Dec 22, 2020
Episode Summary:
- If you have ever felt overwhelmed, worn out, or overcome by
holiday pressures, then today is the perfect show for you. Today
we’re going to be talking about soul care: how to reduce anxiety
with tips on tending to your soul and remaining unruffled during
the chaos of the holidays.
- Whether we have a lot of time or a little time, our Heavenly
Father delights in spending time with us. When we spend time with
Him, we can rid ourselves of worry, fear, and anxiety, and remain
in His peace.
- When we think about Jesus’s three years of ministry, he walked
into the most chaotic environments but brought His peace with Him.
So we can walk into any situation, allowing God’s peace to dominate
us, and then it will spread outward. As believers with the Holy
Spirit, we do carry God’s peace with us, but too often we forfeit
that peace by becoming consumed by the chaos around us.
- Peace is not the opposite of chaos, it comes from inside so
it’s not dependent on our circumstances. We need to look at
situations from God’s vantage point. We are all capable of bringing
His peace to our situations but we have to be more deliberate and
less easily influenced by our circumstances.
- Anxiety comes from looking at our circumstances rather than up
at our heavenly Father. We lose our peace when we’ve gotten our
focus wrong. We never see the entire situation, but He can because
He’s already gone before us.
- So often we become consumed by focusing on the details when He
wants us to leave the details to Him and trust Him with the big
picture.
- Try to make time for family, friends, and memory making.
- Be sure to make sure you are already plugged into God, before
the chaos takes over.
- Taking time at the end of the day to still our thoughts and
give God our cares of the day can help us sleep more peacefully and
wake up unruffled the next morning. By looking over the plans of
the next day, we can wake up prepared instead of in a panic about
the day.
- Understand that your wellbeing is paramount to God, as well as
the wellbeing of those around you. You cannot get water from an
empty well. It’s just not possible to pour out when we ourselves
are dry and empty. He wants us to be taking care of our own soul,
and taking care of our physical body so that it doesn’t give out on
you.
Quotables from the episode:
- “Find your voice, live your story.” Edie Melson
- Whether we have a lot of time or a little time, our Heavenly
Father delights in spending time with us.
- When we think about Jesus’s three years of ministry, he walked
into the most chaotic environments but brought His peace with
Him.
Scripture References:
- John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace
of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot
give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
- Philippians 3:16 “Only let us live up to what
we have already attained.”
Recommended Resources:
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Podcast
Guest:
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers
experiencing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether
she’s talking to readers, fellow creatives, or writers, her first
advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author,
blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences
across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect
her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given
gifts and apply them to their lives.
Edie has this to say about her heritage, “I’m creative out of
self-defense. As the daughter of an artist-mother and
musician-turned-photographer-father, I’d have been a disgrace if I
hadn’t been true to my own creativity.”
Edie’s a popular speaker and a board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers
Association, the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Christian Writers Conference, and the social media director of
Southern Writers
Magazine. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through
Instagram,
Twitter, and
Facebook.
She and husband Kirk have been married 38+ years and raised
three sons. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains
in SC where they love to hike and wander the mountains.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson