Sharla, Author at Sharla Fritz - Page 9 of 30
May 23, 2020

Selfishness vs. Love

In the hazy spotlight of the corner streetlamp, three pre-teen girls moved to the music that rang out from the nearby portable record player. Hair flying. Arms waving. Hips swaying. Their feet stomped on the concrete driveway to the beat of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

Boots of Selfishness

Summer was our season. Mary, Jeanie and I didn’t see much of each other during the school year because we all went to different schools, but come June we splashed in the neighborhood creek, set up a lemonade stand, or played with our Barbie dolls in the basement rec room.

One year we had the great idea to put on a variety show for our parents. We spent a couple of weeks brainstorming ideas for the show, hunting for jokes in old Reader’s Digest magazines, and rehearsing our skits and dance numbers. Our skits were very cerebral. In one scene, I acted as a patron of a restaurant. Jeanie took my order for soup and swiftly set a bowl in front of me on the card table prop. I began to eat, but suddenly stopped and screamed, “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!” and immediately yanked one of our little brother’s Creepy Crawlers out of the water in the bowl. Every rehearsal we snorted with laughter. (Go figure.)

We also wanted to be sure to include the old pie-in-the-face gag, but didn’t know what we could use for the pie without our parents suspecting something. Ultimately we decided that one of the girls would sneak her father’s shaving cream out of the bathroom and squirt it into an aluminum pie plate. Poor Mary was the recipient of the eye-stinging mess!

Finally the big night arrived. Stage? Our driveway. Seating? Lawn chairs. Refreshments? Popcorn and lemonade. The finale was our big dance number. Jeanie had the popular new 45 by Nancy Sinatra. Our arms flailed in an effort to dance “the monkey.” Our heads bobbed and swayed. Our feet did their very best to imitate the moves we saw on “American Bandstand.” All the while Nancy’s voice rang out from the record player, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

We had a blast and our parents enjoyed the evening of home-grown entertainment. It was a great way to spend our summer vacation.

Putting on Shoes of Love Instead

Lately, I’ve been thinking that Nancy’s old song pretty much sums up how we treat one another in this world. Wearing our boots of selfishness and tromping on others to get our own way seems so natural. In fact, it is part of the human condition. Since the moment Adam and Eve listened to the serpent’s lies, we humans have been more concerned about ourselves than those around us.

I can’t abandon the boots of selfishness on my own. But Christ can help me to put on shoes of love instead of selfishness. With Jesus, I am able to wear shoes of sacrifice instead of self-centeredness. These new shoes will be shoes of life, bringing a spring to my step and energy to my days. Walking through life will be much easier with shoes of grace and purpose. And instead of walking all over you, I will walk toward you, ready to serve you in Jesus’ name!

Next step: Pray this prayer to help you wear the shoes of love: Heavenly Father, my human nature tends to walk over other people instead of caring for them. Help me to see the people in my life as You see them. May I see their needs and not just my own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Excerpted from Divine Design: 40 Days of Spiritual Makeover used with permission by Concordia Publishing House

For more information about this 8-week Bible study, check it out on Amazon or at CPH.org.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth
May 12, 2020

5 Strategies for Defeating Worry

When life is uncertain, we often react with worry. We start carrying our worries around with us like a designer purse. We throw more and more of our anxieties into that bag of worry.

The trouble is that these worries can weigh us down. Just like a heavy purse can wreak havoc with our posture and cause shoulder pain, worry can cause physical symptoms.

Doctors tell us that anxiety can bring about short-term physical symptoms:

  • fast heartbeat
  • headaches
  • inability to concentrate
  • muscle tension
  • nausea
  • rapid breathing

When we worry, our bodies release stress hormones into our bodies that, over time, can cause more serious health problems:

  • suppression of the immune system
  • digestive disorders
  • raised blood pressure
  • higher cholesterol level
  • heart attack and stroke

The book of Proverbs tells us, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down.” So what can we do to empty our bag of worries? Here are 5 strategies you can use to defeat worry.

1. Change Your Focus

Matthew 6:25-27 says:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Jesus tells us, “Don’t worry about your life.”The original Greek word that Jesus used for worry here in Matthew is merinnao which means “to be anxious about, to have a distracting care.” 

When we worry about something, it is always on our minds. Whatever we are doing, the problem returns to our thought pattern. When we worry, we focus our mind on the problem, but instead we need to learn to concentrate our thoughts on something else. 

One technique to teach your brain not to be distracted by worry is to literally tell it, “Worry about that later.” Although this may seem counterintuitive, research has shown that if people set aside a specific time to worry, they can learn to tame the worrisome thoughts.

Here are some suggestions for a successful “worry time”:

  • Schedule a time each day to devote to worrying. 
  • Don’t worry at other times. 
  • If you start to worry at other times, write the concern down on a Worry List and tell yourself you will worry about it later. 
  • Use the list to think about your problems during the “worry time.”

This all may seem rather silly, but the process seems to train the brain to turn off the worrisome thoughts, instead of letting them run wild at all times of the day and night, preventing you from productive work and restful sleep.

