Help.....I'm Having A Panic Attack!

The other day, my eight year old grandson was showing me his muscles.  He rolled up his sleeve and said, "Look at my muscles!"  He flexed his arms and sure enough, he had two cute little muscles to show off.  He was so proud of those muscles.  He just knew that he had power because of those muscles.

That same week, I found that I needed to flex my  muscles.  Well, not quite like my grandson's muscles, but powerful muscles none the less.  I don't know quite why, maybe because I am getting older, but I have found myself getting panicky several times this past month.  It happens when I am thinking about something that I am struggling with.  This is something that I am not used to experiencing.  I have not struggled with panic attacks before and have found that they are not pleasant at all.  I really don't like that "out of control" feeling that rises up in me.

As soon as I began experiencing these "panic attacks", I knew that I did not want to deal with them.  They were way too uncomfortable for me.  I was feeling overwhelmed.  I knew I had to take control and squelch them but, truthfully could not do it on my own power.  I needed a power that was not to be found in my own muscles.  I needed a power that was beyond myself; a power that was bigger than me and a power that was effective.

I knew I needed the power that the name of Jesus gave me.  The Bible says in Jeremiah 10:6, "No one is like you, Lord, you are great and your name is mighty in power."  And then in Philippians 2:10, "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth."  I needed the power that is found in the name of Jesus.

And so, when I began to feel the panic rise up in me, I began to speak the name of Jesus out loud, over and over and over again.  As I said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.....", I began to feel the panic subside and I felt peace flood my soul.  Three times this past month I spoke the name of Jesus over and over and over again until the panic subsided and I felt the "peace that passes all understanding."

Are you struggling with anything?  Do you need to take control but can't?  Does life get overwhelming for you at times?  If you answer yes to any of these questions, I encourage you to call on the powerful name of Jesus.  You are not alone in your struggles.  Jesus is standing right there beside you.....do you see Him?

Encouraging You Today

in Your Walk with our Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ!

I Am Out Of Control!

When I asked Christ to be my Savior 40 years ago, God gave me this verse as my Life Verse.  It has served me well over the years and continues to do so.  God used it again this month to remind me that He is in control of my life, even when I feel so out of control.

Unfortunately, we had a traumatic experience at our house several weeks ago involving my daughter’s beautiful Labrador Retriever, that left us devastated.  Mater was a very vivacious, loyal and loving dog.  He was my 7 year old Grandson’s best friend.   He was a light in our household.  Long story short…..Mater is gone.

In an instant, our lives had changed.  We didn’t want it to happen, we didn’t like that it happened, we didn’t understand why it happened.  But, it happened. 

Our house became much quieter.  Our grass became much healthier.  We all grieved.  After a few weeks, I became used to the new “norm”.  After all, a quiet house and nice grass isn’t so bad.  And, after one has time to grieve, one starts to heal.

But, my daughter and grandson weren’t healing as well as I was.  Tears flowed randomly; hearts ached and rough housing/cuddle time was missed.  Mater was still a big part of the conversation in our household but I began to notice that the conversation was changing.  It became, “I want a puppy.”  “What would you think if we got a puppy?”  “Look at this puppy I found on the internet.”

At first, my husband and I resisted…..after all, we were getting used to the quiet.  We were getting used to not having a 90 pound dog lying on our couch when we wanted to sit down.  We were getting used to life without Mater.

And so, my response to “What would you think if we got a puppy?” was “No!”  “No more dogs…..it’s too hard to lose them.”  We raised three Leader Dog puppies for the Blind and gave them back to the Leader Dog School when they turned 1; we lost one dog to a heart attack and had to put another dog and cat down because of old age.  “No, it’s too hard to lose them!”

I was emphatic; I couldn’t go through it again!  But, God soon convicted me that this situation was not about me and that I was to give my daughter a different response.  So, a few days after saying, “No!”, I told my daughter I would pray about her request.

I’m sure you can guess what God told me as I began to pray about this puppy situation.  Yep, He told me that there would be a new puppy coming into our lives and that I was to “Trust Him with all my heart and to not rely on my own understanding; in all my ways I was to acknowledge Him and He would direct my path.”

Of course, Rick was involved in this decision but, after God did a work in me, Rick was easy since the kids (and the grandkids) have him wrapped around their little fingers and can pretty much have their way with him.  LOL!  We didn’t know how this was going to come out, but Rick and I together agreed that our daughter should begin the search for a new puppy.

The search began and ended with Sarah, a friend of mine in AZ who breeds dogs.  My son and daughter-in-law purchased their precious toy Aussie from her.  And so, when my son and daughter-in-law arrived in Fort Wayne from Arizona for a visit, they had a sweet 4 lb. Shaussie (half Shih Tzu and half Toy Aussie) with them.  Her name is Jasmine and she is a light in our household.    So sweet and cuddly, she is the perfect dog for our family.  She will never replace Mater in our hearts, but she has found her own place there and we love her!

