Worry Cycle

Reading through a few older posts this week, I came across The Life Cycle of Worry.
It was a good reminder for me to examine the cycle I am currently on.

Here are the two cycles:

Life Cycle of Worry

- Devil Tells Us Lies AND We Believe Them
- Life Expectations Take Root  "Life Should be This Way"
- We Feel Entitled to Comfort
- Fear of Losing Control Grows
- Distrust God's Plan
- Feel Responsible For Outcomes in Life
- Worry
- If Worry Comes to Fruition, Lies Intensify
- Cycle Begins Again


Life Cycle of Joy

- Immerse Ourselves in Christ, Our Living Water
- Disregard Lies of the Devil
- Grow Realistic Life Expectations  "He Will Meet Our Needs"
- Trust Him More
- Freedom From Fear
- Content With Life We Are Given
- Experience Joy
- Desire to Be One With Christ Intensifies
- Cycle Begins Again

I don't want to be trapped in worry, so I choose to draw closer to God. That is the first step in breaking the worry cycle. Time in truth trumps time listening to lies.

Lord, I want to turn my eyes to you and remain on the cycle of joy. 

I Wish I Had Learned - Part 2

30 Things I Wish I Had Learned Before I Turned 30:
(In the order they come to mind, not of importance)

To read Part 1 first, click HERE 


Be interruptable.. by those you love, by strangers, by God. You may have a plan for your day, but that doesn't mean it's the only plan there is, or even the best one. When attention is pulling you elsewhere, consider it might be where you need to go.

Thank others sincerely and often. There is no better way to get your eyes focused on what is really important than being thankful.

Listen (really listen) to your elders. Ask questions and drink deeply from the cup of wisdom that comes with age. And do not leave without giving and receiving a hug.

Take the first step of inviting friends into your life. Too many people sit back and wait for others to befriend them. Find someone who makes you laugh and in the next breath challenges you to be a better version of yourself. If at first you are rejected - try, try again.

Decide not to let what "THEY" think of you matter. Who are "THEY" anyway? Only the opinion of the eternal one matters. Listen to what people say about you, access the truth in their words, then quickly move on.

Leave each situation better than you found it. If there is a way you can help, speak truth, or shine for Him, take the opportunity - no matter how insignificant it seems.

Pause before making impulse decisions to determine if they are being made because 1) you have all the information you need already, or 2) you are trying to avoid giving conviction enough time to change your mind.

If someone offers to help you, let them. Be specific about the help you need. Some seasons of your life will allow time for helping others and some will be dominated by accepting help from others. Accept the season you are in at this time. Allowing others to help bless you is a blessing in itself.

Check the premise of your "should." When you think or announce, "I should..." discover why. Is your "should" based in truth or a lie?

Always be prepared to wait longer than expected. It does not need to be wasted time. If you don't have a book, snack, or crayons (for those with kids, always have crayons), you have your imagination and the ability to pray.

Be intentional about the music you listen to and the things you watch. Lyrics linger and mindless entertainment does affect your thoughts.

Spend time discovering specifically what you need from the ones you love, then tell them gently and repeatedly, if necessary. Only God can read your mind. It is rare to find a couple who communicates too much.

Glance toward Heaven and at His Word before looking around you each day. Unlimited wisdom, love, peace, help, etc... is available. All you have to do is ask.

Keep an eternal perspective on the time you have been given. Give attention to what truly matters in this life and run from what distracts from your ultimate goal. Learn to think in "decades" rather than "days."

And finally...

Dream Big. Pray for your one little life to ripple across eternity. God honors the desires of a pure heart that asks, "May they only see the back of me as I lead them closer to you, Lord."

I Wish I Had Learned - Part 1

30 Things I Wish I Had Learned Before I Turned 30:
(In the order they come to mind, not of importance)

* Children are usually listening when you hope they are not and rarely are when they are supposed to. Guard the door of your mouth wisely. Think twice about whether what you are about to say is of any value in the Kingdom of God.

* People seldom spend their time on what they say they value the most. Your time and wallet reflect the truth about what is deep in your heart. If something is important enough to you, you will find the time to make it happen.

* Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, not just others. There is nothing you can do that is beyond Jesus' forgiveness. How then can you harbor unforgiveness in your heart toward others? Let it go and move on.

* Turn everything off. Often. Silence is rare today. Everyone seems to be afraid of what might happen if they are alone with themselves and God. Unless you are still for more than the time it takes to switch gadgets, how can you expect to hear from Heaven?

* Memorizing scripture is not a task to check off the "I should be doing that" list. It is a weapon to use against the enemy when warfare seems the strongest. It is an overwhelming sense of peace when long forgotten truths are recalled. At the end of life, no one ever regretted spending time hiding these truths in their heart or teaching them to their children.

* Discover what delights your heart and make time to do it often. Unless you fill up with joy and love, you will not flow out joy and love.

* The people you love most in life will at some point let you down. Being human means making bad choices and saying things you should not have said. Everyone does this. Even David, the man after God's own heart, was an adulterer and murderer. Go easy on others and offer grace when true repentance is expressed.

* Do not expect people who do not have a relationship with Jesus to act like they do. People either act out of the love or lack of love that is in their hearts. Shine God's love everywhere you go, but do not be surprised when it is not reflected back to you from nonbelievers.

* Do not judge others. Period. There may be a reason you are not aware of that they are doing what they are doing. God is the ultimate judge. You were never asked to be part of the jury.

* Learn how to see yourself as God sees you. The ability to love others begins with the ability to love yourself. Ask him to show you the truth of who you are to him. Then, keep your eyes and ears open to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you are more valuable than you think.

