Don't Worry...Be Happy!

 I am reading a really great book right now called, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. It has been such a great read, and so encouraging. As I have been reading, I have been learning about different cultures that I quite frankly was not aware of at all. They all have such interesting customs and rituals. The information I will be sharing with you comes from my study from this book and also from the internet. I hope you find it as interesting as I did!

On the Greek Island of Naxos the pace of life is unhurried, olive trees line the island's rocky shores as turquoise waters shimmer in the harbor. This island is largely untouched by technology and the information age. Naxos has remained the same for centuries. When you step on to this beautiful island, I am told that the first thing you notice are the string of beads worn by many people. You will see the old, the young, the rich, the poor...everyone wears these beads. They are called "komboloi beads" or also known as "worry beads". Komboloi beads are a very old Greek custom. The islanders finger the beads and moved them around their necks or wrists all day long. The beads are intended to relieve stress and reduce worry. It is expected that while wearing these beads one will experience comfort, and that in the process of handling these precious beads it will cut down on all anxiety.

Komboloi Beads - or "Worry Beads"

 I found it intriquing and when I looked up the pictures of the Island of Naxos, I fell in love with its beauty. No wonder the pace is slow and unhurried. It is gorgeous there! I think my worries would fade as well. Maybe I should visit just to see? Well, these beads may be a quaint ancient custom, but we too have our own "worry beads" rituals that we may not even realize we partake in. For instance, we may bite our nails, pace back and forth, bite the inside of our mouth (I have a horrible habit of that...it's not attractive!!), we may lie awake at night (yep, that has been me too!!). We spend hours twisting our mental fingers around a specific circumstance or worry...trying to manipulate it, figure it out, solve it...yet we don't seem to quite figure it out. We do all of this because of worry!

Now, understand I am and have been a number one offender of this. So I am in no way preaching to anyone! I am sharing what I have learned, mostly because I find it helpful to myself and think, "hmmmm, maybe someone else will get a kick out of this too"...so hopefully you will enjoy! =) Over the years, the use of komboloi beads has declined, but it looks like it is making a comeback! These ancient stress reducers are showing up all over the place and not just in Naxos.




These komboloi beads come in many colors, while amber is the most common color.

 Komboloi beads were first used in other cultures for the sole purpose of counting prayers. Bead by bead, prayer by prayer, the komboloi beads were an outward expression of a godward heart. Today, you can find executives in Armani suits flick their fingers over ivory beads and smooth black stones...hip young Greeks twirl their strings of beads, comparing styles and price tags...I wonder if they truly know where the komboloi beads originated?!

We have a choice today as to what we can do with our worry. We can lift it up in prayer...or we can choose to worry. I am learning that when I surrender my concerns and worries to God, it lightens my load. When I choose to worry about things, I become stressed, sick, unstable, confused, discouraged, unhappy...the list can go on and on. Today is all I have. This moment is all I can focus on...and to truly LIVE in this life, I need to let go of my worry and start enjoying life!

Why worry??

There have been some interesting events occur in my life as of recent! I am learning a lot about how my thoughts aren't God's thoughts...my "plans" aren't always in line with His plans...therefore I have to stop and listen. Those are the moments I am convinced that I have ADHD...my mind races, scenarios play and replay in my mind of what could have, should have, would have...and I become this distracted train wreck! Thankfully the God I love is patient and faithful! He knows just how to grab my attention.

My very short-lived move to NYC was actually one of the best things to happen at this time in my life. Am I bummed that I am no longer in the city that never sleeps...well, sure there is a part of me that LOVES NYC and can't get enough of the hustle and bustle!! It's such a great melting pot of just about everything! My move to NYC sparked a desire in my heart...one that fizzled out a long time ago and would try to restart but would burn out before it ever caught flame. While preparing to go to NYC, God brought my heart back to life...I began desiring His presence more and began seeking His will for my life. My faith was being renewed and brought back to life. I sold everything...even my sweet Stella (my BMW Z3 Roadster Convertible)...just to move into a situation that I had no idea how it would unfold, literally had about $50 to my name, and a  heart that was just willing to follow!

