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Today’s Verse: Psalm 61:2

Pressure, Stress, Burnout, Compassion Fatigue

Life is filled with pressure and stress. Stress to meet deadlines, stress to get the bills paid, stress in learning a new job, stress to handle the amount of work on your desk, stress carring for a loved one with an illness. Pressure to be liked by your peers, pressure to make the team, pressure to get the next promotion. Sooner or later we come to a boiling point where we feel burried beneath the weight of the stress and pressure. Things are just more than we can handle. At times, we even feel defeated by it. We throw up our hands and cry out, “I don’t know what to do!” or “I can’t go on like this!” Burnout and Compassion Fatigue are real and we experience these in those moments when we cry out, “I can’t take another step!” In that moment we either experience our greatest tragedy or our greatest victory. It just depends on where turn for help. David turned to his Rock, his Fortress. Where do you go in these moments?

I’m well familiar with pressure, stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Not only do I keep up this blog, I’m CEO of this ministry. But this is what I do “part-time.” I also wear the title of Director of Foster Care for a statewide agency and in that role, I oversee seven staff in seven counties and we are about to add three additional staff and begin working in a new county. I’m also currently writing two books. And if that wasn’t enough, I have a husband currently in the hospital (has been there since last Friday!) with some pretty significant things going on.

Seeking Relief

For some they seek relief in alcohol or drugs. Some seek relief in pornography. Some seek relief in sexual relationships. Others seek relief in sports, hobbies, or video games. And in today’s world, it can even be sought in virtual reality. Even if one find distraction in these things for a short while, there is no security or strength found in them to help us through the situation. In fact, most of these things only bring more problems. More tragedy.

Tragedy can also happen when we are overwhelmed when we attempt to make a major decision while we are feeling stress and pressure. Often, when we attempt to make decisions at this time, we make the wrong decision or one that is irreversible. These might be something like the decision to drive a car after drinking or getting high, choosing to cheat on your spouse, choosing to get married or divorce, deciding to buy an expensive item you can’t really afford.

Me Power

We are not meant to do life in our own power. How do I know when I’m relying on myself? When I begin to feel overwhelmed, discourage, afraid. When I begin to feel like I can’t take another step in the calling God has given me and I’m ready to throw in the white flag. Or when the passion I have for my ministry feels more like a burden. God wants us to depend on Him and live life through His power. When we live in His power, He gets the glory as others see Him at work in our lives. When we have nothing left to give, we need to let go of the reigns and follow David’s example by crying out to God, “Lead me to the Rock!”

Lead Me to the Rock

So then, when we feel overwhelmed, what should we do? David prayed in Psalm 61:2, Lead me to the Rock.”  In 2 Samuel 22 David said, “The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior.”

In the Bible, a rock is a symbol of strength and security and in the moment that David wrote Psalm 61:2, he needed the stability and security of a rock strong enough to stand against the circumstances that caused him to feel overwhelmed. He needed a Rock that is higher than him – a place above his own wisdom and abilities. Jesus is “higher than us” in His deity, knowledge, and power. He is higher in that He is worthy of our praise and worship. He is higher in that He is the only way to salvation.

David also needed God to lead him to that rock. Often when we are feeling overwhelmed, we just are not able to see the path that leads to the Rock because we are too focused on the problem and become blinded to way to get there. He knew he didn’t have the strength on his own to get to the Rock in that moment. Instead he cries out to God to lead him to the Rock.

Making overwhelming moments victorious moments

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, depressed, fatigued, afraid, uncertain, worried, or have anxiety, we have a Rock that is higher than us. A strong fortress in which we can hide. We have the arms of our Savior waiting to embrace us, strengthen us, love us, encourage us and give us just what we need for one more step forward. When we run to the Rock, take time out to abide there. Spend time in His presence. We can find both strength and security for all of life’s overwhelming moments. So when you are feeling overwhelmed, follow David’s example and ask God to lead you to the rock that is higher than you. When we do, our moments of feeling overwhelmed can become a greatest victories.

We have Christian tees, face masks, mugs, bags and more!

Here’s what’s new in the shop this week

Here are some of our favorite designs:

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

Couple activities include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 

Look for the GLMW Group on Facebook.

Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on:

Today’s Verse: Psalm 57:1

Felt Safety

When dealing with children who have experienced trauma, there is a need for the child to feel safe in order for them to trust and attach or bond to their parent or caregiver. Even if the child recognizes they are in a safe environment, they may not feel safe due to the trauma they have been exposed to. So, in caring for these children, the caregiver adjusts the environment and their behaviors in order for the child to feel safe, develop trust, and be able to attach and bond. These caregivers become a shelter or refuge for the child while they heal from the trauma they have been exposed to. The caregiver becomes their safe-space and there, in the shadow of their wings, they find love and safety.

Our Safe-space

There has always been evil in the world, but it seems that with every passing day, more and more evil is exposed. It can leave us feeling unsafe, uncertain, unprotected. There is a sense of trauma as we experience the evil in the world. But there is a place where we can find refuge. We, too, have a safe space. The Psalmist uses an analogy of a bird gathering her young under wings to tell us there is refuge in the shadow of God’s wings.

Imagine the birds under momma’s wings

Imagine for a moment what it is like for the baby birds in their safe-space. Under their mother’s wings, they find shelter from the storm. They find warmth. They are close enough to momma to hear her heartbeat. The baby birds feel the comfort of her embrace. They know she is keeping an eye on any danger that is near and she will defend them. Because under her wings is safety and refuge, they have no need to fear.

David knew calamity

David certainly knew calamity as he battled against King Saul and then throughout his reign, his enemies sought His life. Over and over again throughout the Psalms we see David calling on God for mercy and deliverance, but we also see him placing his trust in God. He knew that God was a place of refuge from all his troubles. He knew that God was his safe space.

A place of refuge

A refuge is place where one can go for protection. It’s a place of safety and shelter from danger or trouble. It’s a place to run to when being pursued. Notice that a refuge does not mean that trouble or danger will never come. Rather, it’s a place where we can seek safety during the danger or trouble.

David sought refuge

We need to also notice from this verse that David sought refuge under the wings of God. The verse does not say that God drew David under His wings. David had to put himself there. In order to do so, he had to place his trust, confidence, and hope in God. This is what placing yourself under God’s wings really means – trusting Him, even when you don’t understand why or when you can’t see God at work.

Consider the following:

Do you trust God when life seems to be falling apart?

Do you trust God when you or a loved one receives a bad medical report?

When you lose your job, do you trust God will take care of you and open another door?

Do you trust God when your marriage seems to be falling apart?

Do you trust God when one bad thing after another just keeps happening?

When there is a financial hardship, do you believe in his promise that He will supply all your needs?

Do you trust God with your children’s lives?

Do you trust God with your biggest hopes and dreams?

Trusting God is an Active Choice on our part

Our faith and trust in God can grow when we make the active choice to trust Him and believe that He is in control of every situation. For each circumstance we face in life, we can choose to do things our own way or God’s way. We can choose to be angry about what we are facing, or trust and believe that God is always good and that He has good plans for us. We can choose to demand our own way or to wait on Him. Or, we can choose to quit and walk away or to keep on believing that His Word is true and that He is faithful to keep His promises.

Trusting God comes down to one thing – it’s always our choice.
–Julia Bruce #trustingGod

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In the Shadow of God’s Wings

Return for just a moment to the image of the baby birds hiding under their mother’s wings. Everything that is true for the baby birds, is true for us when we seek refuge under the wings of God. Under His wings:

We find shelter from the storms of life.

We find warmth in a cold and cruel world.

Under His wings, we can hear the heartbeat of God if we are close to Him

We can feel the comfort of His embrace

If we are under His wings, we can know that God is watching over us and keeping His eye on everything going on around us and in the world.

We have no need to fear when we are under His wings.

Imagine yourself there – under His wing.

We have Christian tees, face masks, mugs, bags and more!

Here’s what’s new in the shop this week

Here are some of our favorite designs:

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

Couple activities include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 

Look for the GLMW Group on Facebook.

Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on:

Today’s Verse: Psalm 55:22

Burdens

Burdens. Big problems that bring fear, worry, and hurt. Problems without any good solutions. The kind of problems when you don’t know what to do. The kind that makes your heart feel heavy and weighed down. We all experience them – it’s just a part of life. Sometimes they happen because of a choice or decision we made. Sometimes they happen outside of anything we could do. Burdens – like a health crisis, financial crisis, marriage crisis, betrayal of a friend, a wayward child, a job loss. Burdens – like trying to make an important life-changing decision, trying to understand God’s will for your life. Or Burdens – like watching the evil in the world destroying lives.

Burdens. Whatever they are, God wants us to cast them on Him – surrender them to Him and trust that He is in control. David tells us that whenever we are burdened, God promises to sustain us through the burden and the He will not let us be moved or shaken by it. God never promises us that burdens will not come our way, but He does promise that He will carry us through them. But how do we cast our burdens on the Lord?

Cast your burdens on the Lord

Casting our burdens on the Lord begins in prayer. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” As we get on our knees and cry out to God, we can tell Him all about our burdens. However, too often, when we do, we come to Him whining and wonder how God could allow this burden to happen. As we tell him about our burdens, rather than complaining, just tell him what’s going on in your life and how it is making you feel. It’s ok to tell Him you don’t understand what’s going on and ask Him to help you understand.

What about when God doesn’t deliver us?

We can also, seek His face in the midst of the burden and ask that He resolve the issue. If, by his mercy, he does, then we can give Him praise and thanks for it. But God doesn’t always deliver us. At times, it is His will that we endure the burden so that we can grow in our faith and trust. In these times He is teaching us to be more like Him or preparing us for a specific plan He has for us.

Problems can also be a means of God trying to get our attention or they could be a consequence to sin in our lives. So as we are on our knees, we need to be seeking His face as to why this burden has been placed on us. Ask the Holy Spirit to help reveal to you if God is trying to get your attention or trying teach you something, if there is sin that is the root cause of the burden. If you feel that God is trying to teach you something, then begin to research the Bible for what the scriptures have to say regarding what He’s trying to teach you. If the Holy Spirit reveals the cause of the problem is sin, then repent and confess it to God.

Willing to Endure

Lastly, we can ask God to show us solutions but also be willing to endure going through the burden, if that is God’s will, with a surrendered heart that says, “Thy will be done!” If you find you must go through the burden, then surround yourself daily with scriptures of God’s promises to never leave you, promises that He will give you strength,  the promises of Him carrying you, and the promises that God will provide for you in every circumstance.

Some of these promises are:

– Philippians 4:19 – for when you need God to supply your needs
– Matthew 6:33 and James 1:5 – for when you need wisdom to make difficult decisions
– Psalm 23:4, Psalm 119:76, John 16:33 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – for when you need comfort
– 2 Corinthians 9:8 – for when you need grace to remain faithful to Him
– Psalms 46:1 and Philippians 4:13 – for when you need strength to persevere
– Romans 8:18 – for when you need to be reminded that the burdens we face today are not worth
comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us in heaven.
– Jeremiah 29:11 – for when you need to be reminded that God has a specific plan for your life – one
that is for your good and not for your harm.
– 1 John 3:1 – for when you  need to be reminded of God’s love for you
– Isaiah 41:10 – for when you are battling fear
– Deuteronomy 31:8 – for when you need to be reminded that God will never leave you
– Romans 8:37-39 – for when you need to be reminded that nothing can separate us from God’s
love.

When you truly trust and believe that God will sustain you through the burden, that He is able to deliver you from it if it is His will,  and that He will take care of every need the burden creates, then the weight that you feel in your heart will be lifted and you will know that you have cast the burden on Him.

Cast all your cares on Him

Take your troubles, problems, and fears to him. Cast them at His feet. The God who created the universe (including you!) is never caught unaware or by surprise. He is a God who cares about every part of your life. He sees every tear that falls and He knows every heartache. Whatever you’re facing, God’s got this….let it go. Surrender it to Him. Then live in His peace.

We have Christian tees, face masks, mugs, bags and more!

Here’s what’s new in the shop this week

Here are some of our favorite designs:

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

Couple activities include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 

Look for the GLMW Group on Facebook.

Join the community of couples on Facebook who are committed to intentionally growing their marriage and learning how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on: