anxiety
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Better than Fretting! How to Stay Calm and Carry On, Part II
Yes, that’s a camel. I’ve never ridden one—elephant yes, camel no—but I’ve heard they can be stubborn and cantankerous. Friends living in the Middle East told me their kids’ school bus was delayed one day for what seemed like forever because a camel decided to park itself in the road and chill there for the…
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Better than Fretting: How to Keep Calm and Carry On, Part I
What keeps you up at night? Bills? Relationships? Heartburn that, you worry, might be more than heartburn? If so, you’re in good company. By nature, I worry like it’s my superpower. But the Holy Spirit continues to disciple me through scripture fretting subsides as I shift my perspective and trust God more deeply. In this…
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Care and Keeping for the Anxious Soul: Dena and Jason’s Story, Part II
Rounding out our soul care series with more from Dena and Jason Hobbs, authors of When Anxiety Strikes: Help and Hope for Managing Your Storm. Last week, they shared that “anxiety is a body-related event” and why it’s helpful to discover ways to calm and settle the body first before addressing anxious thought patterns. I…
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What Helps When Anxiety Takes Over: Dena and Jason’s Story, Part I
The last few posts have had an unofficial “soul care” theme to them as we’ve explored alternatives to fuming over a world gone mad, how to get along with our “difficult people,” and tips for filling our minds with scriptures that bring joy and peace. Hey, that sounds like a good bootcamp for the final…
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Will You Let Peace Put You Back Together? Galatians Devotional 4
“Sarah, I need you to pray with me right now.” That was how I ambushed a new friend at a writer’s conference just a few days ago. What had started as a joy-infused time of skill sharpening and networking had now ushered in my anxiety gremlins as I rehearsed a list of shortfalls. Article ideas…
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How to Take a Spring Break from Worry
A change of scenery is good for the soul. Last week we took a trip to Mexico and delighted in crystal-clear underground rivers, Mayan ruins, tropical birds and flowers, and of course, lots of sand and sun. Though I’m now busy dumping out that sand from shoes and bags, I’m trying to hold on firmly…
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Why Rest May Be the Best Christmas Gift for Your Weary Soul
A few years ago my doctor quizzed me on how many hours of sleep I was getting. She said she was convinced sleep was more important than we realize for staying healthy. I probably said something glib about “8 hours,” though it was more like six. I began to notice, though, that I didn’t function…
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When Holiday Busyness Distracts, Battle Back
Happy weird week between Thanksgiving and December 1st! Maybe you’ve been more productive than I have, but I’ve treated it like the calm before the storm. I didn’t even do Cyber-Monday shopping like I normally do, opting instead to grab my dog and go play outside. Pretty sure I was trying to stay far, far…
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10 Ways to Say “Be Careful” and Other Mom-ventures in Trust
OH MY WORD, my son is hauling himself around the suburbs as a newly licensed driver this summer, and I’m having an out-of-body experience. It’s like I’m reliving all at once the angst of Kindergarten drop-off, the first day of sleep-away camp, and the time I sent him on a plane by himself. I know…
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3 Things to Remember When You Feel Discouraged
Know what the soundtrack of my life is right now? The rhythm of a nail gun and the whine of a power saw. Yep, we’re in the middle of a renovation project that’s got me living out my HGTV dreams. I was telling a friend, though, that at first, every day seemed like “demo day,”…