Rest {Think On These Things}

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For my Word of the Year for 2017, I chose REST. This has been a crazy school year filled with blessings, work, commitments, and big life changes. I have struggled to find quiet time, free time, space to breathe. So I am intentionally carving out time and space to rest in Him. I have made  a commitment to myself to take time away from my commitments. I am also continuing my journey of rest when it comes to my thought life which is not small feat since I suffer from anxiety. I am finding that rest heals, provides freedom, and gives time to concentrate on God and who He is rather than the problems this world has to offer. So in May, let's focus on how we can honor God and help ourselves through rest and Sabbath living by copying and meditating on the Scriptures below.

Before we get to the Scriptures...

If you are interested, there are two books (one that I have read and one that comes out this month) on the subject of rest that I would recommend. The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan takes a look at why we have the Sabbath, how to keep it, and how it benefits us. I found the book to be thought-provoking. Buchanan brings up ideas I had never thought of in regards to our need for rest. I love his explanation of how the Sabbath is treated differently in the commandments in Exodus and then the second time around in Deuteronomy. Eye-opening!



 The second read comes out towards the end of May. I have read Bonnie Gray's other book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace, which was life-changing for me. Her first book taught me that rest is vital to healing (which I have needed these past few years and that giving ourselves time to be creative can provide rest for our souls.  Whispers of Rest: 40 Days of God's Love to Revitalize Your Soul is her second book (it releases May 23), which is a guidebook to finding rest in this noisy world. I can't wait to sit down and read it!

Now onto the Scriptures...

You can download the file here.

If you would like all the Think on These Things verses or want to know more about it, click here.

Instagram

During the month I try to post my thoughts on the verses on Instagram. If you would like to follow me you can find me here. Also, if you are posting your own thoughts there please use the hashtag #thinkonthesethings. I would love to read how God speaks to you!!

Supplies

There are many ways you can use these verses. You can read and meditate on them. You can write them out as you meditate on them. You can read them and then write about them in a journal or journaling Bible. You could do verse mapping with them (See this post). Here are some of the items I use...

A single column journaling Bible...

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Leaves Design)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Black)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Brown, Flap with Strap)

Some highlighters {These are my absolute favorites!}...

Eco Highlighter Pencils - Set of 5 Colors

Black pens...

Black Ink Pen Set

I love these journals that lay flat...easier to write in! They are great for Scripture writing!
Studio Oh! Deconstructed Journals

Let's Think On These Things!

Four Truths for Your Insides

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Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being...Psalm 51:6

My goal this year is to write out the entire book of Psalm. I know it sounds crazy, but it really has given me a deeper appreciation for so many familiar verses that many times I don't stay long enough on to ponder. When you write, you slow down. Just what this fast-paced girl needs in order to "Think On These Things" in His Word. {You can read about my copying of the Psalms here.}

A few weeks ago I was on Psalm 51...one of David's. I tend to love the psalms that he wrote. I get David...he is heartfelt and open with his words and emotions. As I came to verse six, I stopped. For some reason, the words hit me like they never have before. "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being." What "truths" do I tell myself on the inside? Are they even true? What should I be locking away in my heart? What thoughts need to be thrown out?

Here are four truths we need on our insides:

Our sin is more devastating than we can imagine. We don't get the impact of our sins. Maybe it is because we are trying so desperately to cover them up. Or perhaps we just don't get how our actions affect others. We refuse to look in the mirror and look deep inside our hearts because we are afraid of the "ick" that may be lurking. What we fail to realize is that...

We are loved beyond comprehension. God sees all the ugliness and brokenness and loves us regardless. Our sin is no match for His love and forgiveness. The way we are treated is not a reflection of how God loves us. Our failures are mere opportunities for His grace to shine. We tend to forget He loves us fiercely regardless of where we have been, what has happened to us, or what we have done. And because we are loved so much...

Fear need not dominate us. We can have peace that He is with us and on our side. Yes, He may allow some devastating circumstances, but we can rest in the fact He will walk us through them. Anxiety doesn't need to control us, because He is the One in control. With God at the helm...

We can to give grace to ourselves and others. Grace follows when we know that we are loved and taken care of. Trusting God means that we can live "open-handed", extending grace and forgiveness to those around us and ourselves. We trust that in the end, He will set all things right no matter how much we or others have messed up.

So what truths are you speaking to yourself today?

