Busyness

I haven’t written in almost a week.  It’s been crazy busy here,  My parents arrived last Tuesday.  We have enjoyed a nice visit.  They leave tomorrow.  Mom and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 16.  We enjoyed having family here for dinner.  We did some shopping.  We wrapped the Christmas presents.  We decorated the house for Christmas yesterday. 

While the last week was lots of fun, I wouldn’t want my life to be like that all the time.  I need some time for myself.  I need some time to think, read, and write.  Busyness is something the Christian has to be careful of. 

I have to make rest a priority in my life – true Christian rest.  I have to manage my busyness.  i have to not let the world’s hustle and bustle get to me – something that happens during the Christmas season. 

I need to make a deliberate choice to prioritize relationships and life over busyness.  I need to pay attention to my time management.  I need to watch my schedule.  I need to feel OK about telling people “no”.

Think about the rest described in  Psalm 23.  There's no busyness described there. 

As you proceed into the Christmas season, take time to remember what the season is about.  Don’t get caught up in the busyness of everything and miss the meaning.

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Thanksgiving is more than turkey

Thanksgiving is a time we have set aside to think about the things we have to be thankful for.  Examining our lives and seeing all the our blessings is a good practice.  One we really need to do daily not annually.

The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Oh give thanks for the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 136:26

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God”  Philippians 4:6

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" Colossians 3:17

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ” Psalm 100 4:5

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!"  I Chronicles 16:34

Thanksgiving is fun.  I get to spend time with my family.  We have great food.  However, if all I do is eat and give some lip service to being thankful, then I’ve missed the whole meaning of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving should be about God and His steadfast love.  It’s about having a thankful heart for all the blessings I have received through the years and the promise of eternal life. 

It’s also about being content in our circumstances.  I should recognize that nothing takes God by surprise and that He knows what is best for me.  I may not see a situation as being good for me but God uses those situations to grow me in my faith and I still need to thank Him for those.

I wish you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.  I pray you will focus on God and give Him the thanks that he so richly deserves.

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Christmas With a Capital “C”

Listen to the words of this song as we get ready to enter the Christmas season.

 

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Who Am I

It’s a quiet morning.  My husband is off running errands and my daughter is still in bed.  She got in late after the school football game last night.  I’ve been up off and on since 4:00 am.  I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately.  I’ve got the laundry started, picked up some stuff around the house, and so I thought I would take advantage of the quiet and take a break.  I really didn’t have a topic in mind when I opened the software and started to write but now I think I will focus on the idea of “Who Am I".

I am a new creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  2 Corinthians 5:17

I am a temple of the Holy Spirit

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”  
1  Corinthians 6:19-20

I am rescued, redeemed, and forgiven

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13-14

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."” Galatians 3:13

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace”  Ephesians 1:7

I am blessed

“So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”  Galatians 3:9

I am chosen, adopted, and loved

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”  Ephesians 1:4-6

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

I am healed

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24

I am more than a conqueror

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Romans 8:37

I am an heir (co-heir with Christ)

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”  Romans 8:17

I am in Christ and Christ is in me

“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”  1 Corinthians 1:30

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

I am alive with Christ

“made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”  Ephesians 2:5

 

Wow – what an encouragement.  I’m ready to take on the day.  What about you?

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I know Whom I have believèd,

I had to have an MRI today.  I am claustrophobic and so this was not a very pleasant experience.  I had to lay still for about 45 minutes.  I went in feet first and my entire body was in the scanner to my forehead.  I could tilt my head back and see a little bit of the room.  My arms were both back behind my head.  They had to run an IV and contrast dye into my system.

I was very uncomfortable and I couldn’t think straight.  I had to do something to get my mind off my circumstances.  I began to pray.  I prayed for the team of people I supervise, I prayed for my family, I prayed for all my daughter’s teachers, I prayed for our pastors, I started to pray for the students in my class and before I could get through them all, they were done with the scan.  The time had flown by.  I had taken my mind off myself as I prayed for others and God had allowed the discomfort to be taken away.  It ended up being a wonderful prayer time.

The MRI did confirm the doctor’s findings.  I am going to be having some minor surgery in December.  Nothing life threatening and nothing to worry about.  The recovery, however, is supposed to be very painful. We’ll see …

Here are some verses I meditated on tonight.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV) “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

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

This chorus from an old hymn went through my mind.

I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.  (Whittle)

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Psalm 1

I chose Psalm 1 to look at tonight.  I memorized this passage years ago.  It contrasts the righteous man with the wicked.

Psalm 1

“¹ Blessed is the man
       who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
       or stand in the way of sinners
       or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
       and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
       which yields its fruit in season
       and whose leaf does not wither.
       Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
       They are like chaff
       that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
       nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
       but the way of the wicked will perish.”