Of course, as Christians, we can do more than worry during our “worry time.” 

We can pray.

We can give our concerns to God who knows so much more about them than we do. He has the solution all worked out. Coming to Him reminds us that He has everything under control. 

2. Trust–Give God Your Worries

Jesus began His teaching on worry by simply telling us not to worry. He continues by telling why we don’t need to worry.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Matthew 6:30 

Jesus rebuked His listeners with the words, “O you of little faith.” in verse 30. It seems to me that Jesus is connecting worry with a lack of trust. I think He is saying, “Little faith = Big worries.”

In verse 31 Jesus repeats the words, “Do not worry.” The Greek verb tense for don’t worry is present imperative—in other words, it’s a command. Jesus doesn’t say, “I suggest that you don’t spend your time worrying” or “You know worrying really is not a great idea.” He comes right out with the order, “Don’t worry.” When I am dwelling on my concerns, I am disobeying Christ’s instructions.

However, I believe Christ’s statement, “Don’t worry,” is also an invitation, an offer to carry my handbag of concerns and apprehensions.  Jesus asks me to trust Him and exhibit to the world that I have a loving Father that will take care of my needs instead of acting like people who don’t have God as their source. 

Truthfully, my human mind sometimes makes God small; it attempts to craft God in my image. I limit His goodness and power, because I subconsciously picture Him to be like me: powerless, selfish, and unwilling to help. 

But God is Big and He assures me that He is in control of the situation. Jesus told the crowd on the mountain, “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (Matt. 6:32 NLT). 

Before I even voice my concern, before I yearn for something more, before I can even conceive a new desire, my Father knows what I long for and what I require. He invites us to trust Him and give Him all of our concerns.

3. Seek God

Worry is a distracting care. Concentration on God’s provision is an answer to the distraction. Jesus tells us:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”Matthew 6:30

Here Jesus tells us that seeking is a way to avoid anxiety. What are to seek? God’s kingdom and His righteousness. But what do I spend a lot of my time seeking? “All these things.” What exactly are “these things”? In the previous verses of Matthew 6, we see that Jesus was talking about what I will eat, what I will drink, what I will wear. Jesus urges me to not be distracted with the physical stuff of life. This was probably not an easy task for Jesus’ original audience for the Sermon on the Mount  The people sitting on that mountain had to struggle daily for food and water. They had to walk to a community well and carry water home. Their diet consisted of mostly barley bread and vegetables that had to be prepared by hand each day. 

I have never been too concerned about getting enough to eat, but when I worry, it is often about the physical stuff of life: “Will we have enough money to pay all the bills? Will the roof on the house hold out for one more year? How will we pay for the kids’ college education?” I may not worry about having enough clothes, but I may worry about having the right clothes. My kids may bug me for a certain brand of tennis shoes or I see a designer bag I simply “must have.” 

God invites me to concentrate on His goodness and provision instead of what television commercials declare I need. He asks me to seek His kingdom. He invites me to concentrate on what is eternal instead of what is fleeting.


And then He promises me that He’ll take care of the rest.

4. Live One Day At A Time

So many times when I worry, it’s about the future. I get all tied up in knots about what might happen. But Jesus says:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”Matthew 6:34

Jesus says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” Live life one day at a time.

In 1913 Sir William Osler gave a speech to a group of Yale students. (It seems that worry has always been a popular topic!) Osler urged the students:

“Touch a button and hear, at every level of your life, the iron doors shutting out the Past—the dead yesterdays. Touch another and shut off, with a metal curtain, the Future—the unborn tomorrows. Then you are safe—safe for today!”

If my life is a novel, I am to concern myself with the page that I am on, not all the twist and turns that the plot will take later on in the book. This should be easy, since I know how the story concludes. Because Jesus is my Savior, a happy ending is guaranteed. 


And yet I struggle with concentrating on the here and now. I constantly need to remind myself that these worries can wait. I continually need to tell myself that what I think may happen will probably never come about. But each day I can choose to stay in my “day-tight compartment” and follow Christ’s words, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.”

5. Turn Every Worry Into a Prayer

The apostle Paul also wrote about worry. He told the Philippians:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious. About anything.

Impossible, you say.

Anxiety and the temptation to worry are hard to avoid. But when they come, we have an alternative:


“Let your requests be made known to God.”  

A few years ago I attended a retreat where the speaker said something that really stuck with me. 

Turn every little worrisome thought into a prayer.

For some reason, I had never done that before. I had always struggled with the instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” But then I realized that when I’m worried about something, I think about it all the time. My anxiety doesn’t just show up once in the morning and once at night. If I turned every anxious thought into a prayer, I would certainly be on the track of praying without ceasing.

Obviously, I am not totally successful in turning all of my anxiety into prayer. In fact, recently God pointed out to me that I had not prayed about an issue that has been plaguing my worry center for over a year.


But when I do remember to pray, the peace that God promises floods my soul. That tranquility truly is beyond understanding, for the issue is not settled. God’s peace guards my spirit and keeps out the anxious thoughts when I remember: Turn every little worrisome thought into a prayer.

