We're on the back end of the holidays now, moving toward a glorious start to a new year, RIGHT???
I'm taking some deep breaths and slowly embracing the days ahead. I know that I'll be much more likely to hold on to my sanity if I keep close to Jesus. By keeping close, I mean deliberately basking in His Word early each morning and thinking about Him and His Word throughout my entire day!
Girls, what a privilege that we get to choose Him. The peace and joy we experience on any given day are directly related to our CHOICE OF KEEPING CLOSE TO HIM! We make countless choices every single day. Why not determine to make the most important choice, the life-giving and life-sustaining choice during your waking moments tomorrow, and each day that follows. And, you get to keep choosing at the beginning of every single day and throughout the moments during the day.
For some reason, it seems that women regulate the attitude thermostat within the home. That's why it's critically important for YOU to pull away with your Heavenly Father. I've found there's no better way to keep my attitude (and heart) in check. It's a God-thing. As you make Him priority and time with Him the most important minutes of your day, He will bless you by overflowing you with His peace and the ability to extend that peace and grace to all those around you.
I'd love to pray with you...Lord, help me. I want to honor You by manifesting Your Love today, and the days ahead. I want my family to see You, hear You, and experience You ... through me. Help me show them YOU as we enter into 2011. I'm loving and choosing YOU!
During this season of thankful hearts and peace on earth, it's terrific timing to engage in spreading some goodwill toward men.
Getting along with others during the holidays can prove to be challenging. It seems that most people are wired higher and stretched tighter. While holidays may be joyful and filled with celebration, these days are ripe for harvesting an explosion of STRESS!
It may be helpful to brush up on your people skills, since many you encounter are apt to be a bit edgy during the days ahead.
• Show a little mercy. You know... cut some slack. You don't have to understand what's going on with that grumpy co-worker or sarcastic sales person, to douse them with the love of Jesus! You can simply retaliate with a genuine smile and silent prayer. You may be the very person to redirect their focus. You'll be truly blessed either way.
• Make a deliberate effort to get along. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." That's our admonition from Romans 12:18. Most of the time, it's possible to live this way. We just have to make the intentional effort to do so.
• Look at things from the other person's point of view. When others realize you are doing this, they feel valued. This is a great way to open communication and quite honestly, often wins people to your way of thinking.
• Get away with God! Now, of course you know this one is most important. Keeping your daily moments with your Heavenly Father ongoing and fresh will help you move forward with the Mind of Christ. His Mind is exactly what you need to make it through the holidays with JOY!
May this Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the days that follow usher you into the presence of our Sweet Lord and Savior. JOY TO YOUR WORLD! Cindi
What's your favorite way to de-stress during the holidays?
That's the question-toss for today's FRAZZLED FEMALE FRIDAY! As you view the video, turn up the speakers during the Heather/Cindi interview so you don't miss one word of Heather's tip for de-frazzling the holidays at her house. ( As Heather and Erin and I talked, we came up with other ways to de-frazzle, but decided this one was best for the video :-)
After viewing the segment, come back here and share YOUR favorite way to de-stress. Come on girls, get creative and enjoy some unwinding! Your answer may land you in the drawing to receive a Holiday De-Frazzler from Frazzled Female Ministries.
Encouraging a sister is great stress relief! Joys, Cindi
From Cindi
. . .seems I notice the passing of time more during the holidays than in any other time of year. My dad was missing this year around our Thanksgiving table, and that was a HUGE MISS! However, we had grandbaby Durham occupying a new place...and next year, we'll be making room for another Grandbaby Wood.
The seasons of life bring changes to holiday seasons, but, JESUS is constant! That reality refreshed my soul this morning, as my house is once again empty and I'm missing the noise, the clutter, and joy of having my family snuggled up with me inside our home.
May you take time during these Christmas Holidays to focus on the strong steadiness of Jesus! As you worship Him, thank Him that He IS the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)
Enjoy the Christmas greeting from the Wood brothers!
I'd like to share some of the written and oral responses I've received to the question posed weeks ago: "What blocks your flow in your relationship with Jesus?"
Fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of doing something wrong, fear of the unknown, the daily anxieties of life like housework, paying bills, daily list things, and doing so many "right" things that I miss the BEST thing ... Jesus!
