Feeling weighted down today…?

 

I sometimes get stuck in the weeds worrying about things that I have either no control over or haven’t handed over to God.  When that happens, I feel burdened by the weight of my worrying. 

I have a standing joke I share with friends: “Take my advice, I’m not using it…”

It is easy to say; “Hand this over to the Lord.”  When I have something bothering me, I tend to hold it tight and wonder why I feel burdened.  I proceed to pray and hand it over to my heavenly Father at the cross.  Then I turn around to walk away and realize I am holding it again. 

Whoops.. Did I just take it back again?  Yes, I did…  Sometimes I need a reminder to let things go. Sharing my struggles here is a great way to take the first steps.

While having breakfast with a friend, I discovered I needed this reminder again.  As she shared her burdens and self-condemnation with me, I saw a picture in my head.  She was wearing her burdens like an oversized coat on her back.  They were very heavy and consuming.  The burdens were not hers to carry. 

I reminded her that Jesus nailed her past and future sins to the cross.  She was removing those sins and carrying them on her back like an old, oversized coat. 

“Remove the coat and give it back to who can take care if it for you.”

“It is not your burden to carry.”

“It is not your coat to carry.”

Romans 8:1 says: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

When we become a Christian, God forgives our past, present, and future sins.  Why would we want to carry that burden after what Christ did for us?

It also struck home with me.  How many times have I walked around carrying someone else’s coat?  Next time I feel a heavy weight, I am going to look behind me and make sure I take the coat off – and give it to who can handle it…

She felt a release of the burden when we shared together.  Then as a reminder, God is so good, He gave her another confirmation in Isaiah 41:10.  This is one of her favorite verses.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I just happened to have that verse on my arm as a temporary tattoo.  I change them out weekly and this was the one I picked for the week.

Another holy echo by God sharing how important my friend is to Him and that she needs to give ALL her burdens back to Him.  God has big shoulders and can handle all the burdens better than she could.

Are you feeling burdened today?  Remove the heavy coat and give it to who can lighten the load for you. 

Rest in Him today.

 

Matthew 11:30 (NIV)

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:29 (NIV)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalms 119:105 (NIV)

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Community...

Today’s writing has been a holy echo for me.  I keep hearing the word community over and over in sermons and other areas of my life.  So, with that, I said; “Okay Lord, I am listening…”  And here we are 😊

Let’s get the basics out of the way first…

When I looked up what is community I found:

A group of people existing in a place that share; a purpose, a sense of belonging, and communicate with each other.

Covid decimated community in 2020.  Everyone became islands by themselves and alone.  I try not to take stock in surveys or research.  However, I did see that there are many studies sharing how loneliness increased significantly due to Covid.  We have been slowly moving back into our routines, but some have chosen to stay away permanently.

Look what happened to the church.  You walk into most churches today and there are many people who haven’t returned.  The seats remain empty.  They will tell you they are going ‘online’ or have other excuses.  Online is a great opportunity for those who cannot go for physical reasons.  My mother was physically unable to attend towards the end of her life, so we used to go online together to be fed spiritually.  The problem with that is we missed out on community and fellowship.  We only had each other. 

Community, the church can be there easier when we are In church.  Remember the toolbox story I wrote?  If not scroll back to the beginning of the year to find it 😊  It’s harder to be there for someone if you are not present.  It’s harder to ask for help when you are home and not with other believers.  The enemy gets in our head faster when we are alone and without others.

The enemy would like nothing better than to keep it that way.  The best way an animal can catch its prey is by separating it from the herd.  As Christians, when we are separated, we become vulnerable to attacks.  Next thing we know, we are listening to the enemy whispering in our ear.

Discouraging us, confusing us…

Covid has become a convenient excuse to bow out of society for some.  We are not meant to be alone.  We can’t function as an island.  It is not healthy physically or mentally.

God has a plan for each of us.  Remember Jeremiah 29:11?

We need each other to complete the plan.  We cannot do this alone.  We need community.  We need fellowship.  God calls us to fellowship together for strength and encouragement.

Each of us is a piece of the puzzle.  Don’t let the puzzle fall apart by separating from community.

Step out in faith with me today!  Be a part of Community…

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11

'Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. '

 Hebrews 10:24-25

'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. '

 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

'Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. '

 

 

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.
 

God's CB radio

 

I like to take notes in church and often sit with my notebook and pen in hand as our pastor speaks.   We are currently going through the book of Romans.  I love going through the bible each week because I learn something new every time.  You can read through the bible multiple times and learn something new each time.  The Holy Spirit reveals what you need when you pick up your bible.  If you haven’t dived into His word lately, I encourage you to learn more about our Heavenly Father by reading His love letter to you.  He waits for us every day to reach out to Him with our thoughts and requests.  As a parent I understand that statement.  I am blessed when one of our kids reaches out to us and wants to share their life with us.  It is a relationship.  It is fellowship with our Father who wants to share His thoughts with us as well.

I heard an analogy in church last Sunday that caught my attention.  Prayer is a conversation with God.  I am sure you have heard that many times over the years.  Of course, prayer is a conversation with God.  We are reaching out to God with our requests and thoughts for the day when we pray.   The part that caught my attention was when our pastor compared our conversation with God to a CB radio. 