Writing Out the Psalms {An Update}

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This year I am doing something a bit different when it comes to my quiet time. There is no women's Bible study that I am opening up each morning {Although in the past I have done tons of them.} I am spending my efforts in God's Word by slowing down and doing only two things, Think On These Things and writing out the book of Psalms. I just recently finished writing the first book in the book of Psalms {chapters 1-41}. {The chapters in Psalms are divided into five books.} I have come to realize that as I hand write out every verse that I am connecting more with the message of the Psalms. I have a deeper understanding simply because I am slowing down to write.

Little did I know, however, that as I write I am seeing my life in the Psalms. There are verses I am really connecting with because I have lived them! It seems that I never saw them before until I slowed down enough to really hear what they were saying. As I write each chapter, the book becomes more and more precious to me. Here are a few examples that have jumped out at me...

"I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many of thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around." Psalm 3:5-6

Ok, so I have to admit that I have not had a thousand people rise up against me, but I have had a few groups rise up against me during my life. It is devastating! Through it all, I have learned that God can sustain me in the midst of terrible rejection and conflict.  Maybe you, too, have experienced people coming up against you. He is there for you and will walk you through it.

"He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19

In the past few years, God has brought me to a place where I could breathe and live without conflict. It is a spacious place of healing. I have also had to relearn that truly He delights in me. I am the apple of His eye.

Psalm 27. Take a moment. Read it all.

I can connect with this whole chapter! It is so precious to me. I have had many of these things happen to me and totally understand what David was writing about. It is my prayer that I will "look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" as verse thirteen states.

"You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told." Psalm 40:5

Keeping a gratitude journal is one of the best quiet time practices I ever started. I have been listing God's gifts to me over the past several years, and I can attest to the fact that I can't really list them all. There are definitely more than can be told!

I encourage you that if you are between Bible studies or looking for some way to dig into God's Word on your own to try writing out scripture. It doesn't have to be the whole book of Psalms. It could be a smaller book or just certain passages. Here are some tips...

• Buy a journal. Having all your copying in one little book keeps things organized. I love 
these journals because they lay flat! Easier to write in, especially for a left-handed person like me.

• Get some decent pens. I personally love these gel ink pens.

• Be consistent. Even if you don't write out a bunch of verses, it is wise to make a habit of doing a little each day.

• Re-read after you write. I make myself read what I have written for the day. If I am in the middle of the chapter I will start at the beginning of it and read up to what I have written. Or when I finish a chapter I will go back and read all the verses from it. It helps give a big picture to what I just wrote down.

• Don't stress it. This isn't about getting quickly to the end of the chapter or book. At least that is what I tell myself all the time. It is about letting God's Word soak into your soul. Slow down. Take your time.

When You Need Peace...

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Peace is elusive to someone who struggles with anxiety like myself. This month I am focusing on peace through my "Think on These Things" verses. {You can read about them here.} So today I would like to share with you posts from around the web on peace and trust so you can be encouraged to fight the fears and turmoil you may be dealing with...

Candace, over at His Mercy is New, has thirty-one verses to help you fight fear.

Battle weary? This is an awesome post on praying through the Armor of God. Peace is a part of His armor.

A Scripture Memory Booklet all about peace from Thinking Kids Blog.

Teaching kids how to pray and tell God how they really feel. There is a section for when kids are anxious.

Maybe you are struggling because you have no peace about the past? Here are five ways to deal with the past that haunts you.

A little bravery for your anxious-ridden heart.

One way to fight fear? Write out a Psalm, or several, or maybe the WHOLE book!

This devotional is SO WORTH it if you battle fear. I highly recommend it! You can read more about it here.

I have found that prayer helps me battle my anxiety. Here are some ways to pray that you may not have thought of before.

I have actually found that the coloring craze is helping me deal with my anxiety. Here is a post about some of the faith-based coloring books that are available.

It is my prayer that as you battle with fear and the angst of anxiety that God will meet you where you are and comfort you!

Think On These Things {March}

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Peace is hard to come by when you live with an anxiety disorder. Sometimes I fight for peace...pushing away the anxious feelings and taking every thought captive. Other times peace comes through surrender by giving it all to God and letting Him be in complete control. Anxiety will probably always be my weakness, but I am learning slowly and surely how to win the battle over worry through God's Word and trusting the One who can see me through absolutely anything.

So this month for "Think on These Things" let's focus on peace. How do we get it? How does God give it? Who and what can we trust in a world filled with fear? If you are unfamiliar with Think on These Things take a look at this post where you can read how it all started for me...taking just a few verses each day to focus on.

