Faith

Finding Peace During Hard Times

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27

Just one month ago I took a long awaited trip to Disney World with my youngest daughter. Our family bought an RV and I began brainstorming and planning my bucket list road trip to Montana this summer. I was nervously following Coronavirus on the news, trying to make sense of the differing perspectives and holding onto hope.

Like everybody else, our lives have been turned upside down the past two weeks. My 18 year old son with Down Syndrome is home until April 15, at this point probably longer. His senior prom was supposed to be in May, and his graduation in June. His older siblings have brought plane tickets so that they could be here. He’s anxiously asking about a graduation party and seeing his friends. I don’t know what to say or do right now. We’ve been blindsided.

We also have to make a serious decision about his transition years considering that the virus is probably not going to go away any time soon. What will be in the best interest of his health as a heart patient and as a person with Down Syndrome who is anatomically wired to get sicker than the general population?

We’re all standing in the midst of troubled times unlike most of us have ever had to experience over the course of our lives. This horrendous Coronavirus is a rapidly spreading pandemic, affecting people across the globe from every walk of life. From the very young to the old, everyone in between, the disabled and the chronically ill, we’re all at risk.

It’s tempting to give into panic and worry in this trying place. You may have been tempted to hoard supplies, watch the news 24/7 and worry about all the awful things that might happen to you or your loved ones.

Fear and worry are natural and normal human reactions to events we have no control over. Fear and worry might be the most tempting reaction, but it’s not your only choice. There’s another option that is easy to overlook – peace.

Peace is a Choice

We often think of peace as an occasional state of mind that we stumble across every now and then, usually when things are going the way we want. It’s easy to feel peaceful when we’ve had a nice day at the beach, or a loved one’s cancer battle is going well.

But it’s also important to remember that we can choose to walk in peace, no matter what’s going on around us. Even in the midst of a terrible pandemic like Coronavirus. Even when we’re afraid of losing our jobs and are worried about feeding our families and keeping them safe.

What God Says About Going Through Hard Times

Finding peace always begins with turning our eyes upward. It starts with turning your eyes upwards to the throne of God.

I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil, He will keep your life. (Psalm 121)

Friends, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. It might not look like it right now, but He’s still on the throne. He still reigns. Take a minute to meditate on that truth for just a moment. No matter how crazy things get, despite the chaos pain and heartbreak that is occurring at this very moment, God is still in control.

Where is God in All This?

In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Remember how very precious you are to God. From the very beginning He knit your cells together. He knew all about you before you were born, what you would look like and what struggles you would have to face. He loves you and those that you love.

Does God Care about the Coronavirus?

Matthew 14:14 reads, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he reached out to people with every kind of disease and disability in a variety of ways. Some of those people were healed by simply touching the hem of His garment. Remember that the very same Jesus who had compassion on the sick and frail thousands of years ago still has compassion for those who suffer. He knows about every physical struggle and chronic condition that we have to encounter in this life and on this earth.

Get Out of Your Head & Serve Others

One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to serve others. As a Christian, you’re standing in the middle of an amazing opportunity to let your light shine. Right now, people are desperate for words of prayer, encouragement and hope.

Here’s some practical ways to serve others:

Be kind to those around you, especially to those who are serving the public during this difficult time.
Don’t hoard critical supplies.
Share your resources with those who don’t have any.
Send a text to a friend.
Pray for those in your circles – family, friends, neighbors, professionals.
Post positive things on social media.

If you start to struggle yourself, remember God’s care and provision in times past. He didn’t fail you then, and He’s not going to fail you now. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member or pastoral staff. Some churches have lay ministers that you can meet with. Don’t feel that you have to walk through this frightening time alone.

Let’s Pray

God, today we choose to rejoice in Your Sovereignty. We are reminded that You are ultimately in control and no virus, flu, or illness can enter our lives without Your Divine permission. You alone hold the power of life and death.

We lift up all of those who have been affected and will be affected by Coronavirus. We ask for complete healing over their bodies and continual peace over their hearts and minds. We pray for speedy recoveries without complications and hardship.