Pick Your Strategy

So when you find yourself carrying around a bag of worries like a designer purse, pick one of these strategies.

  • Change Your Focus
  • Trust–Give God Your Worries
  • Seek God
  • Live One Day at a Time
  • Turn Every Worry Into a Prayer

Next step: Pick out the strategy that will help you the most. Will you schedule a worry time? Will you remind yourself to focus on living one day at a time? Can you develop the habit of turning every worry into a prayer? Write out the corresponding Scripture and post it somewhere prominent today to help you remember your new weapon against worry.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth
April 28, 2020

When You Feel Like You’re on the Road to Nowhere

These days we all feel like we are on the road to nowhere. We feel stuck in a time warp, thrown into an alternate reality that we never wanted. What can we do in times like these?

When I visit my mother, I need to take a four-hour drive from my house in Illinois to hers in Wisconsin. Part of the drive takes me through some medium-sized cities where I have to pay attention to highway signs and watch for merging traffic. Another section of road takes me through a scenic part of the state of Wisconsin where I enjoy the sight of curving roads through rolling hills studded with tall trees.

But the last hour and a half of the drive is boring. The road is almost completely straight. There is practically no traffic and the view out the window is not particularly interesting. Because the sight of an occasional dairy cow or weathered barn doesn’t do much to keep me awake, I have to break out my snacks, roll down the window a bit, and crank up the sound on the car stereo in order to keep my eyes open.

Right now my life feels like that stretch of road to my mother’s house. Day after day of nothing much. Every day I wake up, exercise, eat breakfast, work at the computer, teach a few piano lessons on Zoom, clean the house, cook for my family, and go to bed. The next day I wake up, exercise, eat breakfast, work at the computer, teach a few piano lessons on Zoom, clean the house, cook for my family, and go to bed. The next day I….

Perhaps you have some of the same feelings. I mean, life feels like one long drive that goes nowhere. We do the same routine day after day, but right now we can’t even see an end to this journey.

So you might be asking: What can I do while stuck on this boring stretch of road? Two things: Stay on the road and watch the signs.

Stay on the Road

The only reason I continue on that road to my mother’s house is because I know it is the quickest route there. When I reach that boring stretch of road on the way to my mother’s house, I could veer off toward scenic Wisconsin Dells. I could pull off the highway to tour a quaint little town or visit a state park I’ve never seen. But if I did, it would only delay my visit to my mother.

Right now we don’t have much choice about our road. My state of Illinois has extended the stay-at-home rule until the end of May. So I need to continue on the boring stretch of road that is coronavirus isolation.

However, I do have a choice about how I will travel this less-than-exciting route. I can complain every mile of the road OR I can accept this path my life needs to take.

This is not only true in these coronavirus times. To tell, the truth, my life has not changed that much. And I sometimes wish I had a more interesting life. I wish I could veer off and try something more exciting, but if I did, it would delay my arrival at my purpose. The only reason I keep doing what I’m doing is because that what God has told me to do. For now. Perhaps someday He will have an exciting mission for me. But for now, He has asked me to live in a Chicago suburb, write a few encouraging words each day, and love and care for my family. This road is the quickest route to the life God has for me.

When we accept the road God has placed us on, we are then in a good position to read the signs.

Read the Signs

When I’m on the road to my mother’s house, I still need to pay attention to the signs, or I will miss the exit to her street. If I’m totally engrossed in an audiobook or hypnotized by the straight road, I might not see the sign that points me to my destination.

The same is true in life. If I’m stuck in the pain about this current situation or hypnotized by my constant grumbling, I might miss the signs God has for me about where He wants me to go, what He wants me to do right now, right here.

Today I listened to a podcast by Kendra Hidachi at The Lazy Genius where she talked about a question posed by Myquillin Smith. She invited us to ponder, “When I look back at this time, what will I wish I would have done?”

Excellent question, right?

But even more than that question, I want to ask, “God, what would you have me do during this time? When I look back at this historic time, I want to see that I followed You, that I looked out for the signs You placed in my path to point me in the right direction.”

The Bible tells us:

Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts… then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. 1 Kings 2:3 MSG

I’ve found that those long stretches of life where nothing much seems to be happening can be the route to the life God has planned for you. 

I hear God speaking to me, to you: When it seems like you’re on the road to nowhere, just keep listening to Me. Look in my Word for signs pointing the way. Don’t lose hope. Though this way doesn’t seem very appealing, it’s the best road to get to where I want you to be. Trust Me.

So, set aside a couple of minutes. Grab a pad of paper. Find a comfortable chair and open your Bible. Pray and ask God, “What exactly do You want me to do in this unusual time? What do You want to teach me? What can I gain from this unprecedented stretch of boring road?”

Perhaps like many, this time at home means a good time to declutter your home and your life. This can be a wonderful exercise to lighten your load, rid yourself of unnecessary material distractions. (If you want a little help, check out my free ebook Finding Enough: a 7-Day Jumpstart to Decluttering Your Life.