For the first time ever in my Christian walk (I have been a Christian for 29 years) I learned how to depend fully on God to supply my need. I didn't have money...yet just when I was about to run out, He supplied! It was amazing to see...and He is still supplying my need now. One of the biggest things I learned and the biggest thing that changed in my life when I went to NYC was I learned to trust God. I have been known to be a HUGE worrier, I really have been, yet now when I catch myself worrying I give it to God.

Here is why:
Proverbs 12:25 says, "An anxious heart weighs a man down,"...Jesus asked in Matthew 6:27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Honestly when it comes down to it...worry is a waste of time. Worry short circuits our relationships with other people and especially with God. It fixes our eyes on our situation rather than on our Savior. In the New Testament, the words most often used for worry and anxiety come from the Greek word, meridzoe, which means "to be divided, to be pulled in opposite directions, to choke". Jesus said in Matthew 6:25 (AMP), "Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life."

I love to read...and find myself in a couple of books at the same time. Right now one of the books I am enjoying is a book my sister Lisa loaned to me called, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World"...if you haven't read this book, it's a really great read! Do it! ;) The author of this book relates worry to a dense fog...this is what she said:

"It works a little like a thick London fog-the kind of fog that is legendary. However, while physical fog may seem dense and almost solid, scientist tell us that a fog bank a hundred feet deep and covering seven city blocks is composed of less than one glass of water. Divided into billions of droplets, it hasn't much substance. Yet it has the power to bring an entire city to a standstill. So it is with anxiety. Our mind disperses the problem into billions of fear droplest, obscuring God's face. Without him, one fear leads to another, and our lives slow to a painful crawl."

That is some gooooood stuff! =) I am happy to say that my level of worry has dropped...I no longer allow myself to become paralyzed by worries and anxiety...they have singlehandedly dismantled my life...derailed my dreams...and left me hopeless. I am unable to change the past...know what the future holds...all I have is the very moment that I am in. Worry and anxiety rob me of my life...but no more! It's a daily battle, but it is one that I am getting victory over! YAY!

I will leave you with this...Philippians 4:6-7 says this, "but in everything, by prayer and supplication (petition), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes (transcends) all understanding, will gurard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." There are three practical and concise ways to victory over worry...they are spelled out in the above scripture:
1. Be anxious about nothing
2. Be prayerful about everything.
3. Be thankful for all things.

We all need a friend to encourage us and to assure us that we can have victory over things such as worry...if we continue to work together and stay focused on the ONE who can take our worries and give us peace we will indeed have victory over worry! I love you, my sweet friends!

Tested Faith...

I am in a unique place in my life right now. It's an exciting place, actually. I am finding that in this place of true tested faith that I am learning a lot about who I am. I have found out a lot about who I am in some past experiences and it wasn't always that pretty. In fact, I have had my character tested in my past, and I didn't quite pass that test. But guess what?? God allows everything in our lives to happen for a purpose...and He ultimately wants to use it for good. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am choosing to get up from the "gate" of my past and move forward allowing God to move on my behalf.

Why do we often lack the ability to walk by faith? We are often paralyzed by fear. I know that I have been paralyzed by fear and that I have allowed lies to dictate the direction of my life. Mark Twain said this: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." God doesn't give us the spirit of fear. He gives us the spirit of a sound mind. 

Above My Head...

Well, many times we think we have things figured out...we sit back, put our hands behind our head, and release a sigh of relief because we finally think all is perfectly set! Yeah, about that...just when I think I have figured my life out, I am reminded of a scripture verse from Isaiah 55:8 that basically says that God's thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. In other words, just because I think I know what is next in my life or because I am confident a certain "plan" is going to unfold perfectly in my life doesn't mean that is what God has in mind! I just knew that NYC was going to be a destination that was going to last a long time for me. I planned on working in a non-profit Christian ministry out there...touching lives and helping people...and making a difference every single day. The truth is, God had different plans. Do I completely understand and know what those plans are? NOPE! However, I am willing to follow and allow God to mold me into the person He wants me to be.

