Forward

I've heard several people mention that it's too early after the election to be using the word 'forward' since it was the key phrase for President Obama's re-election campaign. Many have mentioned that the word will never be the same. Just as "Hope" and "Change" automatically take people back to the words of the 2008 election campaign, the word Forward" will likely be hard to disassociate from the most recent. We will likely visual the blue and red in the letter "O" for some time.

When we look at the definition of the word, it means "toward the front; in the direction that one is facing or traveling". As a verb, it means "toward a destination". When we move forward, we are leaving the place that we currently are and proceeding in a positive direction. We all look forward to something. It's what keeps us going.  Looking forward to 5 o'clock Friday gets many through the week. Kids look forward to their birthday, Halloween and Christmas and adults look forward to vacation.  When we look forward, we are assuming what that future will be like. We imagine the feeling of leaving work on Friday or boarding a plane fora sandy beach location. We don't know what it will fully feel like, we look with anticipation and desire.

Forward thinking motivates us. It invigorates our imagination and enlivens our senses. It is through forward thinking that our creative energies are released. Even if we are forward thinking and only can think of the bad, we don't know what that is going to look like but our imagination plays it out, creates situations and shows us details. Creativity and imagination are still at work.

It is through forward thinking that board games and chess matches are won, and how ideas and inventions are created. It's through forward thinking that fields are created to be harvested, how a house is built and how a wedding is planned. Most of our lives we spend in forward thinking...what we will wear to work tomorrow, what we will make for dinner, what movie we will see this weekend.

Forward thinking is critically important. If we didn't have it, we'd be stuck in despair with no way out. We'd fall into depression and inner chaos. The Bible is also forward thinking and encourages us to be as well.

It tells us "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

The ant knows that the winter is coming. It knows it needs to prepare and store up food. It understands being a forward thinker.

But the BIble also tells us not to fear the future. 

I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to proper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.

Forward thinking. We HAVE a hope and a future! We have something to look forward to. Everyday, we can look forward to our future, forward to what God has in store for us. He tells us not to worry, that the birds of the air don't toil for food, yet they are fed.  This is NOT telling us to not work for food or to just sit back and do nothing. It is however, telling us that tomorrow is ok. 'Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself'.  Notice it says 'Worry". It doesn't tell us to not think about tomorrow or not dream about tomorrow. It tells us to not WORRY about tomorrow.

Right now there a lot of people, a lot of Christians and Conservatives (of which I am) WORRYING about tomorrow! Many are talking about stockpiling weapons and food. They are worrying about what the future is going to hold. We are told NOT to do this. We are told to be forward thinkers, but not worriers.  Worrying accomplishes nothing, but more worry and anxiety.  Through forward thinking, we will find viable solutions. We will find that the reward through forward thinking is much greater. The reward is more contentment, more happiness and more peace.

ACTION STEP
So, while the word "FORWARD"  may always remind us of this nasty, expensive campaign, reclaim the word. Remind yourself to be a forward thinker. Let your creative imagination work FOR you. Let  God fill your mind with new ideas, new visions, new opportunities. Remind yourself to look for the positive in the situations. Remind yourself that the future is bright....and go towards it! No Fear! 

My husbands thoughts....

My husband is much more eloquent than I am. He's also much more of a deep thinker. He makes my head spin sometimes I read his stuff, but I thought I'd share it for everyone to read. It's really good.

I realized today, through this season of political campaigning, that I suffer from Conflicted Political Identity Syndrome (CPIS) just like I suffer from Conflicted Religious Identity Syndrome (CRIS). The later of the two I got from Brian McLaren's book, Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed cross the road?. What I've realized is why it is exactly the I suffer from these syndromes. It is 

because I am trying to distance myself from these political and religious hostilities that both of these belief systems, albeit in their current state, tend to bring out in people. If you understand hostility as meaning opposition, as in the sense that the other is the enemy you realize that hostility makes one unwilling to be the host. The "other" must be turned away, kept at a distance as an unwanted outsider, unwanted in hospitality as a guest or a friend. Brian McLaren states that hostility is an attitude of exclusion, not embrace; of repugnance not respect; of suspicion not extending the benefit of the doubt; of conflict not conviviality (friendliness) and I agree wholeheartedly! Some may think that my lack of identifying myself with a party or its belief systems is irresponsible and uncommitted and from where I stand I am confident that this is not a bad thing. I am interested in a dialogue with people who can rise above their world views not in search of more information that can support the belief systems they already have but to search for truth at a higher level. A truth that will raise our humanity for the greater purpose. Does anyone really believe that they have all the information that everyone ever needs??? You know this is absurd. Than why don't we tolerate each other more, talk to each other from a place of understanding rather than to be understood. I am convinced that this is a forgotten art, an invaluable skill set that we need to embrace with all our might. Think about it, how do we communicate at that higher level? If you can answer that question you become part of the solution! Food for thought.

