Dealing with Anxiety-What God Teaches Us To Focus On

February 7, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 18 Comments

Yesterday evening while having dinner with friends. one of my friends observed, :”that must have been scary last week when you were in the ER.” My response might surprise some. My response was, “yes it was but that is in the past now. It is not happening now.”

Staying present in the moment is not a new concept. Jesus spoke about it over two thousand years ago when he said in Matthew 6:34:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus was teaching to focus on today, on the present here and now. Yes we make plans, but we do not live in tomorrow nor do we live in yesterday.

Paul touched on not living in yesterday when he wrote in Philippians 3:13:

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

Don’t get me wrong. I struggle as much as anyone with the practice of beating myself up about the past and anxiety about something coming in the future like having to go to the doctor. My response to my friend’s insight surprised me as well. But that fear that was gripping me last Wednesday is not with me anymore. The problem that brought to the ER is not a problem for me today. It is in the past and it can stay there, 🙂

But what would God want us to remember from the past?

1 Chronicles 16:12 says:

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

Remember the things God has done for us. This helps us when we face current difficulties. It helps us to remember how God came through for us.

We leave the negative stuff behind, remember God working in our lives, focus on today, and have hope for tomorrow knowing that Jesus is always with us.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

On The Mend-Coffee Time

February 5, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 30 Comments

Can you guess where I am now? If you said the coffee shop, you would be correct. I made it out for a while after being cooped up for most of the week I am finally on the mend and have a it of energy. But I am so behind on my blog and fellow bloggers after a week of mostly only laying in bed. It is time to catch up.

This week will be warmer in my area. I know that others in my state like Alicia of forhispurpose.blog have a lot of snow that needs to melt away, but not in my city. It will be in the 50f/10c most of the week or a bit warmer. That amounts to a heat wave in these parts. Brenda of becominghistapestry.com is loving the winter weather in her area. How is winter in your area? I hesitate to ask because I know that Gary of garyfultz.com thrives on winter, ice fishing, etc. Then there is David of davidsadailydose.org who lives in southern climate and misses out on all of the fun. He is probably enjoying a picnic today. 🙂

Just giving shout outs to a few friends.

Back to my coffee outing. I must still be a bit spacey because guess who forgot to bring his wallet? Yes I did. I must have something like frequent flyer miles because the barista told me not to worry and let me have a cup with a refill free of charge saying that I am in here a lot.

I was thinking today about memories. We all have those memories we beat ourselves up with of past failures and sins. There are two verses that come to mind that I think should shape how we talk to ourselves.

Hebrews 8:12 says:

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

If God does not remember our sins against us, why beat ourselves up for past failures. Learn from them yes, but let the memories of them drag us down, NO.

Hebrews 6:10 says:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

What God does remember are the work we do and love we show in his name towards others. This shows me what we should focus on-the here and now and living for Jesus letting God take care of those memories.

It feels good to be at my coffee shop and to have the tangible reminder about memory. Maybe it is a good thing that I forgot my wallet. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Voices- Which One Will We Pay Attention to?

January 3, 2023January 3, 2023 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 21 Comments

I watched a movie over the weekend, which was Violet starring Olivia Munn. In the movie she plays the part of a woman dealing with negative voices in her mind always tearing her down as a result of growing up with a verbally abusive mother. As someone who grew up in a family with two abusive parents, I could so relate to the character she played.

There are voices competing for our attention, our own inner voices, voices of others, and even the voice of the deceiver Satan. Darkness loves to jump on people to drag them further down.

Jesus talked about his voice and those who follow him. In John 10:3-65we read:

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

It is so important to learn to listen to his voice. His voice guides us and gives us life. In John 10:10 Jesus said:

:The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

There are voices that seek to destroy us like a death of a thousand cuts slowly and repeatedly over time. By contrast, Jesus’s motivation is to give us life to the full. He brings healing to our lives. He gives our lives new meaning and purpose.

We can learn to listen to Jesus’s voice by spending time reading the bible, listening to worship music, spending time in prayer, and having friends we trust who will speak truth into our lives. It can also help to meet with a therapist or a pastor to sort things out.

Choosing which voice to pay attention to is a continual battle, but well worth it if we choose the voice of our Savior Jesus who loves us.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

World Mental Health Day-Jesus Understands

October 11, 2022 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 7 Comments

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day to raise awareness about mental health. In honor of that, I would like to share a thought with you. Did you ever think about the fact that Jesus understands anguish?

The night before Jesus was crucified he went to the garden to pray. In Matthew 26::38 he said to his disciples:

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Luke 22:44 gives a little more insight to what Jesus was experiencing at the moment.

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus knew he was about to be tortured and crucified, so he was filled with anguish.

When we come to Jesus in prayer, we are praying to someone who understands anguish, someone who understands emotional pain.