Here is the link to download the file.

Instagram

During the month I try to post my thoughts on the verses on Instagram. If you would like to follow me you can find me here. Also, if you are posting your own thoughts there please use the hashtag #thinkonthesethings. I would love to read how God speaks to you!!

There are many ways you can use these verses. You can read and meditate on them. You can write them out as you meditate on them. You can read them and then write about them in a journal or journaling Bible. Here are some of the items I use...

A single column journaling Bible...

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Leaves Design)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Black)
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible (Brown, Flap with Strap)

Some highlighters {These are my absolute favorites!}...

Eco Highlighter Pencils - Set of 5 Colors

Black pens...

Black Ink Pen Set

I pray that these verses will bring you peace and help you as you strive to trust Him more and more!

Ten Stories to Fight off Fear

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2016. The No-Fear Year. This year I have chosen the word FEARLESS as my Word of the Year. It is an appropriate word for me to work on as I have an anxiety disorder and am constantly battling the never-ending cycle of worry. Sometimes the best way to fight fear is to remind ourselves that God knows how to work out all things for His glory and our good. His Word is filled with stories of men and women who faced fear only to find a loving God who saw them through their circumstances. So here is a look at a few of my favorites...the ones I go to time and again to remind myself I don't need to fear when God is on my side.

• Daniel 3 When you do the scary thing and stand up for what is right.
• Genesis 50 When you are afraid to forgive.
• II Chronicles 20 When you don't know what to do.
• Exodus 2:1-10 When you are concerned about your kids and their future.
• Exodus 13:17-14:31 When you wonder if God is for you.
• I Samuel 17 When fear looms large and you have no other choice but to face it.
• I Samuel 23:7-29 When people are out to get you and you need God's protection.
• John 8:1-11 When you have been caught in sin and are fearful of the consequences.
• Luke 10:38-42 When you have too much to do and are feeling "over-worried" and overwhelmed.
• Esther 4 When it's your turn to be the hero.

If you are struggling with fear here are several other resources...

When People Are Big and God is Small-This is a great book on dealing with the fear of man and people pleasing.

The Anxious Christian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good?

Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest

Whom Shall I Fear?: 31 Days of Battling Our Fears with the Power of God's Word

Ten Ways to Ward off Worry

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You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Matthew 24:6

If you are a worry wart like me you are a professional. An expert of the "freak-out". I have had plenty of practice. You could say I excel in creating the worst case scenario in my head. For 2016, I have chosen FEARLESS as my Word of the Year. Not that I think I can overcome every fear or get rid of every anxiety. Some fear is healthy. I am more focusing on the unhealthy practice of my mind swirling because of my numerous worries.

In January, I read Max Lucado's book Fearless. I have read several books on anxiety, but this one has been the most enjoyable! I know. It sounds bizarre, but Max adds humor and grace to his writing. I have actually read books on anxiety that gave me MORE anxiety. Fearless didn't do that for me. It actually helped me see how useless worry really is and how trustworthy our God is. One of the quotes in the book really jumped out at me and has become my goal for the year...

Be a worry-slapper. Treat frets like mosquitoes. Do you procrastinate when a bloodsucking bug lights on your skin? "I'll take care of it in a moment." Of course you don't! You give the critter the slap it deserves. Be equally decisive with anxiety. The moment it surfaces, deal with it. -Max Lucado

I need to swat those worries away, because I know what happens. The more they sit comfortably in my brain the more I freak out. They suck the life out of me. They extract my joy. They kill my spirit. The only solution is to fight back. Fight the fear by swatting them away.

So how in the world do you keep worry at bay? How I wish there was a worry zapper...you know like the little tennis rackets that burn bugs? I want one for my worries when they buzz around in my head. However, no such brilliant gadget exists for anxiety. So here's a list of what I am doing when anxiety tries to take a bite out of me...

• Read God's Word-The command not to fear occurs over and over again in Scripture. It is as if God knew we would struggle with worry. I love that God is honest...like in the verse I put at the top of this post...Matthew 24:6. God declares that bad things will happen, but that isn't the end of the story.

• Pray- I have been doing this more and more lately. As a mom, I worry a lot for my boys, but really, it doesn't do them any good. Prayer does. Giving it over to God is far more fruitful than stewing on the what if's of life.

• Redirect You Thinking- This is true "worry swatting". I decide not to stay with a thought that causes me angst. I move on and do one of the other activities in this list.