Settling for Mediocrity

As I watched the results of the elections pouring in last night, and woke up this morning, it was very clear we are in a different America. It is becoming increasingly clear by the results of last night, that we are in a country that applauds and celebrates mediocrity and punishes achievement. We are in a country that the harder you strive to get ahead, the more you are going to be taxed and beaten back down. We are in a country where working hard and becoming wealthy is a bad thing and therefore you must now support the person who isn't willing to work hard to get ahead. We are in a country where 1 in 7 people (47 MILLION) rely on food stamps, and there is little to no incentive to get off of them. We are in a country where you can have food stamps, medicaid and even TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and still have an iPhone, Nike shoes and drive an expensive car. We are in a country where the fight has been taken out of the dog and it is rolling over and asking for it's belly to be scratched, it's food bowl to be filled and it's bed to bed soft and flea free. We are a nation of entitlement not betterment.

There's an example of this that has been discussed frequently. The example goes like this:

You are sitting in a classroom and working your tail off to get good grades so
you can go to college and have a good life. You are getting straight As at this
point in your schooling. You are tired, overwhelmed but feeling hopeful and
determined. Next to you sits a student who goes home everyday and plays
video games instead of study. He too hopes to go to college, but he is more
interested in the feelings of the moment than the future. He is failing his
classes, but he still expects to go to college, somehow.

The teachers decides that they are going to start normalizing all the grades.
All students tests will be graded and then everyone will be given the median
grade for the test. The A student does his thing, stays up late, studies hard and
gets an A. The other student does his thing, plays his video games, parties
with his friends, hangs out at  the mall and fails. The class is graded and all the
 students get a C on the test. The top student feels frustrated and defeated. The
bottom student feels exuberant that he got a C.

The next test comes along and the top student decides it's not worth it to study
so hard. He now gets a B on the test. The failing student still does what he
does. The grades are normalized and all the students how get a D. The top
student is extremely upset with this process. The bottom student is still excited
cause he still passed and did nothing for it to happen.

The next test comes along and the top student gives up. There is no reason to
study at all if he is likely to fail anyways. He decides to just take whatever the
teacher gives out. The grades are normalized and all the students now get an F.
The entire class fails and is weakened.

The object of the story is that as we take from the top to give to the bottom, what is the incentive for the top to continue to work so hard? They won't reap the benefits of their hard work. Those benefits are normalized and given to those who refuse to put in the work. The top start to not push as hard, not fight so much and eventually, everyone finds themselves dependent on a failing system. The top, by giving up, no longer are paying the high taxes, which are needed to fund things like education, road construction projects, and every other tax based project. The entire nation suffers!

After the election was over last night, I posted a comment that said "OBAMA WON!!! OBAMA WON!!!! I'm so excited! I don't have to work anymore! Obama's going to pay my rent! Obama's going to buy my food! I'm getting me an Obamaphone!!!! WOOHOO!!! I'm never going back to work again!!! No more responsibility for me! YES! Life just got EASY!!!!!"

                                    


I really upset a lot of people. One 'friend' ended up deleating me this morning after mentioning it on her own page and having someone say that 'sometimes they just don't understand' and 'some people are so closed minded. You just have to pray for them'.  I understand far more than this person thinks I understand. I understand struggle and I also understand working hard to overcome the situation. While I was half joking last night, I was also quite serious. If you take a look at YouTube, there quite a few videos of people saying the exact same thing I said! People who have found that it's easier to live off the government than work for themselves. Here's just a couple of them:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAOwJvTOio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfGLB8LO1aM

