From the presidential debates to the mood on the streets; from our natural response to the current uncertainties and disruption of life, to the stock market’s volatility, it’s easy to see how fear, anxiety and anger threaten to steal our peace and joy these days.

Personally, I have chosen to remove myself from social media and TV news shows, making the “headlines” channels on my satellite radio my only source of news during the months preceding the presidential election. Not that I’m not interested in politics, by any means. I am very much a believer in the importance and privilege of taking part in the democratic process. Rather, I chose to avoid the constant stream of information because of how it affects my emotions.

Anger. Resentment. Fear. These are natural responses when something or someone threatens to harm us, or when blatant lies and injustice surround us.

“A tranquil heart is life to the body, but passion is rottenness to the bones. King Solomon, Book of Proverbs.

“A tranquil heart is life to the body, but passion is rottenness to the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 @AJC #mondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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According to an article published by the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavior Medicine (NICABM), science proves King Solomon’s wisdom to be true. The Hebrew word for “passion” in this proverb can also be translated as “envy, zeal, torment, hurt, and jealousy.” Science has concluded that these emotions are proven to generate a myriad of hormonal responses that, in time, create long-term damage to the health of the human body.

Among all negative emotions, anger is the most harmful one. According to scientific findings, anger can change your brain.

Among all negative emotions, anger is the most harmful one. According to scientific findings, anger can change your brain. @AJC #mondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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The first trigger of anger activates an organ inside the brain called the amygdala, activating the hypothalamus, which signals the pituitary gland, releasing a hormone that affects the adrenal gland’s stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline.

High cortisol levels cause a loss of neurons in the prefrontal cortex of one’s brain, which affects the proper function of that part of the cortex, known to help us make sound judgments and good decisions. Likewise, elevated cortisol levels kill neurons in the hippocampus, thus weakening short-term memory. High cortisol levels also decrease serotonin – the “happiness” hormone. The effect on serotonin levels generates an increase of anger, emotional pain, anxiety, and depression.

The long-term effects of these triggers are known to many of us. Stress hormones increase our heart rate, blood pressure, arterial tension, blood glucose levels and thyroid function. It increases the likelihood of the incidence of cancer, digestive, and metabolism problems.

Indeed, anger triggers a downhill snowball, wreaking havoc in its path.

I can’t help but think about how cultivating hostile feelings toward others has affected my life in the past and still affects many people I know. I could blame it on my upbringing – surrounded by hot-tempered women; my environment certainly gave me plenty of examples of heated, overly emotional responses to life’s circumstances.

The truth is – you and I can always find an excuse for our anger. We can go as far as to say we are surrounded by reasons to act in rage these days.

But at some point, we must choose whether we will allow others or circumstances we cannot control to dictate how we respond. And only we can determine that.

The truth is – you and I can always find an excuse for our anger. But at some point, we must choose whether we will allow others or circumstances we cannot control to dictate how we respond. @AJC #mondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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What we cannot do is to continue the route of unforgiveness, anger and resentment, and think that our bodies can find a way to raise cortisol levels in our brains naturally. Science and the “wisest man who’s ever lived” agree. It won’t happen. These “passions” will eventually “rotten our bones.”

Sure, we can take prescriptions to help elevate our “happy” hormones. We may take “chill” pills to help us cope with people we can’t stand. And I am not against medications to help us overcome a personal crisis. I’ve taken them myself. But there comes a time when we must dig deeper and seek healing to those things that provoke our anger, lest we become lonely, bitter and sick human beings.

We cannot help what happens in the world, nor can we change the way people treat us. But we indeed can and should find ways not to allow these external interferences to dictate how we respond. That is the only thing that we, with God’s help and by his grace, are able to control.

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, October 10, 2020. Click HERE to read it on the AJC’s website.

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LINKUP party is open! This week, a study on the effects of negative emotions on the human body sheds light on the danger of cultivating anger, unforgiveness and envy. Join us and share your blog!
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The post LINKUP! How Anger and Bitterness Affect Your Health {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

“Cast your cares on God; that anchor holds.” — Frank Moore Colby

Just a look at her eyes and posture, and I knew it: She needed me. My friend suffers from anxiety and knows how that demon plagued me for many years; therefore, she has asked me to become her accountability partner.

As she sat down, downcast, she started sharing her burden.

“It happened all of a sudden. I was sitting there and started feeling anxious about this issue,” she said, teary-eyed.

I know the feeling.