Or maybe you want to spend more time in God’s Word, but you are busier than ever with working from home while home schooling your children. Check out my series of articles on Bible Study for Busy People.

Most of all, let’s take advantage of this time when our schedules have slowed down. Although we miss connection with people, this period of time without the constant hum of meetings, rehearsals, and sporting events gives us a unique opportunity to slow down enough to hear God’s voice. Check out my article on the spiritual discipline of Slowing.

If you are doing what God has asked you to do right now, you are going the right way. Don’t try to veer off. Don’t grumble about wanting something more exciting. This is the way to your Father’s house.

Next step: Set aside a few minutes. Grab your Bible and a journal or pad of paper. Ask God what He wants you to do during this historic time. In His Word, He will show you the signs.

Filed Under: Waiting on God Tagged With: ,
April 14, 2020

6 FREE Resources for Spiritual Practices in Uncertain Times

Undoubtedly, you have many emotions running through your head these days. COVID-19 has stirred up fear, uneasiness, anxiety, and doubt. Our world now faces something new and scary. When we don’t know what to do, spiritual practices can help. This post includes 6 FREE resources you can use in these uncertain days to stretch your faith and turn your heart to the God who has everything under control.

Soul Spa Kit

In these bewildering days we all need a spiritual compass. We need to reconnect with the One who can give us peace and direction. A spiritual retreat can be the conduit for that reconnection.

Every month I try to schedule one morning for a personal spiritual retreat. Jesus told His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). He knew they needed to get away from the crowds, the noise, the responsibilities. Christ offers the same invitation to us.

You might be wondering: What do you do during a personal spiritual retreat? Here’s my process. I read God’s Word and journal what I hear God speaking to me. I pour out my struggles, asking God to make sense out of everything. I spend time resting in God’s love for me.

To help others experience their own personal spiritual retreats I created the Soul Spa Kit: 59 Ideas For Creating Your Own Spiritual Retreat. Inside this resource you will discover the who, what, when, why, where, and how of soul care. This kit is a little like a three-day spa weekend for your soul.

Click here to find out more about this resource and sign up for the Soul Spa Kit.

7 Words Your Soul Needs in a Waiting Season

Right now we are all in a holding pattern. The world has slowed and we wait for answers, wait for word that things can go back to normal.

But there’s no denying that waiting is hard. What do we do in the meantime?

Although our hearts squirm at the sound of the word wait and our souls try to wriggle away from its grasp, maybe it’s a word we need.

But, perhaps we need to reframe waiting. Look at it from a different angle. Hear it in a different context. What if when God said, “Wait,” we heard one of its synonyms? What if it were pronounced “pause”? Or “Expect“? Or “Abide”? Would it make a difference?

I think it does. Although the word wait almost always has negative connotations in our culture, I don’t think God necessarily intends waiting to be gloomy and punitive. Sometimes waiting is meant to be restorative. To give us a season of rest. To draw us closer to the Father. To help us abandon our own puny efforts and rely on the almighty power of God.

That’s why I created the free ebook 7 Words Your Soul Needs in a Waiting Season. Each lesson examines one of the synonyms of the word wait and how examining a waiting season from a different perspective can help us grow in faith in the God who loves us.

Click here to find out more and sign up to get this free ebook.

Finding Enough: A

7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life

With extra time at home, maybe you are thinking of organizing closets and cupboards. Then this 7-Day Decluttering Guide is for you. It will help you not only purge the stuff you no longer need or want, but it will also help you toss out harmful emotions and thoughts.

Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life can help you reduce the clutter of your life. In the span of seven days, you will take a journey to cast out what is cluttering your closets, your schedule, and your minds. Each day, you’ll examine one area of your life and decide if it is time to keep or time to cast away. I won’t tell you what to hold on to or what to toss—that’s up to you. Some of the days, you will tackle a practical area of life like your home or schedule. Other days, we’ll delve into the cupboards of your soul to see if anything harmful or unnecessary is stored there.

If this is for you, click here to find out more and sign up for this free resource!

Spiritual Disciplines

Perhaps you are looking for a new way to spend time in God’s Word. A few years ago I discovered Spiritual Disciplines. At the time, I thought I had stumbled on something new, but Spiritual Disciplines have been used by faithful Christians for centuries, even millennia.

I love using Spiritual Disciplines because they help me focus my attention on my Savior and receive His gifts. These ancient practices help me spend time with the One who can calm my soul and reassure me of His love. These practices include prayer, listening, and meditating on God’s Word.

I did a whole series of articles on Spiritual Disciplines. Click on a link to explore each helpful practice.

Palms Up, Palms Down Prayer

SACRED Reading

Prayer Journaling

Examen

Slowing

Silence

Meditating on Bible Stories

Verse Mapping

If you’re a Bible nerd like me, you love spending time in God’s Word. You love digging into deeper meanings and discovering what it has to say in respect to your current situation.

Enter Verse Mapping. Verse Mapping is a Bible study method that examines the context, cross-references, translations, and word meaning of a particular verse in God’s Word.