 

Thoughts on this passage … 

The pursuit of God will bring you blessings.  

In the midst of problems, how can we have a stable life?  This psalm shows blessings that await the person who pursues God.

What does the word “blessed” mean?  The dictionary defines blessed as favored.  It refers to a state of happiness.  It can also mean enjoying God’s favor.

Pursuing God means you don’t allow the wicked to influence you.  You shouldn’t follow after the world’s ways.  You shouldn’t seek advice from non-Christians.  You should go to the Bible and to your Christian friends for godly council. 

A scoffer is one who mocks God.   Don’t associate with such people.

There is more to the Christian life than avoiding evil.  Don’t just run from evil, run towards God.

Verse 2 – refers to meditating on the Word – read it, study it, memorize it

Verse 3 – God promises prosperity.  Don’t misunderstand this part.  This prosperity is not the same as the world’s definition.  Real prosperity is not money or possessions.  Real prosperity is the result of God working in my life.  The results may not be what we are expecting but God will not leave us down.

Verse 4 – the chaff is the part of the wheat that is worthless.  II was once explained to me this way  -- When grain was harvested in Israel, they would pour it out on a threshing floor.  The wind would blow away the chaff and leave the the kernels of the wheat behind.  The wicked are like the chaff  - they blow around in the wind – following whatever the latest ideas and philosophies are. 

Verse 6 – The wicked will perish.  Sometimes it seems like they are getting exactly what they want but remember any prosperity they see now is temporary.  They will perish. 

Ideas to take away from this …

1. Examine your life.  Who are you going to for advice?  Are you seeking godly advice and direction or are you following the crowd? 

2. Accountability – find a godly person who can hold you accountable in your walk with God.  Someone who you can share your struggles with.  Someone who will pray for you and encourage you.

3. Bible Study – make it a consistent part of your life.  You can’t base your life on the Scriptures if you don’t know what God’s Word says. 

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Honesty is best policy

I went to Kroger and picked up a couple of prescriptions.  I got home and started filling out my paperwork for my flexible spending account and I discovered that the pharmacist had only charged me for 3 prescriptions and I had picked up 4.  The one I had not been charged for was $10.  I set it aside and thought about what to do.  The $10 was not a big deal for me.  I just hated to think about the hassle of going back, waiting in line, and then trying to explain to them that I owed them money.

I put it off for a couple of days.  It’s not that I didn’t want to be honest.  It was the time it was going to take to go back and straighten it out that I wasn’t sure I wanted to give up.  Finally, I got to thinking that their drug records wouldn’t match and I needed to make this right.  I went back and I was right.  I had to wait in line.  Then I had to explain everything to the clerk.  Then she had to call over the pharmacist.  They had to do some things in the computer and finally I paid them the extra $10.

They were very grateful that I had returned.  I was correct in my thoughts that their records wouldn’t come out right and that someone most likely would have gotten into trouble.

They were grateful and couldn’t believe that I would come back to pay them money that they didn’t even know that I owed them.  I felt better having taken care of it.  It was a small thing and yet it had been nagging on my conscience until I took care of it.

These situations happen to all of us.  The best thing for us is honesty.  The best thing for the other party is our being honest.  It still amazes people and blesses them when we are.

 

Honesty is a reflection of your character and your integrity. Your actions are a reflection on your faith.  Not being honest gives Christians a bad reputation. 

Honesty is a characteristic that needs practiced as a way of life.  It is a characteristic that employers look for.  It is something that is valued in friendships.  Once you mislead or lie to someone, it is hard to gain their trust back.  Make being honest your habit.

 

Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Proverbs 16”11 “Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making.”

Proverbs 11:3 “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”

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Are you fully committed?

Are you passionate about your relationship with Christ?  Are you living a life that is “filled-up” with love for God. 

II Chronicles16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

God is searching for people who love him.  He is not searching for capable or qualified people.  He only wants your love and availability.

Will you answer His call the same way Isaiah did?

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"”

Humble yourself before God.  Humility is necessary in order to be used by God.  Seek His face and His will. 

James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”

John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.”

God desires for you to trust him wholeheartedly.  Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Prayer is vital in a pursuit of God.  We must earnestly seek Him.  We must desire God to work in us.  Romans 12:12 says that we are to be faithful in prayer.  Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 talk about our need to pray about everything and to pray without ceasing.  Our life should be centered around and guided by prayer. 

Many Christians today are living a comfortable Christian life.  We need to be shaken out of our complacency.  We need a swift kick in the pants to get us moving.  We need to get serious about our faith.  We need to hunger and thirst for the Word of God. 

