Emotional and Mental Health-Freedom from Negative Emotions

Journaling is a lost art form and mental health tool. It takes many avenues of expression and can be a variety of sizes and styles. Whatever fits the personality and needs of the journalist.

This is a method of documenting the events in our life and dealing with pent up thoughts and emotions. When we do not express our thoughts in words to a mentor or on paper in a journal, they will erupt from our soul at inopportune times.

                             

Sit in a quiet place and journal all of your thoughts and feelings. In doing this, you are emptying yourself of yourself.

Do not talk, sing, pray, watch TV, listen to music or answer your phone...just listen to your soul - your thoughts and feelings - and wait on the Lord to come and fill you with His comforting Holy Spirit.

It may take hours...it may take days...it may take weeks or months as it took me to get to the root of the issues which plague our soul. This all depends on how much inner and outer clutter is in our life.

We cannot be discouraged if we are not successful when we start journaling. It takes time to develop a new habit. Just remember that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our life and our God is the God of second chances.

As we continue to journal each and every day, it will not take long to get to the root of the issues causing us unrest. Then we can follow the Serenity Principle and either deal with the issue(s) or place it in God's capable hands to resolve in His timing and way.

Once we finish with our journal and go about our day, we can stop what we are doing at the first sign of unrest in our soul or spirit- even if we just duck into the bathroom for a few minutes.

Taking time to pray allows God to reveal the source of these negative thoughts and emotions. Then, once God shows us the origin of our anxiety, anger or other negative emotion, we can repent or ask for God's help.

He may lead us to forgive, to change our focus about the situation or to serve the person, which is hurting us. It also helps to switch our focus to an eternal perspective and set boundaries around anything from this temporal world, which is causing us trouble.

Does our issue really matter in the overall scheme of eternity? If not, we can let it go and let God teach us to think like He does about the issue.

Prayer:

Father God, we ask You to give us Your wisdom to know what situations we can change, and which to leave in Your skillful hands. Give us the strength to deal with the issues that You reveal are our responsibility. Then help us to turn the rest over to You.

Help us to develop an attitude of acceptance about them. If we cannot change them, then we can praise You for them, in them, and through them, even for the negative things. By doing this, we end up walking in complete serenity and in the dynamic power of Your Holy Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

What is it in your life that is causing you a problem right now?  Can you do something about it? Then, do it! If not, then change your focus and give the problem to God.

My Hiding Place

Most people have a Happy Place. That one place on earth that makes them feel free, happy and safe. A place in nature, the mall, at home, a favorite restaurant, the back pew at the church facilities, etc.

Destruction can wipe out these natural places, however. They are illusive at best. Contrarily, if we find our Happy Place in the presence of God, it will never be destroyed. It goes with us wherever we go and no one can take it away from us.

Our Hiding Place in God preserves us from trouble. God comforts us with songs of deliverance in our spirit (Psalm 32:7). He keeps us safe as our shield, as we hope in His Word (Psalm 119:114).

His presence is a shelter and shade from the struggles and stresses which parch us, and a refuge from the storms of life (Isaiah 4:6). God shelters us from the tempests and gives us the refreshment of the waterfalls of His love and contentment during dry spells (Isaiah 32:2).

When disasters destroy our habitat and water floods our natural hiding place, He offers us the plumb line of righteousness and the measuring stick of His justice to help us to rebuild on the foundation of Christ in our life (Isaiah 28:17).

We hope in the promises of His Word and wait on His instructions when darkness surrounds us on every side (Psalm 18:11, 119:114). His presence provides us with a constant secluded place to keep us safe (1 Samuel 19:2).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that Satan will hide as a lion in his lair in order to catch the afflicted, many of whom he wounded from his constant assaults on their life (Psalm 10:9). He lies to us and we believe his corruption. Yet, You provide us with a hiding place from the destroyer (Isaiah 16:4).

At times, You will even use people to present us with a hiding place from life's discouragements and insecurity (Deuteronomy 32:38). Yet, more often than not, if we look to the natural world, we trust in a lie for our safety and wellbeing (Isaiah 28:15). Keep us ever mindful of Your love, surround us with Your angels, and shower us with your blessings in the midst of this dry and desert land.

Thought for the Day:

If we hide the light of Christ within us, we fail to shine His saving grace to the world around us; so let us represent a city on a hill with a promise of a true and secure Hiding Place, as we offer solace to those God brings into our life (Luke 11:33).

 

God is in Control - Supernatural Provision and Help

Over the years of my walk with the Lord, I learned to stand tall in courage and strength that come from Christ in me. He never, ever leaves or forsakes me for any reason (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He alone is our refuge and He gives us strength and continual help in any trouble that comes our way (Psalm 46:1). There is no reason to be afraid of what life or people will do to us, because God is our helper (Psalm 118:6-7).

If we allow our self to fear what the devil, the world or evil people will do to us, it becomes a physical, emotional and mental liability. When we trust in the Lord and walk in His Spirit, He gives us peace and safety, even in trials (Proverbs 29:25).

Jesus proved these promises time and again with His disciples. He even has power over nature (Mark 4:39-40). He is a victorious warrior in our midst. He exults and rejoices over us with joy and His quiet, steadfast love (Zephaniah 3:17).

When we dwell in the shelter of the Almighty, we rest in the shadow of the Most High God. He is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we place our trust.

He shelters us with the feathers of His wings and shields us with His faithfulness. We do not fear any darkness or pestilence or plague; because although thousands may fall all around us, His angels guard us on every side (Psalm 91:1-16).

Prayer:

Father God, since we love You and acknowledge Your authority in our life, You rescue and protect us. When we call upon You, You answers us. You are with us in trouble, and You honor and deliver us. We are assured that no matter what life throws at us, You are in the middle of the turmoil and struggle right along with us.

You strengthen us and give us courage, You help us and lift us in Your hands above the storms of life. You live within us by Your Spirit and You are greater than Satan and his evil doers in this world. We cast all of our cares on You, because we know without a doubt that You care for us.

Thought for the Day:
As we keep our faith and trust in Him, God strengthens us in the very core of our soul. and He lifts our spirit when trials attempt to drag us down in fear and discouragement and life tends to overwhelm us with circumstances beyond our control.