In Verse Mapping, you look at the individual parts of a Bible verse and then put it back together with the new understanding you have gained. It incorporates all the things I usually do to dig into God’s Word in a systematic way. Through this method, you will grasp the meaning of the verse in a new way that will help you apply it to your life.

For some of you this time of coronavirus isolation has meant more time on your hands as your normal activities have been put on hold, leaving you with more time for Bible study. I did a series of articles and videos to explain the five-step process of Verse Mapping. Check them out!

Step One Article Video

Step Two Article Video

Step Three Article Video

Step Four Article Video

Step Five Article Video

Bible Study for Busy People

While some of you have more time on your hands because of coronavirus isolation, others of you have even less time than before as you juggle home schooling your children and doing your job!

You know you want to spend time in God’s Word, but you need some strategies to find that time and make to make the moments you have meaningful.

That’s why I did a series of articles on Bible Study for Busy People. Here you will find motivation to spend time with your Savior and some Bible study methods that help you make the most of that time.

Click on the links below for more information about Bible Study for Busy People!

Bible Study for Busy People

Bible Study for Busy People: Start with Stories

Bible Study for Busy People: 7 Strategies

Bible Study for Busy People: 5 Tech Strategies

Bible Study for Busy People: Finding PEACE in God’s Word

I hope that these ideas will help you grow in faith during this unusual time of coronavirus quarantine! Whichever methods you choose, remember that God is still in control. We may be shocked and surprised, but He isn’t. And He is able to work out something good even through a pandemic!

Next step: Pray and ask God which faith-stretching practice is best for you right now. Try it out, trusting that the Holy Spirit will bless your time in God’s Word!

Filed Under: Bible Study, Spiritual Growth Tagged With:
March 24, 2020

7 Verses and Prayers for When Fear Comes to Visit

We live in uncertain times. And uncertainty can open the door to fear. Fear about getting sick. Fear about finances. Fear over the general state of the world.

We try to shut out fear, but may not feel strong enough to barricade the door. Sometimes–when we watch news reports or close our eyes to sleep–fear pushes through. It plops down on the sofa in our minds and refuses to budge.

When that happens, here are 7 verses and prayers that can chase out fear.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Gracious Father, when fear pushes its way into my heart, help me remember that You are there too. You never leave me and I find comfort in that thought. Your omnipotent strength can overcome any fear. Help me to rest in your hand.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

Lord, thank You that You are always trustworthy. Help me not to put my trust solely in governments and officials that are working to alleviate this crisis. Bless their efforts and give them wisdom, but help me to put my trust in You, the almighty, invincible God.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

Jesus, thank You for these words! Sometimes fear enters my heart simply because I look ahead and start asking a million what-if questions about the future. Help me to focus on today. You will always give me what I need for this moment in time.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:50)

Christ Jesus, I love this verse! You know my fear. You see the anxiety in my heart. But You invite me to “take courage” because You give it as a gift. Even when I can’t summon up any brave feelings on my own, I know I can turn to You and lean on You for the courage I need.

I am the Lord your God.
I am holding your hand,
    so don’t be afraid.
I am here to help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Lord God, how comforting to know that you are holding my hand–right here, right now. In the midst of this time of uncertainty, You reach over and grab my hand to reassure me of Your presence, Your help. Help me to remember this whenever fear tries to barge in again.

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. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Holy Spirit, Comforter, thank You for the invitation to dump all my anxiety in Your lap. You tell me not to harbor anxiety about anything–big or small. Help me to remember this in these stressful days. Whenever fear threatens to push its way into my heart, help me to turn to You again–and again. Thank You in advance for Your transcendent peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

Jesus, I rejoice in Your gift of peace. Right now it seems that the world gives only stress, anxiety, and fear. But You flood our souls with a peace that is available any time. I thank You that Your peace doesn’t depend on serene circumstances or tranquil surroundings. Fill my heart so full of Your peace that there is no room for fear.

If you need more help in pushing out fear, check out my posts “When You Feel Like You’re Straining Against the Wind” and “Why Are You So Afraid? Two Kinds of Fear.” If you want more guidance on how to pray during this coronavirus crisis, read “20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic” by Jen Pollack Michel.

Next step: Which verse will help you most today? Write it out a sticky note and post it where you will see it often. Share it with a friend!

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
March 10, 2020

Why Are You So Afraid?: Two Kinds of Fear

On a windy day on a lake, Jesus asked His disciples, “Why are you so afraid?” As the wind pummeled their small boat, Jesus confronted their fears.

This story came alive to me recently when my husband and I traveled to Israel. This trip had been on my bucket list for years. I longed to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and see the land God’s people called home for centuries.

On the third day of our trip, our tour group spent some time in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. It was the end of the day and the sky began filling with clouds. But beams of sunlight filtered through, shining God’s glory.

The Sea of Galilee and Mount Arbel from our boat.

Jesus on the Sea of Galilee

While gazing at the beauty of the sky, the lake, and the surrounding mountains, our tour guide read us Mark 4:35-41:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

God dramatically punctuated the word “windstorm” with a great gust of wind that shook our boat for a minute. Our guide told us that because the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains, winds can whip up suddenly and unexpectedly. That’s exactly what happened the day the disciples were in the boat with a sleepy Savior. They thought He didn’t care about them and woke Him up.