Sometimes it happened when I least expected — sitting in front of my computer, working on a project. It started with tingling in my hands and feet, the dreadful signs of an upcoming anxiety attack. Then my heart started racing, and awful, often senseless fears filled my mind. I was also young and did not know what was happening to me. I did not feel comfortable talking to anyone since anxiety or depression were taboo subjects several years ago. There were no commercials about it, and people certainly did not talk about dealing with these taunting monsters.

I held her hand.

“I know what you are feeling. But I also know the truth. And you do too,” I said, confidently.

“Yes. But …”

“No. There are no ‘buts.’ Let’s talk about what you know. Let’s cast an anchor into this stormy sea.”

My friend knows it — she read my book. I call verses of Scriptures “anchors” and have several written in small notes posted around my house.

“What does God say about being anxious?”

“Be anxious for nothing,” my young friend whispered.

Yes. But Scriptures also tell you how to do that. And so, I pulled the verse in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians on my screen, and we read it together:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.”

We then talked about how to take anxious thoughts captive before they took over, and instead, pray about her concerns.

Take anxious thoughts captive before they take over, and instead of panicking, pray about your concerns. #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional #AJC
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She then prayed a sweet, childlike prayer, tears streaming down her cheeks. I held her close, all too aware of the confusion and fears gripping her heart.

I printed the verse and handed it to her. “Put it where you will see it all the time. Memorize it.”

In my opinion, there hardly is a better metaphor for Scriptures than that of an anchor.

Anchors have been used since ancient times to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent it from drifting due to currents or strong winds.

The earliest anchors were probably rocks, and many have been found on the seabed dating from at least the Bronze Age. Pre-European canoes, called Maori Waka, used hollowed stones tied with flax ropes as anchors. Ancient Greeks used baskets of rocks, giant sacks filled with sand, and wooden logs filled with lead. Regardless, ever since men started navigating earth’s bodies of waters, anchors have been used to keep vessels from drifting away or from being destroyed by the storms.

There is no question that there are situations in which people need medication to help them heal from anxiety and depression. However, I truly believe that the only way to consistently overcome forlorn or anxious thoughts is by anchoring our hearts and minds in what we know to be true.

I truly believe that the only way to consistently overcome forlorn or anxious thoughts is by anchoring our hearts and minds in what we know to be true.
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Whether in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) or the New Testament, we repeatedly read the accounts of men and women of God who, during times of distress, fear and doubts, would counter-attack the afflux of negative thoughts by remembering God’s faithfulness to His people. From Abraham to the persecuted old-testament prophets, from Jesus when tempted by Satan in the wilderness, to the apostle Paul in prison waiting for his execution. We have been taught, by their example, that the secret to surviving life’s strongest storms is to anchor our hearts in the unchangeable character of God.

From Genesis to Revelations, Scriptures teach us that the secret to surviving life’s strongest storms is to anchor our hearts in the unchangeable character of God.
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I don’t dismiss it as an easy thing to do. It has been a lifelong process for me. But rather than allowing my thoughts to wander into dark places when trials come, I have learned to remind my heart of the many times God rescued me in the past, and that there is no reason not to believe He will do it again.

And so, I share the story, hoping that just as my friend’s heartbeat slowed down as she started praying instead of fretting, someone out there will pause today to pray, trust and believe.

“Cast your cares on God; that anchor holds.” — Frank Moore Colby #MondayMotivation #Mondaydevotional
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This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday – October 12, 2019.

The post Proven Anchors in Anxious Times {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

It had been a long time since I heard God speak in such a clear, unmistakable way.

It took me by surprise. Of all things He could have used to send me a message, He chose a bird. A plain, small backyard sparrow delivered a message that I will never forget.

It was 2002 and I was home with a small baby and an unemployed husband. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 2001, my husband’s job was eliminated only three months after the birth of our firstborn. Our savings were draining fast, and I was afraid.

I knelt by the couch in our family room and cried out to God. For the first time since my husband lost his job, I was transparent in my prayer:

“I’m scared. How are we going to pay the mortgage?”

Was God aware of the price of diapers and baby formula?

As I finished “informing” almighty God of all that was going on in our lives and our imminent needs, I felt a strong need to be quiet and wait for him to speak.

Silence filled the room and several moments passed by. I was about to give up when I heard it:

“Chirp!”

I looked up and saw the sparrow, sitting on the lounge chair outside my window. It seemed to be looking straight at me.

“Look at the birds of the air, Patricia. They do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet I feed them daily. Are you not worth much more than they?”

