Super Saturday: Let's Focus on Reruns

Do you like reruns?

We usually like new things better than a repeat of something we've seen or done before, but there is value in reruns.

Reruns can show us something we missed when we saw it the first time.

Reruns can introduce someone to something they weren't even around to enjoy the first time it was produced.

Reruns can seem brand new when you get old enough to forget the first time you saw it. (We've been watching some of the Marvel movies recently and I'm amazed at how often I don't know what's going to happen next, even though I know we've watched the movie before.)

So I'm going to do a sort of "rerun" for my blog post this week. 

If you're feeling like me, you're maybe a bit stressed about all that has to get done before Christmas arrives on Tuesday.

Last Sunday I sang my "It Is Well" Christmas Stress Song in church. I wrote it for Gary five years ago and he asked me to sing it for our new congregation. 

It's a good reminder for all of us as we prepare for that special day. Gifts, cards, and meals are all good, but the most important thing to focus on is Jesus. Keeping him first in our minds and hearts can help us put things in perspective and bring a little more peace into our lives during this busy time.

I'll keep this short for those of you that have heard me sing it recently, but I'll print the words below and include a link so you can see me when I sang it for the first time back in Allison, Iowa in 2013.

Merry Christmas to you all!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

Are you stressed out about Christmas? How can focusing on God help you to feel more peace in the days ahead?

"It Is Well" Christmas Stress Song (by Robyn Mulder)

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

"It is well, it is well with my soul"

It is well (it is well), with my soul (with my soul)

It is well, it is well with my soul

(to the tune of "Good Christian Men, Rejoice")

Christmas is almost here

I tremble with great fear

Cards aren't mailed and gifts aren't wrapped

I think I'll have a heart attack

Have to make that great big meal

And stress and strain are all I feel

I can hardly say... I can hardly say...

It is well, it is well with my soul

I have to change my attitude

Change it to one of gratitude

Set aside the things undone

And focus on the only one

Jesus Christ the newborn king

Is more than all these other things

I can almost say...  I can almost say...

It is well, it is well with my soul

I think my Christmas joy will start

I feel a peace within my heart

Gifts and food are good to give

But this is how we really live

Giving thanks for everything

Now my heart can truly sing

Christ is born today...  Christ is born today

(to the tune of "It is Well with My Soul")

When Christmas is coming and my stress level climbs

Let this be the thought that controls

The babe in the manger was born for these times

And his life was lived here for our souls

It is well (it is well), with my soul (with my soul)

It is well, it is well with my soul

*Here's a link to the song on Youtube.

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Peace

I really love the devotional book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. The readings seem to somehow speak right to where I'm at most days. That can only be a Holy Spirit thing, I think. God knows what we need to hear and provides those thoughts through devotions, the Bible, songs on the radio, or something we hear someone else say.

Lately the devotions have been mentioning "peace" and I've been pondering just how much peace I feel in my heart. I have to admit that it's been difficult over the last several months, or has it been years and years? I could blame my frequent lack of peace on the depression I've been experiencing or the occasional times of stress that happen in the life of a family in ministry, but those would be poor excuses.

From Sarah Young: "Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live, but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds."

She goes on to say that Jesus works in various ways to rid our hearts of those weeds. One of the best ways is just sitting quietly with Him. As He shines the Light of His Presence into our hearts, Peace grows and the weeds shrivel up.

This challenges and encourages me. I don't have to feel bad for the times when I choose to worry, but I need to recognize that God does not want that for me. He wants me to feel His peace even in the midst of difficult times. 

Today is Good Friday. We remember Jesus' terribly painful death on the cross. It was such a bad day, and yet we call it "Good" because His death was the only way our sins could be wiped out and God could welcome us into heaven. Focus on that today. Focus on the fact that He suffered and died just for you. May that thought bring you His Peace, no matter what is going on in your life right now.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15 NIV)

Do you feel Christ's Peace in your heart, or is it being choked out by the weeds of worry, pride, selfishness, and unbelief? How can focusing on Jesus get rid of those weeds and allow you to feel His Peace instead?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Rebellion

Today we're focusing on rebellion. This is not a comfortable topic for me. I don't like to admit that I'm ever rebellious. I like others to think of me as a cooperative, helpful, compliant person. I seldom show my rebellious side to my friends and acquaintances, but my family sees it some days. I don't want to clean the bathroom so it goes for way too many days until it really needs it. I get ticked with my hubby about something minor and I give him the cold shoulder for a while until I get over it. I don't feel like doing our taxes so I wait until close to the deadline.