If we struggle with depression or anxiety, we can come to Jesus in prayer knowing he has experienced sorrow and anguish.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Dealing with Depression

August 19, 2022 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 33 Comments

When I say depression, it is more than the normal feeling sad. We all have times of feeling down and have our valley moments in life. Depression is a persistent thing that a person doesn’t just snap out of. When a person is depressed, the inclination is to isolate because the feelings we relate to are ones like numb, hopeless, disconnected, lethargic, foggy, empty.

Being a Christian and knowing the bible verses people tend to quote as a quick fix can actually make it worse. It’s like rubbing salt into a wound.

A therapist once told me the antidote to depression is to not isolate which goes against every inclination one with depression has. Getting out and being with others can feel like it will zap any energy we have, but it is so important to be with others.

Finding a counselor we can connect with is so helpful. Confiding in a few friends we trust is helpful. Confiding in a pastor can be of great help as long as we are in a church that does not stigmatize mental health issues. If we are in such a church, it is best to find a different one.

Some may need medication. If we think about it, the brain is a physical part of our physical bodies. We would not hesitate to take medication for other issues like diabetes or asthma. If we need medication for depression, it is a medical thing and not something to feel inferior about.

Depression can affect our relationships including our relationship with God. The good news is that God knows all about us including struggles with depression and loves us deeply even if we can’t feel it. Jesus invites us to come to him in Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

We can be honest with Jesus in prayer. We can share with him how we are doing. We can rest in knowing he loves us and trust him to bring healing for our souls and spirits.

There is hope for those who struggle with depression.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

How Jesus Would View Simone Biles

July 30, 2021July 30, 2021 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 29 Comments

Negative reactions to Simone Biles withdrawing from the Olympics has much more to do with how messed up values are in our culture than Simone Biles withdrawing. The one question I ask myself is how would Jesus view her?

Here is a 24 year old woman who has spent the majority of her life training. She has already captured six medals in previous Olympics. But she is also a young woman who is a sexual assault survivor. She was victimized along with other young women by someone teen girls should be able to trust, a team doctor. She had the courage to come forward along with some of the other victims. That kind of trauma stays with a person. She pursued her love of gymnastics even while carrying that trauma in her spirit.

As a Christian, I am mindful of how even Jesus experienced being praised by people and then rejected and scoffed at by some of the same people during his Passion Week when he was crucified. Jesus views Simone Biles the same as he would any woman who has been victimized as Biles was. He views her as a young woman in need of healing for her soul and spirit and in need of his compassion.

That is the only way Christians should view her, as a young woman who has suffered at the hands of not only the man who assaulted her, but also at the hands of those in Team USA who sought to cover it up. She owes us nothing. She deserves compassion, understanding, and respect for having achieved as much as she has while dealing with trauma.

Thank you for reading God Bless.

When God Gives Confirmation

October 20, 2019October 20, 2019 ~ jesusluvsall ~ 24 Comments

A little over a year go, I began to share in my blog about living with depression and anxiety which for me were symptoms of living with chronic illness. It felt a bit risky at the time, but I found that many people responded to my posts whether through comments, likes etc.

Yesterday a woman I respect a great deal for her work with children who have been traumatized, responded to me sharing a few posts on her Facebook Wall. She had given me permission. I let her know that I share from a Christian perspective. She responded that we should seek to bring Christ into mental health issues. After I posted a few links on her Facebook wall:

Jesus Understands Trauma

World Mental Health Day-October 10

She responded with this message:

“Matt, Thank you for sharing these blogs. I pray others read it as you candidly shared your personal experience in a very relatable way. We are all searching to be heard & understood. Especially searching for our deepest desire: Jesus. Some might not believe or understand His healing power & gift of Salvation is waiting for them in the most deepest hurts, mental health, medical problems & any sin. He indeed experienced trauma. Stories like yours lead people to the Lord because you spoke biblical truth & love in despite how hurtful your trauma was you looked Him & found healing & peace.”

To receive such a message from a woman who is a Christian and also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor meant a lot to me. I felt it gave me confirmation to continue to share.

My desire is to share with others the comfort Jesus has given me whether it is regarding depression/anxiety or about living with chronic illness. I always think about the truth of 2 Corinthians 1:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Her message was confirmation for me to continue to share about how God has helped and is helping me to press on with my ministry and life living with chronic illness and also with depression/anxiety. After my day Friday with friends, and also with the extra support from my home church, seeing my colleagues message Saturday, I feel God is telling me to continue.

On another note, a few of my followers on this blog recently went to my short stories blog- Encounters with the Ancients. I am thinking about making one of my short stories into a book. I would like HONEST feedback from my followers on this blog. I would like to ask you to read a story I wrote a year and a half ago- Jessica’s Encounter at the Harbor Coffee Shop.. What I want HONEST feedback about is if a book version would be of interest.

Thank you for reading. God bless.