We also pray for those who are working on the front lines including medical professionals and first responders right now. These servants are certainly close to Your heart. Father, please protect them from this awful disease. Comfort them as they comfort others. Encourage them in the midst of this battle and remind them that the armies of God are greater than our earthly foes.

You are Lord over your creation. Father, we plead with you to stop this deadly Coronavirus in its tracks. We pray for the development of good treatments to shut this virus down. Just as You have full control over every virus, Father, we ask You to stop this one.

Finally, God we pray for those who have lost or will lose loved ones to the Coronavirus. Walk with these precious souls. Let us be compassionate to them, come alongside those who are grieving, and comfort them in their affliction.

Father, we thank You for who You are and for all You’ve done. We know You’re in control even when the world feels chaotic and crazy. Let us remember to fix our eyes on you in this trying moments. Keep our gaze fixed on the Cross. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Practical Tips for Soul Care During the Pandemic

Create a routine. When you get up, resist the urge to check your social media feeds. Take some time for prayer, meditation and devotional reading. Then take a shower and put some light makeup on.
Get moving. Take a walk outside if you can or do some in home yoga or other fitness activity.
Eat well and stay hydrated. It can be tempting to indulge on the quarantine snacks, but don’t. You’re going to feel ten times worse at the end of this if you’ve added on pounds. Try putting on your regular jeans every few days to remind yourself of how you’re doing.
Reach out to others. Text friends and family. Connect with online ministries and recovery meetings.
Create something. Whether it’s cooking, art, gardening, journaling or something else, creating something with your hands is one of the best ways to take your mind off your worries.
Spend real time with your family. Play an actual game, do a puzzle, cook or bake. Take a walk together. The memories that you’re making during this difficult time are priceless. This is our moment to rise up and shine for our kids. We can model inner peace, strength and resilience to them.

Do you have any tips for coping during this difficult time? I’d love to hear them!

Why Does God Allow Disability to Happen?

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. John 9:1-3 from The Message

Unfortunately some Christians think that that every illness or disability must be the result of a lack of faith or sin in a person’s life. What a discouraging burden to put on someone who’s already struggling!

We don’t become disabled because we’re being punished for something. Neither are we defective because even in our disability, we’re fearfully and wonderfully made and God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.

I don’t like living with chronic illness, pain or suffering. I’d take the healing in a minute. But I’ve come to the place that God allows suffering for His purpose. I’ve learned many life lessons as a special needs mom and as a person with a disability. It’s taught me to be patient and to persevere. It’s deepened my prayer life. And it has given me a deeper compassion for the marginalized in our society which is also the heart of God.

Being disabled with dystonia and ulcerative colitis has also forced me to accept my limits and not be so self sufficient which in all honesty, I hate. I don’t want to need anybody or ask for help, but when I became incapacitated for a time there wasn’t much choice but to learn to rest in God’s care and provision.

God can use any and every illness or disability to bring glory to His name. At times He may do that through a physical healing but sometimes He works in the situation by giving you the supernatural strength to persevere to keep on going even when you’re struggling with chronic illness or disability.

I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations…At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Excerpt from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 The Message

Living with disability is so hard. I have days where I’m functioning relatively well and other days where I’m leveled. It’s depressing and lonely at times. But God has been my strength throughout my disability journey and He has always been faithful to provide.

Speaking from my experience as a special needs mom, we’ve been blessed to meet so many amazing people who are on the journey with us and those who come along aside to minister to families like ours. My son has become my greatest spiritual teacher. Of course some days are still difficult. Having a disability like ulcerative colitis which demands that I locate a bathroom within 5 minutes of feeling the urge makes taking my son out to be very challenging, especially now that he’s an adult.

I’ll never know this side of heaven why I had to experience disability on top of the demands of being a special needs mom. I feel very helpless at times, but I know that He will be with me on the path as I continue on this journey. All I have to do is remember to abide in Him, and to continue in prayer and meditation to seek His will for my life.

God, this is hard to ask but let me rejoice in illness and in disability, even as I pray for healing and practice self care, for I know the plans You have for me are good. Use my disability to bring You glory in all I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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How To Make Time for Prayer & Contemplation

21st century living isn’t for the faint of heart. We’re constantly being boarded by alerts and messages. We liven a state of constant connection and constant interruptions. It’s amazing that anything gets done. Prayer and contemplation are a great way to detach from the ongoing craziness around you and find your center again.

