Escaping the Stress Trap

Know When to be Still

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)

Friend to Friend

Every minute of every day is either wasted or invested. Since the Bible contains over 400 verses about time, we can safely assume that time management is important to God. In fact, it is a spiritual discipline. We not only need to view time as an eternal investment, but as an immediate one as well. One of the most valuable investments we can make is to spend time in solitude.

I once read an African proverb, “Lord Jesus, make my heart sit down”. Solitude is deliberately and diligently setting aside time to “sit down” at the feet of Jesus. It is in those still, quiet moments of solitude at his feet that we can more clearly hear God speak and gain strength and wisdom for the journey ahead. In order to practice solitude, we must learn how to budget time.

It’s been said that women must balance their time more carefully than men because women don’t have wives. The fact is we are all responsible for how we spend the time God has given us. Time is a precious gift! Every morning we are credited with 86,400 seconds. No balance is carried into the next day and every night erases what we fail to use. If we use it in the wrong way, that time is lost forever and cannot be reclaimed. Un-budgeted time gravitates to our weaknesses, is stolen by others or wasted on the unimportant. We must budget time, just as Jesus did.

Luke 2:52 “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (NIV).

At the age of 12, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem with his parents for the annual Passover Celebration. When his parents began the long trip home, they did not miss their son at first and when they did, assumed he was traveling with friends. Jesus was found in the temple, teaching. My first reaction would probably have been pride in the fact that religious scholars and teachers were actually listening to my young son. I would most likely have encouraged Jesus to continue, basking in the looming recognition and acclaim. Instead, Jesus returned home where, for 18 to 20 years, he simply grew. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. In Luke 3, Jesus begins his ministry, the most powerful ministry ever known. In other words, Jesus Christ budgeted his time wisely, resulting in a balanced life of fulfilled purpose. We can live the same kind of life if our priorities are right.

Set priorities: Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (NLT). We either set our life priorities or allow circumstances and other people to set them.

Schedule priorities: There is a right time and a right way to carry out right priorities. Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 warns, “For a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight” (NASB). We must schedule time for solitude. We must set aside portions of each day to spend with God.

Stick to priorities: The apostle Paul teaches us to “make the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16 NIV). Every challenge will either wreck our priorities or affirm them. Right priorities stand firm in the face of change.

One day, we will all stand before the Father and give an account of how we invested our time. Today, examine your time management habits in light of eternity. Initiate schedule changes that honor God. Make a new commitment to invest your time wisely.

Let’s Pray

Father, I recognize my need for time alone with you. I lay down my schedule, my agenda and anything else in my life that would keep me from that time. Please forgive me for the way I often squander away the minutes, hours and days of my life. Give me the power to invest time wisely and the wisdom to live a balanced life. Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

• Choose to practice solitude - today.
• Select a place to spend time in solitude – today.
• Lay down your agenda.
• Focus on Him and listen for His voice.
• Memorize Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. (NIV)
• Ask yourself the following questions and use the answers to shape a plan for regular solitude:

Why am I afraid of silence?

What is the greatest obstacle to solitude in my life?

What steps do I have to take in order to remove those obstacles?

What do I hope to gain from time spent in solitude?

Just a few quotes for you to ponder today.......

All the great temptations appear first in the region of the mind and can be fought and conquered there. We have been given the power to close the door of the mind. We can lose this power through disuse or increase it by use, by the daily discipline of the inner man in things which seem small and by reliance upon the word of the Spirit of truth. It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is as though He said, 'Learn to live in your will, not in your feelings.'

Amy Carmichael
Biography and Bibliography

Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.

R. C. Sproul
Ligonier Ministries

So often we are focused only on the things we like, we are good at doing, or we are interested in accomplishing. God wants us to use every piece of his spiritual armor. He wants us to be disciplined and grow in the areas of our spiritual weakness and the areas we don't necessarily find exciting or interesting. Our evil opponent is crafty and will try to attack us in the areas of our weakness and vulnerability. So let's not just commit to be diligent in the areas of our interest and strength, but especially in those areas where we are not.

Phillip Ware
Heartlight Magazine

Lady Lydia speaks on ...

The Purpose of Etiquette

Never allow yourself to be intimidated or shamed into giving up politeness and propriety. At first you may feel self-conscious, but just remember that your purpose is to show respect for God and courtesy to others. The word "etiquette" is from the French estiquer, which meant "to post" or "attach." French nobles began posting signs on their lawns and in their gardens to prevent people from trampling expensive plants and grass. From this we get "etiquette," which are rules of conduct and guidelines for behavior. Etiquette is designed to make others feel more comfortable and to show respect for the occasion and the people you are around.