Last week I told you how I was switching to a new med for depression. Well, this week I have felt pretty good as I've been tapering off Lexapro. So good, in fact, that I called my doctor today and asked if I could try just staying on 10 mg of it for a while and see how it goes. The nurse said she would ask her and call me back. When she did, she firmly stated that my doctor wanted me to go on the Cymbalta as we had talked about at my last visit. "But...but..." I stammered. "Couldn't I just try it for a week and then I can start the Cymbalta if I need to?" The nurse repeated my doctor's instructions again and stressed the fact that we had planned this at my last appointment. My doctor noted that my depression was worse on 10 mg of Lexapro and that's why we were changing to a new med. I said okay and hung up, but I was very disappointed. My thoughts have been fighting all afternoon: 

You really need to obey your doctor's instructions and go on the new medicine.

Maybe I could just try it for a week and then talk to her again when I still feel good...then she'll understand that I don't need to switch.

Notice that the good advice is from outside (You...) while the rebellious thoughts just focus on myself (I...). I've heard lots of stories about people who go off their medicines because they feel good and then they get into a worse mess because the depression or other mental health problem comes back worse than ever. In my heart, I know I'm silly to think that I know better than an experienced psychiatrist (they must get so tired of hearing their patients question their instructions!). So, I will obey and go on the new medicine and I'll keep talking to my doctor until we figure out what works best for me.

During devotions yesterday (February 26) I read from "Jesus Calling" and was struck by the reminder that all forms of worry are an act of rebellion: doubting Jesus' promises to care for us. Whenever we worry about something we need to repent and return to Jesus. I've written about this before, but I don't think I've learned this lesson yet. It seems so natural to worry about all sorts of things. It can't be a sin, can it? 

The truth is, God tells us not to worry and promises His peace when we pray and turn our worries over to Him as we thank Him. Thank Him for depression? Thank Him for a disobeying child? Thank Him for a chronic illness? Thank Him for an uncertain future? Thank Him for financial problems? Yes, as hard as it may be, we can choose to thank God for all of those things and anything else we're tempted to worry about. Let's focus on obeying when we feel that spirit of rebellion rising up in us.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8 NIV)

Do you rebel against good advice sometimes? Would you rather do exactly what you want to do? How can focusing on God and thanking Him instead of worrying bring us more peace?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Trouble

I've been reminded this week that we never know exactly how life is going to go. We can be going happily along, busy with everything we have going on in our lives and things can change just like that.

Gary's sister Cheryl found that out the hard way last Saturday night. She was on her way home from helping her sister-in-law with funeral preparations for her husband and she got into a serious car accident. Stopping at a blinking red light, she didn't realize that the cross traffic didn't have to stop and she pulled out in front of a pickup. He tried to swerve but hit her mostly on the drivers side door and they both ended up side by side in a field. Cheryl is in intensive care and has many broken bones and lots of swelling. She has had a breathing tube in for most of the week and they don't want to take it out until more of the swelling goes down. She's in rough shape but we're all very hopeful that she will be able to recover completely, even though it may take some time.

Cheryl and LeRoy and their family have seen quite a bit of trouble in their lives. It's inspiring to see how they stick together and support each other through the good and the bad times. We'll keep praying for all of them as they make it through another very difficult time.

Two ladies from our church may be nearing the end of their lives very soon. We are all praying for them and their families as they go through this time of trouble.

I don't really have very profound thoughts this week. I just want to remind all of us that trouble does come. It shouldn't surprise us and it shouldn't discourage us completely. The Bible tells us it will happen:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV)

Jesus said those words, and hopefully they can help us when times of trouble come. No matter what the situation, we can have peace and take heart because ultimately Jesus has overcome the world and its trouble.

Please pray for my sister-in-law Cheryl as she continues to recover. Pray for Helen and Darlene, the dear ladies who may be nearing the end of their days here on this earth. Pray for everyone who may be dealing with trouble right now. Do not dread trouble, but be ready to "take heart" when trouble comes. No matter what happens, Jesus will help us get through it.

