What To Do At 3:30am

Maybe I'm the only one in the world who wakes up at 3:30am but I don't think so.  My body is tired but my mind is stirred--perhaps it is the interaction I had last night with some key pastors and leaders.  I go to bed physically exhausted and yet five hours later am wide awake.  So how to use this time wisely is the question?

For me I have one rule--make it God time!  Here's the way I figure it, if this is God waking me up then He has something to say and I need to listen.  So I start with Bible reading, writing, reflection, prayer--and perhaps a blog.

If it si the devil trying to steal my health through sleep deprivation than he will be really ticked off that I have just had this incredible time with God.  So next time he will back off the early morning interruptions when He realizes how I allow God to turn it into a positive.

I have just had my mind refreshed with God's Word and challenged with a new devotional plan fromYouVersion.  My mind is now clear and ready for a nap before the day starts.  Big win for me and the kingdom!

Managing Stress

According to Alexander Loyd, who wrote a book entitled “The Healing Code,” 90% of all illness is related to stress.  The reports indicate that six of the leading causes of death are linked to stress—they are heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. 

When we find ourselves in a crisis moment of stress the body has a natural response that in laymen’s terms we call “fight or flight.”  What happens in these moments is that blood is redirected from the frontal lobe of our brain, our stomach, liver, and kidneys and directed to muscles that enable us to fight or flee the given situation.  Doctors tell us that during moments of intense stress even our immune system is temporarily shut down.

            

While this is a natural defensive mechanism of our bodies it can be dangerous if our stress level stays too high for too long a period.  As the old Greek motto says, “You will break the bow if you keep it always bent!”

In my studies on the subject of stress I found that managing stress is all about taking charge of our lives rather than allowing life to take charge of us.  Those who study human behavior tell us that the simple realization that we are in control of our life is the foundation of stress management.

I recommend that we begin to take control of our lives by taking control of four key areas:

• Control of our Thoughts:  Almost all models of stress management deal with "cognitive restructuring"--in simple terms that means changing our way of thinking.  We are told in Proverbs 23:7 that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  In Romans 12:2 we are challenged to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  In Philippians 4:8 we are told to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  Albert Ellis, the pioneer of Rational Emotive Therapy, referred to negative thought patterns as “stinking thinking.”  I believe there is a lot of “stinking thinking” going on that is creating more stress in our lives.  We must step up and take control of our thoughts.

• Control of our Emotions:  In Philippians chapter four Paul deals with our anxieties and tells us not to be anxious about anything.  In this passage he presents two emotions that we are to incorporate into our lives in order to combat anxiety--joy and gratitude.  Our joy is not dependent on our circumstances because it has to be based "in the Lord."  As followers of Christ we can rejoice regardless of our circumstances.  The attitude of gratitude is the healthiest emotion we can have.  Perhaps taking the time to list things we can be thankful for would help our emotions to get under control.

• Control our Schedule:  I believe that my schedule is going to be full--the question is who and what is going to fill it.  If I don't schedule things by priority they will be scheduled by someone else who may not share my priorities.  Four of my priorities are prayer (daily time for scripture, meditation, and communication); rest (at least seven hours a night); exercise (four to five times a week); and eating (right food and right times).

• Control our Response:  I know that there will be circumstances and people that I cannot control.  I can't always control what happens to me but I can control what happens in me--that is my response to what happens.  There will be times when I can change a situation by avoiding or altering what is happening--these are the easier ones to handle.  There will other times when I can't change the situation so I must learn  to change my reaction by adapting or accepting what is happening. 

Take control of your life by controlling your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and response.  Even small steps towards control will empower you to take bigger steps as you sense you are capable, with God's help, of being in control of your life.

Questions on Choosing Friends

I am convinced that many people do not have a good friendships because they don’t know what one looks like. Let me give four questions to ask about the relationships that are in our lives.

First, IS IT AUTHENTIC? 

In Ephesians 4:25 we read these words in the Message, "What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself."

 The sad truth is that even in church we often have what I call “edited living.”  This is where we are afraid to be real.  We put on mask of pretense where we play the role of superficial politeness and shallow conversations. We learn to dress, talk, and walk the part of a Christian while on the inside we are dying for authentic relationships. 

One of the problems with the popularity of so-called reality TV shows is that they are edited to portray whatever the producer wants us to see.  In the same way, most television church services are edited to erase the bad notes, sound system mess ups, and preacher mistakes.  Before long we think that real life must be edited and we close our hearts to authentic relationships.

In our culture intimacy is defined as something that occurs in the dark, but God says real intimacy happens in the light.  We use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fear, failures, and flaws—but in God’s light we can bring them into the open and admit who we are.