Instead, how about we start to find creative ways to empower that lower section to rise up. Give  incentives. Currently there are no incentives  to work harder. They are given the 'grades' based on  non-performance. Empower the lower sections of our culture to better themselves, go back to school, get their GED and Associates degrees. Empower them to further their education. I'm 100% for putting more money into education and higher education. While going through school, help with their food and health insurance, but give a way to get off of these programs. I can speak from experience on this that it is hard to get off assistance once on it. While going to chiropractic school with my large family, I qualified for $1000 a month for food! It is encouraged that students not work while going to any sort of post-grad program so this is a way to help with that. After graduating, it was a major struggle to overcome $1000 of 'free food'.  Where in the budge would I pull that money from? Shoot, that might mean giving up cable or down grading my cellphone from an iPhone to basic service. Heck no! It's easier to lower my income a bit, keep my $1000 of 'free food' and keep all my luxuries.  The system was NOT set up to be this way and we need to find a way to help people who are ON 'the system' get OFF 'the system'. 

As we awoke this morning, we are divided. Roughly 50% of the nation supported each of the candidates. We are split down the middle. We need to stop settling for mediocrity. We need to challenge the status quo. We need to empower the lower classes, not so they can feel entitled to more, but to raise them up to level of contributing citizens. We are only as strong as our weakest link and when 47 million people are on food stamps, we are no longer strong. We are a nation that is government dependent. We are entitled not empowered. We are emaciated as a nation instead of emancipated. We are in need of unification, not more division. 

So Where DO we go from here?

As we move forward, I challenge you to raise the status quo in your own life. Step up and do your very best in everything you do. Don't accept mediocrity, not from yourself, not from your local government, not from your federal government. Stand close with your elected officials and push THEM forward to success. Pray for them. Hold them accountable to the standards they say they are going to follow. A house divided can not stand. We are divided and we need to work to find ways to stand together. This goes for BOTH parties, all races and religions.  Find your brother and come along side him. Nudge him along in love and empower him to greatness. We were ALL designed for it and we all have the same opportunity to achieve it. 

10 things I've learned about politics

10. I've learned that, just like people will take little segments out of the Bible and distort them to fit their belief systems, they will do the same in politics. They will take one line out of a speech or debate and twist it to mean what they think it should mean. The politician will go back many times and say "That is NOT what I said" and prove that it was out of context, but the commercials blasting the person will play over and over and the other person's supporters will use it in every single argument.

9. We all believe what we want to believe. No matter the truth and facts presented to us, we like to put our blinders on.  I've watched debates on Facebook, where when facts are presented, the other person simply stops talking. The blinders were put on and their head was buried in the sand so they don't know the truth.

8. There will always be people who shouldn't vote. The way our nation is set up, a person with a felony is denied the privilege to vote. I think we should let them vote. But, we should take away the right to vote from all the stupid people. If you are voting simply because of a person's race (black or white) or their religion, or strictly based on their party and not their policy, you are too stupid to vote! If you are voting for someone thinking they are going to make you rich or pay your bills, you shouldn't be allowed to vote! Maybe we need to have a high school degree or GED in order to vote. If you haven't finished school, haven't done all the required courses in civics and government, how can you be allowed to vote in something you don't fully understand??

This lady might not be the best to vote. She seems to have voted, thinking that her mortgage and gas would no longer be a problem. The way she talks makes it sound like if she can't pay her bills, she can just call up President Obama's personal line and he'll fix it all for her.

On the other hand, this family probably shouldn't be voting either! This is NOT America's finest at least I hope.

7. The electoral college is an archaic method and needs to be replaced. The system was put into place by the founding fathers as a way to help the smaller states be held as equal as the larger states. The problem is that it does not truly give each of a chance to 'have our voice be heard'. When you hear the saying 'every vote matters', it isn't necessarily true under the current system. It defeats the purpose of letting us, the citizens, have a right of who we want to be our president. I truly believe that we can likely end up in this election with one of the candidates walking away as the winner of the popular vote, but losing the election because of the electoral college.

6. The best candidate is usually in one of the 3rd parties, but with our 2 party system, it makes it hard for them to ever win an election. 

5. Both the democratic and republican parties have become so corrupt that voting for either party is like voting for satan himself!

4. Elections bring out the worse in people. Friends can be totally split apart during the election season. Thank goodness that the big elections only come around once every 4 years!! I'd probably be pretty lonely if we had the big elections every year. We all, including myself, have an opinion and we all think we are right! 

3. For the most part, we all truly want what is best for our country. While there are some who vote for other reasons (see #8), most people love their country and want to see it succeed. We may not all agree on what is 'best', but we all want it. 

