Seven Stress Busters

The month of May has proved to be very full – to the point of overload. My focus of late has been work related. In the month of May alone, I’ve participated in interviewing several candidates to replace me when I leave at the end of July, I’ve scheduled almost all of our June and July shows (this process takes many hours from start to finish and I squeezed into 3 weeks what normally takes 6-8 weeks all by the grace of God), and I’ve said goodbye to working with my boss of seven years as she’s stepping into retirement (well – that’s probably not an accurate word for her – but for lack of a better word I’m using it). She’s not only my boss, but a friend, a mentor, and someone I love dearly. Char Binkley, I will miss you so much! But I’m so glad this isn’t a goodbye for forever. You better bet I’ll be bugging you from time to time. Bug! Bug! Bug! Bug! Bug! (That's kind of an inside joke between the two of us...but I couldn't resist!)

So as you can see, I’ve put forth a great amount of emotional, mental, and physical energy – often times working around nine hours a day and eating at my desk rather than taking a lunch break. Mind you, this is not my employers requirement, it’s what I’ve felt I need to do in order to leave them in as good as position as possible before I leave at the end of July.

In addition, I went on a couple weekend road trips this month, and started purging a few items. I’m calling it Purging: Round 1. My roomies humored me and helped clean out my closet. I brought each piece of clothing out and they voted whether it should go in the “keep pile”, the “goodwill pile”, or the “try on pile and we’ll decide after that”.  It was a huge help to have their opinions. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to “keep it for later.” You know how that goes. I was quite pleased with how much I was able to discard. Check it out!

Unfortunately, I’ve not had any capacity left for working on logistical things that need to be arranged prior to my launch to California this fall. Things like scheduling final doctor appointments, finding a place to live in California, finding roommates, looking into part-time job options for the fall, etc. The list goes on and on. As you can imagine, stress management has been pretty important lately. So I thought I’d share a few things that have been helping me in this transition. Maybe you’ll find one or two you’d like to try.

1)      Spending time in the presence of Jesus – daily. This has been key in helping me stay centered on Christ instead of my mounting "to do list". I find that I’m lacking a lot these days and am very dependant on the Lord to give me everything I need for each new day. This is really a season of perseverance...I just keep focusing on Jesus asking Him to fill me up with what I'm lacking. He’s always faithful to give me exactly what I need when I need it. Things like strength, rest, grace, peace, and joy. I’m so thankful! One devotional that has been especially meaningful to me lately is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. If you’re not a familiar with it, pick up a copy and start reading it! The devotionals are written as if Jesus was speaking directly to you – and it’s all based on scripture verses. It seems like each days devotional writing has been written specifically for me and for what I’m facing. I have several friends reading this same devotional and they say the same thing. Of those I know who are reading this book, I know that our lives are very different…so I truly believe anyone who picks up a copy of this book will feel like God is speaking directly to them. If you need encouragement and a word from the Lord, consider reading Jesus Calling. And even before that, consider reading from the Bible daily. That my friend is living and active. And if you read the Bible while asking God to speak to you through it, He most certainly will!

2)      Flowers! I can’t even begin to tell you what flowers do for my soul. Their beauty and fragrance bring a smile to my face and a twinkle to my eye. After a particularly long day at work this month I stopped by one of my favorite parks and allowed myself to be enveloped in the spring blooms all around me. I took several pictures as well. I love spring! I also planted some zinnias for the first time this year. I LOVE zinnias. So when I saw them sprouting (barely out the ground mind you) I literally jumped up and down and squealed in delight and anticipation of future blooms!

3)      Laughter! My roommates are a huge blessing to me in this area. There’s really never dull moment around our house, and I can always count on a good laugh when we’re all together. Thanks, Sarah and Christin, for keeping this place lively with laughter and fun!  I also can count on laughing until my stomach hurts when I’m with my best friend, Claire. It happened countless times last weekend alone!

4)      Taking a walk. Turns out my roomies also know a thing or two about the importance of exercise – not only for staying in shape, but for the psyche. Sometimes it takes convincing on their part, but more often than not they persuade me to take a walk with them. And I’m always glad they do! The conversation is always great, and they’re right, I feel better afterwards.

5)      Cooking. So I like to eat. And I like to cook. The other night I spent about an hour chopping veggies to make this fresh salsa. There’s something about doing mindless work with your hands that ends up being restful. When I was spent in every other way, I still had it in me to chop veggies. Interesting, huh? And I enjoyed it…especially the end result! I’ll post the recipe later…along with a few other recipes that are my “go to” recipes.