How Make Time for Prayer

Making time for prayer in a busy life is hard. We all know how important prayer is, but on days that we wake up and hit the ground running it can seem out of reach. Most women are caregivers, moms and daughters with a never-ending to- do list. By the time we sit down for some quiet, we find ourselves struggling with what to pray about. Here’s a few simple ideas to make more time for prayer.

Breath prayer. This gets me through crazy busy times. Don’t complicate it. Just breathe in and out with something like the Jesus prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

the Lord’s prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

or the Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

These three prayers alone get me through most days. But I also like to use some guided prayer at the beginning of the day or the end of the day since I’m not very good at formulating prayers when I’m tired. There are lots of prayer books to be found but my own very favorite prayer books are by James Banks. They are so mellow, comforting and don’t take long to read through.

I also use the Divine Hours off and on. This is a great way to pray at fixed times throughout the day and evening. I always find these prayers to be really comforting and “hit the spot” to help me express things that I was struggling with but couldn’t find the words for.

Create a Personal Retreat for Quiet Contemplation

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs set aside regular time to think, plan, and learn. It’s said that Bill Gates takes an entire week twice a year to unplug and do nothing but read and think. Carving out time for quiet contemplation isn’t a waste of time…it’s actually how you get ahead of things.

But the most important benefit of getting away from everything is that it will give you needed time to rest up and destress. This rest is what gives your mind the time and ability to simply renew. It’s what makes you a better partner, a more patient mom, a more creative entrepreneur…you get the picture!

The first thing you need is a bit of a mindset shift. Don’t think of taking time for quiet contemplation as a waste of time, or One More Thing To Do. Consider it to be a solution to stress and overwhelm.

Put your retreat time in your calendar and schedule it. As a matter of fact, make it your highest priority. You owe it to yourself and those you care for to recharge.

This personal might be as simple as a few hours away from the house, or a weekend retreat in a quiet place.

Once you see what having a regular retreat to think and plan ahead can do for your personal life and business, you’ll begin to make the time or quiet contemplation regularly.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised to notice how the stress starts to ease up when you do this.

If this strategy works for some of the most brilliant creative souls throughout history, should you give quiet time and contemplation a serious try in your life?

Your mind and your body will thank you as you start to stress less and relax more.

My 30 self care challenge is a great way to carve out time for a personal retreat & renewal without having to leave your home. Sign up below!

Easy Summer Bible Study Ideas

Summer’s almost here…how did that happen? We’re all relieved to have a more relaxed schedule of no school, car pools and vacations (well, hopefully…) However, it’s important that our prayer and Bible study don’t get so relaxed that we neglect our relationship with God.

Have you thought about easy summer bible study ideas? Here’s some simple, low-key (and non-workbook) suggestions to stay on track this summer.

She Reads Truth – This is my favorite Bible Study app that I’ve been using for about a year. I usually do my devotions on my iPad in the morning before I get out of bed. You can either read the devotion online or download their app and purchase the individual studies which range from free to $2.99.

Another app worth considering is First5, a study designed to help you give God the first five minutes of each day. No matter which one you choose, take the time to invite God into your day before your feet hit the ground.

Write the Word – I’ve found that the simple act of putting a gel pen to paper and writing the Word helps me to meditate on it longer and not rush through it like I might on a tablet. Get a pretty journal, write your verse in it and decorate as you wish with stickers, rubber stamps or other mixed media. Plans and prompts are available from Sweet Blessings and The Architect and The Artist.

Color the Word – Like writing the Word, coloring the Bible can help you to meditate and think about it longer. I’m currently using the Inspire Bible (New Living Translation) which has beautiful line illustrations that I don’t get tired of. You might also want to explore bible journaling.

Read a Christian Classic – Take advantage of some of the summer down time and read a classic. Here’s some suggestions:

Sometimes we forget that Bible study is more than something we have to get done and cross off our to do lists. It’s important to create the time and space to think about what we’ve reading and studying.