Girls, as I've prayed over these, wanting to address them and others - I keep getting the same impression; The answer to unclogging our spiritual barricade is LOVING JESUS MORE! It sounds too easy or even like a "cop-out" of an answer, but this Truth keeps stirring and burning inside of me.
From the heart of Jesus in Matthew 5:6 we understand, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled."
When you hunger and thirst for Him, you're longing for Him. When you're longing for Him - you're loving Him. This LOVING HIM becomes captivating and engaging. And before you know it, your focus becomes drenched in Him instead of in your angst.
Earlier this week in dealing with a personal issue, I acknowledged this truth. For many years, I've experienced anxiety in a particular area. Certainly, but gradually, His Spirit began to reveal to me, "You can ultimately overcome through loving Me more!"
Immediately, I became encouraged to accept this challenge from God's Heart! It's all about engaging in my love relationship with Him. It's freeing and it's exciting!
How about you? Are you LOVING GOD more than you are fearing, worrying, and trying harder to be and to do? Why not take a day and focus on loving Him above all you think and do? Take it a day at a time. Maybe stretch those days into weeks, and gradually set a whole new lifestyle paradigm of hungering and thirsting and loving!
Today is FRAZZLED FRIDAY and I'm thinking of you sitting at your computer getting ready to face your day! I imagine that your day is like mine, unfolding lots of busy-ness with stressors scattered throughout. I visualize you there - checking in for a quick moment of encouragement and hopefully some inspiration to jump-start your day.
I've got just the thing!
Last weekend I enjoyed a sweet Beach Blast Retreat with my girlfriends from Bayleaf Church in Raleigh, NC. Our weekend theme revolved around "being still and loving Jesus".
Girls, there's no greater encouragement and inspiration for your day ahead, than the Love of God's Heart and the Glory of His Majesty! I hope you'll take a moment right now to be still in Him as you gaze into His Ocean of Love.
What a wonderful Frazzled Female extravaganza last week in Greensboro, Alabama! We explored ways to grow our intimacy with Jesus. I just love talking about that relationship. It's central to every single quest for a saner lifestyle.
If you are a child of God (meaning at some time in your life you invited Jesus Christ into your heart) then God is your Father and Jesus is your Savior. You are indwelt with His Presence, the Holy Spirit. Based on Paul's words in Acts 17:28, I call the Spirit my LIFE MOVER.
"In Him I live and move and have my being."
Here's the rub. Moving and flowing in the GRACE, is often stymied in the stresses of daily living. On many days, that moving about in the unforced rhythm of grace gives way to trudging about in a sludgy shuffle. According to Jesus in Mark 4:19, "The worries of this life choke the word."
In our FRAZZLED FEMALE FRIDAY time together, I'd like to address some of the issues causing you to be stuck in the sludge instead of flowing in the rhythm of His Grace.
Girls, we can break through this barrier. We must! We must do it for ourselves, for our families, and for our God!
I'd appreciate it if you would take a moment to comment - in a sentence or two - about what's blocking the Holy Flow in your life. And, take heart. God really does love frazzled females. He is for you and is committed to helping you experience His Grace!
Cindi's sweet Daddy went HOME two days ago - She's been by his side for 2 weeks. Please pray for her and her family, as they go through the next couple days. She'll be sharing at his service, then leaving to speak out of town tonight.
I'm by no means sweet Cindi Wood, but I am a frazzled female! Last week, I began the study of Ruth by Kelly Minter with some of my closest of the closest girlfriends. We made the recipes in the study which were yummy and sat around my cozy living room to study God's Word together. Sounds so relaxing and stress free. Well, for that couple of hours it was, and I treasure this time with my girlfriends and Bible study.
I started off with the question that Beth Moore asked her blogging siesta sisters at the beginning of their study together. "What is the one word that describes your season right now." My friends and I are all in different seasons of our lives. Confused, Blessed, "end of the tunnel", chaotic and one friend who is so distraught, she couldn't even come up with a word. Mine?
TIRED.
That's it. I'm tired because I get frazzled trying to do it all. I'm really working on my health right now so I'm killing myself getting up early before the kids awake to do SHRED, by Jillian Michaels. Can I tell you I'm still on workout one and still cheat every now and then? Can I get an Amen on that one? I'm trying, really ya'll, but some parts of this workout about kill me! So, I digress.