2. All the political ads WILL come to an end! I was thinking the other day, wondering what the commercials after the election will be like. It seems like it's been awhile since we've seen anything BUT political ads!

1. No matter what happens, life will go on. It may be altered drastically and we may have to find new ways to earn income and provide for our families, but the day after the election isn't the Apocolypse, although I have a feeling that it's going be feel like it!

God LOVES Broken People

Growing up I had a love for going and ministering to people outside the church. As a teenage, I spent time in the men's and women's units at Oakland County Jail singing and ministering. I worked in the homeless shelter with various groups and in the men's Oakland County bootcamp. I saw grown men weeping as Jesus touched them. As I got older, I lost sight of that. I worked for the Prosecutors office and took on a new side of the law. I taunted men in the holding cells of the courthouse. The story that gets told the most is when a man who was in for murder was banging on the cells calling for an officer. One of the sheriff's we called Herby, told me to 'go take care of it'. Here I was, a 16 or 17 year old girl, standing face to face with a murder. He asked me what time it was to which I replied "Why do you need to know what time it is? You got big plans to night?" He started to talk and I said "You aren't going anywhere anytime soon. You don't need to know what time it is. Tonight is going to be more of the same for you as last night". Yep, I was cocky, and since there were bars between us, I was perfectly ok with mouthing off. 

As I got older, I lost sight of ministering to the hurting. I enjoyed being with people who were wealthy and seemed to have it all together. I spent about 8 or 9 years in Amway striving to have riches and this glamorous life. When we were doing that, we were told to be careful who we associated with and who we approached about the business. You didn't want to add these people to your business who had 'issues'. I found myself looking down my nose at the homeless guy on the street or the 'redneck' down the road.

God has pulled it full circle and I'm so grateful. I look at the people in my life right now, the stories they have and how God is, and is going to, use them.  I see a doctor who lost his practice because he had sex with a patient. The story behind the story is that they were dating and when she broke up, she pressed charges. Unfortunate situation but most can't look past that and see his heart. His heart is for helping people avoid the mistakes and succeed in THEIR business. I see a meth addict who has become such a dear friend and is drastically changing his life. In the past few months he has gotten his GED, has a good job and just voted for the first time EVER! He is becoming an amazing citizen and God is using him. Another story is a father who has struggled with alcoholism. He gave up literally everything in an attempt to get sober and get his kids back. He is now getting ready to go to college and working towards a law degree. His goal is to give back and help other dads like him. God uses broken people in HUGE ways!

I see alcoholics and drug addicts changing their lives. I see men and women with felonies for heinous crimes growing into men and women with a higher vision and purpose. I see people who've had affairs and some who've had multiple affairs. These people have become closer to me than most of my old circle of friends ever were. I was sitting and talking to my husband about it and how so many people snub their noses at you when you mess up and I was trying to figure out why my life is full of the people others avoid. He said "By HIS grace, we are made whole" and pointed to the sky.  He reminded me that our office is Restored Life Health Center. We are called to restore lives not only in health but in spirituality, emotionally and in all areas of life. God has surrounded us with people who have had their life restored or are in the process of restoring their lives. God uses the BROKEN people. Jesus says 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  For I have not come

 to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

Passage after passage reveals a God who embraces the broken-hearted, the marginalized, the oppressed, the sick and the sinners. He used the murderer, the prostitute, the suicidal, the alduterer, the liar. Why is it that so many Christians overlook these verses and stand more on the 'be not equally yoked with unbelievers'.  The church is full of people who have spent their entire lives in church. People who the Sunday after they were born were there, who had their kids their immediately after they were born and are now seeing their grandkids there as well. People who think they have it all together. People who show up on Sunday and do their deeds, say their prayers and never think about God during the week until something bad happens and they need him. I am NOT saying all Christians and churches are like this, but my experience is that church is overall full of people who 'have it together'. This is no longer my life. The thought of sitting in a church being told what the Bible says sickens me. I desire to be around 'broken' people. I long to be around people that God is pulling out of the mire and mud and being on their journey with them. I heart now hurts for the homeless man on the street. I know there is a story. Drugs & alcohol have likely stolen everything from him! He feels hopeless and helpless and the drugs and alcohol keep him going and avoiding the realities of his life. God is calling out to him, but who will help him see it?

