Think on These Things

I used to have a lot of anxiety about ... well... life! I got to the point of having panic attacks
regularly and ended up seeing a Christian counselor for a while. Needless to say, believe me when I say I know about stress, worry and anxiety! If nothing else, this is just a friendly reminder that even when we feel like things won't get better, that we won't make the right decisions as a wives or moms, that our home isn't in order or that others are going to think ill of us (a while back I ran into a friend at the store and looked like I hadn't slept or showered in a week! My poor friend!) ... God has it all under control.

Philippians 4:6-9, verses I cling to regularly....

Do not be anxious about ANYTHING but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about THESE things.

As women/moms, we are so susceptible to guilt and worry because we feel like it's our job to hold the world together. If we drop the ball, everything will fall apart. if we don't handle a specific situation well than the rest of our family's lives will fall apart. Well, it's not our job to hold all things together so when we feel stressed out or caught up in all the "shoulds and shouldn'ts" of life/mommy-hood, the solution is simple. STOP IT!! Don't stress. Instead, let God know how you're feeling and think of all the things you have to be thankful for. Because when you do that... peace, which only God can give us, protects our minds and feelings from all the worry. And not only should we not fixate on all the trivial things that worry us. We should instead think of God's truths. This is a clear cut promise from God. Do "A" and the result will, without fail, be "b".

Also, a while back I worked {and yes, I mean worked} my way through the book "Created to be His Help Meet". It is an intense book but makes a wonderful point. "Joy begins with thankfulness". When you find yourself getting distressed or discontent, stop right there and make a mental list (or even a written list) of all you are thankful for. Taking our focus off the immediate, often trivial circumstance, puts things back into perspective and reminds us that God has, as always, got it under control.