Go For a Walk – If you live with a loud family, getting outside and praying may be the easiest way to gather your thoughts, reflect, pray and meditate on what you’ve been reading. Of course you’ll reap the physical benefits as well.

Turn Your Car Into Your Prayer Closet – We live in an area that’s pretty spread out and I’m trying to use some of that time more productively than I have in the past by listening to worship music more often. (Pandora keeps things more interesting. Some cell phone plans like T-Mobile offer unlimited music streaming.) You might also want to listen to Bible audio, books and podcasts. And sometimes, you just might want to turn everything off and pray.

Take a Digital Fast – I’m pretty guilty of rarely doing this but have been convicted about being plugged in 24/7 every day. Turning the electronics off helps to create margin so that we can process the past week, what we’ve read and just be. Those who take weekly digital fasts say that they come back to their workweek feeling more refreshed and creative.

How do you keep your Bible study time going during the summer?

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Why You Should Set New Year’s Intentions

I’ve never had much luck with New Year’s resolutions. I’d often make crazy resolution lists in hopes of making this “the best year ever” but I aimed too far and never got past February. As you can imagine, this created a cycle of guilt and shame that followed me around for years.

A simpler way to set your course for the new year is to set New Year’s intentions. Think of it as a theme for the new year. Take inventory of the past year, what went wrong and where you’d most like to improve in the coming year. Here’s some examples for you to think about!

Intentional Self-Care

Like many special needs moms, I put my own health on the back burner and ran on adrenaline, coffee and processed carbs for years. My body finally crashed and I had to learn to start living my life intentionally as a mom with chronic illness.

Believe me, I’ve had to make lots of changes..and they’re still in progress. I’ve lost a good amount of weight and my chronic pain levels are greatly reduced, but I’m still not where I’d like to be. So 2018 is going to be a year of self discipline for me. This will help carry me through the days of not feeling like working out or sticking to my food plan. Small changes over time will add up to big results, if I don’t give up.

Intentional Creativity

Many moms are consumed with caregiving responsibilities and all too often, creative pursuits are the first thing to go. Nurturing your creative side is an essential part of emotional wellness and stress reduction. There’s lots of ways you can do this, depending on the time you have available. You might try picking two or three new pursuits to explore this year. Some examples might be crocheting, drawing, or journaling. YouTube has videos for just about everything but you might also want to check out local class offerings.

An Intentional Yes

We’ve all heard that we’ve got to say no to too many commitments and responsibilities. But have you ever considered what an intentional yes might look like for you? It should be something fun that fills your cup. Maybe coffee with a friend, or a girls’ day trip to some local attractions.

Intentional Faith

I’ve been stumbling for years with setting expectations that were too high for where I am in life right now. For example, reading the Bible through is a very worthy goal, but reading plans for me never seemed to last beyond February when life took over and it felt like a chore…an I couldn’t remember what I read anyway! What works for me right now is smaller studies, like She Reads Truth, devotionals or praying the offices.

I hope these ideas got you thinking! There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Just pick an idea that’s speaking to you and then move towards it!

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How to Support a Struggling Friend {a devotion}

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19, NIV

Cheryl was the kind of woman people looked up to. Not only did she run several ministries at her local church, she also homeschooled her kids, stayed fit and healthy and ran a successful online business. Despite all of the activities she was juggling, Cheryl loved her life.

But one day everything came crashing down when she became chronically ill and her husband subsequently left because of all the pressure. All of a sudden she couldn’t do what she had been able to do before and felt completely powerless over her circumstances.

Suddenly everything stopped. Cheryl had never felt so alone and she didn’t know what to do next. That’s when her local community began to step in. A family who lived across the street stocked her fridge and pantry. A friend from her homeschool group helped get her kids to some local activities.

Every time Cheryl had a need, it was met. She’d poured out her life helping others and now these same people were happy to reach out to help provide for and protect her and her family.

Sometimes, trying to support a struggling friend is hard. You may see all of the things that are needed and feel overwhelmed. That’s a natural response.

But try to focus on meeting just one need at a time. Begin with the most urgent physical need like food, shelter, or medication. If possible, rally others to help you start meeting these needs as well.