Even though I can't think as highly as God...and even though my ways aren't His ways usually...I do know this-He promises me that if I seek Him, keep my eyes fixed on Him, love Him with all my heart...He will keep me in perfect peace. This is very true in my life right now. I have moved back to Ohio from the heart of NYC. Most people would ask "why would you ever come back to Ohio?"...this is a fair question, and one that prior to moving to the City, I didn't forsee having to answer. I thought NYC could possibly be a permanent destination stop for me. But the answer to that question is simple, really. I didn't think twice about moving back home. I didn't feel that NYC was a failure, that it was something I regretted, nor was it a big mistake. NYC is part of my journey. It is an amazing city, and I got to live there 32 days and explore as much of it as I could squeeze in. Maybe God will send me back there someday. I would be happy to return! However, in the meantime, God has given me beautiful, perfect peace. I know that being back in Ohio for however long God chooses is on purpose and will unfold each moment I am here. I can only live in the moment.

If my NYC adventure has taught me anything, it has taught me this...live in the moment. I have caught a glimpse of how God can and wants to provide for me. I am learning to set aside worry and depend on God. If you know me at all, I am a huge worrier! I would worry about how much I worried! Yeah, I am one of THOSE people!! ;) Through the experience of moving to NYC, my faith was strengthened...I began to trust God with everything- not just the things I thought "He could handle".

Matthew 6:26 says this," Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" I love this verse...it's very humbling! Seriously, if God can provide for the birds of the air, why in the world wouldn't He provide for me? He loves me and wants the best for me. I am learning that God will provide for me...and while in NYC He proved to be faithful to that promise. He is such a provider! Worry stems from a lack of faith and trust. Think of it this way...let's say you ask a friend to pick up your dry cleaning at 5pm on Monday. They of course agree and assure you that they will pick your dry cleaning up at the said time and the said day...instead of marking that off your list of things to do, you choose to worry about it...afraid that that person will forget and then you won't have your clothes as promised! Now, the reason you are worried about that person forgetting or not following through with your request is because you lack faith in them...you don't feel that you can really trust them to do what you need. Our God is much higher and much more faithful to us...He can be trusted and relied upon. He will never fail us. Once we grasp this concept, worry becomes a thing of the past!

I may not know what tomorrow holds...all I can know is in the very moment I am in. God is a good God. He loves us and wants us to experience the beautiful things that this life can offer. I am going to continue to move forward as best I can with the help of God. Only He can guide me through the daily moments of my life. I will continue my journey and this blog...and I hope you will join me! ;)

Great Expectations...

We all have either spoken or unspoken expectations of other people...those expectations may even be subconscious...and the person with whom we expect certain attainable or unattainable things may or may not have any idea of it! I think sometimes we put someone on a high pedestal, whether spiritual or professional, making it almost impossible for that person to be who they really are...or even worse, when we find that they may not be that "spiritual giant" that we so graciously labeled them to be, we become disappointed with them or even in some cases angry with them.

Psalm 62:5 says this, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." God already knew that we would put unattainable expectations on other people, and even upon ourselves. He wants us to be patient (which I am sooooo not), to wait upon Him...and He gives us permission to have expectations of Him. For instance, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God made a way for me to move to NYC. I know that He has a plan for me here. Do I know the exact plan? No! That's where the patient aspect comes in...you know, the part I am really not that great at! So, I am waiting for whatever He has for me to unfold, and I believe it has already revealed itself here and there. I am waiting for God to help me find a job...now this doesn't mean that I am just sitting here twiddling my thumbs expecting God to drop an amazing job out from the heavens and that I will hear angel voices singing "hallelujah" when it happens...however, it would be so much easier that way! I am working hard at putting out my resume, contacting places that are hiring, and making sure I am putting myself out there! So, I am doing my part and just waiting for God to complete it. That is where my expectation comes from. God says if we are seeking Him, He promises that He will provide for us and give us the desires of our heart.

If you are like me and you find yourself placing unnecessary and unfair expectations upon other people or upon yourself...try to remember Ps. 62:5 and instead reroute that expectation to God. He is big enough to handle any expectations that we may have in this life.

Are You For Real??

