Redirecting Our Anxious/Negative Thoughts

I’ve been re-reading Who Switched Off My Brain?: Controlling toxic thoughts and emotions by Dr. Caroline Leaf, and ran across some really great information. I also found similar information by Dr. Archibald Hart. Both Dr. Leaf and Dr. Hart agree that people who suffer from anxiety need to pay attention to their thoughts. An excerpt from Dr. Leaf’s book says: “What you do and say on the outside must reflect what you think on the inside. A lack of congruence causes stress and affects the way information is processed and memory is built. Framing your world with your words involves replacing negative thinking and words through a right attitude shift. You do this by: acknowledging that an issue exists, reflecting on what is wrong with it, considering how you can cope with it, asking whether you can do it alone or if you need help.”

Dr. Hart says: “Daily write in a small notebook every bothersome thought, event, or person that comes to mind. Ask yourself, “Which of these can I take care of right now? Is there anything I can change? Then take that action immediately and cross that thought off your list. Take the rest of your list—things you cannot take care of there and then and pray about them. Commit them to God. Then close your notebook. Doing this at the end of each day or whenever a bothersome thought occurs will help transfer it from your mind to paper.” If your mind keeps harping on an issue, write it down as often as you think of it. Pray about it. Then move on to other things.  

Dr. Hart also suggests writing down several good events that have happened in your life that bring you pleasure when you remember them. (Phil. 4:8) Write them on a card to keep with you throughout your day. For each event write down two or three specific things that happened that makes the event pleasurable for you. Keep this card with you at all times. Every hour or two review one of the memories on your card. Re-live it, savor it. Meditate on it for four or five minutes. Then return the card to its safe place and continue about your business. In this way you’re redirecting your thoughts away from anxious ones.

You can do this with pictures, too. Not long ago I found an old picture of my husband and me when we were celebrating his birthday in his parents' backyard. We were dating at the time—still teenagers. It made me smile to remember us back then. I’ve looked at it several times this past week and smile every time as I relived those wonderful days of getting to know each other and just being together. My children’s pictures bring wonderful memories to mind as well.

And there is always Scripture meditation—both Dr. Leaf and Dr. Hart speak of the importance of meditating on Scripture.  I’ve been reaping the benefits of that--as you know.

The more we concentrate on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praise-worthy in our lives (Phil. 4:8), the more positive thoughts and memories we’ll have to fill our minds and hearts. We'll then be more congruent--positive on the inside and on the outside. Faith-filled on the inside and acting in faith on the outside.

 

More Verses to Battle Fear

Beth Moore has put together a booklet of verses for battling the stronghold of fear and anxiety. It's entitled, Fear and Courage, The Great Forsake and Take. The title comes from the fact that we need to "forsake" fear and "take" courage.

Here's the link: http://blog.lproof.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-Great-Forsake-and-Take-Final.pdf

I already printed mine out! :)

May God richly bless you as you continue believing Him for freedom from all your fears. He is able! Oh, yes, He is able!

Who Is In Your Grandstand?

Kathleen Hart, wife of Dr. Archibald Hart, retired Professor of Psychology and former Dean of the Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, asks this question in a counseling dvd I watched recently, "Who is in your grandstand?" It really opened my eyes to the importance of not putting myself, my parents, my husband, or anyone else in my grandstand. The only One who belongs there is Jesus Christ. This idea of "grandstand" assumes we're all performing for somebody's approval. I've been asking myself,  "Are my decisions being influenced by God, by my own misguided self, or by the people whose opinions I value most?" When God is not my priority person, I make unwise decisions.

Kathleen Hart emphasized there should be only One in our grandstand, and His Name is Jesus Christ. When we "make it our goal to please Him" (2 Corin. 5:9, NIV), life works and we are happier children in the Lord. Our hearts, souls, minds, and spirits are freed up from trying to please others and from trying to fullfil our own selfish desires. Instead, we are filled with the peace and love of Jesus, and we begin to operate out of that sense of His loving, healing presence in our hearts. We seek guidance from His Holy Spirit and humbly submit to His perfect will. Living out of that guidance, love, and peace that guards our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7, NIV), we become more of a positive influence to those around us. Instead of seeking the approval of others to fill our needs, we become people who have something of great value to offer--Christ Himself--the only One who truly satisfies our deepest, heart-felt desires, who heals our deepest wounds, who rebuilds minds, hearts, souls, and bodies, and restores broken relationships.