* Figure out how to handle conflict in a healthy way. If you are ever around others, conflict will happen. Avoiding it now makes the situation twice as hard later. If ignored, unresolved bitterness and anger will explode in a destructive way.

* Just because someone is on a stage or has a lot of fancy letters after their name, it does not mean they always speak truth. Test everything against the plumb line of the Word of God and the prompting of the Spirit inside you.

* Think about tomorrow, plan for the future, but be fully here now. Today is not a dress rehearsal. You get one chance to do what you are doing right now. Slow down, glance around, and look into the eyes of other people. You are guaranteed the moment you are in, nothing more.

* Strive for a healthy body because you want to honor God with the temple he gave you, not because you want to impress others or earn love and praise. You are loved completely just as you are now. Take care of the vessel he has temporarily given you to the best of your ability.

* Learn what makes those closest to you in life feel loved, then do those things often. People tend to express love as they enjoy receiving it, but God created every one so differently. Ask, and then act. Repeat this cycle often.

To be continued...

Gazing at Myself

I miss them a lot - people I could have helped but didn't. Individuals who are in need, and like the first two characters in the Good Samaritan story, I walk around.

*Gasp*

Truth from two thousand years ago actually applies to my everyday life. It hurts to learn I am often compassionless. (Yes, I am aware that is not a word. But, it should be.)

Why do I walk by? My eyes are not searching to meet the needs of others. They are too busy looking in the mirror. My gaze is steadily focused on me when I worry. Everyone else moves to the periphery, out of focus and ignored.

This is not what God desires. This is not what I want either. At least, in my head it's what I say I do not want. But the heart - the heart and the time and the effort and the money speak true intentions the loudest.

What do I actually miss when I spend my time looking at my own reflection? I miss the broadening of my world view. I miss the blessings I could receive from helping others.

I miss the chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I miss love in it's purest form.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27 NIV)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17 NIV)

 
Creator of compassion, forgive me for my lack thereof. I know my gaze needs to shift from me to others countless times each day. Please guide me gently back to showing others the kind of love you show me. Amen.

Different Than Them

It's hard to be different.

Doing what everyone else is doing seems like a good idea at times. Then, I wouldn't draw attention to myself. Then, I could blend in with the crowd. Then, I wouldn't worry about what others thought about me. I'd be just like them.

Then, it hit me. One little explanation in a book of a word I'm so familiar with. Apparently, I have not stopped to gaze directly at the meaning of this word.

Holy.

For I am the Lord your God; 
sanctify yourselves therefore, 
and be holy, for I am holy. 
(Leviticus 11:44 NRSV)

It means set apart for the work of God.

Set apart. Different than others. Separated from the crowd. This is how I am told to live. Yet, I worry about being the very thing I am instructed to be. Why?

Because being different takes courage that I sometimes lack. Standing up when others sit draws attention to myself. Living without caring what others think is not normal, but it is a step down the path of peace.


Lord, you tell me to be holy. It seems like such a lofty goal. Help me not to worry about being the way you want me to be: different, set apart for you. Give me courage to keep my eyes on you instead of on them. Amen.

Feeling Deeply, Fearing Nothing

The woman pauses a moment in her words of appreciation to a servant of God, overcome with emotion. While wiping a tear from her eye, she apologizes. "I'm sorry. Just a moment."

And I cringe - not from the show of emotion, but from the apology. Why do we do that? Why do women feel like our tears are something to be ashamed of?

I'm sorry. Sorry for what? Sorry for being human? Sorry for loving someone enough to have it affect my life? Sorry for showing you the truth of what I am going through right now? 

My own struggle with tears has been long and yes, sad. For years I was unwilling to shed a tear in the presence of another. Whispers of weakness clenched my heart tighter, the genuineness of my feelings locked away. My worry? What will they think of me?

I came to a point where I realized it did not matter. What mattered was that I was going to explode if I did not open the dam gates.

The truth is, I was created with the ability to feel and express. They are gifts from a God who does the same. At times I hurt deeply and am tempted to hide. Other times I have been overcome by love so completely, I could not lift my tear-stained face from the floor.

That is what gives life its richness. That is what helps me heal. That is how I connect with the world around me. That is how I reflect the glory of who God created me to be.

For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out... (Isaiah 42:14 NIV)

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalm 82:2 NIV)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,     

    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,     

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance...

                (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NIV)

Creator of all human emotion, help me honestly express who I am without fear of the judgements of others. Amen.

Not a Solo Journey

A friend loves at all times... (but sometimes that love needs to be expressed by a slap to the head.) Proverbs 17:17 NIV

Okay, the second part of the verse is my interpretation, but I think the meaning is implied.

I am sharpened the most when my friends are honest with me, when they draw attention to areas in my life I need to address, and call me into a deeper walk with God. I would rather hear, "Is that what God thinks or what you think?" than have a friend turn a blind eye to my missteps.

For many years I thought I could do this journey alone. I decided sharing my heart with a close friend was too risky. While I longed for a connection, fear of vulnerability and rejection held me back.

Slowly I started opening up to those God placed in my path. The blessings of sharing life - the good and the bad - far outweigh the risks. Is it always easy? No. Would I go back to flying solo again? Never.

See, I need not only a shoulder to lean on, but a jolt back to reality, God's reality, from a close friend once in a while. True love in Christ is honest and brings the other back to truth, which is where I long to live.


Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship. Help me to be vulnerable and willing to hear truth from those who care for me greatly. Amen.