I challenge you to look for the person you can help. Look at the circle around you. Are all the people in it just like you? Is it all people of the same color, same income level, same religious beliefs? Let God know you are willing to branch outside the comfort zone of this group and keep your eyes open to see who He brings to you. You WILL be offended more than likely. You WILL be uncomfortable at some point, but the work is so rewarding and fulfilling. God's sitting and waiting for you to be open to working with Him to bring others into their wholeness and to be part of someone's story. 

Smack that Smirk Off Your Face....

Ever have one of those days when you are so cranky and moody that just someone smiling at you makes you want to smack them? Ever want to take the saying "I want to smack that smirk right off your face" literally? Today I log on to Facebook and see that my 5 year old niece did just that!  Yesterday at school, she supposedly punched a little girl in the face. When asked why, the only answer she gave was "Because she was smiling!"

Yep, I've been there. I've had days where I just want  to wallow in my anger, hold onto the grudge a little longer and smack that smile! Remember the song "I'm going to wash that man right out of my hair" and then they changed it into a commercial of "I'm going to wash that gray right out of my hair"?  I've been known to hum that tune while singing quietly in my head "I'm going to smack that smile right off of your face".  Most of us have had these feelings at some point, just not all of us will admit to it. I'll admit it!

What stirs these deep, almost animalistic, emotions deep within us? What creates that desire to not want anyone else to be happy if WE aren't happy? And what can we do to change that so that we too are that happier person. I believe that oftentimes, when we are in that unhappy stupor, we are feeling judged by others. We are concerned that if they are happy, and we aren't, they are probably looking down their noses at us. We don't want them to have that superior feeling so we set out to tear them down to where we are. We then live our lives through reality tv or fiction novels to live through other people's stories and evade our own.

The truth is, that when we wallow in our sadness, despair, frustration and depression we are focusing on our situation, our lack of material possessions, and our problems. We fail to see the world around us. We grow angry at anyone who has more than we have or appears to be happy all the time. Author Nick Honrby says “When you're unhappy, I guess everything in the world - reading, eating, sleeping - has something buried somewhere inside it that just makes you unhappier.” 

But are others really happy "All the time" or is that just an illusion? Is it really possible to be in a good mood ALL the time?  I'm going to argue that it's not. While it may seem that way on the outside, some people are just really good at covering up their emotions. They don't want others to know they don't have a imperfect world as well. But even Jesus cried. Mother Theresa had moments where she was in agony and despair.

Mother Teresa said:

"I accept not in my feelings – but with my will, the Will of God 

– I accept His will." She knew that she had a calling that 

required her to live above her emotions. 

You too have a calling. The fact that you are alive and breathing is proof that you still have a role to play on this earth. The world around you needs you to contribute to it. So how can you overcome those deep moments of despair? With winter time just around the corner and the 'winter blues knocking on the door', how can you prepare yourself to live a more happy life? In a 'to-do' and 'must have' society, how can we find satisfaction and happiness in the current life we live? Is it possible to be happy, even if our situations NEVER change?

1. Know your purpose. As a parent, your purpose may be to raise the 
best, most socially aware human beings possible. Finding your 
purpose starts by trying to pinpoint what it is that REALLY makes you happy. I'm not talking about losing 30 pounds or having more money. If those things were not an issue, what is it that you would do that bringsa smile to your face just thinking about it? Is it writing a book? Starting a charity? Volunteering at your kids school? Going back to school or changing careers? Knowing the answers to these questions helps point you in the direction of your passions.

2. Take responsibility for your life. While it's easy to blame the system, the job, the spouse for our situation, we have to understand the role we play. Placing blame and making excuses for our situations won't change them. Realizing the role we play in them is a step in the right direction to ultimate change towards a happier life. When we look at most of the happy, successful or fulfilled people on the planet, most of them weren't handed the money or happiness. They have worked hard for it.


3.  Create clear, REALISTIC goals. Setting a goal that you are going to go to Disneyworld in 6 months when you are unemployed, probably isn't the most realistic goal and will likely lead to more despair when you don't reach the goal of taking the trip. Start with smaller goals. If a vacation is something you are desiring, start with a night away at a local hotel with a waterpark. Plan on eating in the room to cut down on cost.  Reaching this goal will cost you a couple hundred dollars instead of the thousands that Disney would cost, but you will have the satisfaction of reaching a goal.  If your goal is to fund your kids college, make it a goal to put $5 a  month into a savings account. Having a goal of even $50 can be too much for many families and will make you feel like a failure. Return pop bottles for the bottle deposit and put all of that into their accounts is much more realistic and pushes you in the direction of your goals. Keep your original goals SIMPLE and attainable! 