Anyway, I'm trying to workout and do my Bible study prior to the kiddos waking up, except I don't always roll out of bed when the alarm goes off because I'm TIRED. So imagine this. I'm in the same living room studying Ruth after a killer workout, and to my left in the dining room sits my sweet daughter, Ana Mei, carrying on with a whine that certainly needs some cheese to go with it. She's been sent there by her dad because she cannot eat cereal and watch Tom and Jerry at the same time. Now, my son, Josiah has mastered the art so he's in the kitchen watching Tom and Jerry, eating, no problem. This does not produce the "quiet time" I'm looking for. Can anyone relate to what I'm saying here?
Then off to work I go - to a place I've been going for 13 years now, and a job I love with LifeWay Women. Days go fast, my brain gets tired. I come home to love on my kids and my man, in a whirlwind of homework, dinner prep, baths, and bedtime.
This past Tuesday night I went to the taping for a new LifeWay Women Bible study coming out by Angela Thomas. Can't wait to share this one with you. Anyway, guess what Angela spoke on? Being WORN OUT.
I'm just sayin that was a word from the Lord. She said so many good things and I can't give them away, but I'll tell you this. Angela reminded me that the presence of God restores. I don't have to get rested to get to God. And, Godly friends refresh your soul. So you know what? I'm no longer afraid of being TIRED. I know where to go. I know what's most important.
I'm still hoping to lose a few (really a lot!) of pounds so I'm gonna keep trying to meet up with Jillian in the mornings, eat healthy (dang Cupcake Collection that is so stinkin good!), get some good hang time with my family, and most important - I'm gonna go to Jesus for my rest!
I love ya'll. Thanks for sticking with us here on allaccess.
If you want to post your one word that describes your season here in the comments, I promise I will pray for you in that regard. Happy weekend everyone.
So I was so frazzled, I forgot to post Cindi's FFF post. So, here you go . . . on Saturday. Thanks for watching, and thanks for being a part of LifeWay Women Allaccess!
QUESTION: How many things in your life are done, motivated by guilt?
Perusing through my personal mental memoirs, I'll share a few: cleaning the baseboards, calling my aunt (NO AUNTS WHO ARE READING THIS!), refusing dessert, going to Sunday School, meeting a friend for coffee (NO FRIENDS WHO ARE READING THIS!), cooking a fabulous dinner, and writing a thank-you note.
QUESTION: If you stopped doing everything you do motivated by guilt, what would happen?
Some of you would be living a freed-up life! If you could manage to do this for a week or two, during your FREE TIME you could re-evaluate your activities and your reasons for doing each one.
QUESTION: Can your motivation be changed?
The answer is YES! Maybe there are things in your life that have to be done. And perhaps there are people in your life that must be taken care of. STOPPING is not an option. There are other things that you want to do, but not because you feel guilted into doing them. And then... there could be "divine appointments" your Father longs to orchestrate through meeting for coffee or lunch, and through phone calls to friends and relatives.
SO, HERE'S THE CHALLENGE: Pause right now and pray about what's going on for the rest of this day. Ask your Heavenly Father to reveal to you if any of these "activities" need to be discarded because you're doing them out of guilt. And for everything left - ask Him to spring forth a new motivation - replacing your guilt with His Love!
Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
A fainting goat is a breed whose muscles freeze when suddenly disturbed or agitated by surprise or alarm. Younger goats naturally and simply fall over. Older goats have learned through practice and repetition to spread their legs when the DISTURBANCE hits. This allows them to run about in an awkward stiff legged shuffle.
As I write, DISTURBANCE hits. This time - it was a phone call delivering unsettling news about a loved one. I realize I have a choice. Many times, I've behaved like an "adult" fainting goat. Practice and repetition have taught me to instinctively spread my legs and plant my feet in the mental mindset that I can get a grip on my emotions and deal with everything that's ahead. As my mental and emotional muscles freeze, I move about in a determined (but awkward) stiff legged shuffle.
Not now! Today, I'm becoming a baby, a baby fainting goat. Simply and naturally, I'm falling into the safe arms of my Heavenly Father. I'm collapsing into His Presence. No more "mannin' up" and renewing my religious efforts. Instead, I'm hearing Him call in the restlessness and weariness of my own heart, and I'm fainting into His.
It's a sweet place to live.
