Anxious for Nothing

Today, I will live today.
I will face today’s challenges with today’s strength.
I will dance today’s waltz with today’s music.
I will celebrate today’s opportunities with today’s hope.

May I laugh, listen, learn, and love.

A new day awaits.  A new season in which you will worry less and trust more.  A season with reduced
fear and enhance faith.  Can you imagine a life in which you are anxious for nothing?  God can.  And,
with his help, you can experience it!!!

~ Words from Max Lucado’s book - Anxious for Nothing

A Prayer for You

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  
Ephesians 3:16-19

Just Laugh

Laugh as much as you Breathe,

Love as much as you Live.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter,

our tongues with songs of joy.”  Psalms 126:2

Laughter is an amazing ability that God gave us all.  

Laughter helps us cope with sadness and life.  

Enjoy the Laughter Yoga exercise!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HJILWHNbSus

Peace of God

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”     Philippians 4:7

“This peace is a constant invitation in our lives as we through the doors of decisions of relationships, of daily tasks.  But how many times do we accept it?”
~ Anxiety for Nothing by Max Lucado

Let Go and Let God

Let go and let God. He knows what’s best (Jeremiah 29:11). Here’s five ways to surrender control today and practice letting go and letting God:

1. Stop Striving & Start Abiding

I saw a Christian Instagram account the other day and the description read, “striving to be a Godly woman.” No disrespect or judgment here, but didn’t Jesus come so that we could stop striving? Psalm 46:8 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (NASB). The first step in learning to let go of control is to stop striving. We don’t have to strive to make our life turn out a certain way; we just have to abide in Him (John 15).

2. Confess and Surrender Your Need for Control

If you’re like me and you crave control, the remedy for change is prayer. Go to God and be honest — tell Him how you feel. Say, “God I confess I like being in control. It makes me feel safe and secure. It makes me feel like I have a purpose. But I know that being a control freak isn’t going to get me anywhere. Help me surrender control to you each and every day. Help me trust in you deeply, so that I will not fear surrendering that control. Help me remember that you hold it all.”

If you’re having trouble surrendering through prayer alone, try taking out a piece of paper and write down the things you are holding so tightly to. One by one, lay the pieces of paper on the floor and as you’re doing so, imagine yourself literally laying them down at the feet of the Father.

3. Be Still and Know

In Exodus 14, we see the best Egyptian fighters try to capture the Israelites (this is the scene before the parting of the Red Sea). Instead of trying to control every little detail of their escape plan, in verses 13-14 Moses tells the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm … the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (NIV). And you know what God did? He rescued them! He was in control the whole time, even when the enemy was on its way, ready to take the Israelites down. He can do the same for us when we trust and rest in Him.

4. Trust, Trust, Trust

Trusting in God is a lifelong process. Like many aspects o the Christian faith, it’s a choice that we make every day. We have to learn to let go of trying to figure out the “whys” of life and trust that God understands more than we ever could. Here’s what has helped me trust God when my flesh would rather trust myself: making a list of all the things God has carried me through, listening to Lauren Daigle’s song “Trust In You” on repeat, reading the Word.

5. Seek God

God holds the world in His hands — but we’ll never fully grasp the power and extent of those hands if we’re not tuned in to and focused on Him. When we surrender control, wait and trust in God’s plan, we can know that he will be faithful to lead us where He wants us to go. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (NASB). Seek God and he will direct your steps.

How to Strengthen Your Faith

How to Strenthen your Faith

Matthew 17:14-20

How do you know whether your faith is strong or weak? We realize that as believers, we’re supposed to trust God with every aspect of life, but circumstances may cause us to waver. This is not a new problem—five times in the book of Matthew, Jesus pointed out examples and symptoms of what He called “little faith.”

Anxiety. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed people who were worried about their basic needs being met (Matt. 6:25-34). He assured them of divine provision if God’s kingdom was their top priority. 

Fear. When a storm arose, the disciples were afraid even though the Creator of the wind and the sea was with them, asleep in the boat (Matt. 8:23-27). 

Focus. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he had faith to walk on water. But when he focused on his circumstances, he began to sink. (Matt. 14:24-33). 

Forgetfulness. Despite the feeding of thousands, the disciples failed to remember Christ’s past provision in their current situation (Matt. 16:5-12). 

Inadequacy.  Although Jesus had given His disciples authority to cast out demons, they felt inadequate and lacked divine power when faced with a particularly difficult situation (Matt. 17:14-20). 

In each case, the wrong mindset resulted in a lack of confidence in Christ. Diminished faith begins not with circumstances but with our thinking and focus. Therefore, if we want to increase our trust in God, we must fill our minds with the truth of Scripture, remember our Father’s faithfulness to us in the past, and look for His hand working in our present situation. When our minds are renewed, our faith will be also.

~ In Touch Ministries

Terrible and Beautiful Things

Psalm 57

Fear can leave us frozen. We know all the reasons to be afraid—everything that’s hurt us in the past, everything that could easily do so again. So sometimes we’re stuck—unable to go back; too afraid to move forward. I just can’t do it. I’m not smart enough, strong enough, or brave enough to handle being hurt like that again.
I’m captivated by how author Frederick Buechner describes God’s grace: like a gentle voice that says, “Here is the world. Terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you.”
Terrible things will happen. In our world, hurting people hurt other people, often terribly. Like the psalmist David, we carry our own stories of when evil surrounded us, when, like “ravenous beasts,” others wounded us (Psalm 57:4). And so we grieve; we cry out (vv. 1–2).
But because God is with us, beautiful things can happen too. As we run to Him with our hurts and fears, we find ourselves carried by a love far greater than anyone’s power to harm us (vv. 1–3), a love so deep it fills the skies (v. 10). Even when disaster rages around us, His love is a solid refuge where our hearts find healing (vv. 1, 7). Until one day we’ll find ourselves awakening to renewed courage, ready to greet the day with a song of His faithfulness (vv. 8–10).

Healer and Redeemer, thank You for holding us and healing us with Your endless love. Help us find in Your love the courage to follow You and share Your love with those around us.

~ Monica Brands
Our Daily Bread

God’s love and beauty make us brave.

Choose Faith

"Be strong and courageous...".   Joshua 1:9

Choose Faith Today

In the same way that faith opens the door for God to work in our lives, fear opens the door for the enemy to work in our lives. The Bible says that fear brings torment. Fear has no mercy. If you act on fear instead of acting on faith, it will keep you depressed, miserable and lonely. So many people today are missing out on God's joy, peace and victory because they keep giving in to fear. They feed fear by what they watch on TV or read in the news or on the internet. Don't let that be you! Romans tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The more you fill your heart and mind with God's Word, the stronger your faith will be so you can stand against the powers of darkness. Choose faith instead of fear by choosing God's Word. Remember, the power that is in you is greater than the power of fear. When thoughts come that say, "You're not able," choose faith by saying, "I can do all things through Christ!" Choose faith, overcome fear and live in the freedom God has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

"Father, I receive Your Word today which is life, health and strength to me. I choose to close the door on fear by guarding what I say, listen to, and dwell on. Fill me with Your love and faith as I meditate on Your Word in Jesus' name. Amen." Joel Osteen