4. Be consistent. Remember that little steps in the right direction are still moving you forward.

5. Make the choice. Each morning when you get out of bed, make the choice that it's going to be a good day. When a situation arises and you feel the frustration creep in, remember your choice from the morning and push the feelings away.  Sometimes this is easier said than done, but your life of happiness and peace is only a choice away. Once you make the choice, the rest become easier.

You too can live the life you want to live. You won't always have to punch the unicorn and rainbow people in the face. A life of happiness can be yours!

Would love to hear from you. What have you done, or are going to do, to work to bring happiness as a daily part of your life?

~*~Thankful Thursday~*~

As I've sat today, perusing Facebook, I've seen so many people doing a "Thankful Challenge" where they are going to post something everyday that they are thankful for.  With Thanksgiving being this month, it seems fitting that thankfulness would become the theme I supposed. November is the month to remind us to be thankful for the many good things in our life. Isn't it a bit ironic that we begin the month of November by going and 'begging' for candy from perfect strangers the night before, and we end it by having Black Friday where we can't get enough and will be seeing fights in stores for 'things'.  November isn't the only time of the year that we should be thankful, however. We should live a life of gratitude, and while it's not easy to do, it's a very rewarding way to live. Looking for the simple things in life can be the most rewarding.  

Last year I joined a group called  One Thousand Gifts. It's based on the work of Ann Voskamp and is a challenge to get us to "Live Fully from Where You Are".  It's not about the fancy cars or big houses. It's not about the greatest job or perfect health. It's about seeing amazing life all around us and being grateful for each moment. Shortly after I began the journey of One Thousand Gifts, I came outside to see that my 5 year old had drawn a chalk family on the sidewalk, right outside our front door. 

 I saw my kids revealing over the joys of making tents in the livingroom. 

 I marveled in the simplicity during a moment of solitude

and had simple reminders of love.

While November 1 is a great day to begin a journey of gratitude,  I hope that it won't stop when Thanksgiving is over. Take that time to fully see the beauty of what is around you and be thankful for it. 

Since today is my normal Thankful Thursday, I need  to get to what I'm thankful for today. 

I'm thankful that we finally have a start day for our office!! And I'm thankful that things are really starting to come together. Tables have been ordered and our "Coming Soon" sign is up.

I'm thankful that the rain has finally stopped and the sun has come out, and that it's 10* warmer today than it has been the past few days!!

I'm thankful for my warm bed, and that (while temporary) I can get the kids off to school in the morning and crawl back into it and sleep until my body tells me to wake up.

Oh, and I'm thankful for bacon! Yep!  I'll admit it. I love making bacon and eggs for breakfast in the morning and yesterday, when I was out of bacon, I REALLY missed it! 

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” 
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

~*~Wordless Wednesday~*~ 10/31/12

If you know how to worry....

Several years ago I heard a pastor say "If you know how to worry, you know how to pray". What a powerful statement!!  Lately I've found myself spending a lot of time thinking about the gunman that's running around in this area. I've downloaded  police scanner app to both my cell phone and computer and have spent hours listening to it, wondering if every car stop or every call the police go on is this animal. He has really brought  new fear to this overly peaceful area. People are changing the routes they drive to work or the grocery store so they don't have to drive the on the expressway.  Despite all the shootings being during the day, people are talking about how they aren't going out at night or how they are avoiding doing things they normally do, like taking their daily walk. The police said that people in the community are 'seeing' the shooter all over the place and calling in with leads. What is really happening is that they think they see someone fitting the description and so make the call. So far, he is still on the run, terrorizing the community.

Today, I had to make a trip to the kids school to drop some stuff for a Halloween party and as I was driving out of the parking lot, a black car pulled in and the driver, to me, looked similar to the police sketch. I quickly turned on my police scanner, did a U-turn and went back to the school just as the man was walking in. His hands were both in the front pocket of his hoodie and he looked a bit suspicious. I sat in the parking lot, shaking and heart racing, listening to make sure a call didn't come in. 