Psalm 119:50 (Amplified Bible)
This is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that Your Word has revived me and given me life.
Charles Stanley's teaching of "the good being the enemy of the best" has resonated with me for years. I've seen it in my own good lifestyle, and in the frenzied good living of my friends. This morning, meditating on God's Word the deeper reality rises up from my heart.
Good is the murderer of the best!
I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but at the moment my heart aches for those who pour into the Frazzled Female events. Good women; GOOD and BUSY women who are doing so much good, they're missing out on the BEST!
I have a friend who is GOOD. He's good through and through. His goodness produces tolerance in his thinking and in his behavior. He doesn't see it that way. His belief system forges the notion that many roads lead to Heaven and that every GOOD person will ultimately find a way to God. My heart aches.
All around me, I'm seeing GOOD, suffocating BEST!
It doesn't have to be that way. When it happens, it's because we are allowing it! We fill our days with many things: works, activities, necessary details (and unnecessary ones), meetings, appointments, computer work, FaceBook, Twitter, television . . . and the plethora of good things pile up, until . . . the desire to seek the best is slain and forgotten.
And, my heart aches.
Okay. Let's not leave it here. I'm remembering the prophet Elijah who spent a lifetime chock full of good things done for the Lord (1 Kings 19.) He eventually crumbled under the pressure and begged to die... and then, the BEST delivered him. The death of the good birthed the life of the best!
I'm not claiming to know all the answers, but I do know Him. Jesus! The Highest, the Truest, the Giver and Sustainer of a life that is far better than good...a life that's THE BEST!
Let's talk. What's He saying to your heart about the good in your life choking the best?
"All of us have become like someone who is "unclean."
All of the good things we do are like polluted rags to you . . ."
Isaiah 64:6 (New International Reader's Version)
Ever have those days? You know; you get up in the morning but your emotional equilibrium stays in bed. There's nothing really wrong, but try as you will, you can't seem to make peace with your frumpy attitude. My friend Ann and I talked about it yesterday. We landed IN THE FUNK on the same day and decided to hold hands and get out! Now we didn't physically grab each other, but we latched on spiritually and took a Holy Leap in declaration that we were leavin' the doldrums behind!
We, as Christians, must settle down on this critical issue. Jesus came to save us - not only for eternity - but from the quagmire of daily blahs. Yes! His death on the Cross, even covers wrestling with the blues. If we don't see this, we allow the enemy entrance into the dailyness of ordinary living!
Try this with me. Proactively recognize and begin to move about in the JOY that has been placed in your heart. We know by truth (Galatians 5:22) that His Joy is inside of us. Right now. . . thank Him, thank Him, thank Him. . . for the JOY! This is a practical, but more importantly, a Biblical way to move out of the funk! As you thank Him for what He's already given to you, He enables you to move into it.
It's all about His Grace flowing through His Love into His Child. Remember. He wants you to be moving about in JOY, more than you want it. And He will see to it, that you do.
And, by the way. When you share your experience - He'll use it to encourage others and glorify Himself!
Blame me today, Kris that is. Sorry for posting Cindi's blog post so late today. Please forgive!
By Cindi Wood . . .
I received a call this morning from my dad's assisted living center. My heart sank as I heard the words..
.
"Your dad fell this morning. We found him on the floor when we went in to check on him. He said he'd lost his balance, but that he was alright..."
My heart just collapses every time I think about my eighty eight year old daddy and his physical struggles. As I pictured him there in the floor trying to recover his dignity and insisting that he was really ok, the tears streamed down my face.
Another vision came to mind. It was an incident that happened on "the worst day of my life" during teenage years (you know, teenagers have lots of those!) I was in my room crying from a broken heart and my big brother tiptoed in and said, "You know, Jesus is probably crying right now because you are hurting so much."
I never forgot that moment and have never forgotten that truth. I often looked to my big brother for spiritual insights - and still do. He spoke REALITY to me that day. And that same TRUTH covers my broken heart over my daddy, and it covers every single hurt of daily living.
Jesus knows our pain and He shares our suffering. The psalmist knew the truth;
"You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book." Ps. 56:8 (NLT)
Right now there's another vision coming to mind... It's YOU reading this blog post and embracing the Only One who understands what you're going through. He does! He loves you and He's committed to healing your broken heart. I'm praying as I write, that He will reveal His tender care for you in a way you've never experienced. And I'm praying that YOU will receive what He so lavishly gives.
