Brian Betts ~ December
It is December and with it comes a month of decorating for the holiday season, Christmas parties to plan for, gifts to purchase, and the list goes on. All of this can be a time of added stress to your life especially when things do not go as planned. The Bible verse from 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Jesus does care for you and does not want you to stress and worry about the things on this earth. Matthey 6:26-27 reminds us that all of our worries will not add a single moment to our lives. As a parent, many things cause us to worry especially with our children. So when you feel the stress of life it is time to take a breath and remain CALM.
C-Count Your Breath– Take 5 deep breaths and get that oxygen to your brain will help your body relax. A-Active Get active and go for a walk or ride a bike. Your body is designed to move and this will help release some of the energy that is built up by stress.
L-Listen and Pray God invite us to come have a conversation with the best counselor who is open 24 hours a day. God can provide peace and strength when we give our burdens to Him.
M-Make a Break Stop the stress by doing something else. You need to take a break to process a better way to handle the challenges in life.
This is one strategy to help you manage the stress of your life. The following link is a song by Doug
Larson, a Christian artist from Minnesota who has visited Immanuel to share his talents. This is a song that is in my head that might be a way to help you stress less.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5l3LMUCyMs
In closing this month we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The image of the nativity gives peace, joy, and comfort. Keep this image in your heart this month so that when the worldly challenges start to build look to the manager. Merry CHRISTmas.
In Christ,
Brian J. Bets-Principal