Let Striving Cease

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:1 NASB1995)

Since I started this blog in 2011, I have written many times about anxiety and how I often find myself living from a place of fear. It’s like my default mode, and I don’t recognize it until I am deep into it, exhausted and overextended and trying to get out. It often happens when I seek to help someone, to be needed, to fill a gap for people I wasn’t meant to fill.

If you’ve read my blog for long, you know that I’m an introspective person. Recently, I set out to discover why I keep reverting to this mindset. I find myself wondering, Have I prayed enough? Have I done enough? (See that—doing is the problem, but I keep trying to do more.) Continue reading “Let Striving Cease”

Top 10 Posts in 2020

As 2020 comes to an end (finally!), I wanted to share my top ten blog posts for the year. COVID-19 was, of course, a major theme running throughout my blog posts this year. On the whole, I looked for positive things to share in my posts. The following posts have resonated most strongly with you, my readers, over the last eleven months: Continue reading “Top 10 Posts in 2020”

Embracing the Lessons of 2020

Road trip! This photo was taken in January 2020 before one of the last trips to my mom’s orthopedist.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:2)

This last year has been quite a roller coaster ride. Last month marked one year since my mom fell and broke her kneecap. When the orthopedist told us an injury like hers could take up to six months to get better and a year to heal completely, I thought, That surely isn’t right. Continue reading “Embracing the Lessons of 2020”

Coping with Anxiety with Lilly Doggins

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7–10).

Fears surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) rise every day. We’re inundated with the news twenty-four hours a day. Rising death tolls and dire predictions about hospital supplies and the economy keep us on edge. Social distancing, while necessary, leads to isolation and other negative mental health effects.

Like everyone else, I’m experiencing a myriad of emotions right now. One minute I’m calm and focused on the task at hand. The next minute I’m sad about all the loss we’re experiencing right now and worried about family members, friends, and my business. Continue reading “Coping with Anxiety with Lilly Doggins”

Songs of Deliverance

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Ps 32:7).

Have you ever had a song running through your mind long after it’s no longer playing? Fun fact: it’s called an earworm.

A few days ago, I took Lilly, my Yorkie companion, for a walk. Rather than listen to a podcast or music, I decided to pay attention to my surroundings and talk to the Lord about the current state of anxiety over coronavirus sweeping the nation. Continue reading “Songs of Deliverance”