6)      Blogging. Yup, even now I have a ton I’d like to get done. But what am I doing? I’m blogging. It’s not work to me though. I enjoy it! And I need this outlet so I can proceed with the other chores that are ahead of me. Because of that, I’m giving myself permission to blog more often in the coming weeks…even when my “to do list” overflows. There’s just something about blogging that helps clear my mind.

7)      Drinking a cup of hot tea. Enough said.

How about you? What are some stress busters that work for you?

So tell me, how many toe socks does a girl need? I decided for NONE. They just aren't that comfortable!

California Bound

Do you remember my first post on this blog? It had to do with 2011 being the year of transition. I’m excited to finally be able to share with you what this means for me personally. To make a long story short, God is leading me in a new direction. I’ve have been accepted and will attend Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) in Redding, California beginning this September. It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly. In fact, I’ve been processing this for a while, have spent much time in prayer seeking God about this, and have sought the council of family and friends including one of my pastors and his wife. I have such a peace about it that I know is only from God.

I’ll give you a bit of the story that has brought me to this point in my journey. I encountered God in an amazing way when I attended a conference in South Carolina last summer. Not only did I see hundreds of people healed from a variety of illnesses and physical impairments, but I myself was healed from my low blood sugar issues. Since the conference, God has given me several opportunities to pray for family and friends. As I prayed for them, I witnessed God heal them! Because of these encounters with God and His healing hand, I’ve arrived at a place where I cannot deny the power of God and His supernatural ways. Out of that, I’ve recognized that God has given me - and all Christians - gifts through the Holy Spirit. Not only do I want to be a good steward of the gifts the Lord has given me, but I also realize I have a lot to learn about operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is my desire to be the Lord’s handmaiden and serve him whole heartedly, and in order to fulfill that desire and calling, I believe I need to be equipped to serve by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That brings me to my future plans at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, CA. As I've completed my research regarding prospective ministry schools, I've found that Bethel is well respected, theologically sound, and where I feel the Lord is leading me right now. Bethel has both a school and a church. The Senior Pastor, Bill Johnson, is highly respected by many. He was one of the main speakers at the conference I attended last summer. Perhaps you’re wondering about the term “supernatural” in the name of the school. It simply means that the same Holy Spirit that resided in Jesus and the disciples in Biblical times and empowered them to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise people from the dead resides in believers today and enables Christians to do things that are impossible in the natural. My desire is to see Jesus glorified as the Holy Spirit enables me to live a supernatural lifestyle.

My current plan is to attend the first year of training from September to May, however second and third year programs are offered. I will continue to seek the Lord in next steps as the conclusion of the first year draws near – knowing that God may lead me to continue or He may lead me to proceed according to my initial plan.

The decision to leave my community here in Fort Wayne has been difficult! This transition is bittersweet in many ways. I’m leaving friends I dearly love, a job that feels like it was custom-made for me, and an amazing church. I’m so grateful for the incredible people I’ve been blessed to do life with here. I will greatly miss them but fully intend to continue our friendships! Modern technology has made the world so much smaller enabling us to stay connected while thousands of miles apart. I’m so thankful for that and plan to stay connected in this way. While the cost is great for me, the reward will have no equal.

After I graduate from BSSM, I plan to move to Bloomington, IN, a place that has been my home away from home for many years. I’ve connected with several young women at a Missionary Church in Bloomington, and I’m excited to become involved there. Not only that, but my best friend’s parents have offered their basement as a place to stay for a time. In addition, I will only be an hour and a half away from my parents – being close to them is a luxury I have not had for ten years. I don’t have a job lined up in Bloomington yet, but I know God will be faithful to provide in His perfect timing. Moving to Bloomington in many ways is a journey toward home for me. I do know the three hour trip between Fort Wayne and Bloomington really well…so I suspect all of you in Fort Wayne will see me around from time to time!

The Lord has blessed me in ways that are beyond comprehension for me sometimes. One of the many blessings is that I am able to pay the complete tuition for my first year at BSSM. Thank you, Dave Ramsey, for sharing your financial wisdom! I know many of the students attending BSSM don’t have that same luxury and often send out support letters to raise their tuition. I’m excited to say the most helpful support I can receive from you right now is your prayers! Please pray for me in this transition as the Lord brings me to mind.

Thank you for your encouragement and support in this eventful season! I’m thrilled, excited, and beyond thankful for this opportunity.  Can’t wait to share how the Lord continues to move in my life!