One of my biggest pet peeves are religious Christians. The Christians who are more concerned about WHAT they are doing as opposed to WHO they are serving. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't be concerned and most definitely not saying that you should just do whatever you want...what I am saying is this...Christianity is not about being religious...rather it is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. From that relationship comes growth and love and genuine faith. Also, being a Christian is not about being other people's conscience. We are placed in this world to be a witness, an encouragement, and most of all a real friend to those who are hurting. Now, this doesn't just mean that you are to be an encouragement only to those who don't follow Christ...but even our own "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ need that love that is extended from God. God loves us unconditionally...He doesn't put a different emphasis on one sin and a lesser emphasis on another sin...Sin is sin is sin is sin...they are all the same in His sight! We are not without sin! None of us! It is only by God's grace that we are forgiven over and over. So, why aren't we willing to extend that same grace to others?

We need to love others...we need to live our lives filled with God's grace...I want to be a person who loves and is known for loving others. Try to look at other people through God's eyes. Who are we to judge others? We shouldn't judge other people, we should take the time to look at our own lives instead of being obsessed with what other people are doing. Use prayer as a catalyst between you and other people...not mean words or judgmental glances. Life is precious. We need to live our lives to its fullest...I don't think sitting around and judging other people will enhance a full life! What do you think?

 (picture by inkedbyjen-jms)

It's All Gooood...

I had the amazing opportunity to go to The Brooklyn Tabernacle today...This has been my second visit since being here in the City and let me tell you, God is so awesome in that place! Wow!!! I just cannot put into words (though I will try) how amazing it is to see so many people from so many cultural backgrounds all worshiping together in harmony. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sang today and my soul was moved! It was incredible! Check out these pictures that I found online!

Tonight's service was a little unique in the fact that instead of Pastor Jim Cymbala preaching, there was a guest speaker. Her name was Christine Caine. She is part of an amazing movement to stop human trafficking in our world. It is called the A21 Campaign. Please check out their website: http://www.thea21campaign.org/...also check out this CNN interview with Christine enlightening the world about the tragedy of human trafficking in our world: http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/abolishing-sex-slavery-by-helping-one-girl-at-a-time/

Tonight, Christine spoke on the passage II Kings 7:3-6...There are four lepers who were completely defeated during the time of a great famine. They were at the gate of the city and were confident that they would surely die. At that moment they had a choice to make...either stay defeated at the gate, remain stooped down, poor posture...or they could get up, move forward, and possibly live. They really had nothing to lose. If they stayed at the gate, they had a 99.9% chance of dying...it was practically inevitable...or they could enter into the city and have a .01% chance of living...either way they had nothing to lose!

When you stand up and move...change your posture from a defeated and overwhelmed stature...God begins to move on your behalf! When we allow God to move us, whatever our "gate of defeat" may be, we will have the victory over that "gate". We need to rise up and change our posture and ultimately know our place in Christ Jesus. God has a purpose for each and every one of us!

The very thing that Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy-God wants to use to help others! We are His workmanship!!! Did you know that even though you may have always been told that you don't measure up, you aren't wanted, you aren't qualified - that God says differently? Did you know that we can stand on the Truth...God's Word. He says in John 8:31-32 that "...the truth shall set you free."

So, what might your "gate" be? I know for me, my "gate" has been my past. I have allowed my past to weigh me down and keep me captive and under unnecessary bondage. God has forgiven me, He has moved forward, and is ready to use me for the good. I have allowed certain moments in my past to define me...I must stop living at the gate of defeat. The blood of Jesus (when He died upon the cross for the sins of the world) doesn't give us amnesia! The blood of Jesus, however, gives us freedom from our past! I who have been rescued now has the responsibility to rescue others. Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." It's not about what I am NOT...it is about who He is! The very thing that has kept us on the sidelines of life are the very things that God wants to use for GOOD!

So, my dear friends, stand up...look forward...and realize that God has something really great in store for you. He promises us in Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" God has begun a good work in us...and He promises us that He will be faithful to complete it! He will never abandon us (even when we are confident that He has)...and He will use our bad and turn it into good!