God, sometimes a crisis scares me and I don’t know how to help. Please calm my fears and help me to focus on serving each need as it comes.

For further reading see How Friends Can Help Relieve Stress

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Why I Changed My Mind About Christians and Halloween

As a child of the 60’s and ’70s, I grew up participating in Halloween every year. I have lots of happy memories trick or treating as a kid. As I got older, the celebrations got more raucous. Fast forward a few years on what was probably my second sober Halloween I rescued a frightened dog who had been pelted by eggs, cowering in front of my apartment house. I named her “Spooky.” After she recovered from her trauma she started to display an amazing fetch instinct and a few months later she became a star bomb dog for the Atlantic City Police Department. As far as I know, Spooky remained her name. It’s a sweet memory.

Christians and Halloween

As a new Christian and a new parent, I was anxious to do all the right things. It was strongly urged in my church for families to stay away from anything having to do with Halloween. I felt a little bad about this but wanting to do the right thing, we completely abstained from anything having to do with Halloween except for some harvest festivals throughout the years. Luckily we live in a rural area so there were never any trick or treaters who would brave the dark, two acre lots and wildlife on my street anyway. (I was quietly relieved to avoid the potential conflict.)

One year a friend at church who lived in a subdivision privately confided to me that her family participated in Halloween on their street. She saw the opportunity for fellowship, reaching out to neighbors and didn’t want to lock themselves in the house. I had to agree with her.

Fast forward again a few years…my husband I both privately felt (but never said to each other until recently) that neither of us ever really had a problem with costumes or trick or treating. I went to a (different) church’s Halloween festivities and realized how much I missed it (kids dressing up, candy and yes…carved pumpkins.)

As my frequent readers know my youngest son with Down Syndrome has caused us to rethink a lot of things and Halloween has been one of them. As is typical with kids with Down Syndrome he is all about FUN and he is all about the OUTFIT. He’s a simple little guy but in a very profound way. I don’t know how I could try to hammer in “Halloween is bad” without making a lot of trouble for him understanding school celebrations or what he sees in stores. It just seems terribly unnecessary. The kid just wants to wear his cowboy hat and score some candy.

To Each His Own…

Being around the Christian homeschooling community for over 20 years, I’ve seen a variety of opinions about holidays celebrated and not celebrated, often accompanied by intense debates and opinions. I listened to them all but over time, I came to understand that there are pagan in roots in Christmas, the days of the week, the months of the year, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and probably plenty more than I can think of. I started to find it all somewhat inconsistent and began to think that Romans 14 was the best application here.

We can respect everyone’s convictions, remembering that what we do or choose not to do is between ourselves and the Lord (within reason and while remembering we are as lights to a dark world). We don’t want to judge others and certainly don’t need to be anybody else’s Holy Spirit. Speaking for myself, I don’t give power to Halloween as being “Satan’s Day.” Everything belongs to the Lord and I believe any day of the year can be redeemed. We are, by His grace, overcomers after all. There are so many ways to enjoy and decorate this time of year and I try to focus on the beauty of the season, to celebrate life and not death. That being said, my husband will watch an occasional zombie movie and finds some of the decorations hilarious.

If I lived in a more populated area, I’d be glad to give out candy. What about Reformation celebrations? Probably a great idea for some families but in our family…it’s just not happening for a variety of reasons. That’s just us.

For our family, it’s been far better to engage than retreat. For the last several years we’ve gone trick or treating and trunk-or-treats at local churches. My son loves socializing and I’m happy to feel part of things again instead of feeling like I had to hide in October!

Feel free to leave comments…but please be respectful!

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How to Survive Life’s Changes

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1: 17, NIV

I’ve gone through many seasons of change in my life. Some, like getting married, having children and buying a home, have been fun and positive. But sometimes life suddenly changes…

There have been hard struggles in my life as well. I’ve lived through multiple miscarriages, life changing diagnoses and ongoing special needs in my children as well as my chronic illness dystonia which began in 2010.

Honestly, it’s been overwhelming, especially as a woman in recovery. What’s helped me to stay grounded is the midst of my physical struggles is to focus on God’s Word, as well as His unchanging love and provision. I continuously remind myself that no matter how I might be feeling that day or what changes around me, God will never change. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever and His promises are faithful and true no matter what life brings.

