 Your house is on the verge of foreclosure. Your employer told you today the company will start doing some layoffs starting next month, and unfortunately you’re one of them. Your car is still in the shop, and you have a strong feeling that the mechanic is doing more harm than good. You just now remembered you forgot to feed the dog before you left the house. And on top of all that, it’s raining outside.
Yeah.
I know we all go through times like this in life, and they can be really hard. How are you going to deal with all this stress?! What’s all out there? Who are you going to listen to? Some people might recommend eating more food – lots more. Others may suggest to try smoking. The guy down the street may tell you to throw your hands up and file bankruptcy. There are so many influences out there – who should we really be listening to?
None other than God, of course!
My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
- Exodus 33:14
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
- Psalm 9:9-10
Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.
- Psalm 37:3-5, 7a
It’s important to tune into God’s Word. In times of high stress and trouble, listen to Him, and only Him – be careful of negative influences out there, because there are many. Keep your eyes on God, and He won’t steer you wrong!
written by Josh
\\ tags: control, Exodus, God, Jesus, life, Psalm, stress, trust
 As parts of Georgia are still flooded, I would like to ask our fellow readers to continue to pray for those in the metro Atlanta area. Matt wrote about it here a couple days ago.
Coming from someone who lives in an area that has flooded before, I know what the experience can be. Between the stagnant, bacteria-infested water and the damage of homes and businesses, going through a flood is no picnic.
I would like to share some scripture from the good book on dealing with stressful times like these.
10 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
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
- Joshua 1:9
I think we’ve all heard this one:
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4
So there you have it, folks. I, myself, always read Isaiah 41:10 whenever I’m on a plane that’s taking off. But it’s just as relevant to that as it is to the folks in Georgia; God has your back, and he’s handling it.
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:6-7
written by Josh
\\ tags: Atlanta floods, God, life, Matthew, stress
 There are two types of people in this world – the type that, when something bad happens to them, they say ‘It could always get worse!’ and the type that say ‘It could always get better…’
What type are you? When life gives you lemons, do you make lemonade, or do you rub it in your wounds and pout about? The worst time to pout about when things aren’t going your way, is when people want EVERYONE to know they’re having a bad day, too. Always sighing, being irritable on purpose, or leaving intentionally depressing MySpace/Facebook/Whatever statuses – anything for attention. Really, all complaining is is a form of selfishness.
What does the bible say about this?
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:3-5
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. Philippians 4:11-12
“9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!” James 5:9
…plus many, many more verses on this very subject. Friends – I urge you to stop complaining, and get over yourself! To live in Christ is to die to the self and to sin. If you’re still at the center of YOUR life, then you’re not living for Jesus.
Here’s some more bits of scripture on Complaining and Whining:
Exodus 15:24
1 Peter 5:7
Proverbs 19:3
Thanks for reading,
-Matt
written by Matt
\\ tags: Bible, Christ, church, Complaining, God, Help, Jesus, Letting Go, life, Selfishness, Sin, stress, Struggle, Whining, Who God Is
It’s a good Beatles song, but it’s also something that we all need time and time again. And who better to turn to than God?
So just imagine this: You wake up at 7AM. You have to go to school in two hours. You relax, have a nice breakfast, and just as you’re leaving to go out the door, you can’t find your hat – the one you bought only a week ago that you adore. It’s just gone, disappeared, vanished. You’re in the middle of remodeling your house and you can’t find or remember which box you may have put it in, and you have to leave for school, so you just forget about it and leave.
Once you’re at school, you perform fine in class and attend a club meeting afterwards, and then it’s time to go. So you walk out to the parking lot … and you can’t find your car! Then you suddenly remember – you parked on the complete other side of the school!
You double-back and finally get to your car (20 minutes later). You race home because you have a slew of other tasks that need done. Your family gets home in two hours, and in that time, you have to have finished painting a bedroom. Simple enough right?
Well which can of paint is it? You didn’t start painting the room, and you don’t know which can to use. You try painting one of the whites on, and after it dries, you realize it’s not the right shade!
After completing the paint job, you decide to hit the gym and get a work out. The gym is very crowded, and you can’t quite do all that you want, so you go home early, only to realize you have to hook your internet connection back up at your disassembled home in order to do two hours worth of homework online that’s due tomorrow!
So to all of you out there that are going through some things that are not too pleasant, read this:
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
- Philippians 4:13
Such a simple verse, but powerful. Indeed, it does not only relate to when you may need help, but many other things, which I will not go into here.
Point: God’s there for us to call on him. There’s nothing too big or too small to turn over to him.
written by Josh
\\ tags: God, Help, life, Philippians, stress
Stop! Take a deep breath.
Just breathe for a second. Relax. Forget about the world and all that’s going on in your busy life. Forget the things your struggling with. Just forget it all, and take a breath – God’s got your back.
Sometimes we get too deep into things. We start a week off fresh, ready for anything. During the weekdays, we start struggling with projects or the like. By the end of the week, we’re so deep into those things trying to figure them out ourselves that we have forgotten all about God.
Today is the first day of the fall semester at my school. Coming from someone who is not really nervous, it can still be very easy to overlook God. Even though today has rather small significance for me, I still want it to go well, and for this semester of school to start off well. And rather than stressing out about anything, why not take that time and instead use it to go to God?
written by Josh
\\ tags: God, prayer, stress, Worry
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