Stressed-Less Week 3

My goodness y'all, I'd be lyin' to ya if I didn't say this has been one ROUGH week. I am so tempted to start listing all of the things that came up this last week, but this Blessings post idea has really started to help me change my perspective about things. Despite all the yucky stuff (and all the struggling in the midst of it), I could absolutely see that there were indeed blessings that came from it. I'll share with you a few examples.

Blessings this week:

11. Despite my little guy getting sick, he FINALLY got back on schedule! I can't tell you how many weeks I have been relentlessly trying and trying to get him back to his regular routine to no avail. Waking up sick at 6 AM finally took care of that needing to lay down for a nap earlier.

12. Although B and I both suffered from some sort of stomach bug, it only lasted at the most 48 hours, and for me at least it really wasn't as bad as it could have been. So far the recovering hubby has yet to get it, so that is a huge blessing as well.

13. Garage Sale season is back! I just went out this morning with B and found lots of good deals and hope to go out tomorrow morning with the hubby.

14. It's supposed to be 70 degrees today and tomorrow. When it's struggling to stay in the 50's in April, you really look forward to those warmer temps!

15. My Mama bringing us some supper last night. Being sick kind of puts a damper on the whole wanting to cook or even look at food thing. She brought us some really yummy Pizza Hut pasta and cheese sticks- my favorite.

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5 more...

16. Phone calls and emails from family & friends who care.

17. Naps. I think I took at least two this week.

18. Getting our painted bedroom floor clear coated and finished. Major accomplishment considering I have been trying to get it done for months.

19. Having a God who loves me despite my selfishness and ingratitude. When things start heading south it's amazing how quickly my attitude starts heading the same way.

20. God's Word-there's always a verse that will speak to me just where I am. This week it's this one:

{That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.}  2 Corinthians 4:16-18


Chapter 3 Take-Aways:

-"Most emotional and physical symptoms of stress and depression are not typically caused by the circumstances themselves, but instead by how our minds perceive what is going on and how our hearts hold up under the pressure."

-"Instead of allowing the stress of parenting to tempt us to throw in the towel, we need to throw ourselves on our knees every day, praying for their safety and their decision making and asking God to get a good, strong grasp on their hearts before something or someone else does."

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Stressed-Less Week 2

Hey all! Back with my Bible Study post for the week.

I thought I was doing pretty good this week handling my stress. Bad idea. Ever heard the phrase "pride comes before the fall?"

I started thinking back to all my stressors this week. There have been many. But one of blog topics for our study this week challenges us to  begin a "blessed" post. The idea is that stress can cause us to overlook the many blessings God has poured out into our lives, so by making a list of five things God has blessed you with you can begin to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Once you have 5, add 5 more...and so on.

I love the idea of doing a blessings/take-aways post each week. i think it will help me take my focus off of the stress and put a more positive spin on things, plus, I feel like it's the kind of blog post I can actually manage to accomplish. So here goes:

Blessings this week:

1. My husband was able to get in for his procedure early. By the time the surgery was supposed to start, he was out of recovery and I was back with him in his room.

2. My son got sick while we were gone, but it was only one time, and he seemed much better within 24 hours.

3. Extra time with my hubby as he spends time at home recovering.

4. Knowing spring is coming! The cold and rainy days only further build my anticipation!

5. Getting some more Project House 'to-do's' accomplished (poly'ed floor, re-doing medicine cabinet in bathroom, painting)

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5 more...

6. Hubby worked a 12 hour day on Tuesday, but I am very thankful this is only required of him a few times a year. Plus, with surgery on Thursday, he now gets a week and a half to recuperate.

7.  I have consistently been setting my alarm and getting up early to have some quiet time before B gets up. It has been an amazing blessing for me!

8. A house that does not have water problems when it rains. (no sump pump necessary!)

9. Coffee & I Love Lucy. It makes my morning!

10. A Devotional I found at Dollar General clearanced for a couple $'s. It was just what I needed.


Chapter 2 Take-Aways:

-"The damage that stress can have is without limitation..." {...and continuing to ignore stress not only causes an onslaught of physical problems but it also serves as proof that we have not been caring for our bodies as God intended}

-"A much better definition of peace is one that rests on the ability to rise above our circumstances, overcome our innate tendency to stress out over problems, and learn to remain calm and confident despite what is going on around us."

Stressed-Less

As a stay at home Mom/house wife, it's hard to think of myself as a person who's "stressed." I figure that's for those ladies out there in the corporate world, or those standing up speaking in front of large groups of people, or those that have seemingly bigger burdens than mine.

But let me tell you all, one chapter into this book and I've learned something eye-opening: Stress is not about your circumstances. It's about how you RESPOND to your circumstances.

I just walked through a fairly stressful circumstance, and I can say honestly, there were days I felt like I couldn't breathe I was so overwhelmed. Often times the only prayer I could utter was something like, "God, please help. Please please help us."

That circumstance may have ended for now, but there's more coming. We may have breaks here and there and some circumstances may be more difficult than others, but we can rest assured, as Jesus said himself, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." (John 16:33)

The key then is not trying to avoid the trials (Jesus himself said they are inevitable), but in knowing how to handle the trials and sorrows. That's where the rest of this verse comes in: "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me...take heart, because I have overcome the world."

As we learned in this first chapter, we can choose how we respond to our stress by first being willing to take responsibility for the things that cause it. When asked to make a list of the people/circumstances I have been blaming for my stress, the list became alarmingly long. It's amazing how I was excusing my stress reactions because I felt like I was entitled to such reactions based on the circumstances I was dealing with.

I like this thought from the author:

"I knew that something had to change; and through God's intervention, I gradually came to understand that what had to change...was me. Once I accepted the truth, my overall life improved. I stopped wondering what was wrong with everyone else, my circumstances, and the world and instead began pondering the hard question: 'What was wrong with me?'"

Another questioned asked us what we could do to begin assuming responsibility for our stress. A few things I came up with:

~realize my reactions are MY choice, regardless of circumstances, I can CHOOSE to respond positively to otherwise negative things.

~Seek God's wisdom, pray for his help (don't try to change in my own strength)

~ STOP blaming others.

~look at my to-do list as a guide, not a measure of success

Trials and difficulties are not meant to give us a reason to worry and be stressed to the max. They are meant to refine us, help us rely upon God and ultimately-to make us more like Christ. If we can deal with the tough things of life like he dealt with a life destined for the cross, then we can truly become more like him. And as we become more like him, we will begin to see things from his perspective.

When we begin to see things form his perspective and begin to let go of the blame that causes us to stumble. In HIS strength, whatever the circumstance, we can truly be stressed-less.