As I was driving home, the above quote came flooding to mind. What was I thinking? What did me sitting in the parking lot, worrying, help? Me worrying, wasn't going to help my kids if something DID happen. Me worrying, wasn't solving anything. 

Worrying comes so easily to so many of us. It's almost as if it's engrained in us. And if we come from a home where there was constant worry, we tend to be even bigger worry warts. Deep within the human brain is the limbic system, the area of emotion.  When we are in a threatening situation, the amygdala is fired up and we go into a state known as 'flight or fight'. In this state, hormones such as epinephrine (ie. adrenaline) are released and our pupils constrict, our hair stands on end and our digestive system shuts down to preserve energy, just to name a few changes. When we live our entire lives full of worry, we live in a constant 'fight or flight' state. Our bodies are always in a heightened state of alert, which is not the way God intended us to live.

I'm not one to throw a lot of Bible verses at a problem or use a lot of Christian catch phrases and cliches.  However, all through the Bible, we are told not to worry. I believe that it wasn't to make us better Christians or to make us 'prayer warriors'. I believe that we are given these verses as a step towards healthier living-body, mind and spirit. I believe that by living a life free of worry, we are able to focus our attention on other things, such as being a blessing to those around us and helping those in need. It's hard to fully help those around us when we are in constant worry, fight or flight....and just trying to get away from the problems we are facing.  Worry is an incredibly selfish, self centered lifestyle when you get right down to it

We all know the verse in Matthew that says:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

We also know the verse in the same passage that says: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Isiah tells us:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Psalm 112:7 is one of the my all time favorites!

They will have no fear of bad news;  their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

But what does the Bible teach us about actually overcoming these worries and fears? We aren't just going to wake up one morning and be free of all fear. It, just like worrying, takes effort. Psalm 34 says:I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

I Peter tells us:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

We also see:
 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

Overcoming worry and anxiety takes work. It's a daily effort to put our trust in God, to rely on him, to know that He has a plan. When we find ourselves in that moment of worry, it takes a switch our brain to go from an active state of worry to place of prayer and meditation.  

Action Step: If you find yourself in a constant state of worry, wondering about the bills, the kids at school, the weather tomorrow, I challenge you to begin to take some steps toward a more worry free life. Start by writing out verses on worry, anxiety and fear on an index card and putting them around your house. You can also write the verses on your bathroom mirror with a sharpie marker. Don't worry, it'll come off when you are ready to take it down, or change verses. 

Start your journey to living a more worry free, prayer filled life! 

For a great list of verses on worry free living, check out Women's Bible Cafe

~*~Tuesday Tantrums~*~ 10/30/12

Tuesday Tantrums

I hate that there is a madman on the loose in the area and he has been evading the police for 2 weeks. He has now shot at 25 different vehicles and they don't have too much to go on yet.




I hate that I was reading on Facebook today and someone was talking about the police scanner and that there was another shooting. I found a link for a local scanner online and spent the next hour listening. Supposedly it was a murder-suicide about 15 minutes from here. They talked about the doors being blocked and that they were going to have to break in. My heart sunk when they said "Man down. Looks like victim and perp both are down". They then talked about where they will transport them. Turns out it was a training exercise! While I'm relieved that no one was hurt, the emotional roller-coaster that it put me through is ridiculous!!!!

I hate that this political season is bringing out the ugliness in people! Yesterday I got into a 'discussion' on Facebook and after the person basically told me that I racist. The discussion was how Romney doesn't understand his community. Really, he was saying that Romney doesn't understand his RACE.

I pressed him on the issue and asked him what he meant. He stated "The Black community. That's where my heart is. Like the panthers in the 70s, I would like to start movement that can reach every community. So with that being said, I start with my race first but my community reaches much further than that."  Funny though because when I pressed further and asked about me supporting "my community" first, I was basically told that would make me prejudiced. When will we get past race??? When will we realize that it's not only white people that can be racist and that, in fact, things like the Panthers, BET, NAACP, Morehouse & Spellman Colleges are just as racist as the KKK or Michigan Militia. This is probably my biggest tantrum right now!  

I hate that during this political season, if you aren't supporting a candidate or proposal you are against someone and their beliefs. I've researched my candidates and proposals and I've come to my conclusions on what i feel is best for my family, my 'community' (to quote above), my profession I am somehow wrong or against everyone else who has differening opinions.