He makes all things new. (Rev. 21:5, KJV)

June Hunt, Christian Counselor

June Hunt has many counseling helps that are downloadable and free in addition to books that speak about fear, worry, rejection, verbal and emotional abuse, grief, depression, etc. Her link for short teaching videos: http://www.hopefortheheart.org/2011/10/i-dont-think-that-my-life-has-any-purpose/

Confession and Forgiveness

Life has a way of beating us up, doesn't it? I know I've felt beat up a time or two this year. Difficult, stressful situations wear me down. They tend to bring out the worst in me. I'm forced to see things in me that I thought were dead and buried since I've begun walking with the Lord. It seems there are some things in me that just refuse to die. Then, when the dust has settled, I wonder, "How can I face the Lord after this?" But I go to the Lord anyway because He is everything to me. Without Him I have no hope of changing, no hope of surviving.

I thank God that He loves me so much that when I come to Him and confess my sins, He does not shame me or despise me. He welcomes me, forgives me, and loves me. I may get disciplined, but I would rather have the Lord's discipline than live without being reconciled to Him.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Nothing is better fuel for the Enemy's fire than the discouragement that comes from sin, especially if we sin after we've made a fresh commitment to the Lord or have been walking in joyful fellowship with Him. But I've learned to immediately go to the Lord and confess so that "times of refreshing" can come...and the sooner the better!

Just look at how compassionate our God is:

"He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." Ps. 103:10-14 (ESV)

Thank you, Father, that you do not deal with us according to our sins. Thank you that you remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for your compassion to those who stand in reverent awe of you. Thank you for remembering that I am dust. Help me to live each day in submission to your perfect will and authority. Help me align my mind, heart, and soul with your Word. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may have the power to live as you want me to live. In Jesus' name. Amen.

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress

This article is from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America--www.adaa.org. I would like to also add to this list: praying to God, meditating on and praying the Scriptures that deal with overcoming fear and anxiety as posted on this blog, and meeting with God in His Word, the Holy Bible, every morning before the day begins. Let Him speak to you through His Word. Also, praying to Him throughout your day and casting all your anxiety on Him whenever you feel it rising up in you. You can be honest with Him. He is your Sovereign Lord and He is in control. You can trust Him. He loves you so much!

Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress

When you're feeling anxious or stressed, these strategies will help you cope:
•Take a time-out. Practice (stretching exercises), listen to music, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.
•Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.
•Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.
•Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.
•Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Check out the fitness tips below.
•Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
•Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.
•Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.
•Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?
•Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.
•Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones--like verses from God's Word (italics mine).
•Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.
•Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or something else you can identify? Write in a journal when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.
•Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you’re feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to your clergyman. (italics, mine) Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

Fitness Tips: Stay Healthy, Manage Stress

For the biggest benefits of exercise, try to include at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walking) each week, 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity (such as jogging or swimming laps), or a combination of the two.
•5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.
•Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It's better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.
•Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.
•Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Many people find it’s more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.
•Recruit an “exercise buddy.” It's often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.
•Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.

A Little Bird

This morning while praying to God, I gave Him all of my recent disappointments and hurts that I had been trying to pretend did not bother me. After drying my tears, I made a cup of tea and looked out the window to my backyard. The song, It is Well with My Soul, came to mind. I quietly sang the first verse and my heart and mind became still. I thought about the words, "When sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well. It is well with my soul'." I thought about how it can be well within me even when there is still sorrow around me. Nothing had changed outwardly after I prayed, but I was relieved of the weight I had felt. I was freed up. As I continued to stare out the window, a sweet little bird with a yellow tummy landed in the practically bare branches of my English rosebush directly in front of me, hopped a time or two, seemed to look at me through the blinds, and then flew off.

I was delighted! Such an unexpected gift. I thanked God for it's coming and felt a surge of faith and love. I felt validated. God had heard me. He had heard my prayers and sent that little bird to lift my spirits. I knew it as sure as I knew my name. I just had to share it. Oh, how I love my God! He is faithful to us all.

Morning Reading, Charles Spurgeon

Morning and Evening
Charles H. Spurgeon
February 13, 2012
Morning Reading
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God.

—1 John 3:1-2
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet we are called “the sons of God.” What a high relationship is that of a son, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the son expects from his father, and what love the father feels towards the son! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ. As for the temporary drawback of suffering ...this we accept as an honour: “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” We are content to be unknown with Him in His humiliation, for we are to be exalted with Him. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against us, now—in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be—now, as much in the valley as on the mountain, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” “Ah, but,” you say, “see how I am arrayed! my graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory.” But read the next: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him.” The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see Him as He is.

God's Covenant With You

I've recently signed up to receive the Morning/Evening devotionals of Charles Spurgeon from www.blueletterbible.org. I thought I'd share this one with you all because it so blessed me.