I knew where the words were printed: Straight from the Sermon of the Mount, one of Christianity’s most beloved passages. The sermon is the longest continuous section of Jesus speaking in the New Testament, and it includes some of Jesus’ most famous teachings, such as the Beatitudes, as well as the widely recited Lord’s Prayer.

In my Bible, the subtitle of this particular passage of the sermon is “The Cure for Anxiety,” a passage often quoted as a reminder that nothing escapes the omniscience of a loving and caring God.

This happened 15 years ago and I’ll never forget it. The question often replays in my mind when I see sparrows lining up on electric wires:

“Are you not worth more than these?”

Whether it’s unemployment, illness, or any other trial or need that we may face, the question remains. And although at times the magnitude of the trouble that assails us is such, that it becomes almost impossible to grasp this truth within our hearts, the answer never changes.

Yes. We’re worth more than those.

We’re the apple of His eye.

That’s Jesus’ point, really.

At the end of the passage, He invites us to, instead of fretting and worrying, seek God’s presence, His kingdom and righteousness …

And then let God be God.

The job didn’t come right away. As a matter of fact, my husband was out of a permanent job for 18 months at that time. But God kept sending small jobs here and there, and often provision came from unexpected places. We never missed a meal. God provided for each one of our needs, even if at the eleventh hour.

While walking through that desert and many others I’ve faced since then, “seeking His kingdom and righteousness” has become my main focus.

No, it’s not always easy. It’s often a struggle to believe past the hurt, pain and confusion. But just as He provided to that bird that joyfully chirped to a distressed young mother on a cold winter morning years ago, I choose to believe He will keep taking care of all my needs, protecting and guiding me through the hard times I face.

He’s done it so far.

Why would He not do it again?

This article was published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – August 5, 2017.

Anxious about tomorrow? A Small Sparrow... and a message I'll never forget. Read this!
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The post A Small Sparrow and “The Cure for Anxiety” {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

A second health care worker in Texas is diagnosed with Ebola. ISIS allegedly has control of chemical weapons. Border security agents are struggling to maintain enough manpower to contain the influx of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Is it any wonder that worry is permeating our society as never before?

The harmful effects of anxiety are well known to the medical community. In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders. When our bodies are under stress, our nervous system responds with a reaction known as “fight or flight.”

There are times when this physiological reaction is a healthy defense mechanism, such as when a person feels threatened by imminent danger. This reaction tells us when to move out of an unsafe part of town, or it incites us to run when spotting a poisonous snake on the ground. We were born with this important trigger to help protect us from threats.

However, the fight or flight response was never intended to be an ongoing reaction to our problems. Indeed, chronic worry and emotional stress breed terrible health problems. Continuous fight or flight responses cause our body’s nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol, which can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides. These hormones cause harmful reactions such as dizziness, increased heartbeat, fatigue, insomnia and headaches. Needless to say, the long-term effects can be devastating, including suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders and heart disease. In other words, it’s not stress that’s making us ill. It’s our response to stress that is killing us.

I wish I could say that worry and anxiety stopped at the door of our sanctuaries. But we all know that’s not true. If anything, many people of faith are fretting more than ever. Entire websites are dedicated to disaster preparedness and to tracking events around the globe linked to end-times prophecy. As a Christian, I have studied these prophecies and believe them. But I don’t think this is a time for panic, worrying or fear.

Rather, I’m reminded that one of the most popular commands found in the Bible is “Fear not.” It’s found in almost every one of the books of both the Old and New Testament. Fear Not. I’ll never leave you. Fear Not. I believe these words. Through my hardest trials I’ve experienced them to be true. I know it won’t be different now.

There is no question that we should be concerned about our society. We cannot pretend that Ebola is not here, or live as if nothing bad will ever happen. We are not immune from terrible harm or unspeakable evil. We’ve seen it. We know it. We should certainly be vigilant, but we should not allow our spirits to be on constant fight or flight mode. Either we believe that God is in control … or we don’t.

I’m speaking with the authority of a recovering worrier. I’ve experienced firsthand the bitter effects of worry and anxiety. I don’t want to tread that ground again. What I’ve learned is that worry is a choice. Therefore I deliberately choose to turn off the fight or flight mode for things that I cannot control. I choose to turn to God instead, for direction, protection and peace. I choose to pray and trust. I choose to Fear Not.

The post Ebola, ISIS, End-Times Events – An Anxious Church?? – My Weekend Column for the Atlanta Journal appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.