Jesus immediately took care of the situation by calming the sea, then asked His trembling disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Two Kinds of Fear

The story of Jesus and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee talks about two kinds of fear.

Deilos Fear. Fear comes naturally to us humans. The word for afraid in Jesus’ question, “Why are you so afraid?” (Mark 4:40) is deilos–meaning timid or fearful. While we may not be on a sinking boat, our world gives us many reasons to have fear. We fear sinking financial failure and not being able to pay the bills at the end of the month. We fear storms of relationship troubles and clouds of deadly viruses.

Or maybe your fears are a little more subtle. Even if you don’t see monsoons of disaster in the skies of your life right now, you may harbor secret fears of loneliness, fears of growing old. Maybe you hide fears of failure, fears of the future.

But just like Jesus asked His disciples, He asks us, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Phobeo Fear. The second word for fear in the story of the disciples in the boat comes in verse 41: “And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (emphasis added). Here the Greek word is phobeo, which can mean to be afraid, but also can indicate reverence. The disciples were in awe of Jesus’ ability to calm the wind and the sea.

Instead of deilos fear, let’s have phobeo fear. If Jesus can calm waves on the Sea of Galilee, certainly He can quiet the fears in my heart and your heart. When we focus more on awe of the God who can handle any situation instead of our timid hearts, God will erase our fears. The sunshine of His grace will filter through the dark clouds of our anxiety.

My husband John and me on the Sea of Galilee.

Why Are You So Afraid?

If fear has taken up residence in your heart today, listen to Jesus’ question, “Why are you so afraid?” Examine the source of your fear: finances? relationships? health? Then consider Jesus’ second question, “Have you still no faith?” Do you believe that Jesus’ power and strength can overcome any financial, relationship, or health problem? Can you trust that even though He may not remove the problem that He will walk through it with you? Then why fear? Focus on the ever-present, all-powerful God who says, “Peace be still!” to the raging anxiety in your heart.

Next step: Read Mark 4:35-41 once again. Picture yourself in the boat with Jesus. What would you have felt that day in the boat? How does Jesus’ ability to calm the sea affect you? How does it change your perspective of your current-day fears?

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
February 11, 2020

Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World

How would you describe your life? Focused, calm, in control? Or is it more like overwhelmed, chaotic, and distracted?

At the beginning of every year I pick one word that I hope will characterize the next twelve months. In January of 2015 I chose the word “focus.” The previous two years seemed like a whirlwind of activity with little direction. My schedule had grown into a large unfocused mess. I taught private piano students and sat down at my computer to blog and write. I volunteered at a homeless shelter and directed my church choir. I attended a Toastmasters group and led a women’s Bible study. I felt overwhelmed and distracted.

The path of my life had grown from a single road heading in one direction, to a highway with many appealing exits and detours. God whispered, “Keep your eyes on Me.” But too often I succumbed to the enticing signs that lured me from Christ’s path for my life. It wasn’t that I followed roads to immorality. But I kept following signs that promised greater success or a bigger life purpose. And too often these signs pointed to paths not meant for me. These paths led away from peace, serenity, and intimacy with God and toward greater frustration.

Time for a Change

So at the beginning of 2015 I wanted a change. I began praying for focus. For direction. For wisdom to discern between the important and the trivial.

Little did I know that just around the corner was an event that would change everything.

My husband was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Just a few days into 2015 our family physician called John with the news. Our calendars began to fill with doctor appointments and medical tests. Hospitals and cancer centers became our destinations.

I discovered that a life-crisis can quickly put things into perspective. Suddenly I had no difficulty in abandoning activities I no longer found fulfilling. I had a good excuse to leave organizations that had become life-draining instead of life-giving.

Although my life path was headed in a direction I never expected, I found it much easier to ignore the tempting exits not meant for me.  Suddenly life had focus.

The Focused Path

I thought about my life path when I read this well-known passage in Matthew:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)

Of course, this passage is talking about the road to salvation. Jesus told us He is the only Way to eternal life. Through parables, He explained that He is the gate.

But perhaps this verse can also be a picture of a meaningful life here on earth. Maybe a broad road filled with too many roadside stops and littered with too many belongings leads to the destruction of peace and tranquility. Perhaps a narrow road pointed in the right direction with few exits or detours leads to a full and abundant life.

Living Life Distracted

In this modern world, it’s easy to live distracted. In fact, it’s difficult not to be sidetracked by the myriad of things clamoring for our attention. Societal pressures to have more, do more, be more divert us from the life God meant for us to live. Media convinces us we need one more gadget. Pressure to be successful leads us to take on one more responsibility at work. The burden to leave a legacy compels us to say yes to one more worthy cause.

And yet with all this doing and having, we still feel unfulfilled. In the quest to have it all, we wonder if we have missed something important. We sense that we have been spending too much time and effort on the trivial and not enough on what really matters.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go through a life emergency to change the road you are traveling. I created a book so you don’t have to wait for a crisis—you can learn from mine.

