immune disease diagnosis. The conversation led us to question what is in our food or environment that is causing the rise of this condition. I wondered aloud if a big part of it could be the level of stress we continually live under. 

As a person who feels things deeply it is a challenge for me to not live under stress. I watch or read the news and I feel deep concern and stress rises within over the state of our nation and world. I counsel with people in our congregation and feel the pain of their problems. It's a challenge for me to leave their burdens on God's shoulders and to not carry them on mine. Stress results when I don't do this. 

Jesus gave us His peace. Our inheritance in Christ isn't a problem free life, but it is a peace filled life. John 14:17 in the Amplified Bible is a verse I refer back to and pray over myself frequently. 

" Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" 

Psalm 32:6 indicates that there is a way for us to go through trials without stress penetrating our inner being.

"For this [forgiveness] let everyone who is godly pray—pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely when the great waters [of trial] overflow, they shall not reach [the spirit in] him."

The primary way that I reject stress is to choose to focus on the blessings of God in my life. But, I am also learning that there are times when I simply have to give myself permission to walk away from stressful situations in order to regain perspective. This past week I set aside my to-do list and rested on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday I took a walk around my old hometown with my youngest grandson and enjoyed the memories. On Wednesday we drove to the beach. I was amazed that the following day I woke up more clear minded than I'd been in weeks. I accomplished a week's worth of to-dos in one day. I had a clear plan for something I had been asking God for direction about for quite some time. I felt God's peace, presence and guidance as a counseled with a hurting one.

A new week has begun. I have a choice to make. I can succumb to stressful situations or I can choose to walk in God's peace. I can trust Him with problems that arise. I can live in an attitude of gratitude and focus on my blessings. I can refuse to let stress steal my joy.

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Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks, 

piling up gratitude day by day in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#11,087-#11,112

8-6-18-

-getting my walk done in the cool of the morning

-ignoring my to do list and resting due to a headache

-re-reading a favorite book

8-7-18-

-walking through my hometown with my youngest grandson (see a post about that here)

-a good report from our daughter's pre-natal checkup

-saying no to stress

-my husband's help with a household chore

8-8-18-

-the words, "exhausted yet pursuing" in Judges 8 - 

I love how God's Word speaks to me in the most unlikely chapters and books of the Bible

-escaping the heat with a drive to the beach

-a good report on a friend's medical tests

-my daughter feeling the baby kick for the first time

8-9-18-

-God's peace and help with some direction and guidance I needed

-catching up on all of the to-dos I put off at the beginning of the week

-a phone call with my longtime, ( I want to say oldest, but that makes it sound like she's very old!), friend

-my Father God's love

-a huge orange sun at sunrise and again at sunset 

8-10-18-

-I couldn't go back to sleep after waking up at 4AM-but I was able to have a great quiet time!

-a drive down old, familiar country roads

-a good movie with a happy ending

8-11-18-

-a wee bit of summer rain and cooler temps after two hot, dry months

-my daughter and son-in-law stopping by for a chat

-seeking God's help with a blog post and knowing He helped me

8-12-18-

-praise that breaks through 

-good friends that encourage

-oldest granddaughter spending the afternoon with us
-some happy news

still following,