ALL IS CALM!

Calm!

These days is "calm" used much any more in our multi tasking society?

Do we know how to be still?

Be still before the Lord?? (Psalm 46:10)

In today's terms, is this God's way of encouraging us in our time of worry, busyness and anxious thoughts? "Relax. I got this." (Psalm 94:19)

His consolations certainly can bring "bright" to our lives and delight to our souls.!

CAPTIVI-TEA

A cuppa captivi-TEA is often needed to calm one's soul---or at least one's anxious thoughts.

Topsy-Turvy times call for a cuppa to soothe.....and to take captive those overwhelming thoughts of fear, and questioning thoughts of why?
Thoughts are just words in our heads. 

Proverbs 25:11-13 reminds that words fitly spoken are worthy---valuable to an obedient ear and refreshing to the soul. 

Encouraging thoughts give birth to encouraging words. Maybe the truth of that counts even when one is talking to herself. I know it counts when I'm talking to God.

Pouring over Gods word in Psalm 62, I'm reminded that when I pray I pour out my heart to God. His thoughts become my thoughts.

Tea is to be sipped but these days I seem to need to pour out a big cup and take a BIG gulp of captive-TEA, sweetened with acceptance......to soothe both my soul and my anxious thoughts. 

CHOOSE: CORRECT MULTIPLICAND

In calculation, one gets a "product" (answer ) when one chooses the multiplicand that is to be multiplied. Multiplicand x Multiplier = Product

To me, in my spiritual life, this is somewhat of a warning. Those mathematical terms might be a stretch for all the thoughts that multiply in my head but God is showing me that anxious thoughts multiplied indicate I need more of Him or I will get a quantity obtained by multiplication, which I don't want. (Psalm 94:19)

As Chuck Swindoll states in the "anxiety" chapter 3, Christ at the Crossroads, (my) problems,  "multiply" when I insert "my" solutions, try to work them out by "myself "or allow "my" own "fear" of inadequacy to creep in. The product from the multiplication of those problems is an answer I don't like. I become "afraid."

Clearly the answer for the multiplying of anxious thoughts is fear.  "Fear with inadequacy." 

Multiplying anxious thoughts becomes a deep-seeded fear much too heavy for me to carry around----so I choose thought multiplicands of love & truth, given by God. For He has not given us "fear but power, love and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) I'll take those "products" any day. 

CHOOSE: STRESS RELIEF

Ah-h-h-h, wouldn't it be nice just to open a bar of stress relief soap and be able to use it to "scrub" out all the anxious thoughts in your head? It can be a real war in there. Lye soap type cleaning needed----though eucalyptus spearmint sounds more soothing for this much needed palliative care.

I know, in my head, that those thoughts need to be brought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:15)

I try---I really do. 

I know that God's word says, be anxious for nothing....(Philippians 4:6)

I continually focus on filling my mind with gratitude.

Maybe that's my problem. Focus. An "incorrect focus.
Don't focus on "doing." Focus on "being"---His, no less.

Just maybe, the problem is a "heart one," for out of the heart flows the issues of the heart. (Proverbs 4:23)

CHOOSE: PEACE

Choosing peace is not always as easy as it sounds. It's a "mind thing!" Aren't all choices!

When anxious thoughts seem to multiply within me, (Psalm 94:19) like knots in my stomach, I need to seek the "fruit of peace!" Allow His peace to come forth, grow within, and ease those knots.

Choose to "Seek Peace and pursue it"---thats the right choice!! (Psalm 34:14)

ANXIETY--RX

So much one could say but....

...sometimes a Lockhart, Alabama "pithy grabbing" church sign can say it BEST....

along with God's word!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Visual road reminders and God's word, (Psalm 34:4) a great RX for anxiety.

Mind Speed

"90 to nothing."

The term is slang, used heavily in the South. For me, it means y'ull (Southern for you will) have a millon things to do and y'ull be moving fast to get all those things finished. 
Admittedly, in our household, 11th hour is the default timing for productivity. Wait 'til the last minute. Crisis management style = most accomplished in the least amount of time. 
But....I no longer want "90 to nothing" accomplishments or productivity---I want peace. 
Peace of mind.

This little, old, streaked blonde, lady I know, way down South, talk's "90 to nothing," drives "90 to nothing", and is "90 to nothing" at everything...and I mean everything...unless she's asleep, then I imagine she dreams "90 to nothing!" When she can sleep, that is.

If  my mind is going to continue in what I see as warp speed, I need to make sure my mind is full of worthy thoughts. (Philippians 4:8)
Worthy NOT worrisome. 
An acrostic is needed. (A work in progress---help me out)

M
I
N
D
F
U
L

"mul-TEA-ply"

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. (Psalm 94:19, NASB)

Insomnia seems to "reign" lately---at least on my side of the bed. So....whether I am awakened by an extreme warmth (aka a flash) or an "urge" which has me trekking to the loo. (aka the toilet) It's during these early am awake times that worry seems to reset my metabolism from the calm I desire in sleep to the racing of whirring thoughts. If our minds have a metabolism, anxious thoughts upstart mine toward mach speed during the night watches. Obviously, the Psalm 94:19 verse is a "go-to" verse for me as I have embedded it in 4 previous blogs.* But today, it's front and center!

The question asked by hubby prior to bedtime came to the forefront of my mind.....and sleep eluded me for another couple of hours.
"Why do you have to blog every day? Maybe when you go on your girls' trip you could blog that you're taking off for a few days."
In recent years, I have never sensed such a "daily" compulsion. Would it be acceptable to no longer adhere to this semblance of a commitment? But God.....Isn't my love for Him the compelling factor? If not, then why am I doing it?

