5-MINUTE DEVOTIONS FOR WORRY: EASE DOUBT AND FIND PEACE WITH PRAYER

It's here! 5-Minute Devotions for Worry: Ease Doubt and Find Peace With Prayer is out in the world!

After facing deep grief and so many life changes it left my head spinning, I battled depression for the first time in my life. Once I was honest with my husband, myself, and God, I began a journey to healing. It's a journey I am still to this day on, but it's a journey that has taught me so much. I've learned so much about myself, my husband, and who God is. The journey has been a blessing.

Now I want to walk with you on your own journey to healing. Whether you've faced worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, or depression, you don't have to stay there forever. There is hope. You can heal and grow. Join me in 5-Minute Devotions for Worry for a 66 day journey where we will read Scripture, I will share my own personal stories and encouragement, we'll pray together, and we will end each day with a reflection to help you dig a little deeper.

5-Minute Devotions for Worry is available wherever books are sold! To order on Amazon, click HERE.

To celebrate launch today, we have a fun giveaway going on over on Instagram! You won't want to miss this! Click HERE.

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

A couple of years ago everything in my life was changing. My kids were growing up, we lost my mother-in-law, my daughter married, after fifteen years of homeschool my kids graduated, we lost my grandfather, I became a grandmother, my son married, I left children’s ministry after almost three decades, and we were in the middle of a global pandemic.

There was just so much change all at once. The changes left my head spinning. For the first time in my life, I was dealing with deep grief, worry, anxiety, and depression. However, it wasn't until I suffered a couple panic attacks that I even realized what was going on. After being honest with myself and talking with my husband, I began a journey to healing.

I still struggle from time to time, but I am learning how to deal with everything in a healthy way. My struggles have led me to write a brand new devotional that I pray helps you.

5-Minute Devotions for Worry: Ease Doubt and Find Peace with Prayer is a 66 day devotional to help you deal with worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, and depression. I openly share of my own struggles and the tools that have helped me. Throughout my journey to healing, I learned so much about who I was as a person and who God is-and throughout this time my husband and I grew closer than ever before.

Each day has a Scripture verse, short devotion, thought provoking questions and activities, and a prayer. My prayer is that you will come away equipped with the tools you need to find peace in Jesus and begin a path to healing.

5-Minute Devotions for Worry: Ease Doubt and Find Peace with Prayer launches March 15th, but you can preorder now! To preoder, click below!

 

FIERCE FAITH

I don't remember being a fearful child. Maybe there was fear and I just don't recall it. I only remember living without a care. I knew God and my parents would always be there. I didn't worry about my safety, my next meal, or a roof over my head, nothing worried me.

And then I had kids.

Once I became a mother, I worried about everything. For years I couldn't sleep without the baby monitor on the highest volume and right next to my ear. I am talking years, not just when they were babies, but even as older kids. I put the loudest toys I could find under their window in fear of someone breaking in. I feared going places alone because what if something happened to me and left my babies without a mom. I feared my husband's dangerous job that could leave me without my best friend and children's father. I feared the balconies at hotels where my children could fall to their deaths. I feared every single noise I heard in the night. I feared everything.

In her new book, Fierce Faith, Alli Worthington says, "Fear is a liar. It speaks over us so convincingly, we believe that something terrible is certain to happen, even in the absence of any evidence whatsoever. Fear turns our what-ifs into certainties, freezing our faith and flipping our world upside down."

The thing is, fear doesn't come from God. Fear, the liar it is, is straight from the enemy. Alli says, "Fear is the most effective tool the enemy has in this world, and Jesus knew that would be the case. That's why He tells us 121 times in the Gospels alone to 'fear not.' And that's why He taught about fear on twenty -one different occasion. He knew this would be our struggle!"

Now, there is some fear, more of a healthy respect, that keeps us safe. While my fear of balconies and children was crippling, the fear was good to a point. It helped me to put safe rules in place, such as telling the kids they could never be on the balcony alone, only with an adult, and they couldn't push a chair to the railing. But keeping me up at night in a panic isn't healthy. Alli tells us, "Healthy fear can keep us out of painful situations, like shark attacks or Brazilian bikini waxes. But we aren't talking about God-given, healthy fear here. We're talking about fear of the future, the what-if situations that keep us up at night worrying, the anxiety that keeps us from living with confidence. We are talking about the God-distracting fear that steals our joy and keeps us off the path we are meant to follow."