Acts 3:19 “turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord"

How do we practically proceed …

1. Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind.”

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life.        1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

3. Seek forgiveness from anyone you have offended.  Forgive others who have offended you.  Make restitution as necessary.

4. Examine you heart.  Take a look at your motives.  Pray that you would please the Lord with every word and deed.  Pray, pray, pray.  (Psalm 19:14)

5. Count your blessings daily.

6. Read, study, and memorize Scripture. Determine to live a life of obedience and faith.  Matthew 5:6 “Hunger and thirst after righteousness.”

7. Find a good church and be actively involved.

Lessons from Jonah

Quick summary of the book of Jonah:

Jonah’s fear and pride caused him to run away from God.  Jonah didn’t want to go to Ninevah.  He didn’t want to preach to the people there.  They were a very wicked group of people and Jonah didn’t want them to repent. He didn’t want God to save them.  They were his enemies and he wanted God to wipe them out. 

So, when God called him to go preach to them, Jonah went the opposite direction.  He boarded a boat and sailed away.  Soon a bad storm hit and the people on the boat were terrified.  They determined that Jonah was the problem and they threw him overboard.  Then Jonah is swallowed by a great fish.  He spends 3 days and 3 nights there.  Jonah repents of his sin. (who wouldn’t be praying if swallowed alive by a fish!)  The fish throws him up onto the beach.  Imagine what he looked like – bleached by the acids in the fish’s stomach.  How bad do you think he smelled! 

Jonah starts his trip to Ninevah.  When he gets there, he leads the city into a revival.  The people repent and get right with God – and Jonah gets mad.  He pouts.  He should be thankful but he isn’t. 

Then Jonah sat down outside the city.  God causes a gourd to grow and give him shade.  Jonah is happy.  The next day God sends wind and heat and the gourd dies.  God uses these things to teach Jonah about his mercy.

What can we learn form Jonah?

1. We can’t hide from God and we can’t run from him.  If God chooses to use us to accomplish a purpose – it will happen whether we like it or not. 

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

This verse reminds us that God has plans for us and He will prepare us for those plans.  We need to submit our will to His and allow ourselves to be used by God.

2.  God chooses to love everyone.  His love is not limited to a few chosen people.  John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world …”  The gift of eternal life is for all people in all times.  My task as a Christian is to allow God to use me to reach others. 

3.  I am not to be resentful of those who come to Christ in “last-minute” conversions.  Remember the thief on the cross.  He was in his last hour when he acknowledged his need for Jesus.  None of us deserve forgiveness or eternal life.  Yet that free gift is offered to all of us. All we have to do is receive it. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

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God’s plans are better than ours

Often times we are in the midst of troubles and we can’t see what possible good God can bring from it. Yet, the Bible says that all things work together for good for those that love the Lord.  (Romans 8:28) 

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I was recently contacted on Facebook by a former student.  I taught this young lady in the late 1980s and I was also her basketball coach.  I knew her and her family really well.  She was a challenge as a youth.  She tested the system and had a rebellious streak in her.  And yet I really liked her.  She had a fiery spirit and she was a real competitor. 

In 1989, at age 16, she was in a nearly fatal car accident.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was a young teacher and this really tore me up.  Many of us gathered to pray for her.  We prayed that God would spare her life.  God had more in mind than that. 

The doctors didn’t expect her to live – she did.

Then the doctors said she’d never walk again – she did.

Then the doctors said she’d never be able to have children – she did.

Our plans are not His plans and our ways are not His ways.  He is able to do above and beyond what we can dream of.  Take a couple of minutes and watch her testimony video below.

 

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

 

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Ramblings of a tired person

I wanted something different tonight and so I was reading Romans in the Amplified Bible.  I really liked the beginning of Ch 5.

^“1Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

²Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

³Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.

⁴And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

⁵Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”

 

No incredible ideas tonight.

Verse 1 – justification by faith – see also Hebrews 11

justification takes away guilt and makes a way for peace

Verse 2 – reminds me of Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith…

Verses 3 -5 – reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – give thanks in all circumstances…  and 1 Peter 1:6-7 and James 1:2-4 testing of your faith produces perseverance …

I”m tired tonight and thoughts aren’t flowing well but I am encouraged by this passage of scripture. 

It is the hard times in my life that cause my faith to grow.  When things are going well, I need to remember to give thanks, to count my blessings, and to know that God is the one in charge of everything.  It is he who works in me for his good purpose. 

(Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”)

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

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The right thing

So yesterday I wrote about doing the right thing.  How do you know what the right thing is?  It seems like our culture tends to think right is dependent on the person.

Having character is said to be doing what is right because it is right.