Do you know someone who has trouble right now? Do you lose heart when trouble comes to you? Can you see how focusing on God can help you get through times of trouble?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Hope

By now, you probably realize that this blog comes from whatever I'm dealing with each week. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Yesterday I was dealing with some ugly stuff again. I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning and I kind of moped through my day. Several times I had the thought "This is hopeless." I don't feel as bad as I did, but I don't feel as good as I'd like, either. I looked around at all that I could and should be doing and had trouble deciding just what to do. So I did a whole lot of nothing.

That's not a good way to spend the day, my friends. A little before supper I decided to do my devotions from "Jesus Calling." I read the devotional for the day and looked up the verses and was amazed to once again have God meet me right where I'm at and remind me of things I'd forgotten.

Here's what I read:

I immediately felt so much better. Of course things are not hopeless because I have God. A God of hope! As a Christian I need to cling desperately to that hope and let it fill me with joy and peace.

Now, that being said, there are times when we can't find hope. Sometimes depression causes chemical changes in our brains and it's almost impossible to find any hope. That's when we need to reach out for help. Medications and good counseling can get us back to a more stable emotional condition where we can find hope again and that hope will get us back to a place where we can feel joy and peace instead of sadness, anxiety, and despair.

If we're just having a bad day we can remind ourselves of the hope we have in God. Hope makes all the difference when we're going through a hard time. We don't muster it up on our own. We need to let the power of the Holy Spirit give us that hope so that it can overflow and encourage everyone around us.

Do you ever lose hope? How can focusing on hope help us to get through difficult times?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Control

I had most of my Focus Friday written a few minutes ago and then I deleted it all and started over. I had been rambling about control and started giving examples of things I want to control and then I realized that even this blog post is a control thing. I want to say just the right thing so that I inspire or challenge you. I want to control what you think of me.

I don't think you need examples. Either you don't have a problem with control and you can't understand what the problem is or you can totally relate.

Over the past several months I have sensed God pointing out that I don't trust Him when I have gotten quiet and honest enough to really listen to Him. Going into the teaching position I thought I trusted Him but I mostly tried to do everything on my own and things rapidly got out of control. I couldn't handle that. 

On this side of depression I have more peace because I have less stress, but I'm seeing more and more that control is a huge issue for me. I don't want to get into situations where I'm not in control. I don't want to give up control to other people, especially my poor husband. 

Most of all, I haven't been willing to give up my control to God. He's still asking me to trust Him completely. I say "I trust You" with my lips but my thoughts and actions often are exactly the opposite. They say "I don't trust You, God; I'll take it from here."

That's it for this week. Just a reminder about who's in control. We're fooling ourselves if we think we're in control of anything or anyone. We'll only have peace when we give up control and put our trust completely in the Lord.

I'm sorry my thoughts are a little scattered this week. I can't control what you think of me, but I hope you'll look past my words and think about where you put your trust and who is in control. If you want to read more about that you can go over to my web site and read about it in My Life Story. Or don't - I can't control you.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

Do you have a problem with control? What do you do when you feel out of control? If you focus on God do you think it will help you give up control and feel more peace?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Labor

I don't have time to write this post. If you have a full-time job you probably don't have time to read this post. At least that's what I'm concluding because I've joined the workforce and I don't have time for anything lately!

In spite of our lack of time, I'm still going to spend a few minutes here and ponder the topic of "Labor." With the holiday weekend almost here and "Labor" as the theme for our writers group challenge for Tuesday night, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

I probably need to apologize before I even begin. My brain feels fuzzy so I don't even know if I'll make sense. Hopefully you can glean a coherent thought or two from my ramblings tonight and we can all learn as we focus on Labor today.

On August 15 I began my full-time job as Spanish teacher at North Butler High School in Greene, Iowa. The first few days were a breeze...the students weren't there yet! On August 20 the real work began as I got in front of 7 classes. I love the students. They are all really unique and I'm enjoying getting to know each of them.

The things that are driving me crazy are...computers, online textbooks, lesson plans, keeping track of about a hundred different usernames and passwords, trying new things in the classroom with varying degrees of success (most of it is going really well).