Do you struggle with fear, worry, or anxiety? Fierce Faith is a must read! Alli knows fear. She is right there with us and walks us through how to fight fear and overcome anxiety with a deep, fierce faith. "By worshiping, trusting, and praising God, you are telling the enemy loud and clear that you are not a woman to be messed with."

To pick up your copy of Fierce Faith, click HERE.












*Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Links on this page may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using the affiliate links.

FEAR FIGHTING

Balconies terrify me. I have zero fear of heights, as a matter of fact, I kind of like heights. When our family goes on our annual family reunion vacation, I love standing on the balcony 13 stories high and watching the waves crash to the shore. Yet, balconies terrify me when my kids are on them. I would have nightmares in the weeks leading up to our trip, nightmares of a child falling to their death. We set a rule that kids were not allowed on the balcony without an adult and they were never allowed to push a chair to the railing to 'get a better look.' Now that my kids are all teens, they don't frighten me as much but I still have this crippling fear with my nieces and nephews. I make sure everyone knows my rule of not being on the balcony without an adult and I make sure my teens do not pick up a little cousin to hold them while on the balcony. A healthy fear leads to respect. I don't want my kids to fear heights or balconies, but I do want them to understand the risks and dangers and respect that. But for myself, it is an all out fear.

I am a children's pastor. Put me in front of a crowd of kids and I am perfectly calm and ready to go. Put me in front of adults, not so much. I start to feel like I am out of breath, my voice starts to shake and things slowly turn black. I can't even give an announcement in front of my church, to the people I know and love and talk to regularly! It's crazy! I don't exactly know why I fear speaking in front of adults so much, but even the thought sends my heart racing.

I remember times of deep fear like sitting in the middle of a tornado while my babies were miles away at my parents and not knowing if we would survive or if my kids were safe; being on the phone with my husband while he had a car accident and I couldn't hear him, only the loud crash and cars passing by and having no idea if he was okay; waiting on the test results to hear if my daughter had cancer; and, right now as I write this, waiting to hear the results of my grandmother's latest cancer scan.

Fear is something that can choke the life out of someone. It literally stops our breathing. We all have experienced this fear at some point. Maybe from a phobia or a health scare, whatever it is, a good percentage of the population has suffered from some type of fear.

We know that we shouldn't have fear. The Bible tells us 365 different times to not be afraid. There are 365 days in a year. I do not see this as a coincidence. God doesn't want us to fear. Yet here we are, still struggling with fear.

Kelly Balarie, author of the new book Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage To Overcome Your Fears, reminds us that God is right beside us. That He is running right next to us. And that He has good plans for us. Kelly reassures us that we have no need to fear but we have ever reason to be courageous.

Are you struggling with fear right now? Do you know someone who is and you are unsure how to help them? Check out Kelly's book Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage To Overcome Your Fears. You will be blessed as you learn to fight fear and live courageous.

Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage To Overcome Your Fears was featured on Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda's favorite things at Christmas time.

You Are Worth It

Dear friend. Yes, you. The one who is struggling with guilt. The one who is burdened by shame. The one who is feeling unworthy. Oh friend. Don't you know that you are His princess? Don't you know that He treasures you?

Before you were ever conceived in your mother's womb, He knew you and loved you. He lovingly knit you together exactly the way He wanted you. He choose you. He called you. He planned for you. You are His. His precious daughter who He loves deeply, so much so that He let His Son die just for you. You are worth His love. You are worth being treasured and cared for. You are worth it.

That guilt you are feeling, the shame that haunts you, the fear that cripples you, that's not from God. God is not the author of guilt and shame and fear. Those feelings are straight from the enemy. The one who comes to kill, steal and destroy you. But guess what? This enemy has no authority over you. None whatsoever. You are worth more than the guilt, shame and fear. It's time to stand up to the enemy and tell him that you are worth more. More than his lies. You are worthy of God's grace and mercy. You are worth His time and His healing power. You a child of God and worthy to be known as such.

Friend, you are worth the forgiveness and love that God offers. You are worth it because God created you and choose you. In Him, you have a great worth. Stand tall and know that you are the King's princess.





Linked with:
Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday

God Is Always Good

In this world we face sorrow, disappointment and pain. Someone we love lets us down. Finances become a struggle. Health is an issue. Something doesn't come as easy to us as we want. The list can go on and on.

Yet, through everything we face, the Lord is good.