Jasmine; Jazzy; Jazzercize; Arizona Button; Chewbacca

When things are happening in your life that you don’t understand…..trust the Lord with all your heart.  Trust that He has your life under control, even when you don’t.  When things are happening in your life that you don’t understand…..do not rely on your own understanding.  Don’t try to understand what is happening from your own perspective, trust God’s perspective even when you don’t  understand it.  When things are happening in your life that you don’t understand…..in all your ways acknowledge Him and allow Him to direct your path.  Always, always, always acknowledge God in your life by giving Him Thanks and Praise for everything and then you can rest in the assurance that He will direct your path in the direction that is best for you.  Your outcome may not be a new puppy; but you can know for certain that your outcome is in the hands of our Savior and He will be in the midst of your circumstances.

Encouraging you Today

to Trust the Lord with all your heart!

The Woosh Phenomenon

It hit me the other day that I am in the last 1/3 of my life.  Wow!  Crazy!  Where has the time gone?  My husband and I were married for 10 years before we had our children.  That 10 years went by…..Woosh…..in no time at all.  Then we began to have our children, 3 in all, and they began attending public school.  That took up the next 10 years which went by…..Woosh…..in no time at all.  

When my oldest was going in to 4^th grade, God called us to homeschool.  The homeschooling experience lasted 17 years.  I must say that during the time I was homeschooling, time didn’t go by…..Woosh…..in no time at all.  LOL!  There were days that I thought homeschooling would never end, but now that it is done, I seems like…..Woosh…..in no time at all!  Now that all my children have graduated from high school and I am a grandmother of eight grandchildren, time is going by…..Woosh…..

As I was thinking about this Woosh phenomenon in my life, I was overcome by an emotion that I was not expecting.  It was an overwhelming desire to finish my life well.  To finish my life by loving God and loving like Christ loved.  God confirmed this desire in me again this past month when I was reading the book “Nearing Home” by Billy Graham.  He wrote the book when he was 93 years old and he said the same thing that God had said to me, that he desired to finish his life well, loving like Christ loved.

I want to finish my life by living out Deuteronomy 10:12-19, “…what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees…” and I John 3:16-18, “This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

At the end of my life, I want to be able to say like Paul said, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day…”  II Timothy 4:7-8

By finishing well,

 I am investing in this life & in the next.

I invite you to join me!

Encouraging You Today

In Your Walk with our Lord

And Savior, Jesus Christ!

DO YOU HAVE A BIG HEART?

My daughter and her family have a Labrador Retriever named Mater.  He is gorgeous!  Yellow in color and BIG, 85 pounds of BIG.  Not only is he BIG physically, but he has a BIG heart.  He loves like no dog I have ever met.  We have built a relationship with him and he loves us unconditionally. 

He loves his family.  He loves me and Rick.  When we are sitting on the couch, he climbs up into our laps, lovingly puts his mouth around our arm and gently, oh so gently, gnaws on it. 

He also loves his toys; especially his tennis ball.  Part of our relationship with Mater involves a dog ball shooter that shoots the tennis ball way out into the back of the yard.  And oh, does he ever love to chase that tennis ball!  When I point that ball shooter to the back of the yard, he races out before it even comes out of the shooter, with anticipation of what is to come.  He runs with enthusiasm and joy; his tail never stops wagging.  He is never grumpy or lazy, but always chases hard after that ball because he loves chasing it so much.  When he chases that ball his enthusiasm is a joy to behold.

When I end the game and change his direction by walking towards the house, he follows me with joy.  His tail never stops wagging.  He loves that tennis ball, he loves the game and he loves me!  He is willing to stop the game that he loves so much and go in the house because he loves me!  We have built a strong relationship, and because we have built a strong relationship, he is willing to follow me into the house with joy, even when he’d rather stay outside and play. 

As I was playing with him the other day, it occurred to me that that is how our relationship with God should be.  Just as Mater chases hard after that ball, we should be chasing hard after God.  We should be chasing him with joy and enthusiasm, never questioning his direction or being lazy or grumpy.  We should be chasing Him with anticipation of what is to come.  And I think, if we can nail that like Mater has nailed it, we will be a joy to behold for our Savior and a living testimony to others.

David was a man who followed hard after God, and God called him, “a man after His own heart….”  I Samuel 13:14.  In Psalm 63:1-8 David said, “Oh God, You are my God; I shall seek you earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see your power and Your glory.  Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.  So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.  When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches, for you have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.  My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me.”

David was a man of many struggles but he was also a man of much joy.  It is my prayer for you and me that we become people after God’s own heart.  It is my prayer for us that we follow hard after God.  And it is my prayer for us that we have great joy as we follow hard after Him.

I know you struggle with life.  I struggle with life.  Won’t it be an easier struggle if we struggle side by side with the one who holds the Universe in His hands?

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”

ENCOURAGING YOU TODAY

TO HAVE A BIG HEART FOR GOD

AND

CHASE HARD AFTER HIM,

WHO HOLDS THE UNIVERSE IN HIS HANDS!