Category: anxiety

You Will Love Scripture Writing

Scripture Writing was a newly discovered discipline that I added to my journey with Jesus years ago. Amazement filled my heart when I discovered people who combined their creativity with intentionality to produce countless options of monthly guides for writing the holy scripture.untitled

Every day is a new day, a new beginning. You can start new practices and routines any day. Do you need a new spiritual habit that promises to yield instant results? Scripture writing is for you!

Here are 8 reasons why you will love scripture writing:

1. Interacting and writing God’s Word is supernatural and transformative.

2. Writing God’s Word gives your brain time to capture the meaning.

3. Writing God’s word is inspiring and encouraging.

4. Reproducing the scripture in your handwriting makes them personal, helping you own the verses.

5. Focus is put on God at the beginning of the day, and you sense His presence.

6. Peace comes as writing slows you down to think and let His Word absorb in your mind.

7. Order and focus are added to your quiet time as you write that day’s scripture.

8. Anticipating the next set of scriptures each morning keeps you coming back for more.

Before you begin, you will want to find a notebook and pens designated for this spiritual practice. Find a scripture writing for the month here.  Print it. Find a favorite spot in your home where you can practice this uninterrupted.

Now you are ready to begin:

  • Set your alarm to add this to your schedule
  • Get your coffee or tea or breakfast
  • Go to your special place
  • Locate the passage in the Bible 
  • Look at the passage for that day
  • Read it silently
  • Write it
  • Read it aloud to yourself
  • Diagram the passage (see blog above)
  • Ponder what God is saying and begin your prayer time

By the time you take these steps, insight comes.

Before you leave to get busy with your day, take time to write a few thoughts or a prayer to God. You may have questions, a prayer of thanks, confession, or a commitment to obedience.photo-1481624362406-b7817fa45ecf Photo by Unsplash

Other tips:

  • Capitalize the pronouns related to God or Jesus.
  • Place your name in the verses where there are personal pronouns. Look for action words or commands, promises. 
  • Minimize phone usage. What’s the point of quiet time? This is your intentional time with God, the Lover of your Soul. Make your adjustments and make your time with Him a priority.

WARNING:

If you haven’t had a very intentional quiet time with Jesus, expect obstacles and opposition, but don’t allow those to discourage you. Hearing from the Lord through His Word, and praying to Him are the most important things a Christian does to grow and abide in Him. It is the essence of who we are as His people. It develops us into who we can be for His Kingdom’s use. Don’t give up.

BLESSING:

You will feel accomplished and have new freedom in your spirit as you put this practice in your life. Interacting with God’s Word is a good practice. Even if He convicts you of sin, just confess it. Ask Him to help you be more like Him. Jim Elliot said, “Why do you need a voice when you have a verse.”

“the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

If you have a Bible that’s falling apart, you’ll have a life that’s not.

Adrian Rogers

©Valerie Rumfelt

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The Solution to Everything

Sometimes, certain Christian music can land on my spirit in a way that shows me how close the Lord and His Spirit are to me. A song that focuses on the character of God and His love for me transcends past my self-protected shield and targets the softest places in my heart. Does this happen to you too?

Yesterday on social media, a national speaker recommended a song. It caused me to research it. Then watch it. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings, “I Love the Lord.” Their soulful style pierces the depths of me, cuts through my shame and guilt, and affirms my love for the Lord. Praise His Name.

The song was written in the 17th century by Isaac Watts. And when I wonder about that era of time, what was going on then, I conclude, as Solomon says, “nothing new is under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). That means nothing is new, nothing. The same human nature has existed all this time, and Isaac, for whatever reason, was making a claim that, in spite of this fact, he loved the Lord.

The test of the Christian life is loving the Lord through the hard and challenging times. Each challenge can purify our hearts and make us more like Jesus, or we can choose to allow bitterness to creep in and like a tarnished, silver spoon, be unusable and dull.

If we long to be faithful to God, we will learn through it all to love Him, not the outcome of our problems. We let Him mold us, and we learn how to keep fellowship with Him through spiritual disciplines, instead of keeping Him at a distance. We learn our need for Him is far greater than whatever our plea is at the time. It is His love, His character, and His faithfulness that help us in our weakness and temptation.

We learn as Habakkuk proclaimed in his suffering, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:18).

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For me, as I continue through all the bumps and bruises of life, the unexpected disappointments, the spider webs in my face situations that I can’t get rid of, I realize I still love the Lord. I have learned that loving the Lord is no longer my challenge but is my solution to everything.

I LOVE THE LORD

I love you, Lord; you heard my cries,
and pitied every groan;
Long as I live, when troubles rise,
I’ll hasten to your throne.

I love you, Lord; you bow your ear;
you’re ever good and just.
Then let my heart feel no despair!
Your power has all my trust.