Our Father is always good and always there. He sees our hurt and desires that we turn to Him. Sometimes He will fix our pain instantly, sometimes He wants us to learn and grow as we simply lean on Him.

The Lord is good. We can praise Him through it all because He is good.

Our children face hard times too. Maybe they were looking forward to a playdate with a friend and it was cancelled. A pet passes away. Maybe a grandparent moves away. Or maybe they see something scary. We need to teach our children that the Lord is good no matter what and that they can always turn to Him.

God Is Always Good is an adorable book that teaches kids that God is always good, no matter what they face. This book shows our kids Scriptures that teach us God is there.

To enter to win a copy of God Is Always Good, complete each task in the rafflecopter below.

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Sleep Sweet

Night time fears can be paralyzing. When I was in elementary school there was a thing going around about a killer clown. I have no idea if this was a real serial killer, tv joke, or rumor. I just don't know. But the rumor on the playground was this killer clown lived in the woods behind the school. Many nights I lay awake scared. Then my mom prayed with me and encouraged me to listen to my Jesus tapes, Psalty the Singing Songbook was a fave then, as I fall asleep.

As I became a mother I greatly feared harm coming to my babies at night. I had the baby monitor right by my ear as loud as it would go. I needed to hear them breathing to know they were okay. I also feared someone breaking in through the window and harming my child. So I put angel figurines in the windows and toys underneath. This way I would hear the angel fall and crash the toys before someone could get to my child.

One day as I was reading the Word, I came across this verse:

He will not let your foot slip-

He who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, He who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:3-4

I realized that God is with us. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't take a vacation. He doesn't take a bathroom break. He's always there protecting us.

Now when my children struggle with fears in the night, I can share this verse with them. When I hear a noise in the night, I can repeat this verse. It instantly brings peace to us as we know God is there, wide awake, protecting us.

Does your child struggle with nighttime fears? Do you struggle with fear? Remember that God is there watching over you. You have nothing to fear with the Father protecting you.

With soothing text and lovely illustrations, Sleep Sweet, My Little One  is a wonderful way to send children to peaceful dreams. This rhyming book by author Patsy Clairmont, lulls sweet children to sleep as it calms their heart. Whether your child is struggling with nighttime fears or just likes to be read to fall asleep, Sleep Sweet, My Little One is the perfect story.

To enter to win a copy of Sleep Sweet, My Little One, complete each task in the rafflecopter below.

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No Fear

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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.

Isaiah 41:10

What are you facing? God is with you. He is holding you up. He will strengthen you. Instead of worrying, reach out to Him. Trust in Him. He is our God.

Linking with:

W2W Word Filled Wednesday
Words For Me Wednesday
Winsome Wednesday
A Wise Woman

A Healthy Respect Or Fear

Today I want to talk about my fear.  I debated on whether or not to share this because until this week I had never shared this fear before, but I felt God prompting me to do so.  Tomorrow our family leaves for vacation and we are super excited.  We are headed to our favorite vacation spot...the beach.

Each year we rent a condo for the whole family that we love.  Our rooms are very high up, anywhere from the eleventh floor to the fifteenth floor.  Being up that high is very nice because you can see so far in the ocean and it is beautiful.

But that is where my fear comes in.  No I am not afraid of heights at all.  What I fear is the kids versus the balcony.  Kids do not always realize the dangers around them.  They can climb and lean over and stick body parts through the bars.  It terrifies me.  Most years I have nightmares the week leading up to vacation of a child falling off the balcony.

This year I decided it was time to release this fear.  I asked my sweet sisters to hold me and my children in prayer.  And I have been meditating on scriptures.

"Be still and know I am God." Psalm 46:10

"He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber." Psalm 121:3

I have no need to fear.  God does not sleep.  While we are trying to catch an early sunrise over the ocean, God is not sleeping in.  He is there watching over us.  While we are having mid-day snacks on the balcony and looking for dolphin fins, God is not out playing golf.  He is there.  He is watching us.  And I can be still and rest in knowing He is God and He stands by His promises.

Lylea and I in 2008

I will have a healthy respect for the balcony and teach my children the same.  They will know not to be on the balcony without an adult and not to climb or lean over.  But I will not fear.  I am so done with fear.  I want to rest easy and relax and let God be God.

What is causing you fear today?  Release that fear.  Rest in God.  He is the maker of all and He holds your heart in His hands.  Open up to Him and release that fear.  He is waiting.

Sweet Blessings~



Linking with:
Thought Provoking Thursday