A CUPPA Tranquili-TEA Needed

More info when I calm the qualm with a cuppa.....

....a cuppa tranquili-TEA!

CHOOSE: C.A.L.M.

Stress is rampant in lives of so-o-o-o many folks.
ANXIETY in all caps is often the result! At least at our house. Even good stress can put me on edge.

Anxiety comes in all our lives. But God....says, "Be anxious for nothing..." (Philippians 4:6)

How hard is that!! Does that mean absolutely nothing? Zilch? Or does it mean not taking our anxiety/worry too far or continuing in it? The answer to that question is still on my "pondering" list.

Prior to that verse, Paul reminds us to "Rejoice in the Lord."

Is that the RX needed?

According to Max Lucado, it's a good start for calm. Rejoicing in the Lord is a way of celebrating who He is and can help "jumpstart" calm. (My words, not his)
I only heard part of Lucado's list on K-Love so I added parts of my own.

C--Celebrate the Lord. (Lucado)

A--Ask the lord in prayer (petition) for help (a paraphrase of Lucado)

L--Load that request with lots of thanksgiving (mine)

M--Meditate on other things, Philippians 4:8 gives us the list. (Lucado)

Prayer is needed to replace worry in a Christian's life, at least this Christian's life.
May I "choose to choose" C.A.L.M. to aid my way to worry-free thinking. 

Maybe a cuppa traquili-TEA to start my day followed by sereni-TEA at noon and a night cap of believabili-TEA in God's truth---The RX for calm in Philippians 4:6, is prayer. The result  = "...peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

"tea" blends

1) O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
 ; (humili-TEA)

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,


Or in things too difficult for me. (teachabili-TEA)

2) Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; (sereni-TEA)
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
 (tranquili-TEA)

My soul is like a weaned child within me. (gra-TEA-tude)

3) O Israel, hope in the Lord  (sweetness of Hope in Him) 

From this time forth and forever. (eterni-TEA) (Psalm 131)

 

Sometimes I desire a stronger morning cuppa. Sometimes I need one. Sometimes a longer steeping time helps, but that's tricky because bitterness can be the result. Usually I just defer to master tea blenders and use one of theirs----blends from all the best tea growing regions. This morning I found a psalm that seemed to blend the best "teas" for my morning cuppa.

Psalm 131 is one of the shortest of the Psalms, "but one of the longest to learn" as C. H. Spurgeon says. (Treasury of David, vol. 6, p. 136)

Yet, those 3 verses can provide beneficial blends to my life's cuppa. Humili-TEA. Teachabili-TEA. Sereni-TEA. Tranquili-TEA. Gra-TEA-tude. All blended and sweetened with hope for eterni-TEA)
.

Again, Spurgeon says it well, "Lowliness and humility are here seen in connection with a sanctified heart, a will subdued to the mind of God, and a hope looking to the Lord alone." (Spurgeon, p. 136)

What a sweet "tea blend" to sip and savor as I ponder Psalm 131 throughout my day.

Tranquili-TEA: A calm cuppa

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all time in every way.
(2 Thessalonians 3:16, NIV)

But what do we do with the peace that the Lord provides? Do we even slow down long enough to recognize it for what it is? Do we let the world bombard us with its messages so that God's word is obscured?

J & MJ, our "couple friends" have chosen to limit use of their devices and to disconnect completely from television. NO TV. Highly educated, fun-lovin', caring, NORMAL folks choosing to pull the plug on media influence and its overwhelming interruptions. (For skeptics, there's no live streaming at their house either.) My hubby can't even begin to imagine a "NO Sports" life.

Such a deliberate decision would at least give a person control over one aspect of the world's influence in his/her life. Just having the TV "on" can draw someone in. Certainly a TV program can blindside anyone---planting a word, idea or picture that can be difficult to get off one's mind. 

 TV ads can influence a person's actions. This is no surprise when one considers that a 2014 Super Bowl commercial is $5m for a 30 second spot or a heftier $10m for a 60 sec spot. A captive audience for their product is pricey. I admit to watching the ads as much, if not more, than the game but I don't tend to retain enough info to warrant companies opting to pay that kind of money.

I love having "NO TV" friends. They inspire me to choose"peace and tranquility." Friends who have chosen to decide what controls, not only their minds but also their time. Living "out" from our city limits in a 100+ yr. old home, filled with overflowing book shelves, Bibles on side tables and a wrap around porch, offers positive options. 

Result = Peace. Tranquility in living. 

This morning, with the TV off and no extraneous noise,  I picked the tea I wanted to "brew."
 It added to the tranquilty of my "Tea With Thee" time. 

J & MJ understand that they get to pick what they "brew" in their minds. 

Cuppa of choice---tranquili-TEA.