If you behold me sore distressed,
you bid my pains remove;
I’ll turn my soul to you, my rest,
and witness to your love.

Isaac Watts 1719

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116:1-2

©Valerie Rumfelt

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you aren’t signed up already, please add your email below, and hit subscribe. Each time I publish, you will receive Winning Ways to Follow Jesus in your email first. Blessings.

Imagine a New Life

Yesterday morning in church, we sang a medley of songs about heaven as well as grace. While singing, my mind pondered how freeing it is to live a life indelibly marked by God’s grace.

None of us deserve God’s grace. Maybe as a believer in Jesus, you have wondered where you would be if it had not been for the Lord. I often do. Then other times, when aware of my sin nature, the idea of God’s grace made known to me causes me to want to weep, and sometimes I do. If you are a believer in Jesus, surely you know and experience the grace of God daily!

He cares so deeply for His children, and His love is boundless and inexhaustible, unfathomable.

With all the uncertainty in this world, the lack of peace has caused many who don’t know Jesus to at least wonder how to make sense of it all. Surely, observing the events would shake one’s soul and cause questions to swirl. I’m wondering, if you are in that state now, would you be looking for peace?

The One that lives inside me is the only One that’s been able to give my life

peace,

purpose,

and a plan.

He is my stability, my Rock, and my Home. This all-encompassing God also has a place reserved for me in Heaven. I know this for certain, and it’s not because of anything I’ve done. It’s actually because of everything He did for me when He died on the cross. Then when I made the choice to receive His gift of salvation, certainty, and assurance became my eternal hope.

 I don’t deserve this one bit.

It certainly isn’t because I’m a good person or because of any good works I’ve done.

I am not a good person, nor do I have to do good works to earn this salvation.
Any good coming from me is Jesus inside me, and the good works are done only because I love Him.
Earning my salvation is not needed.
My faith is in the person of Jesus, not a religion. This keeps me from becoming callous to the world and its troubles.

In fact, my heart is more tender to this world, and prayer is my response.

Certainly, I’ve decided to follow Jesus, which means my life is directed to being part of the solution to the world’s ills. But my hope and peace are not found in this world. So how does one find this peace?

These verses explain how to find peace with God.

John 3:16&17- “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

John 14:6- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Romans 3:23-for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.

Acts 2:21 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If you believe what you’ve just read, then you can ask Jesus to live in your heart, and He will. It is the best decision you will ever make. You can pray something like this, and Jesus will hear you and, by His Spirit, come to live in your heart.

Dear God, I know through your son Jesus, I can have forgiveness of my sin. I know I need you. I believe Jesus is God’s son. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe God raised Jesus from the dead. Because He lives, I can live too. I receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior now. Please forgive my sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, help me to follow you faithfully all the days of my life. Amen.

Please leave a comment below to tell your story of when you became a follower of Jesus. Or, leave a comment if you just began that journey.

If you did decide to follow Jesus, begin reading the Bible. Ask God’s Holy Spirit to give you understanding and begin to obey what you read. Pray, talk to Jesus, and tell Him about your life and your needs. Praise Him. Contact another Christian and share your decision. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a church family who believes in the Bible as God’s Holy Word, who worships the triune God in all its purpose, and who values the growth of Christian character found in the person of Christ for each of its members.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you aren’t signed up already, please add your email below, and hit subscribe. Each time I publish, you will receive Winning Ways to Follow Jesus in your email first. Blessings.

Lamp to My Feet ~ Light to My Path

Some people love adventure, and roaming the earth to have an adventure is done with ease. Home is where my heart is. I love everything about home. I have a Pinterest board with that title.

My family moved a lot when I was a child. I have always had trouble leaving the familiar. I need a plan. Anxiety began to reside in me at a young age. Every move was another traumatic, lonely excursion. It never occurred to me that I could do something about it, and over time, like stubborn weeds grip hard soil, it became part of me. I tried hard not to let it stop me, but I’m sure opportunities were missed.

In the late 90s, my husband and I took two trips to do His work, and while those trips showed us spiritual lostness on a world scale, I battled anxiety on the trips.

Once we returned from the first trip, I absorbed my comfortable life. We were home again. Pride and amazement swelled in me. I had left home, crossed an ocean for the first time, and that trip was my first time flying too! I did something I never thought I could do. Good job. A big check for such a feat.

Barely enjoying normal life again, to my surprise, we received a message requesting my husband lead a team for another trip to do His work. I could not believe it. So soon. Wow. But I knew God was doing this. Me resting on my laurels was not in His plan. We obeyed again, and yes, I struggled with anxiety while there.

Thankfully, the Lord used a completely different situation in the early 21st century to call me to pay attention to my issue with anxiety. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God guided me to a plan that included some practices that put me in scripture consistently, sometimes several times daily. These practices were in addition to a morning quiet time already established for decades.