For those who haven’t seen one in a while, a CB (citizens band) radio allows short distance person-to-many persons bidirectional voice communication using two-way radios operating on 40 channels.  You might remember seeing one in movies or trucks as they roll down the road talking to each other.   I suddenly have Smoky and the Bandit on my mind…

The cool thing about CB radios is you can communicate with someone instantaneously if they are on the same channel as you.  The bad thing is there are only so many channels and if someone else is on one you need to wait your turn.

Another observation is when you use a CB radio to speak to someone, you need to hold down the talk button.  When you want a response, you need to release the button.  If you keep the button down, you can’t hear the other person and they can’t respond.  Communication is a two-way street and holding down the button only allows a one-way conversation which is not productive for either party.

When we reach out to God with our requests and concerns, we need to remember to release the talk button, so to speak, and let Him share His thoughts with us.  If I am holding down the button and only sharing my concerns with God, I am missing out on the other half of the conversation.  Remember, we are in a relationship with the Living God.  Holding down the button defeats the purpose.  We need to let go of the button and be still waiting for His reply.  Sometimes that reply takes time because He is waiting on us to sit in His presence and wait.  Other times the reply comes instantly.  Either way, you can’t have a meaningful conversation with the button held down.

The incredible thing about our conversation with God is, unlike a CB radio, we only need one channel, and He hears all requests and can communicate back to us instantly.  We just need to be open and reach out to Him.

Reach out to Him today and don’t forget to release the talk button…

He is waiting for you…

 

Isaiah 55:6 (NIV)

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Do you ever feel unheard...?

 

Have you been in a conversation where someone was not listening, or partially listening to your words?  

This morning I was having a conversation with my husband, and he turned and said, “Honestly I didn’t hear anything you just said to me.”  I had to stop for a minute and then laugh, because I have done it to him before as well.  That comes with the territory of us trying to do so many things with our business and the ministry on a daily basis.  We get so caught up with our thoughts we can forget what the person right in front of us is saying.

This also happens with some of my customers.  That is why we spend extra time repeating what they should expect from us when we set a call.  First, I let the customer know on the phone that we are setting an approximate time and that time is not set in stone due to service calls before theirs.  The previous calls can take five minutes or several hours which then determines when the technician will arrive. I also mention that with the estimated time, they will receive a call from their technician when he is about ½ hour away from their home.  This gives them a more accurate timeframe to work with as he gets closer to the appointment. 

Next, we send out an email notification that repeats what I said on the phone.  Finally, they receive another text/email the day before stating the same thing.  Most times this works for the customer however some ignore all the information given and then call me wondering where their technician is.

I have heard before, no pun intended, that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.  The standing joke sometimes is that people stick their fingers in their ears and pretend to hear us.  

With all that goes on in our daily lives we are bombarded by the noise around us.  We can miss the message given.  Sometimes we need to just take a breath and ask the person to repeat their thoughts. 

God also speaks to us daily.  Do we hear Him or are we too busy listening to our own thoughts.  Imagine how He feels reaching out to His children every day and watching them ignore His message…  We want Him to hear our cries.  Take time to hear His words…

Take a moment to reflect on what you did today.  Who did you speak to?  Did you really hear their message?  Do you need to go back to him or her and revisit the conversation?

Did God try to speak to you today and the noise around you drowned out His message?

Ask for His divine assistance as you tackle your day today.  Sometimes we just need to pause and say, please forgive me, can you repeat that?

Said in love, and oneness of feeling because I do this every day…

 

Psalms 61:1 (NLT)

O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

James 1:19 (NLT)

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Mark 4:25 (NLT)

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.

Pause and Pray

 

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to react in haste?  I like to call it my ‘knee-jerk’ reaction.  You know, when you hit the part of your knee and it forces your leg to shoot forward?  I have done this often over my lifetime. 

Someone cuts you off while driving – you do…?

An acquaintance arrives late for a meeting – you say…?

You answer the phone to an angry customer, again – you say…?

You call for the umpteenth time to get a resolution to something you cannot do by yourself and are told the same answer, they will call back. – you say….?

One of your kids drops/breaks/spills something – you….?

I have to be honest and say I have not always reacted the best to some of these examples above.   Sometimes it is because I am tired/sick and my patience is thin.  Other times, I have assumed what was going on when I had no clue.  Either way, I needed to step back and then do the ‘pause and pray’

Pause – Take a deep breath.  Remember this is just one event, and not forever.  Taking a breath refocuses your mind.  When I get upset, I often take shorter breaths.  Take deep breaths and concentrate on your breathing.  It can calm most moments.

Pray – Always take a moment to pray.  Praying refocuses your heart.  When I do take the time to pray, I hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit telling me how to respond.  I am then responding in the Spirit, and not my flesh. When I take the time to say even a small prayer before I speak or do something, I am happier with my response.  I have more peace in the process.  If possible, reach out to others to pray with you.  

Remember where two or more are gathered…

Next time you feel rushed to act, remember to pause and pray.  Then act or speak with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit within you.  He will give you direction and clarity.  Remember the enemy rushes you when God stills your heart.  It is a work in process for me…but with His help I am doing a bit better each day.

 

Matthew 18:20 (NIV)

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Psalms 1:2 (NIV)

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

James 1:5 (NIV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Copyright © 2022 Peggy A. Priest. All Rights Reserved.