 So How Can I Live Life Focused?

In my book, Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World, you will discover sixteen habits of living with focus. These are the very habits that helped me discard distracting activities from my calendar when my husband was going through cancer treatment. They are the habits I have continued to use to create a life that is meaningful and life-affirming. These routines enable me to avoid disappointing detours and remain on the path God has laid out for me.

You can keep living the distracted life. Racing through life following every disappointing detour. Rushing through a thousand activities without enjoying any.

You could wait for a life crisis to change your course.

Or you could ask God to transform your path. You could delve into sixteen life-altering habits that will help you stay in the narrow path leading to a full and meaningful life.

God is calling you to the road that leads to life. A full, focused life.

Next step: Start this journey to more focused living by closing your eyes and imagining you are driving down the road of life. Ask yourself, “Where is this road headed? Is this where I want to go?” Then in your mind’s eye, look at the signs along the road. What do the signs say? Which ones are the most distracting? Which ones pull you off your main road? Open your eyes and record your thoughts.

This post is an excerpt from my book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World. If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out the book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.

The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With:
January 28, 2020

4 Ways To Notice God in Your Ordinary Days

What did you notice today? I asked myself this question every day for the past year. At the beginning of 2019. I chose “notice” as my word for the year because I wanted to intentionally notice God in my ordinary days. 

I know from God’s Word that He is always with me:

“He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
(Hebrews 13:5 ESV)


 But often I’m too busy to notice Him! By asking myself “What did I notice today?” I slowed down for a minute to contemplate how the Father blessed me that day, how the Son made His presence known, how the Spirit whispered God’s truth to me in the Word.

I started this search by reading The God Hunt by Karen Mains. In this book, the author points out four categories of places where she looks for God in her everyday life: any obvious answer to prayer, any unexpected evidence of His care, any help to do God’s work in the world, any unusual linkage or timing.

Using these as a guideline, I’ve become a little better at spotting God at work in my life.

Here are some ways I’ve seen God lately:

Any obvious answer to prayer. 

Last week, I met a friend for coffee. We’ve been reading and discussing a book together, so I brought my iPad with the Kindle version of the book. However, when I left the cafe where we met, I forgot my tote bag with the iPad in it. I didn’t notice my forgetfulness until I got home. All the way back, I prayed my bag would still be there. And it was!

Any unexpected evidence of His care. 

The winter canopy of clouds in Chicagoland has left me feeling blue. But just when I needed it most, friends of ours asked my husband and me to meet them for pizza. God knew I needed time with special people!

Any help to do God’s work in the world. 

I’ve been working on editing a book for a friend of a friend. This kind of writing is new to me, but God has given me the wisdom needed to complete the project.

Any unusual linkage or timing. 

I’ve been praying for a few new piano students. In January I got four new students! Unusual timing in that students usually start lessons at the beginning of the school year, but God’s timing is always best!

Gradually, I’m learning to notice God in the everyday stuff of life.

(It’s not too late to choose your own word for 2020. Here are a few ways you can get more out of your word.)

Next Step: What did you notice today? Take time to write down how you noticed God in an answer to prayer, evidence of His care, help to do His work, or some unusual timing.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines
January 21, 2020

Spiritual Disciplines For When You Struggle With Forgiveness

What do you do when you struggle with forgiveness?

We’ve all been hurt. We’ve received unkind words. Other people have disappointed or deceived us. We may feel like those closest to us have stabbed our hearts or trampled our feelings in the dust.

We know we should forgive, but how?

Recently, Michelle Diercks and I had a conversation about this on her podcast “Peace in His Presence.” Click here to listen in!

Below you will find the main points of our conversation, along with other helpful information.

Spiritual Disciplines For When You Struggle With Forgiveness

We can’t forgive on our own—we need to go to God. And one of the ways I love to connect with Christ is through Spiritual Disciplines—practices that help us tap into God’s love and grace. Here are three disciplines that help me.

SACRED Reading

SACRED Reading is a way to meditate on God’s Word. Through times of reading, contemplation, and prayer we can hear God’s voice speak to us in the pages of Scripture.

The word SACRED is an acronym that helps me remember the steps in this practice. In the practice of SACRED reading we slow down and notice what the Holy Spirit draws our attention to. (Find the specific steps for SACRED Reading here.)

For instance, read Ephesians 4:31-32 and pay attention to what the Holy Spirit “highlights.”

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

What word or phrase does God draw your attention to?

  • Is it “bitterness”? (Do you realize you have a lot of stored-up anger?)
  • Is it “slander”? (Are you convicted of speaking negatively about a certain person you are angry with?)
  • Is it “be kind to one another”? (Because you feel you could never show kindness to a certain person?)

After you meditate on the passage, empty your heart in prayer and ask God to heal your emotions and help you forgive.

For more information on SACRED Reading, go here.

When we struggle with forgiving others, we can meditate on the forgiveness we have already received. Try meditating on these Scriptures:

Meditating on Bible Stories

Another spiritual discipline you can use when you need God’s help to forgive is meditating on Bible stories.

