Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
I am going to be perfectly frank. I did not want to write this post. Motivation eluded me and I just could not write it. But because writing helps me process my feelings and issues, I knew I had to write it.
Feeling Overwhelmed!
You see, I have this problem. When I get overwhelmed, I get anxious and I procrastinate. I only do the things required of me. I withdraw. It makes sense in my mind to not do things when I have too much to do! I focus on one thing and let everything else go. Right now, I have so much going on that if I do not schedule things, I get nothing done (even then, it is questionable).
Finally, I decided to get started. While I had some ideas for some topics, I did not have an inspirational verse to build on. I needed some inspiration so I opened my Bible app on my phone and the “Verse of the Day” popped up. I usually do not pay much attention to it, but this one caught my eye:
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)
This was the verse I needed!
Not just for this post, I needed this verse for me!
God knew what I needed! Had I gone to the Bible earlier today, I might have had a calmer day. All I did was see this verse and I knew that God had meant that for me today. I did not even have to finish reading it before it changed my mood. Now, I just have to remember this and remember that God is always there for me and to turn to Him first.
Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
Have you ever stopped to think about all the things that God did not intend for us in this life? I feel like some days I am constantly reminded of these things. Many evenings I will sit down and reflect back over my day. What were my general feelings today? What went right, and what didn’t? Did I get things done? And what did I put off or forget to do? What habits do I need to start to make me feel more successful? And on and on and on…
God gives us a full range of emotions to experience life to its very fullest. In my mind I can be the most fulfilled if I’m feeling generally more positive than negative. That’s my personal preference. Some people are like a piece of metal. When the heat is on they just bend and change to fit the temperature. Some people are more like a piece of paper and they just burn up. I’d like to think that I’m somewhere in the middle. As a result of my military upbringing, I am a pretty flexible person, regardless of my personality. However, having children and running my own household presents pressures and challenges that at times threaten to burn me up and leave behind a little pile of ashes.
Perseverance, not Exhaustion and Defeat
James 1:4 says, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Sometimes it seems as though perseverance for the sake of perseverance alone is the only thing I’ve got left. But God does not want us to feel downtrodden and hopeless. It is not His will for us to be exhausted and defeated by the day. I love this whole chapter of Isaiah. The Lord is really encouraging His people and giving them comfort. God knows that our journey here on earth will not be easy. There are going to be bad days and tantrums. There is going to be spilled milk on the carpet and sand in their hair, dirty dishes and floors and toilets. I often dwell on and worry about these things and that was never God’s intent. God created me for more than my to-do list!
Letting Go and Letting God
I’m going to make a list for myself of what I am intentionally going to try and let go. Perhaps, this list will be helpful to you as well.
This week I will work to let go of the following:
Distress over my housekeeping imperfections
Incessant worrying about my children’s (insert your worry here)
Frustration at other people because of (for me it’s their driving!)
Jealousy over someone else’s blessings, calling, or opportunities
Fixation with my idea of how everything should be
Considering I’m going to work on these for the next week, it’s a pretty long list; however, these are the things that God has revealed to me recently. Some of these things are issues I grapple with frequently while others are rather infrequent. I feel that each of these are relevant to God’s will for my life, and that these things are holding me back from other things God has for me in my life.
I pledge this week to work towards laying these concerns at the feet of Jesus and clothing myself in things that are pure, holy, and right.
Here are my really great reasons to work on this list. I’d like to make more room for these things!
Will you take this pledge with me?
If you’d like to, please share your list with us so we can be praying along with you about what God can take from you to make more room for Him!
Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. There are all kinds of things that can bring on that sweaty hands, all-consuming angst that just leaves you feeling weary. For me, pregnancy seems to be a vessel that my anxiety rides on. I have had varying degrees of anxiety during my four pregnancies. My first seemed fraught with anxiety that my baby wouldn’t be okay, or that he would somehow be hurt by something I did. During my second pregnancy, my anxiety got so bad that I actually struggled with postpartum depression for nearly a year before the fog lifted enough that I realized something was wrong. Each time the feelings seemed to creep up on me and had the potential to leave me feeling less than in control.