"Don't let your heart be troubled...trust in Me." (from Jesus to you - John 14:1)
*Post by Cindi Wood
Today, I've been thinking about FREEDOM. My first taste of being in bondage came when as a teenager, I visited the Soviet Union. As a tourist, the freedoms I experienced at home in the United States were not enjoyed there in the USSR. I made a conscious decision to not take for granted the freedoms that were mine only because I'd been born in America.
There's a much greater bondage abounding; and many Christians experience it as a lifestyle. It's the captivity of non-Biblical thinking. Paul's words in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."
Are you anxious? You're enslaved by non-Biblical thinking: "Do not be anxious about anything." Philippians 4:6
Are you troubled and worried? You're enslaved by non-Biblical thinking: "Do not let your heart be troubled." John 14:6
Low self-esteem, negative thinking, a critical spirit, lack of enthusiasm - are all examples of non-Biblical thinking. You have a choice to enter into the freedom of Jesus Christ; the freedom to live peacefully and joyfully instead of being oppressed by thoughts that are not from the Heart of God.
When Jesus became your Savior, you were born into freedom and owe your liberty to Him!
My prayer for you and for me this day, is that we'll hold fast to our liberty and not for one second take the FREEDOM Christ bought for us, for granted.
Girls, I want you to know something. And, I want you to know it in your heart of hearts! I want you to know it so completely, that you automatically turn to this truth each time your peace is ruptured or you become unsettled. I want you to grasp it when you become distracted by the stresses of daily living...THERE'S POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
His name is above every other name. His is the highest name, the most wonderful name in all of Heaven and earth. When you breathe His name through faith, you can stand victoriously in the midst of any circumstance that challenges your peace and your sanity.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:19 that there is unlimited and immeasurable power for us who believe...
Yes, believing in the Name of Jesus - what a gift! When we choose to call on His name with a genuine and humble heart, great power is released. And that power is wrapped in the assurance that our needs are resting in the very heart of God.
Girlfriends from Walker, Louisiana and Roxboro and Williamston in North Carolina - have recently gathered to focus on His Name. At each event, we grabbed our attention and focused it on Jesus. His joy and peace seemed to wash over us as we simply turned to face Him and with genuine hearts, breathed His Name.
I would love to hear how "simply turning to Jesus" is changing the course of your day. How is breathing His Name making a difference in your life?
I can tell you this; you delight the heart of God when you, in childlike wonder and trust, stop everything else, and call on His Name.
Today, I've been thinking about FREEDOM. My first taste of being in bondage came when as a teenager, I visited the Soviet Union. As a tourist, the freedoms I experienced at home in the United States were not enjoyed there in the USSR. I made a conscious decision to not take for granted the freedoms that were mine only because I'd been born in America.
There's a much greater bondage abounding; and many Christians experience it as a lifestyle. It's the captivity of non-Biblical thinking. Paul's words in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."
Are you anxious? You're enslaved by non-Biblical thinking: "Do not be anxious about anything." Philippians 4:6
Are you troubled and worried? You're enslaved by non-Biblical thinking: "Do not let your heart be troubled." John 14:6
Low self-esteem, negative thinking, a critical spirit, lack of enthusiasm - are all examples of non-Biblical thinking. You have a choice to enter into the freedom of Jesus Christ; the freedom to live peacefully and joyfully instead of being oppressed by thoughts that are not from the Heart of God.
When Jesus became your Savior, you were born into freedom and owe your liberty to Him!
My prayer for you and for me this day, is that we'll hold fast to our liberty and not for one second take the FREEDOM Christ bought for us, for granted.
The weather's getting warmer, days longer. Outside beckons as springtime gets nearer. It's just a wonderful time to deep-breathe and look forward to vibrant colors and backyard activities.
But actually, the needed BREAK that's tugging at my heart, is one from thoughts that are siphoning my energy:
1. Sadness. I miss my boys and girls (including my new grandbaby). Today, I'm taking a break from being sad.
2. Confusion. There are new ideas I want to weave into writing and speaking. I hardly know where to start! Today, I'm taking a break from being confused.
3. Negative thinking. My schedule is hectic and there's so much to accomplish in such a little time. I'll never get it all done! Today, I'm taking a break from being negative.