In this practice, use your imagination to put yourself in a Bible story. Read a Gospel story and ask the Spirit to guide your thoughts. See the scene in your mind. What sounds do you hear? What scents are in the air? Picture yourself as one of the characters in the story.

This discipline helps me experience the story in a new way. Often the Holy Spirit will show me something I never noticed before in the Word. He will speak to me the exact message I need in that moment.

Meditating on the Gospel story about the woman caught in adultery can help you get a handle on forgiveness. Read John 8:3-11. Put yourself in the story. Picture Jesus writing in the sand. Notice the accused woman–her posture, the look on her face. Imagine the accusers–their expressions and the tone of their voices. Then ask yourself these questions.

1. What character do you identify with? The woman who has been caught? The people accusing the woman of wrongdoing?

2. What are you feeling? “The other person is the guilty one!” “God should throw the book at her—at the people who have wronged me!”

3. What does Jesus say? What is your reaction to those words?

4. Perhaps read the story one more time and see it from another perspective. Put yourself in the place of one of the other characters.

For more information on meditating on Bible stories, go here.

Other Bible stories on forgiveness to meditate on:

Prayer Journaling

Hurt feelings may take a long time to heal. We may need to forgive and forgive many times as those hurt feelings resurface. One way I use unburden my heart is prayer journaling.

You may feel uncomfortable at first writing down all of your messy emotions in a prayer. But I think we are in good company when we do this! Many of the psalms seem to be David’s way of unburdening his heart. I think God invites us to take all of our feelings to Him so that He can help us deal with them.

Here are a few ways to prayer journal when you struggle to forgive:

  • Use your journal to tell God all that bothers you. Tell Him about the hurt and pain. Ask Him to help you forgive.
  • Journal what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through your SACRED Reading or meditating on Bible stories.
  • Write out the hurtful things you experienced. Then ask God to help you forgive and destroy the paper as a concrete way to demonstrate forgiveness.

For more information on prayer journaling, go here.

When we’ve been hurt, our natural reaction is to hang onto the anger, the bitterness, the hurt. We think this will cause the other person pain. But author Joanna Weaver wisely wrote:

Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Resentment and unforgiveness only cause us pain. God can help us forgive. Let’s go to His Word and receive His love, His grace, and His power to help us let go of past hurts. Live free in forgiveness.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With:
December 30, 2019

Find Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life

Does your home feel crammed with possessions? Does your life feel overstuffed with obligations? Perhaps you need to begin the process of decluttering your life.

It’s easy to accumulate stuff. The pair of jeans that hasn’t fit since before baby number two. The bridesmaid dress you hate but paid “good money” for. The bread machine you never use. The yarn you bought but didn’t have time to knit. The toys your children no longer play with.

Of course, that’s just the stuff clogging your cupboards and closets. A lot more stuff probably clutters your life. Countless meetings and appointments, oodles of kids’ baseball practices and dance recitals fill up your calendar and crowd out your peace. Even your mind and soul may seem cluttered. Disappointment, bitterness, and perfectionism can easily take up the space in our hearts that is meant for God’s grace, love, and joy.

Do you want to make a change? Do you desire to declutter your home and experience the joy of less? Do you long for a streamlined schedule that has more room for the important things of life? Do you want to empty your mind and heart of the fears and anxieties?

Perhaps that seems impossible. But we can make a start. I have a free tool for you to help you begin the process of decluttering your life. My free workbook Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start to Decluttering Your Life will guide you in getting rid of the meaningless and unimportant stuff while still keeping what is valuable and beneficial to your life.

The process is based on Ecclesiastes 3:1,6:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven . . . a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

Using this workbook, you’ll examine one area of your life each day and decide if it is time to keep or time to cast away. So it won’t become too overwhelming you will use a process I call “Keep 10 Toss 10”–you will only decide on ten things that are valuable enough to keep and ten things that need to go. I won’t tell you what to hold on to or what to toss—that’s up to you.

Over the course of seven days, you will take a journey to cast out whatever clutters your closets, schedules, and mind. Some of the days, you will tackle a practical area of life like your home or schedule. Other days, we’ll delve into the cupboards of your soul to see if anything harmful or unnecessary is stored there. Most of us have been amassing more and more for years or decades. Our culture tells us that we need more stuff, more goals, more activity to complete our happiness—and we’ve bought into this idea. But many of you have recognized this for the lie it is. And that’s why you’re here. You are ready to find enough.

Ready to start the journey to find enough–enough stuff, enough joy, enough meaning in your life? Type your email in the box below to subscribe to my Soul Rest newsletter and receive my free guide: Finding Enough: A 7-Day Jump-Start To Decluttering Your Life.

If you would like to learn more about finding enough, check out my brand new book Enough for Now: Unpacking God’s Sufficiency!

A study of the parable of the rich fool, it will help you discover:

  • enough money
  • enough stuff
  • enough food
  • enough relationships
  • enough time
  • enough of me

You can find out more about it here. And order it here and here!

Filed Under: Contentment Tagged With:
« Previous Page
Next Page »