Can you relate? Maybe you’re going through your own struggles and changes in life and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even abandoned. When these moments come, look to God’s unchanging nature to find comfort and support.

God, thank You for being faithful and constant through life’s changes even when I’m not. Remind me that no matter what comes in my life that I can always look to You for support and guidance. Stay with me, Father and reassure my heart.

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My Chronic Illness Diary {May 2, 2017}

Every serious blogger knows that there’s a lot more to blogging than just pouring their hearts and thoughts into a post and hoping that people will read it. There’s all this other stuff you have to do like write to your target market, write to solve people’s pain points, create the appropriate Pinterest image for the post and then promoting the heck out of it.

I’ve been so focused on that and my blogging course that sometimes I forget that I need to just write.

So for today I’m ignoring my editorial calendar.

I’ve had a late season viral plague since last week which is showing no sign of letting up. Last night it seemed to be getting worse. My breathing felt a little more labored but my peak flow meter said levels were normal. And when I’m sick like this, it makes the dystonia worse.

I’ve tried to be intentional about devotions first before social media but it’s a struggle when I feel like this and can’t focus too well on anything that requires thought. I try to remember that as tempting as social media is, it can really drag me down and cause me to feel even more depressed. It’s better to minimize it on days like this.

My devotion from She Reads Truth today was from one of my favorite passages Psalm 121…

I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

I’m a little overwhelmed with being sick and a growing concern about the extremely dry conditions around us. There are wildfires popping up in our county several times a week and we are still about 4 weeks from the start of the rainy season. Our yard is tinder dry and the grass is just about gone. I think we’re even losing some of the native bushes.

When I’m not feeling well like this, it’s easy for me to succumb to stinking thinking and try to self-medicate with food. Since I’ve mostly given up sugar, salty snacks have become my new drug of choice and I have to begin to deal with that as it’s derailing my weight loss efforts.

I found some bible verses about spiritual battles and have committed to reading or copying one down before I go into the kitchen when I’m feeling weak.

My reading from Psalm 121 reminds me that God is always by my side, protecting me. He may not keep me from the storms, but promises to be there in the midst of them with me.

Now, I just have to remember that.

10 Calming Bible Verses When You’re Overwhelmed

As a mom with chronic illness, I get overwhelmed a lot. Living with chronic pain means I have to be very selective about what I say yes to and since I still have kids at home, there always seem to be too many things that need a yes.

As a special needs mom, I’ve often been overwhelmed by many diagnoses among four kids, hospital visits, therapy needs, financial concerns, school issues, dietary needs and more.

The older I get, the more I understand just how much I’m powerless over. It’s scary. But when I dwell on it all too much, and let the worries of life begin to distract me from what I should be doing fear, depression and discouragement become a constant presence.

Much of the time the overwhelmed feeling comes from not spending quality time in prayer and Bible reading and thinking I could do things in my own strength. Time in the Word is essential to my spiritual maintenance. Too many times I’ve rushed through it or pushed it aside in favor of social media so that I didn’t have to think too hard in the morning when I’m foggy.

I’m still learning how to live intentionally and learning not to let my monkey mind run the show. One of the most important things I can do is meditate, even if it’s just one verse.

Here’s 10 calming Bible verses when you’re overwhelmed.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (John 14:1)
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7-8)
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. (Isaiah 26:3)
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. (Psalm 46:10)
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:37)
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…(Isaiah 49:15-16a)

Do you have a favorite verse about being overwhelmed not listed here? I’d love to hear it!

Faith

Peace is a Choice

What God Says About Going Through Hard Times

Where is God in All This?

Does God Care about the Coronavirus?

Get Out of Your Head & Serve Others

Let’s Pray

Practical Tips for Soul Care During the Pandemic

Why Does God Allow Disability to Happen?

How Make Time for Prayer

Create a Personal Retreat for Quiet Contemplation

Intentional Self-Care

Intentional Creativity

An Intentional Yes

Intentional Faith

Christians and Halloween

To Each His Own…

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