STRESSED

Stressful days become the norm. Fantasies and photos airbrushed to “perfection” and presented as normal raise expectations to unrealistic levels. Pushed upon us are life goals that require immoral, unethical and even dangerous activities in pursuit of success and approval. This adds so much stress to life, increasing confusion and emotional disorientation. Life’s guiding principles slip aside effortlessly, viewed as barriers rather than the foundation upon which true success stands.

We can look at truth like this with a clinical efficiency condescendingly holding others to a near perfect standard for their lives. UNTIL, the stress really hits home dissecting our mind and heart. When those heightened expectations and unbearable burdens bring us low, we quickly dismiss the clinical approach as unreasonable, even impossible! Blame is thrown at everyone and everything around us in turn adding to the loneliness of the affliction.

Reality and truth lay somewhere in the middle where we strive to maintain uncompromising foundational truth, look at expectations with a godly vision and interact with grace, as we desire others graciously understand our plight. I know, how it feels; but you are not alone. God puts people in our lives that can encourage and help us hold fast and stay the course to the blessings of the Lord. He never leaves us and He never forsakes us. You and I drop our heads and begin focusing on the problems instead of looking to the Lord with thanksgiving for those God gave us for the journey. Thank you God, for the wonderful people you have put into my life. Help me Lord not to take them for granted.

Satisfied In Failure

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln

When life is crushing, peace and victory seem unattainable; sometimes we just want give up and find some comfort even in failure. It is easy to lose heart.

(Galatians 6:9) “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Where our family and mission are concerned, how can we ever be content with failure? The Lord offers guidance and strength so that we may press on uncompromisingly and undaunted. God wants to help.

(Isaiah 40:29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Some things are clearly so important we must fight on and never lose hope.

Empowered Communication

Empowered communication requires listening without bias and speaking filtered by grace, truth and love. If I could only master this, my relationships would improve immeasurably!

“Listening” to verbal and non-verbal communication without jumping to conclusions, getting defensive or rushing ahead is the only way to discover the real felt needs of those in my life. Every time I lose focus, I lose the quality connection necessary for true understanding. I need to be willing to listen with understanding as my only goal.

With empowered positive communication as my objective, a speech filter becomes necessary. Filtering out the hurtful and abrasive without sacrificing the truth enables a good connection. When carried upon a conductor of love, the communication comes through clear and powerful.

O God, give me ears and heart that can listen without prejudice and lips that can cleanse my words with grace and truth and love!

Ripple Effect

Life is complex, interconnected and fluid. Yet, for some reason we often look at life’s difficulties as though they were isolated to one aspect of our being. We miss the real cause because we are following the ripples and reflections that travel through our life instead of tracing them back to the source, the reason for the disturbance.

1Thes. 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Issues can and do originate in the physical, emotional and spiritual areas of our lives. Each then passes on the effects to the other areas of our lives until we cannot distinguish what is disturbing us. It isn’t long until we feel like we are a puddle in a rainstorm and begin to loose hope that the peace and calm we once knew will ever return.

Draw near to the Lord and He will bring you back to peace and hope.

WALLS

I like this quote.

“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.”

J Rohr

Joy comes from the Lord, often through our relationships to other people. The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? …For ye are our glory and joy.” (1Thes. 2:19-20)

Although the Lord is the source of joy, God often uses people to deliver HIS JOY into our lives. It is true that relationships can be a source of sadness and hurt; yet without them, we cannot hope to experience joy or the fulfillment of completing the mission God has given to each of us. However, the walls we build to keep people out have the unfortunate side effect of keeping the Joy of the Lord out as well.

His mission and ours are always about people and relationships. We must “risk” some sadness and hurt in order to reap the greater benefits of Joy and fulfillment.

UNSEEN EYES

Think about a time when you were doing something that you knew to be wrong. Do you remember the paranoia, the overwhelming dread felt during that time? Can you recall how every little creak was magnified, every shadow a spy, and the feeling that at every window an unseen eye may be watching! When looking at something you should not, even a familiar and friendly voice alarms. You find yourself running from shadows and startled by every little noise.

 “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)

On the other hand, when you are doing the right things you enjoy an inherent peacefulness. There is no feeling of dread or anxiety over someone seeing. In fact, you generally experience a sense of security even if you do not recognize it and are emboldened and often excited when someone does notice.

The question then is this: "What is making you uneasy or paranoid?" Is there something you are involved in that is keeping you on edge? Wouldn’t it be nice to simply relax & rest for a while? It may not be the first answer that comes to mind but doing the right thing may just heal that anxiety.

No Time to Take People for Granted

Our time in this life is short and uncertain. We all at times take those around us for granted and allow our schedules or the demands of others to distract us from the most important relationships in our lives.
It is important that we find ways to prioritize those relationships without abandoning the plan of God for our lives or shirking our legitimate responsibilities and duties.
I thank God for my family. And I intend to focus on attaining a right balance in my life especially with regard to my wife and children. I do not want them to doubt, for even one moment, that my love for them is absolute, unconditional and eternal. Jackie, Nathanael, Isaac & Luke are the greatest loves of my life in the world.
Jay