Struggling to crawl out of bed to be on time for an 8:30 appointment, I had doubts. No middle of the night blog ideas came. No "tea" words on the edges of my mind. No energy for the day seemed evident and that was even without factoring in a blog entry. But God............

Leaving point A at 9:25 am to get to point B by 9:30 am, I passed a table, with a "tented" brown leather book. As a librarian, dog-earing a page, or "tenting a book" to hold one's place is a no-no! So, I backtracked. I picked up the book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young which was holding a place for today's date. There was my "tea" word and that one word was an affirmation for me-----today I was to blog......"mul-TEA-ply."

The Pharisees chose to "multiply" regulations to create their own form of godliness and lost sight of God. (Jesus Calling, 6/2) Even today man-made rules can enslave each of us when one's focus is on performance and not on knowing God.

For Christian bloggers, a worthy goal is to "shed the love of God abroad in our hearts " (Romans 5:5) that His word might spread and his disciples multiply and become obedient in the faith. (Acts 6:7) and For God's sake. His glory, not our own.

Several cuppas of mul-TEA-ply are available:

• A pharisaical form of multiplying that focuses on "self." 
• A God focused multiplying that brings Him glory.

I hope to choose the right brew so that "whatever I do in word or deed will be done in His name and to His glory." (Colossians 3:17) Today I chose to focus on Him and He led me to blog.

* Older Psalm 94:19 blog entires
Night Noises 3/9/11 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2011_03_09_archive.html
Peaceful Meditation 4/2/12 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2012/04/peaceful-meditation.html
Don't Doubt 6/19/12 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2012/06/dont-doubt.html
"tenaci-TEA" 2/24/14 http://dotsydetails.blogspot.com/2014/02/tenaci-tea_24.html

anxie-TEA

 "Fret not.........Fret not.......Fret not.." (Psalm 37: 1, 7, & 8, ESV)

Anxie-TEA. Not a tea to recommend. Certainly not a tea to sip and savor. Bitterness is left with every swallow. Dregs of regret, self-pity, frustration and fear are left sticking to one's insides. Why does one keep swallowing it?

What happens when one pours herself an anxious cuppa? 

Tea with Thee indicates the need to turn to the one on the throne of one's life. Is it Me? Or Thee? Decide. Then, turn inward to self and more fretting or upward to the One who offers peace.

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37: 4-5)

Time for a re-brew. Choose a new cup. Fresh water and new tea leaves. Discard the dregs and bitter "over-brewed" remnants. 

Sip afresh and "fret not."

Worry Webs

7/2/11 When life, as I had known it for most of my adult years , began to drastically change for me a little over 3 months ago, I had blogged (3/18) that I was in a tangle and worry–webs were about to consume me. 

Just like the spider’s sticky strands, my thoughts would begin with a single strand and then quickly begin to encircle my mind and entrap me. Why is it so hard for me to rid my thought life of this impertinence to God? (Oswald Chambers) 

A note in my Bible marginalia defines worry as a mild form of atheism. I hoped I had once and for all abandoned these cobwebs of anxiety, but for me, it’s a daily battle. Then, as now, I’m using God’s word to clear out this anxiety clutter and once again break down those “worry webs.”

We (I) demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Be Gone, Worry-Webs! 

Thankful Thursday

1/29/09

---one year I had to do all 365 days focusing on thankfulness---it became my gratitude journal---I never missed a day but some days I had to scratch/choose to see events as thanksgiving---it became lots easier, the more I practiced---that was a life lesson for me. "In every thing, give thanks."

Yesterday's entry seemed to be full of run-on sentences of mental meanderings. My stream of consciousness tangle/jumble was hard to untangle even for my hubby and he's lived with this confused brain for almost 40 years.

Even during early hour prayers this morning, I found my thoughts would wander. But…..the answer was in Jesus Calling----Keep your focus on Me. When your mind wanders, "Bring every thought captive," (2 Corin. 10:5) In My light anxious thoughts shrink…….. confused ideas are untangled.

I began with focusing on the Lord through song---thinking, " I just need a hymnal." Well, searching on the bottom shelf of the lawyers cabinet that had been my grandmother's, I found a Cokesbury Hymnal, copyright 1923. It cost 30¢. So, the Lord and I had a songfest and my heart began to overflow with gratitude.

When I sang, It is Well With my Soul with tears starting to flow, I knew that even in this challenge, my soul is well, He Keeps Me Singing as I Go---was the hymn reminder that kept me singing/thanking Him all day:

1. …while waiting for the doc phone call that never came.

2. …while celebrating with friends at Houston High*

3. …while talking to myriads of people who care

4. …while hugging a dear friend. IC, whom I had to track down

5. …while calmly responding to my father-in-law's fears about his surgery tomorrow---though my heart ached for him

*UTrust came to school to film the school nurse and the HHS Café ladies, based on a story I had written about them. I was the author, but they were the inspiration---it was their story, I just told it so others would know how each of them make a difference in the lives of so many of us---and they do it because they care. The nurse has already showered me with flowers and hugs and I left the cafeteria today laden with my favorite soup and BUTTER COOKIES!!!! That shoud be #6---b/c I'm thankful for such a big stash.

Things change with a call and before I could even post these earlier comments, I had another BIG reason to say Thank you, Lord! I had an entire chapel to myself, to kneel before the Lord I love and beg for extra measures of mercy and grace for a family I love as my own.