Ahh, yeh - a break! A Holy Reprieve from what shouldn't be there in the first place! Sadness, confusion, and negative thinking were never meant to walk in, settle down, and keep house in our soul. It takes sheer determination to resist the urge to coddle these intruders. It's so easy to get relaxed in their company, and even welcome their visits.
Biblical thinking does not siphon your energy, but keeps you refreshed and excited to be alive! "Sing for joy to God our Strength!" Ps. 81:1
My friend, will you join me in taking a break for the next 24 hours (or longer?) What uninvited nuisance is camping out in your mind and robbing you of your peace?
Enjoy God's goodness on this Good Friday, and Happy Easter from all of us at AllAccess to all of you!
Girls, I want you to know something. And, I want you to know it in your heart of hearts! I want you to know it so completely, that you automatically turn to this truth each time your peace is ruptured or you become unsettled. I want you to grasp it when you become distracted by the stresses of daily living...THERE'S POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
His name is above every other name. His is the highest name, the most wonderful name in all of Heaven and earth. When you breathe His name through faith, you can stand victoriously in the midst of any circumstance that challenges your peace and your sanity.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:19 that there is unlimited and immeasurable power for us who believe...
Yes, believing in the Name of Jesus - what a gift! When we choose to call on His name with a genuine and humble heart, great power is released. And that power is wrapped in the assurance that our needs are resting in the very heart of God.
Girlfriends from Walker, Louisiana and Roxboro and Williamston in North Carolina - have recently gathered to focus on His Name. At each event, we grabbed our attention and focused it on Jesus. His joy and peace seemed to wash over us as we simply turned to face Him and with genuine hearts, breathed His Name.
I would love to hear how "simply turning to Jesus" is changing the course of your day. How is breathing His Name making a difference in your life?
I can tell you this; you delight the heart of God when you, in childlike wonder and trust, stop everything else, and call on His Name.
Post by Cindi Wood
My dear friend Babbie Mason, gospel artist and song-writer, has an amazing gift of Calmness. She truly exudes calmness packed out with joy. During a recent women's event several of us had gathered to chat about the evening ahead. One friend accurately observed, "When Babbie is here, everything's alright!"
I thought about it then and I'm thinking about it now; what's true about Babbie is true about Jesus! "When Jesus is here, everything's alright!"
"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 (New International Version)
For some reason, we are blinded to getting what this verse really means. We read the scriptures and we repeat them as part of our religious vocabulary, but we often fail to lay hold of their practical worth for daily living.
Being "in Jesus Christ" is of tremendous practical value! We don't have to try to stock up on peace, joy, kindness, and gentleness. If Jesus Christ lives inside of us, we are already filled with that awesome fruit - and can at any moment, display it all for the glory of our Lord. We don't have to try to conjure up a little more patience and goodness. There's a fresh supply readily available living within!
Wow - pressure's off! I must simply take by faith, the possession that is already stored up for me in the righteousness of Christ. That's what I'm talkin' about! Right now, I'm reaching out with the hand of faith and grasping what's already mine. And for the rest of today, those around me are going to see a little more of Jesus exuding from this li'l frazzled female!
Oh and btw, if you'd like to experience a little GOSPEL and FRAZZLED, join Babbie and me as we team up in Carollton, Georgia March 25. www.wowwomensministry.org Who will meet us there?
Talk about a RUDE awakening! I had just settled into a deep sleep after a day of sharing with my girlfriends in Williamston, NC - when the hotel's alarm system blasted me out of my peaceful ZZZZZZs. Startled, disoriented, and sounding my own alarm (of panic), I sprung out of bed and jumped into action to do whatever I needed to do during this ill-timed emergency.
I hate it when that happens, although I can only remember three times during my travels when it has. I'm just saying! You don't get over it quickly when you've been brought back to consciousness so abruptly.
(that's why I never did allow my boys to wake up with alarms, only the SOOTHING sound of their mama's voice - I'm just waitin' on a comment from them - ha!)
Well, it wasn't long until the crisis was over and the ruling of FALSE ALARM allowed everyone to settle back down and get some sleep. For me; I stayed awake a while longer, enjoying the teachable moment I'd just experienced.
