BREATHE

The “bar” has been lifted (or the limbo stick lowered...depending on your preferred image) in the lives of our teens and even tweens compared to when we were in their place. In middle-school, they are pushed to take high-school classes and tests; in high-school, they are prompted, cajoled, and strongly encouraged to take dual enrollment classes and knock off college credit with no guarantee that the laborious studying will be rewarded with the coveted credits. Teens could be enjoying a couple more years of unencumbered wonder as they ease into adulthood; instead, in the name of success, they are pushed to reach their full potential, intellectually, spiritually, and otherwise; they are prodded to excel in athletics, the arts, or a club or two, and sometimes keep a job. They wear many hats at school, within their families, and in their communities while participating on various teams, suffering through standardized tests, some caring for younger brothers and/or sisters, worry abo...

ANXIETY RELIEF ~ “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Emotions are vital. They signal that our body is either in “homeostasis” (equilibrium) or in crisis. When, however, they become “body-bullies,” building, growing, and controlling what we can and can not do — it’s time to surrender those feelings to our Lord and focus on relief.  Let’s recognize ANXIETY as a signal instead of allowing it to trigger more and more anxiety.   HOW?         Purposeful breathing                          Taking a walk       Prayer                           Listening to praise music     ...

I've been talking with several people who are experiencing strongholds in their lives. When I struggled through a spiritual stronghold, it colored my entire life; everything I touched, every thought, word, every action was tempered by the memory of this trauma that I could NOT surrender. A spiritual stronghold is a painful or traum atic memory, habit, or lie that the enemy continues to recyc le in our lives. He nudges us to be afraid, to remember every failure and/or injury, every personal affront and undignified moment. The enemy has a way of embedding hang-ups in us until we believe they are part of our identity. Evil thrives on our fear and pain, prompting us to hold onto the past like an infant clutches a blanket. When we allow the stronghold inside of us, the darkness expands to envelope our soul. Strongholds prevent us from moving forward, keeping us in a frozen state of fear and pain. How do we break strongholds? I used to live in Oak For...

Breathe Peace into the New Year I had never been able to “keep holy the Sabbath.” It should be a simple thing. Take one day per week and rest. Exodus 20:8 tells us, “ Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord” (Exodus 35:2). In fact, this verse is so serious about sabbath rest that it ends with, “Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.” Yikes! For years, I'd tried to cram in all of my work in six days, leaving Sunday for church, prayer, and . . . football. Somehow, this never seemed quite right. I tried going for long walks on the beach with the Lord after church, but I couldn't walk ALL DAY, and I wondered, “Is walking work ?” Leviticus 23:3 explains sabbath rest further, “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it ...

Admittedly, for the last few years I've "gotten through" Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years..."The Holidays."  I have tried to focus on Jesus; I've concentrated on my blessings and hope and love and family, but a shadow has followed me, an emptiness. I've been missing my Dad. Since his death from cancer several years ago, getting together with my family -- especially during this season -- has been bittersweet.   It gets a bit less painful each year. It's easier to recognize my Dad's touch on my life as a blessing rather than his absence as a gaping hole. I can reminisce about the days he and I would kayak together, packing a lunch for along the way. I can now think (without crying) about when he would wake me up at 5:00 am to run with him, a habit that I continued for a long time even when I lived too far away from Dad for us to run together. I can recall with a smile the times we would sit and talk together and when he would just be there ...

Well, I'm cheating....I have a short anger-blaster book that people have asked me to share.  It's too lengthy to blather the whole mess right here, so I'll stick some of it out here and if you like it and want more, just follow the link.  Sound good? Here goes: Anger DE-escalation Tools When triggered, your “fight-or-flight” response is also triggered, which causes your heart to race, blood flow to change (possibly causing tingling, coldness, and numbness). Your breathing to speed up – might even include chest pain, breathlessness, and a choking feeling, dizziness or blurred vision. Your muscles tense and prepare; you sweat, your pupils dilate, and you are more alert. Your goal is to shut off this effect, tell your body that there IS NO THREAT, so your BRAIN can engage, allowing you to RESPOND rationally rather than REACTing in ANGER. Here is how: Belly Breathing : Belly Breathing is a simple way to diffuse fight or flight, and it is easy to use ...

Galatians 6: tells us, "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."  At first blink, it looks like a caution against anger; "DON'T EVER BE ANGRY YOU NASTY SINNER!"   After a couple seconds, though, it looks different. It IS a cautionary statement, but also an acknowledgment that anger is natural.  We all get angry; it's what we do with anger that matters -- to us, to God, to those we love, and those around us. I have a friend, call him Nathan.  He is kind, passionate about his friends and loved ones, a great listener, caring, and giving -- would give the shirt from his own body to help someone in need.  Nathan is in jail right now after he tried to help a friend. In the process of trying to rescue his friend from a crack house, his anger reached its boiling point, and he broke the jaw of a "bad guy." Unfortunately, even though the crack dealer (bad guy) wouldn't dare press charges for fear his occupation...