I guess what I'm finally realizing is that this is a job. It's labor. It's hard because it's my first year back in the classroom after a 24 year break. Right now it's pretty stressful, but I need to keep plugging away. I keep thinking about how much easier next year will be because I'll know how things work much better, but that doesn't help me now.

What I've also noticed lately is that I'm not working very efficiently. I come home from school (after staying late) and I piddle my way through the evening until it's finally after 11 and I know I have to get to bed or I'll be exhausted the next day, but I still don't quite have my lesson plans finished.

How can that be? I went through several hours and didn't accomplish the main thing I needed to get done. Well, it happens like this: Sit down at the table to work and open the computer to look at the online textbook. Think about school email and wonder if I have any messages. Check that. Wonder if I have any messages in my other email. Check that. Decide to get some ideas and support from a language teachers blog. Great idea, but I spend too much time perusing posts. Click out of the browser and look at lesson plan book. Feel the anxiety rising as I realize I'm not ready for the next day yet. Go check and see if a load of laundry is done yet. Come back and sit down. Work half-heartedly for a while, then repeat the cycle. Ugh. This is work. Hopefully I will learn to do it more efficiently as time goes by.

I admire everyone who has put in 8 hour days for years and years and years without complaint (at least none I've ever heard). I guess as we focus on Labor here I just want to have us think about what's most important. Even more important than the job we do is our relationship with the Lord. I'm afraid I've been trying to go it alone too much in recent days. I'm busy and stressed and I worry too much about how I look and act. One day during lunch I finally got back to where my focus should be. I sat and read Philippians 4:6-7 about not being anxious but praying about everything so we can have the peace of God. It helped. I felt better.

Whatever your job may be, I'd just like to remind you to keep your focus on Christ in the midst of whatever tasks and challenges you may have. Keep up the good work!

"What does the worker gain from his (or her) toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in his toil--this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 NIV)

Do you work efficiently at whatever job you may have? Do you remember to keep God your central focus so that you can find satisfaction in your toil?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Anxiety

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

I've been a little anxious this summer. More than a little anxious at times. I have a full-time teaching job coming up in (gulp) 15 days, plus all of the other things that are just part of life and stress me out at times. So when we went to Colorado with our youth group this past week for Rocky Mountain High I tried to leave all of that anxiety behind and just enjoy the music, speakers, and beautiful scenery of this big youth event. I really did enjoy it.

On the last day I stopped by the prayer tent and had someone pray with me. I knew that I was going back to my normal routine and it was going to be difficult to deal with the stress. It was really helpful to talk things through and hear someone praying for me. After praying, the person asked me how I felt and I started to say, "Well, I still feel kind of anxious..." and I was shocked to hear them say that I couldn't do that. They adamantly proclaimed that I had no right to do that - at all. They pointed out that the Bible says not to be anxious and if I believe the Bible I can't be anxious. If I let myself feel anxious I'm just letting the devil win!

At first, I almost felt offended. How dare someone tell me I can't feel anxious? (*See note below) But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they were right. I'm a Christian and the Bible does say not to be anxious. I've been pondering that often in the couple of days since we got home. It has helped. When I'm tempted to feel anxious, I remind myself to talk to God about it instead. I remind myself not to let Satan win.

I looked up verses about being anxious. Expecting to find lots and lots, I was surprised to find only 5 verses about it in the NIV Bible, and only 6 verses about worry. Evidently God didn't want us focusing on this habit and He didn't talk about it much.

On the other hand, there are 117 verses about peace in the New International Version of the Bible. Maybe that's where our focus needs to be. Focusing on our anxiety wastes time and energy and doesn't move us along in the right direction. It keeps us stuck. Let's all try to make a conscious decision to turn it over to God and experience His peace instead.

"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." (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Do you feel anxious at times? Can you see how talking to God about it could help you experience peace instead? How can you remind yourself to do this?

[*Please note that this post is directed toward those of us who can make a conscious decision to turn from our anxiety and focus on better things. I realize that some people get stuck and feel so much anxiety that they have trouble functioning daily. I believe that some people need to seek out professional help when anxiety becomes overwhelming. They may need counseling and/or medicine in order to feel better and be able to look at situations more objectively. Get that help if you need it!]