As I’m nearing the end of my fourth pregnancy, I’m finding the same things that triggered my anxiety in my second pregnancy are beginning to trigger anxiety during this one. My triggers are: bickering between my children, aloneness for too many hours in the day, not having a plan or knowing the schedule for an upcoming event, prolonged loud noises, and my biggest one–the neighborhood kids.
Yes, you read that right. I live right next to an elementary school. I am surrounded by school-aged children. I hear them constantly. They don’t bother me when they are at school. The sounds of them playing and yelling during recess cause me no alarm. Their chattering as they walk to school in the morning doesn’t phase me. Sure we’ve had a ding-dong-ditcher a time or two in the morning, but generally mornings aren’t an issue. No it’s after school that my anxiety really peaks.
They’re walking home and I hear them. I hear them swearing, screaming profanities in front of my house. I hear them playing and horsing around. I hear them running up onto my carport and sometimes ringing my doorbell and running away as fast as they can. I hear them after the crossing guard has closed the gate and gone home. I hear them running, riding bikes and scooters, and yelling to each other from across the street. And I see them. I see them riding and running through the four-way stop that only half of the neighborhood observes, without even looking. I see them going back and forth in front of my house throwing garbage and sticks at one another. I see them hanging on the gate and swinging it as hard as they can trying to break the lock and chain on it; yanking and kicking the signs on the gate trying to rip them off. I see them, I hear them, and they disturb me.
I worry that they’ll try to get in my backyard and steal my children’s toys again. I worry that they’ll climb the trees outside my fence and throw things at my windows again. I worry that they’ll damage one of my vehicles or get hurt on my property or teach my children a word that I’d rather they not know. I worry that they’ll be hit by a careless driver as they play in the middle of the street. I worry that they’ll break out in a fight that I am helpless to stop. I worry. And so the days go. As my pregnancy progresses it usually gets worse. I wake up in the morning dreading the afternoon. I find myself agonizing over the squeaking sound of the gate opening in the afternoon, signaling school’s release. I find myself worrying incessantly about them, and my children, and my house, and me.
And then when the baby comes, in that period when life should be sunshine and roses and snuggles and soft baby smells, I worry. They disturb me. I get mad that they’re so incredibly loud right outside my house when my sweet, peaceful baby is resting. I get worried that they’ll come to the door or window and look in while I’m breastfeeding and bonding with my baby. And when I let all of that worry and anxiety envelop me, I get lost in it. And then I yell at MY children. I get frustrated and upset at every unhappy sound or too loud noise or extra question they ask. It is nothing more than Satan finding a foothold in my life. It’s happened once postpartum and I will not let it happen again.
As I feel this all-too-familiar anxiety creep over me, I am beginning with a plan this time. I will not allow these feelings to control me. I will not allow a cloud of depression to steal away my memories of my baby’s first weeks. I will not allow Satan into my home and my emotions.
Matthew 6:34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This verse always makes me chuckle! Each day has enough trouble of its own. Isn’t that so true? Why would we waste a moment worrying about the events of another day when there is more than enough worry for today?
Phillipians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
This verse gives me a road map for exactly what I need to do. I need to stop being anxious, bring my worries to the Lord through prayer, and I will be filled with the peace of God that will guard my heart and mind. How encouraging! And how simple!
I recently listened to a sermon in which the speaker was commenting on the fact that we often rely on prayer as a last resort. We say, “Well we’ve tried everything else, now it’s up to God” or “All we can do now is pray.” This really struck a chord with me. How often do I waste time worrying and fretting over something and finally I’ll resort to prayer? Why didn’t I seek the comfort only the Lord can bring in the beginning? This is definitely something that I plan to work on.
Do you ever experience increased anxiety during certain times of your life?
How do you cope with the anxiety you feel?
FREE "Gifts from God" 5 Minute Devotional Ebook
It contains 10 devotionals with thoughts & prayer pages, Bible Journaling pages & Memory Verse Cards.
You have Successfully subscribed! Check your email for your encouraging Ebook.
