Saturday, July 23, 2011

God LOVES us!



Since worry is a habitual coping mechanism, I believe now that it can be changed. Here I was a Christian and believed in God, but I didn't, way down deep in my heart, believe that he could or would or does love me. I don't know why, but for some reason, I really had a hard time with that. This is the real cure for worry; just really believing that God loves me. It gives me peace and joy and eliminates worry.

So, what kept me from believing that God loves me and how did I change this habit? The way I have been able to do this is by changing the way I think and therefore changing my belief. About the only thing that I really have any true control over is my thoughts. One of the questions I ask myself is: does this thought bring glory to God? Or; how does this thought bring glory to God? If it doesn't then I have to jump off that train. I believe that every thought I have either moves me closer to God or farther away.

Pray. Ask God to help you to recognize these thought patterns and pray also for Him to show you just how much he loves you. I think that these are key to mustering the willingness needed to change the way you think.

Pressing on with Excellence,

Keith

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Change Challenge


No wonder it's so hard to change. If you truly reap what you sow, and you keep sowing the same thoughts over & over, different results are impossible and how then can there be any change at all? You reap what you sow. Thank God he is patient with me because for years and years I was never intentional about my thought life. If you want to change, if you want to quit worrying, if you want to get rid of anxiety, you have to change the things you think about.

To begin with, I would like to challenge anyone who wants to change, starting right now, go 30 days with no news. If you listen to the radio or watch TV, when the news comes on, shut it off. If you listen to political talk radio, shut it off. Trust me, the world won't end if you don't know what is going on in it for thirty days. If you absolutely can't go thirty days without listening to something, try some good audio books or listen to a good podcast. You could listen to Dave Ramsey or Dr. Laura, but put something good into your head and pay attention to what is going on inside it.

Pray that you would be hypersensitive and aware about the thoughts you think, subconscious thoughts especially. Be aware of some of the negative comments that come out of your brain, that spew out of your mouth. You can't hide what's going on inside your head. It will ultimately come out. Do you hear yourself say things that are negative or condescending; either out loud or, worse yet, inside your head? Planning revenge or condemning someone else? Even simple things like "you idiot" whether focused on you or someone else? Watch for self talk or verbal talk that doesn't edify you or others.

Ask yourself: does what I'm thinking about bring glory to God?

Pressing on with Excellence,
Keith

Saturday, July 16, 2011

New Life




This Christian life seems hard sometimes. I fail constantly. I don't always treat people right. I judge, condemn, and ridicule them. I know that God wants me to treat them the way I want to be treated, but old habits are easy to fall back into. I must forgive them for what they do to me and I also must forgive myself for how I treat them. I need to change the way I treat them. To begin with, I used to think that just not hurting anyone today was good enough. From where I've come from that was a monumental feat.

Now I'm trying to be different and I'm sowing seeds for a new life that I want tomorrow, so it's not good enough to just not hurt someone today. Now I want to see how I can help someone today; to listen to them, to really care about them.

This is a big change for me to actually care about someone else and their concerns. I used to just worry about myself and my concerns all the time and not care about others. I'm glad for this new life and, even though it seems hard sometimes, it's a lot easier than the life I used to live. So, I will plant seeds of peace and sow a harvest of righteousness. (See James 3:18.)

Pressing on with Excellence,
Keith

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Killing Time


One of the reasons that I think I used to worry so much was because of lazyness and apathy. If I worried and prayed then that was good enough. If I quit worrying, pray, then get off my lazy butt and make a plan of action, I have just turned worry into concern. I don't have to sit around and worry, I can work on the plan of action or I can focus my energy somewhere else. I have spent a lot of time sitting around worrying instead of taking productive action.
Do what you are able to do. Don't be afraid to ask for help for that which you are not able to do and leave the rest of it up to God. In the long run, I get more peace and feel more energetic than if I sit around and worry. Apathy breeds apathy.


Pressing on with Excellence,
Dr. Worry

Friday, July 1, 2011

Persistence



Persistence. That's the thought that keeps coming up in my head. I've heard it said that persistence is faith. I think persistence is faith in action.

I have set out on a quest to see what my life would look like if I change the way I think. See, I've had enough of worry and anxiety and fear. You reap what you sow. So I've been intentional about what kinds of thoughts I've been sowing. But it's not harvest time yet and that's where persistence comes in; continuing to press on and grow and cultivate and irrigate, reading, listening, and putting good stuff into my head, eating right and watching who I hang out with. These things I work on to see what I will harvest.

I see new life coming on and plants growing. But it's still not harvest time yet. Oh, when will it be harvest time? This is when I need to be persistent and have faith that it will be worth it all. My life is so much better already. The rows are straight and most of the weeds are gone, but I still have some growing to do and some maturing before the harvest time.

This crop has to be bountiful because I haven't sown like this before. I can't wait much longer. This is going to be awesome.

Pushing on towards Excellence,
Keith