D.L.Moody said “Character is what a man is in the dark.”

As a Christian, I believe there is an absolute standard to determine right and wrong.  Right is not a relative thing.  You can’t make up the rules as you go.  We are accountable to God’s standards.  God has predetermined what is right, fair, legal, moral.  His code of conduct never changes.

Men and women of character choose to do what is right.  It is not forced on them.  The difference in their lives is focus and priorities.  They have their focus on Christ. 

No one would tell you they were against being a person of character and yet many people do not make that a priority.  They will compromise their character to achieve some goal in their life – that could be business or personal.

In today’s culture, what a person is on the inside is not as important as what they can do for you.  That is backwards from Scripture.

So as a Christian – focus on Christ, do the right thing because it is the right thing, don’t worry about outcomes.  God will honor you as you keep his standards.

Description of a true believer

 

General description of a true believer - He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous  (Psalm 15)

How do you do that? What does that mean?

Tell the truth

Do not insult others

Do not do evil to your neighbor

Do not disgrace your friends

Stay away from wicked people

Fear the Lord

Keep your word no matter what

Does not charge interest on a loan

Does not take a bribe against the innocent

 

That’s a lot to think about.

Try this –

Do the right thing for the right reasons – all the time.

Treat others the way they deserve to be treated – all the time.

Be consistent with your behavior.

 

Psalm 15 “ 1. Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

2.He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart

3.and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4.who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

5.who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”

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Thoughts about God’s love for me

God loves me so much that He sent Jesus to die for me.  God loves me with his whole heart.  It is an unconditional love.  There is nothing I can do to earn it and He can never love me more or less than He does today.  No matter how much He loves everyone else, He still loves me completely and fully.  I don’t compete with others for His love.

I may not always feel that love but it is always there.  Sometimes circumstance or situations get in the way of my realizing God’s love but it is always there. 

No one is too old, too poor, too stupid, too sick, too bad, etc to be loved by God.  God meets us where we are and loves us.  He stands by us through everything. 

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 43:1 “But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

God's not just some mighty being who looks down at earth and sees a bunch of nameless people running around. He knows each one of us by name.

God knows our troubles and our happiness. He made me special and unique.  He seeks a relationship with me.  The God of the universe seeks a relationship with me.  Understanding that simple truth should be enough to blow your socks off!

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Peace of Mind

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

There are several stories that come to my mind.  The first is Matthew 8 – the story of the disciples worrying while Jesus was sleeping.  Remember, they were on a boat in the middle of the lake when a bad storm came up.  They ran to look for Jesus and found that He was sleeping through the storm.  They shouted at Him, “We are all going to drown!”  Can you imagine Jesus waking up to all that screaming and panic?  Then he asked them why they were so afraid and scolded them for their lack of faith.  He then proceeded to calm the storm.  

The next story I thought of is found in John 14.  Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death.  He told them that he was giving them His peace.  The “peace of Christ” is different than any peace we can imagine on our own.  Jesus told them to not let their hearts be troubled, to not be afraid.  The peace He was offering is lasting and strong.

Finally, I am reminded of the verse I often quote from Philippians 4 that says we shouldn’t worry about anything.  That we should take everything need to God, in prayer and with thanksgiving.  The peace that comes from Jesus will guard my heart and my mind.

So my action plan is:

1. Keep my mind on Jesus.

2. Trust Him by giving Him control of every situation

3. Take my worries to God all the time, every day.

4. Be thankful for all things.  (Count my blessings)  Be thankful that He is always there for me – every minute of every day.

5. Expect the peace of God to fill my heart and mind.

 

Matthew 8:24-26 “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

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

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Need for alone time

I took some time this weekend to try to de-stress.  My husband worked late Friday night and didn’t get home until about 11:00.  My daughter was at the school’s football game.  I was home alone – and it was great!  I had quiet.  No one was asking me for anything for a couple of hours.  I was able to play some music, read some, and take a nap.  It was exactly what I needed.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) 

A lot of times this verse is used to say that you shouldn’t drink or do drugs.  The verse is also used when people talk about watching what you eat and exercising.  While I can agree with all those applications, I also think you can apply it to the need to de-stress or simplify your life.  When your life is so stressed and full of activities and work that you don’t have time to think, then stop and ask yourself, “How am I honoring God right now with my body?” 

If you are so stressed that you can’t think straight then that isn’t honoring to God.  If you are “on the go” so much that you can’t relax, then that is not honoring to God.

So when I feel stressed, I need to shift the focus to God.  I need to think about how important things are in light of eternity.  

I think I’ll check the calendar and see when I can get some alone time again.  It was needed, it was good for me, and it was fun!

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