Morning and Evening
Charles H. Spurgeon
December 21, 2011
Morning Reading
Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant.
—2 Samuel 23:5

This covenant is divine in its origin. “HE hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” Oh that great word HE! Stop, my soul. God, the everlasting Father, has positively made a covenant with thee; yes, that God who spake the world into existence by a word; He, stooping from His majesty, takes hold of thy hand and makes a covenant with thee. Is it not a deed, the stupendous condescension of which might ravish our hearts for ever if we could really understand it? “HE hath made with me a covenant.” A king has not made a covenant with me—that were somewhat; but the Prince of the kings of the earth, Shaddai, the Lord All‐sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting Elohim, “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” But notice, it is particular in its application. “Yet hath He made with ME an everlasting covenant.” Here lies the sweetness of it to each believer. It is nought for me that He made peace for the world; I want to know whether He made peace for me! It is little that He hath made a covenant, I want to know whether He has made a covenant with me. Blessed is the assurance that He hath made a covenant with me! If God the Holy Ghost gives me assurance of this, then His salvation is mine, His heart is mine, He Himself is mine—He is my God.

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant means a covenant which had no beginning, and which shall never, never end. How sweet amidst all the uncertainties of life, to know that “the foundation of the Lord standeth sure,” and to have God’s own promise, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Like dying David, I will sing of this, even though my house be not so with God as my heart desireth.

What Is A Saint?

Romans 1:7 "...who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV Bible)

In my quiet time this morning, I began reading in Romans, and as I thought about verse 7, I wondered what the word "saint" meant. I've heard this word almost all my life, and it's mentioned in the Bible several times both in Old and New Testaments. I had a pretty good idea what it meant--those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. But still I wondered what the difference was between a believer and a saint, if any. This morning I looked it up in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

The dictionary had much to say, but what really struck me were these words: "To be a saint is a present reality when a believer seeks to let the Spirit form Christ within."

I've been thinking about that ever since I read it. Especially the words, "let the Spirit form Christ within." Shouldn't this be the goal of all believers? I have really felt convicted about this. Am I letting the Spirit form Christ within me? I want to. I need to. And this morning I prayed for God to help me let the Spirit do His job. My life, my well-being, depends on my letting go of how I think life should be or how I think I should be treated. And after I let go, I need to grab onto Jesus and not let go, trusting in the Lord's will and in His love for me. He is faithful, ever-present, His love is unfailing, and His will for me is good, pleasing, and perfect.

Let the Spirit form Christ within....

A Prayer for Stress and Anxiety

Found this prayer that I thought might help someone.

Bible Studies and Books: A List

In response to an email recently, I listed some Bible studies and some books that I have read that speak to anxiety and I thought I would list as many of them as I can remember here on my blog in case someone else might be interested. Although Bible study, an active prayer life, and my Scriptures were my first line of defense against panic, I began reading Christian nonfiction books to encourage myself in my walk with the Lord and also to learn all I could about staying out of the pit of panic and depression. If you would like to share books that have helped you, please feel free to list them in a comment. :)



1. Bible studies by Beth Moore: Believing God, Breaking Free, Living Beyond Yourself, A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place; Bible study by Jennifer Rothschild: Me, Myself, & Lies

2. Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George

3. The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

4. The Spirit-Controlled Woman by Beverly LaHaye

5. The Spirit-Filled Temperament by Tim LaHaye

6. The Psychology of Jesus

7. Boundaries by Cloud/Townsend

8. The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane

9. Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hurnard (This is a fiction book and a Christian classic whose main character is called, “Much-Afraid”. I identified with her very much.)

10. The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

11. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

12. Who Switched Off My Brain?

13. Ruthless Trust, by Brennan Manning

14. The Celebration of Discipline by Foster

15. Fearless by Max Lucado

Sunday

God is continuing to strengthen me so that even though I didn't get a full night's sleep, I was still able to get up and go to church yesterday. The rash on my hands is almost gone and I had a good hair day so I was feeling pretty good yesterday morning. :) I usually am running late, but Sunday morning my hair behaved and I was ahead of schedule. Being a shy person in my human nature, I did something I haven't done in a long time. I grabbed my spiral of Scriptures from 2009 and put them in my tote bag. My intention was that if there were not many people I knew in my Sunday School department because of the cold, damp weather we're having, I could refresh my memory of these verses while I waited for S.S. to start. Well....our department was full and I sat beside a friend and chatted awhile, and then she leaned in and confided in me that a loved one was experiencing anxiety and it was pretty serious. I told her how focusing on Scripture verses that speak to my heart and my circumstances help break the cycle of anxious thinking. I'm able to take my thoughts captive to Christ Jesus. Whenever I meditate on Scripture, my heart rate slows down, my thoughts turn to God and His love for me, His trustworthiness, and His power, and I have confidence and peace.  I pulled out my spiral of verses to show her how I write them on 3x5s to carry with me. She was excited and said she would share what I said with her loved one.

Isn't God amazing? He arranged for me to get ready early, caused me to grab my Scripture spiral, and to sit by this friend so I could talk to her before Sunday School started and share how God calms us when we are worried or locked into negative thinking.

Solis Deo Gloria--To God alone be the glory!!