• Keep Your Hands and Brain Busy- I do this with adult coloring books. {See this post.} Coloring actually calms me by giving me something else to focus on. If coloring isn't for you, find something else that keeps your brain engage so it isn't ruminating over your cares.

• Exercise- Being physically active helps control anxiety. I can always tell when I haven't exercised enough. I become more restless and anxious.

• Talk it Out- Sometimes talking out your fears with a trusted friend helps. You will find you aren't alone in your worries and he or she may be able to offer some possible solutions to your fears.

• Record What He has Done-I have been keeping a gratitude journal for several years now. I literally count my blessings. I have a journal that I write in each day numbering the blessings from the day before. Currently, I have over 6,000 blessings recorded! When I worry  I go back to these lists and see how God worked everything out for me. I can trust Him with my future considering what He has done in the past.

• Write the Psalms {or a Psalm}-This year my goal is to write out the entire book of Psalms!!! You can read about it here. I find that the Psalms above all speak to our worries more than any other book. Don't feel like you have to write out the entire book though. Even picking a Psalm or two to write out is beneficial.

• Wait for the End of the Story-In the middle of everything sometimes we lose sight of the fact that it isn't the end of the story. We don't need to worry as God is working out His plan. As Max Lucado writes, "Everything will work out in the end. If it's not working out, it's not the end."

• Trust the Story Writer-God is trustworthy. He works out the details that we don't even foresee. Sometimes we just need to give in...not to the worry, but to the One who writes our story. Give him control of the pen so He can finish your story.

So how do you swat away your worries?

Writing the Psalms {Tips for Writing the Word}

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I am almost afraid to write this post. What if I fail? I surely don't want the whole world to know. However, that thinking is ridiculous, because if I can encourage anyone to spend more time in God's Word it is worth the risk. So here goes...

I have committed to myself to try to write out the entire (Yes, you read that right...ENTIRE) book of Psalms this year. I know. I am half-crazy. I can tell you that many year long commitments go by the wayside when it comes to my resolve. I lose interest and quit. However, I am giving myself the grace that if I quit at least I have spent a good chunk of my time focusing on His Word. I am currently writing out Psalm 32...we will see how far I get.

So you are probably asking yourself...Why write out God's Word? Why the Psalms? I mean, really, the longest book in the Bible?

To answer the first question...I have a serious problem slowing down in life. It could be my anxiety...I always feel the need to race through everything I do. A few years ago, one of the Bible studies I was doing at home asked me to write out the book of Ruth. I did. Then I did Beth Moore's study on James. She also had the optional activity of writing out the entire book of James. I did. These were small books, but it gave me a taste of what writing out Scripture can do. It makes you SLOW DOWN! Slow down and really thinking about what you are writing. It is just what I needed to get myself to focus. Writing it out makes me think it through. The practice of writing the Scriptures is even mentioned in Deuteronomy 17:18..."And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law..."

So why the book of Psalms? Because I fight fear on a daily basis. I struggle with an anxiety disorder which can lead to depression. The Psalms have to be the one book that I go to time and time again when I am afraid, worried, or generally just freaking out (which by the way I am a pro at!). The Psalms repeatedly ask us to trust God regardless of the circumstances. I need to be reminded of this daily. Every hour.

It may take me awhile to finish the Psalms...Actually, I counted it out...if I do about ten verses a day it should take me around 250 days. We will see how it goes.

So here are some tips to writing out God's Word:

• Buy a journal. Having all your copying in one little book keeps things organized. I love 
these journals because they lay flat! Easier to write in.

• Get some decent pens. I personally love these gel ink pens.

• Be consistent. Even if you don't write out a bunch of verses, it is wise to make a habit of doing a little each day.

• Re-read after you write. I make myself read what I have written for the day. If I am in the middle of the chapter I will start at the beginning of it and read up to what I have written. Or when I finish a chapter I will go back and read all the verses from it. It helps give a big picture to what I just wrote down.

• Don't stress it. This isn't about getting quickly to the end of the chapter or book. At least that is what I tell myself all the time. (Remember, I am the one that likes to race through tasks.) It is about letting God's Word soak into your soul. Slow down. Take your time.

Also, here is something to check out...a schedule for writing Psalm 119 which takes twenty-two days. It might be a way to get started in writing out one of the Psalms.

So I encourage you to find a passage, book, or section of the Scriptures and start copying them down! I would love to hear from you in the comments if you are doing this and what part of God's Word you are writing.