True, biblical relationships are authentic.  I challenge you to find relationships where you can be real and still loved.

The second question: IS IT RECIPROCAL?

My scripture for this thought is from 1 Cor 12 where Paul writes extensively about the church being like our physical bodies.  In verse 25 we read these words, "The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't" (MSG).

Those who study our bodies tell me that in a normal hour my heart will beat 4,320 times to circulate my blood.  My lungs will breath 968 times to circulate oxygen.  My stomach is working to digest my breakfast while my liver and intestines are sorting the bad stuff from the good.  My brain has 290,000 cells taking pictures, thoughts, and words and making connections in my mind to process everything that is happening around me.

All this is taking place without my conscious awareness or any outside effort on my part.  The body is working.  If one part stops doing its job, the entire body will be in trouble.

That’s the way God intends the church to work.  We are to be people who discover our function in the body and are constantly giving and receiving.  No one is called to just be a giver or a receiver.  Good relationships are reciprocal—they circulate out and in to keep the body rolling.

That brings me to my third question, IS IT MOTIVATIONAL?  I believe that healthy relationships will motivate me to be a better person than I am already. 

In Hebrews 10:24 we read these words, "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." (MSG)

 I believe a positive relationship will involve encouragement, help, and spurring on—all three parts of motivating us to be the best people we can be.  Sometimes we need people to speak words of encouragement.  Other times we need a hand of help.  And sometimes we need a kick to get us going.  That is how motivation works in relationships.

My last question, ARE THERE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS?

One of the problems in many relationships is that the expectations of one of the persons involved is not reasonable.  I have found two major problems with expectations—the first is Exclusivity.  Some people want you to be their friend, but only their friend.  That is not a reasonable expectation.  The second problem is Superheroism.  This is my term for people who expect one person to solve all their needs for relationships—that is not possible.  We are designed by God to need the family of believers—no one is smart enough and has enough emotional strength to carry all my relational needs.

Let's work to have relationships that are Authentic, Reciprocal, Motivational, and have reasonable expectations!

Come Apart before You "Come Apart"

I grew up in an environment where it was easy to feel guilty if you took a vacation.  It seemed that working hard, being busy, and always having a long "to do" list was the sign of importance or success.  But Jesus, the Son of God, understood the value of taking time away from the daily "to do" list--even when people were in great need and wanting help.

Check out this passage in Mark 6:

            Mark 6:30-33 NLT

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.

32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 

I just returned from a seven-day break.  During this time I read two-and-a-half books, got at least eight hours of sleep a day, and experienced a brand new adventure of life (I swam with dolphins).  In reflecting on my time away I discovered three key advantages to this time away:

·         INCREASED ENERGY:  I did not realize how low my energy level had become before I left.  The weeks before leaving had been very full of unique challenges in addition to preparation for knowing I was going to be away.  Changing my pace of life for seven days renewed my energy.

·         RENEWED CREATIVITY:  I believe it was a combination of rest, change of pace, and reading that sparked new creativity in my thinking.  I read one-and-a-half novels from my favorite creative writer and one book on personal growth.  The time spent in reading was a renewing and cleansing for my mind sparked all kinds of new thoughts.

·         FRESH PERSPECTIVE:  We all have heard the expression, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.”  When we are in the middle of the activities of life we often struggle to back up and reflect on what is going on, what is working well, what is not working well, and what changes need to be made.  Stepping away from the daily routine gives us a new perspective and allows clarity.

My goals for this new year:

1.    Every week finish with at least one hour of reflection to ask myself three questions:

a.    What was a big win this week?

b.    What was a waste this week?

c.    What do I need to change for next week?

2.    Every month read at least one book to inspire personal growth and one book to increase creativity.

3.    Every quarter take an extended time off from the normal routine to recharge my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual batteries.

4.    Once a year take an extended spiritual retreat to immerse myself in God’s Word, prayer, journaling, and hearing from God.

I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and comments.

Joy

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:11 NLT)

Joy should be a characteristic of every follower of Christ. At His birth the angels declared "good news of great joy" and Jesus said His teaching was so His followers would be "filled with my joy."

Joy is dependent on a relationship not a circumstance. Our relationship with Jesus is the source of our joy. There are a lot of "joy killers in life"--that's why we need a daily renewal of our relationship with Jesus to keep our joy tank full. 

How's the level in your joy tank?

What can you do to increase your joy?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thanks for bringing "good news of great joy." Today I confess that Jesus is my joy. You have cleansed me and given me a purpose for living. You fill me with fresh joy every day. Holy Spirit please open my heart to receive the "joy of the Lord" as my strength.