A Word to Minster's Wives You are being watched. Your appearance and manners will be noted by many. You can either be a light and a beacon to your congregation, or you can be a depressing sight that people hate to see coming. You can look like someone who is happy to be in the role God has placed her in, or you can look like something else. Ladies, why sit around and feel unhappy with the current social situation; the way most everyone is slothfully dressed; the casualization and uglification of America. Real change begins in small pockets of society. Someone does something and someone else takes up the idea, then someone else. Your dress reflects your manners and your soul. My message to you is this: be a leader in your society. "Brighten the corner where you are," as the saying goes. You are doing a great service even if you dress beautifully at home for your children. They will always remember that you cared enough about them to do this, and they will follow suit. Even if your husband is not a paid minister who delivers sermons, the way you dress and behave is delivering a powerful sermon to others. You are expressing how you feel about the gift of life you have been given. Your appearance can minister cheerfulness to others or depression. The way you dress and act can either inspire and uplift others or make them sorry they saw you.

The Trend Toward "Casual" (Inappropriate) Behavior

I will cite to you several instances in which I have been deeply ashamed of the conduct and dress of Christian women. One particular incident was my first experience in the "dressing down" of American Christians. Up until this time, we young women always knew the difference between formal, semi-formal and informal clothing. An elder's wife -- a very refined woman -- had opened her beautiful home to a bridal shower. She had gone to a great deal of trouble for this, as you can imagine, and the decorations were lavish. She had done the best that she was capable of. When the betrothed college girl and her intended bridesmaids showed up -- late -- we were all aghast (you probably wouldn't be today), as they trooped in, wearing shorts and basketball shoes, looking and smelling hot, earthy and sweaty.

Our hostess continued her routine most graciously as the girls all sat on the floor with the bride-to-be, even though specific chairs were set aside for them, all beautifully decorated. Our cameras lay idle on our laps as many of us could not bear to take the pictures we had anticipated taking. The hair was astray; the makeup and pretty clothes were non-existent. Some of us looked around to see if just perhaps the girls had brought their change of clothes in a paper bag and would soon slip out to change. Alas, the behaviour of the girls was as displaced as their clothing. Their casual and inappropriate actions reflected their casual dress. They guffawed, slapped one another on the back, roared with food in their mouths, sat cross-legged and even lay down completely on the floor and let their backs be massaged by the feet of the others. This was quite a shock. Until the next one, I began to observe the casualization of America. It took away our Christian distinction in the church. We were no longer identifiable as "set apart from the world." Instead, we had been conformed to this world.

Just recently I was saddened at a beautiful wedding, one which the parents of the couple had obviously planned carefully. It was done up formally and beautifully. An entire family of girls showed up dressed as though they had just come in from playing basketball out in the driveway. I was so disappointed, for the many snapshots that were taken will be a record of this disrespect for many years to come.

How Will You Be Remembered? I will tell you now: dress and behave so that Christ is not ashamed of you. Dress so that if a picture or film was made of you, you would not be embarrassed years and years later. The term "fad" is simply the initials for "for a day." Avoid fad dressing, and stick to what is classical, and you will always be appropriate and never embarrassed. When you leave your "parish" or place where you minister, what do you want your congretation to remember about you? That she looked just like the rest of the world and tried to fit in with the world's "standards," or that she stood apart from the crowd with her quiet beauty and modesty and tried to be an example?

I heard of an incident recently where a minister had resigned, and the church was giving his family a going-away party. The minister's wife showe up in short shorts and a tank top. Here was a special occasion: a cake had been ordered, a room decorated and plans carefully administered. In our current climate, our preachers' wives do not actually know they are behaving inappropriately. They must be taught. Each generation will come closer to a civilized society or closer to a savage society. There is a close connection between the deterioration of our appearance and the deterioration of our manners and speech. Notice today that just as we feel casual and free to dress exactly as we please -- without regard to the feelings of others -- we also soon feel free to violate others' space, tell them off, insult them or state strong opinions without regard to their feelings.

So minister's wives (and all Christian women), I leave this word with you: You have the power to influence a great body of people for the better. You can begin with your appearance. Cast off those old jeans and shorts, and start dressing like the woman God made you to be. Your first loyalty is to God, to whom you show gratitude and respect in the way you dress. You are saying, "Thank you that you made me and gave me this role in life." Your second obligation is to dress to show respect for those who have to look at you. Don't spoil their view.

Gold Rings in Pig's Snouts Jesus spoke of the inappropriateness of gold rings in swine's snouts. If our manners do not match our dress, then we are hypocrites. Perhaps you have seen a beautiful woman whose appearance was very pleasing. Your opinion of her changed completely once she opened her mouth. Her attitudes and words did not mirror the image she made with her appearance. In like manner, we see many "bears in lace," or women who are dressed in a feminine way but who walk, sit, talk and laugh like crude, unrefined men. Let us be consistent. Be sure to behave as your represent yourself. If you are a woman, then devour every bit of knowledge on your role and your behaviour from the Holy Scriptures, and meditate upon it until it becomes part of you. You cannot really separate clothing from etiquette. What is the purpose, ladies, of being a quiet, gentle, refined woman, respectful in every other way, if your clothing is immodest and/or crude and your appearance slovenly? It distracts from your message. As I saw how closely the children watched "teacher," how much they wanted to be like me and in how many ways they were copying me, I tried to be more meticulous about grooming than I had ever been, wearing freshly starched and ironed clothes, always keeping my hair clean and shining. I hoped that some of this effort would rub off on my pupils -- and it did. Soon...they were asking me if they could take a bath or wash and iron clothes in the mission house. ~ from Christy by Catherine Marshall Ladies, you can have an effect on as many as 50 people around you. If you influence even one person, you have duplicated yourself and multiplied your results.

Anna Jarvis - the founder of Mother's Day - was born in this wooden two-story structure in Taylor County, WV on May 1, 1864.

The house was built in 1854 by her father, Granville E. Jarvis. It became a focal point of the Civil War when General George B. McClellan used it as his headquarters.

During the war Anna's mother - Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis - was instrumental in saving thousands of lives by teaching women the basics of nursing and sanitation which she had learned from her brother, physician James Reeves.

After the war, Mrs. Jarvis soothed ill feelings among opposing families by holding a service for soldiers and their families and uniting communities torn apart by the war. It was her wish that a day be set aside to honor all mothers.

Her daughter, Anna Jarvis, established the first internationally celebrated holiday - Mothers Day - in her honor, using the anniversary of her mother's death as its date.

And I "lifted" this from RaZeHell, thanks

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Happy Mothers Day!!

ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE READY FOR THIS.........MAYBE IT WILL GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT VEGGIES.......LOL

In Whatever Circumstance

WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES!

Ephesians 2:22-24, "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which was corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

When you were born again by the Spirit of God, you received a new wardrobe. It is a very expensive wardrobe, paid for by the precious blood of Christ. You have so many beautiful garments hanging in this wardrobe. You have lovely dresses of love, joy, peace, longsuffering gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). You have delightful garments of tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness. (Colossians 3:12-17).

The strange thing is that although we have this expensive wardrobe, we don't always bother to wear the clothes. We are so used to our old shabby clothes of the flesh. We feel more comfortable in them. They feel familiar, so we stick with them instead of trying out our new wardrobe. To put on a beautiful dress of gentleness or patience can seem foreign because we are not used to wearing them.

But they belong to you! They are yours! Imagine if your husband purchased a very special and pricey dress for you. You couldn't believe how posh it was. But you never wore it. You thought it was too good for you. How would your husband feel when he paid so much for it and wanted to be proud of you wearing it?

I wonder how God feels when He gives us this glorious wardrobe, purchased at an enormous price, and we never wear the garments? He gives them to us but He doesn't put them on us. He tells us to PUT THEM ON. "Put on the new man ..." I love the J. B. Phillip's translation which says, "Fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living ... And put on the clean fresh clothes of the new life ..."

Make sure you put on a new garment each morning. Have you had a lousy night with the baby waking all night? Are you going through a fiery ordeal? Put on the garment of praise. (Isaiah 61:1-3). Let me tell you a secret. You won't feel like putting it on. You'd much rather put on your dirty old dress of grumbling and complaining. But do it by faith. Don't worry about your feelings. Put on your praise garment. Start praising and thanking the Lord. As you do it by faith, you will actually wear it.

You can change garments as you need them throughout the day. Are the children getting on your nerves? You feel your anger rising. Quick! Change into your garment of long-suffering or patience. Put it on by faith. Thank the Lord for His patience which is in you because He lives in you.

Are you starting to shout and yell because everything is getting on top of you? Put on the garment of gentleness. Thank the Lord for His gentle spirit which lives in you. This is the new man. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He lives in you now.

All these beautiful garments belong to you. They are yours. All you have to do is put them on by faith!

Strip of your old shabby garments. Wear your new ones each day. Live in them. Let Christ live His beautiful life through you.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Thank, you Lord, for all the beautiful garments that you have given to me. I am sick of my old rags. They look so ugly to everyone. Help me to put on your beautiful new garments which reveal your beautiful life in me. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I may have little in my literal wardrobe, but I have access to the most glorious garments in my spiritual wardrobe. Praise God.

AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS CROWDED WHERE YOU LIVE......LOL