Anxiety starts in the mind. So these practices (most of which I share on this site) brought more peace and allowed me to relax enough to enjoy the Lord’s presence. As I grew to know Him more, intrusive thoughts were minimized. My default mechanism of anxiety was healed. God no longer seemed far away in my struggle. He was near, and He cared and was healing me. As I look back, I see I participated in Matthew 11:28-30.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In 2019, my husband sensed we would take a new direction different from anything we’d done before. I could not believe it. I knew this would mean we wouldn’t visit a foreign and unfamiliar country, but we would live in a foreign and unfamiliar country.

For years, whenever I’d read Psalm 139, my eyes would gaze on vs. 9, which says, “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Thoughts would swirl as I wondered if Psalm 139:9 would ever be true for me.

Today as I live in a foreign country writing this, I am aware I am very far from the familiar, it is on the far side of the sea, and I’m living in the verse to the praise of His Name.

Yes, anxiety occasionally visits, but God’s Word has long-term effects, and I benefit greatly from the years of intentional investment in His Word. If a struggle begins, I have trust in God now to believe He is with me in my struggle. I have tools that redirect my mind and invite help from the Holy Spirit. Any struggle ends quickly. I am thankful He loved me so much to help me pay attention to this. The love for His Word that resulted and the joy of His presence is a gift that keeps on giving.

“Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” Corrie Ten Boom

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

©Valerie Rumfelt

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Soul Survival Everyday

Psalm 25 is hidden in my heart, but recently when I revisited it, the first nine words grabbed my attention like a diamond in a well-lit jewelry case. My eyes and heart were fastened to it, and I could not move further into the verse or chapter. Here are the first nine words to this beloved Psalm:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…

This is what saturated my mind as the Spirit of God had me slowed to a stop on these words.
God is the only One trustworthy to care for my soul.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…

The Spirit undoubtedly directed David’s heart, and David knew that God was his absolute help for the eternal core of his being, whether in peace or crisis.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…

Why wouldn’t I, too, lift up my soul to the only Soul Lifter?

Is there anyone more trustworthy than the Lord? 

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…

To experience what David knew in the very first line of this Psalm, then certainly we have to go to the Lord to lift our soul to Him. We can not remain unaffected by this great God we know.

We can not hide in our super busy life avoiding Him.

We can not be puffed with pride in our significant space.

We can not run by Him in ministry mode.

We can not excuse our presence with Him because of a caretaking call.

We can not rest in complacency in our relaxation room. 

No, we must choose to go to God.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Are you overwhelmed that you can even approach God? 

God is available to every follower of Jesus. He is our Father, and He is there for us anytime, any day, any season of our life. But we must choose to stop our life, and go get His life each and every day.

Why not every morning say to Him…

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The soul actually demands as much attention as the body…the soul was made for God, and without God, it is restless and in secret torment.

Billy Graham

©Valerie Rumfelt

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Trust and Hope

I’m thinking right about now there may be some of you hanging on by a thread with all the world events and personal sacrifices and losses of the year 2020. And now, moving into the next year, the troubles have not disappeared. Who thought all this was going away just because a page turned on the proverbial calendar? I did not. This is the world we live in, and yes, it is frightening at times, but amazingly, God is still bringing His peace and stability to all who want it.

Recently in a moment of faith, which is another word we could add to this title, I came up with these acrostics. Just creating the acrostics brought peace, and I thought maybe you could use them too. Here they are, and then below, I will list some ways you can make the most of them.

TRUST

T – Taking all I have

R- Reminding myself

U – Understanding His past care

S – Submitting my rights

T – Telling Him thank you in advance

HOPE

H – Having the same mind

O – Open to His future plans

P – Practicing Thanksgiving

E – Expressing Praise

So, you could make a list under each one. For instance, T – Taking all I have. List all you have that you can give to Jesus. R – Reminding myself – We have to do this. We have to remind ourselves who we are in Christ and who He is to us.

Do you get the idea? Just take each idea and expand it. By the time you finish, some peace will be restored.

Another activity you could do is to get out your Bible concordance and look up the words Trust and Hope and find all the verses. Write the verses. Say the verses. You could do this for a week at least and have plenty to look forward to each day.

We are not in control anymore. Whatever ideas we had previously about being in control are not working right now. We do not know if we will see those days again. But we haven’t lost Jesus. So if you are one of His children, this is not a time for the faint of heart. It’s time to spend time with your Father. Turn off the tv or whatever you watch and go sit down somewhere and find your rest in Jesus. It may feel awkward to you at first, but God honors those who honor Him. He will meet you.

If you have ideas of what you are doing now to abide in Jesus, list them in the comments.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;apart from me you can do nothing. ” John 15:5

©Valerie Rumfelt

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