Just hours ago we'd been exploring the passage in Luke 18 where the blind beggar desperately cried out for Jesus when He passed by. This poor despairing soul SOUNDED THE ALARM for the Lord - longing to get His attention...and He did!
"Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him." Luke 18:40
After a brief exchange of "What do you want me to do for you?" and "Lord, I want to see" ... Jesus said, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Luke 18:42
Listen, my friend. Your persistent longing and crying gets the attention of the Lord. Your desperate cries sound an alarm throughout all of Heaven. He hears you. He's asking you, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Just like the desperate blind man who wanted his sight restored, I'm becoming desperate for Him to open my spiritual eyes. I want to see Him in every detail of every stressful day!
How about you? Where are you desperately sounding the alarm in daily living? Is there a particular place you long to have your spiritual eyes opened? Feel free to share with us, and together, we'll sound our alarms and receive the attention and the blessing of our Lord!
In this month's Journey magazine, I share about the fast, yep the FAST that changed my life. Now, if thoughts about giving up food leave you weak and feeling deprived, then take heart! No ditchin' the chocolates and passin' up the tacos on this one - but you will need to look the other way when those pangs of worry start to feed your cravings and cause you to lose focus.
Fasting from worry is all about giving up what's not good for you in the first place. Giving up worry is a command. And when we do so, we are living in obedience to what our Heavenly Father is commanding us to do.
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6 - Message)
And ... oh, the results are sweet and they are victorious ... if you just do it!
Right now, I'm choosing to detox my soul of this week's worry indulgences. Why don't you join me? The steps are plain, and there are only three:
1. Right here and right now, I'm relinquishing my hold on each concern.
2. I'm visualizing each one absorbed into His Heart.
3. As Christ displaces the worry, I crave His company and hunger for His peace.
Dear Sisters - if today you are bloated with worry, then allow Jehovah-Shalom to empty you of all that is not from Him and fill you with His peace - which truly satisfies.
Good morning blogging friends! Meet Cindi Wood. Author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Cindi's also a wife, mother of two . . . and prime material for stress overload!
That is why she has turned her focus to the needs of so many Christian women who seek support in handling the tremendous stresses of life. She's authored I've Used All My Sick Days - Now I'll Have To Call In Dead, The Frazzled Female, The Frazzled Female Bible Study, Victoriously Frazzled Bible Study, Too Blessed For This Mess and The Frazzled Female Journal Devotional Journal. Cindi is also a regular contributor in our LifeWay Women devotional magazine, Journey.
Frazzled Females is Cindi's term for today's schedule-scattered, brain-strained women, and so here on Allaccess, we're going to try out Frazzled Female Fridays - FFF with Cindi Wood.
Today we'll just set the stage for you.
From Cindi:
Frazzled Female
(fraz-eld-fee-mal) n 1: a woman of the twenty-first century who is stressed, frayed, challenged, frenetic;
2:YOU?
I remember clearly when I first accepted the fact that I had joined the ranks of women who classified themselves as "frazzled." Actually they didn't call it that, but they wore the look, walked the walk, and talked the talk. I saw no one sporting frazzled tees or wearing frazzled designer jeans, but yet most women I knew had the invisible insignia FRAZZLED embossed on their foreheads. You DO know what I mean, don't you? Here's what frazzled looks like, sounds like, and walks like.
The Look
• A "wanna be" fresh radiant face that can't quite make it
• A not-so-put-together outfit that used to be in style
• Signs of wear and tear on a body that was at one time of life in pretty good shape
• Traces of twitching caused by an overloaded central nervous system
The Sound
• Less than positive words reflecting a "what the heck" attitude
• Strange noises caused by gastric juices jumping around in the stomach area
• A tone of voice that more often reflects misery, disgust, and "I've had all I can take" instead of joy
The Walk
A heavy gait giving one the appearance of carrying an oversized dirty laundry bag as opposed to a light, springy step
A body that doesn't move like it used to due to too many days of "I don't have time to exercise"
Hunched shoulders from carrying too many burdens for too many people
Whether married or used to be married, single, with kids or without, working on the home front or out in the work world (or both), you may qualify for membership in the Frazzled Female Club! The Frazzled Female ministry is an outreach to all females who long for more peace and sanity in daily living.
So do you qualify? Are you in the FF club? Tell us your stories.
*Post by Cindi Wood
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